The Final Stroll on Perseus's Arm Read online

  Table of Contents

  FOREWORD

  PREVIOUSLY IN ORION SPACE…

  PLANETSIDE

  THE MISSING

  MOUNTAINS AND GEESE

  A SHIP BY ANY OTHER NAME

  PEERLESS TRANSPORT

  POOL WITH A VIEW

  TAKE DOWN

  REGROUP

  WIDOWSPEAK

  SHIPNAPPING

  DESTINATION: COSTA

  THE NEW WIDOWS

  COSTA

  BAD TO WORSE

  3KPC

  HERE TO THERE

  THE BOOKS OF AEON 14

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  THE FINAL STROLL ON PERSEUS’S ARM

  PERSEUS GATE: ORION SPACE – BOOK 6

  BY M. D. COOPER

  SPECIAL THANKS

  Just in Time (JIT) & Beta Reads

  Manie Kilian

  David Wilson

  Marti Panikkar

  Scott Reid

  Belxjander Serechai

  Copyright © 2017 M. D. Cooper

  Cover Art by Andrew Dobell

  Editing by Tee Ayer

  All rights reserved.

  Edition 1.01

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  FOREWORD

  PREVIOUSLY IN ORION SPACE…

  PLANETSIDE

  THE MISSING

  MOUNTAINS AND GEESE

  A SHIP BY ANY OTHER NAME

  PEERLESS TRANSPORT

  POOL WITH A VIEW

  TAKE DOWN

  REGROUP

  WIDOWSPEAK

  SHIPNAPPING

  DESTINATION: COSTA

  THE NEW WIDOWS

  COSTA

  BAD TO WORSE

  3KPC

  HERE TO THERE

  THE BOOKS OF AEON 14

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  FOREWORD

  Back in March of 2017, I thought I was getting close to completing New Canaan and came to a startling realization: I had another book’s worth of novel to write before the story was done.

  However, that was going to be problematic as the pre-order was slated to be delivered on April 1, and Amazon is not forgiving of missed pre-order dates.

  What’s more, New Canaan was already (and still is, to this date) the longest book I’d ever written. There was no way I could add in the additional content and get the book edited and proofed in time.

  I decided to take a part of the book out and separate it into the story you now know as Perseus Gate: Orion Space.

  Something I considered doing was to write what is The Gate at the Grey Wolf Star story, and then this final episode (The Final Stroll on Perseus’s Arm), combine them into one, and then produce it as a standalone novel.

  But I’d also been thinking of something else. Some of my favorite TV shows over the years have been ones that had a core cast of characters that got to go on a new adventure every episode.

  Shows like the original Star Trek, Dr. Who, and Stargate SG1 are examples of shows that captured this format very well. I wanted to tell stories like that, showing a more up-close view of the wild and varied places humans live in the far future, as well as reveal more about the crew of Sabrina than I would get to in a single novel.

  And so I set out on this great adventure to tell you the story of Sabrina’s journey through Orion Space back to New Canaan. I had no idea how much I’d enjoy telling these stories; I know from the feedback I’ve received, that some of you consider the Perseus Gate stories (though they are shorter reads) to be some of your favorite Aeon 14 tales.

  But now we’re coming to the end of Season 1, which I’ve taken to calling the ‘Orion Space’ season, and that means the final story before Sabrina arrives at New Canaan.

  If you’ve read the book, New Canaan, you’ll recall that Sabrina appeared at the very end of the story, jumping into the New Canaan System right after Tanis stormed the bridge of the Galadrial, the Transcend President’s flagship.

  Many of you (with self-control that I find to be very impressive) have held off reading Orion Rising because you don’t want to be spoiled (as I warned that book does). When you’ve read this story, you’ll be able to sally forth and tackle Orion Rising, and move on through the series.

  For those of you who have read Orion Rising, this tale will contain some things you already know, but I suspect it will give you renewed hope for the future.

  Finally, once you’ve read this story and Orion Rising, you’ll be able to dive into the next Perseus Gate series, entitled: Perseus Gate: Inner Stars. The first book of which will be A Meeting of Minds and Bodies, coming in February 2018.

  With that aside, let’s dive in and read about the crew’s final stroll on Perseus’s arm….

  M. D. Cooper

  Danvers, 2017

  PREVIOUSLY IN ORION SPACE…

  It has been nine years since Jessica flew Sabrina through the jump gate at the Grey Wolf Star, sending the ship and crew across known space, and into the Perseus Arm of the galaxy.

  Once there, the crew found themselves at the edge of the Orion Freedom Alliance. Indeed, they found themselves at the edge of settled space itself.

  Much of what the crew went through in the Perseus Arm was the result of Jessica’s run-in with a diminutive debutante named Phoebe on Hermes Station in the Naga System.

  It was there that Jessica became Retyna Girl and gained her photoluminescent skin, where the crew learned of RHY Dynamics’ bioweapon, and where they subsequently destroyed the planet Marsalla.

  Those events set in motion a chain reaction, with Mandy and Jenn learning of Sabrina’s advanced shielding, their telling Derrick of the ship’s tech, and the subsequent abduction of Jessica and Cheeky.

  That brought them to Serenity, and from there to Star City.

  At Star City, Jessica, Iris, and Trevor created sixteen AI children who they have left in charge of the massive dyson sphere. Jessica still has every intention of returning some day, but for now she knows they must return Finaeus to New Canaan.

  From Star City, the crew took Sabrina through the path in the clouds, an FTL corridor through the Stillwater Nebula that shaved over a year off their journey back to New Canaan.

  There they encountered the Perry Strait and liberated a people from oppression before continuing on their way.

  Once past the Stillwater Nebula, the crew began to make good time through the stars, continuing to pose as a starfreighter establishing new trade routes.

  Over the ensuing eight years, they worked their way into the gap between the Perseus and Orion arms of the galaxy, and are now in a region of space that is only a few hundred light years from the unsettled spaces between the Orion Freedom Alliance and the Inner Stars.

  The crew refers to this region of space as the ‘retro-zone’ where advanced technology is sequestered, and care is taken not to alert the Inner Stars civilizations to the presence of settled space this far from Sol.

  Sabrina’s route has brought them to a system named Sullus where they have a delivery to make on a planet named Ferra. The crew lands Sabrina on the world’s surface, where they decide to enjoy a much-needed vacation while waiting for their next shipment to be readied….

  PLANETSIDE

  STELLAR DATE: 03.10.8948 (Adjusted Years)

  LOCATION: Outskirts of Parda City, Ferra, Sullus System

  REGION: Midway Cluster, Orion Freedom Alliance Space

  Eight years after passing through the Stillwater Nebula…

  Nance collected the table’s drinks from the bar and carried them back to where Cargo and Trevor sat.

  She placed the beverages before the men, rattling off the names as each glass settled before its owner. “Whiskey on the rocks for you, Cargo. Bourbon for you, Trevor
. And a delicious chocolate martini for me.”

  “You always take the risks,” Trevor said as Nance sat.

  “What do you mean?” Nance asked as she lifted her martini.

  “The drinks. You always go for something that could end badly.”

  Cargo nodded. “He’s right. Martinis are a risk. There’s too much stuff in them. Half these systems can’t tell a watermelon from a cumquat. You sure you know what they’re putting in your drink?”

  “I’m not sure I even know what a cumquat is,” Nance replied. “But seriously, it’s a chocolate liquor, a few types of cream, and vodka.”

  “I see two problems with that,” Cargo said to Trevor. “You?”

  “Three.”

  Nance gave a soft laugh and shook her head at the two men.

  Though she was one of the three women aboard Sabrina, she usually preferred to hang out with the guys. It wasn’t that Nance had anything against Jessica and Cheeky. They were two of her best friends; they just didn’t share many interests.

  For starters, both of them loved fashion—which she could appreciate—but Nance only needed so many outfits. She was certain Jessica and Cheeky—given enough time—could purchase enough clothing that the mass would eventually slow the local expansion of the universe.

  At least Cheeky was a moderately stabilizing influence. Left to her own devices, Jessica would return with bags of clothing—purple more often than not—and guns. Jessica loved to buy a new gun. Over the years of their journey through the Perseus Arm, Jessica had bought a weapon on nearly every stop.

  She claimed it was for research, but no one believed her.

  Cheeky had gained a more nuanced appreciation for weaponry, but she tended toward small, but deadly options. A necessity with the outfits she wore.

  Given the choice of going on a shopping spree with the two of them—talking guns and how they went with a particular jacket—scouring the markets with Misha and Finaeus, or having a couple of drinks at a local watering hole, Nance would pick drinks with the guys every time.

  Trevor and Cargo were arguing as to whether or not the disparate creams could be counted as separate risks in her drink. Cargo said ‘No’, but Trevor was aiming for ‘Yes’.

  “What if the cows have the wrong number of nipples here on Ferra?” Trevor asked. “We saw that back…shit, I forget where, but I know we saw weird double-uddered cows somewhere. Milk there tasted way off.”

  “OK, OK.” Cargo raised his hands in defeat. “I’ll grant you that cows are suspect. It could be four issues.”

  “You guys set then?” Nance asked. “Lay ‘em on me.”

  “OK, cows first,” Trevor said. “Number of nipples notwithstanding, they eat different stuff everywhere. Makes any cream product a risk. You’ve got weird creamy liqueur stuff, and straight up cream in your drink. Double risk for nasty tastin’s there.”

  “Go on,” Nance said with a smile as she held her drink and breathed in its vodka-laced chocolate aroma.

  “The chocolate is your next issue,” Cargo said. “Where do they grow it? How do they process the beans? What additives are in it? Who knows? It’s a crapshoot. We’ve been to a lot of places where the chocolate tasted like ass.”

  “Well, I don’t know about ass,” Trevor countered.

  “Really?” Cargo pressed. “You remember Nippawan Station? Ass, Trevor, the chocolate there tasted like ass.”

  “Huh, yeah, you’re right,” Trevor said as he nodded thoughtfully. “I do recall that now. OK, ass chocolate is a double risk.”

  “Lastly, we’ve got the vodka itself,” Cargo said, spreading his hands wide. “We all know that vodka is made from potatoes. But not just any potato. It has to be the right type in the right soil, and that’s just the beginning.”

  Nance’s eyes darted from Cargo to Trevor, a smile on her lips. “So, let me get this straight. Cream is a double risk because of grass varieties and cows with too many nipples.” The men were nodding at this point. “Chocolate is another double risk because it can taste bad, and it can also taste like ass—based on one station.”

  “It really tasted like ass,” Cargo said. “Seems prudent to double-risk that one.”

  “OK, I’ll buy that,” Nance agreed. “Not into ass taste at all here. Lastly we’re looking at the risk of an incorrect source plant for vodka, and/or wrong type of potato. Was that a double or single risk? I didn’t follow that part.”

  Trevor nodded resolutely. “I say double. They could be making it from something stupid like watermelon, or they could also just generally screw it up.”

  A candy cane had accompanied her drink, and Nance swirled the sweet stick in the creamy liquid.

  “The candy cane a risk?”

  Cargo and Trevor looked at each other and shrugged.

  “Naaaah,” Trevor said with a grin. “We’ll give you a bye on the candy cane.

  “Six-X threat,” Nance mused. “All in this little drink.”

  “Remember,” Cargo said with a grin. “Cow nipples and ass tasting chocolate.”

  Nance took another deep breath. “Pretty sure that we’re safe from ass taste here, boys.”

  She gave them both a long look, drew in a deep breath, pretended to reconsider the drink, and then downed it in two seconds flat.

  “Hoooooo!” Trevor shouted while Cargo banged a fist on the table.

  “Look at you!” Cargo high-fived Nance. “Dirt-side, wearing fabric clothing that anything could crawl through, drinking at a dive bar, and taking on a six-x threat! Who are you, and what have you done with Nance?”

  She gave a warm smile, knowing he meant nothing by it, but not so sure if his statement was that far off.

  The advanced nanotech helping her ensure her body was clean and well managed—the only thing keeping her extreme germaphobia at bay, and giving her the confidence to drink a martini in a bar with all those risks attached—had come with a price.

  A thing that lived inside her somewhere.

  Over the years she’d taken to calling it the ‘remnant’. That’s what it seemed like to her. A remnant of the thing she had met on Ikoden station. Like a sliver or a shard left inside her mind.

  It had been dormant for years, but every now and then, she felt a stirring from it.

  Like she felt this very day.

  Nance had a feeling the remnant wanted something. She wasn’t certain what, but knew the thing would make its desires known at the least opportune time.

  “I tell yah,” Cargo said as he leaned back in his chair and folded his hands behind his head. “This is the life. Plying the black, trading in whatever comes our way, and having time for some relaxation with friends.”

  “Despite where we are?” Trevor asked.

  Cargo shrugged. “Doesn’t matter where we are. So long as there’s a black sky to fly Sabrina in.”

  Nance laughed softly. “Look at you, waxing poetic. Don’t you ever want to settle down?”

  “Someday.” Cargo nodded slowly and took a sip of his drink. “I’d like to raise animals planetside. Horses, maybe.”

  “That’s a far cry from the current day job,” Trever observed.

  “Yeah, but that’s the point. If I change up, I want to really change it up.”

  “Starships to horseshit, that’s a change alright,” Nance said as she raised her empty glass. “To Cargo shoveling manure in his dotage.”

  The men laughed and met her toast and took a drink, each with a thousand-meter stare as they thought about what they’d do when this journey was finally over.

  * * * * *

  Jessica snorted a laugh. “Cheeks, you look ridiculous in that hat. Who would have thought a cow-town like this would have such weird stuff?”

  Cheeky stood, hands on hips, and cocked her head to the side, a wide grin on her face. “I think it’s awesome! It’s like my head’s just a big bubble!”

  She was right, the hat was essentially a big pink bubble that came down past the wearer’s nose. When Cheeky had pulled it over her h
ead, the thing had drawn her hair out two holes giving her bubble-head a pair of pig-tails.

  “Does it have cameras, or are you using probes to see?”

  “Kickin’ it old-school, Jess. This thing has little screens in front of my eyes. Not sure where the cameras are, a bit higher than my eyes, I think.”

  Piya complained.

  “So don’t look.” Cheeky grinned—which looked strange since her mouth was all Jessica could see.

  “So are you gonna buy it or what?” Jessica asked.

  “Think Cargo would have a conniption if I tried to fly the ship wearing it?” Cheeky asked, bobbing her head side to side.

  Jessica sighed and shook her head. “I doubt he’d even let you on the bridge with that thing on. Take it off so that we can go somewhere else.”

  Cheeky pulled the hat off and set it back on the shelf. “Jess, you ruin all my fun. You just want to get back in the sunlight so you can bask in it like the weirdo you are.”

  Jessica would have taken umbrage with Cheeky’s statement, except it was true, she was really eager to get out into the sunlight.

  The Sullus System’s star was a delicious G-spectrum orb. The planet’s atmosphere was thick enough to filter out the harmful bands and give her the EM spectrum she craved.

  Cheeky, on the other hand, claimed the light was going crack her precious skin and dry it out. In a rare reversal, she was wearing more clothing than Jessica—which was easy, given that Jessica was only wearing a bikini.

  Cheeky’s attire consisted of a knee-length skirt and a tight white shirt with, ‘Man’s Best Friends’ written across her breasts.

  If there was one constant in the universe, it was Cheeky’s firm disbelief that shame was an unnecessary evolutionary trait. The pilot sometimes joked she’d had it genetically removed.

  “Oh! Check these out!” Cheeky said, holding up what looked like a star that had been cut in half.

  “I don’t get it,” Jessica frowned. “What are those?”