A Light In The Dark

By Nathan Lowell

When Captain Bjorn Gunderson docks with what he thinks is routine cargo, he embarks on an unexpected voyage. On a milk run from Welliver to Breakall, a tiny rock punctures his ship and leaves the crew adrift twenty-thousand years from home. With food, water, and air running out, a desperate crewman takes a reckless gamble, risking his life in a daring bid to find safety. What he finds instead puts them all at risk.

Join Captain Gunderson and his crew on the final voyage of the Solar Clipper Wanderer in book one of Tales from the Deep Dark -- A Light in the Dark.

"A Light In the Dark" is the first of a series of novellas set in the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper. The series focuses on the happenings in and around a renegade outpost, a place outside the jurisdiction of the Confederated Planets--a place where the normal rules don't apply and where anything might happen.

Novel Nibbles are a series of shorter works offered in ebook only format for those who would like something to read on their smartphones and other small mobile devices. Coming in at around 20,000 words, they're shorter works for smaller screens.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nathan Lowell
• Release date: Jul 24, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465807021

Nathan Lowell

An award winning producer of science fiction and fantasy podcasts, Nathan Lowell has produced eight novels totaling over 160 episodes and 70 hours of podcast fiction. Since 2008, four of his productions have been finalists in the Parsec Awards and his book--Captain's Share--won the 2010 Parsec Award for Best Podcast Fiction (Long Form). In 2010, Ridan Publishing began producing his work in paper and ebook formats. Those books are available online from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, the iBook Store, and from Ridan Publishing.

Book preview

A Light In The Dark

By Nathan Lowell

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Licence Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All characters, places, and events in this work are fiction or fictionalized.

Any resemblance to actual people, places, or events is coincidental.

For more information visit

http://solarclipper.com

August 5, 2011 revision

Copyright 2011 Nathan Lowell

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

About the Author

Chapter One

Diurnia System: March 15, 2333

Gunderson noticed nothing unusual in the approach to Diurnia Orbital. Even after Wanderer docked, latched into station power, and locked onto water and fuel lines, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Even the call from Confederation Customs was by-the-damn-book. When Curtis called from the main lock, normal took a powder.

Skipper? The customs guys are here but they’ve got backup.

Gunderson scowled at the intercom and looked over at Nancy Gaston, the first mate. Backup?

She gave a little shrug and keyed the mic.

Backup, Mr. Curtis? What kinda backup?

Blacksuits, sar, and The Dweeb is grinning at the pickup. He knows we’re watching.

Gaston sighed and shook her head. Mr. Curtis, if you’re referring to Chief Customs Inspector Kniebling, please remember your manners.

Yeah, sorry, Ms. Gaston. Inspector Kniebling has a half a squad of TICs out there with him.

Trade Investigation...? Gunderson said, scowling at his first mate. What the...?

She snorted. Who knows with The Dweeb. Maybe we forgot to cross an i or dot a tee.

He’s a pain, but this is the first time he’s brought in the blacksuits. And he hasn’t even looked at us yet.

Chief Customs Inspector Davis M. Kniebling earned his reputation as a stickler for the rules quite honestly. Every ship that docked at Diurnia Orbital got his personal attention. Where most ports cleared regular merchant traffic with a cursory inspection and a glance through the embargo locker, Inspector Kniebling followed the letter of the law—often keeping ships and crews tied up for several stans while he satisfied himself that nothing illegal entered the station.

Gunderson slapped the release on his seat belt and jumped out of the captain’s chair. Tell Paul I’m on my way.

While Ms. Gaston relayed the message, Gunderson bolted off the bridge.

What cha got there, Paul?

Curtis looked up from his display as the captain strode up to the lock.

Damnedest thing, I ever saw, Skipper. Take a look for yourself.

Gunderson glanced at the array of people lined up outside his lock, frowned, and crossed to look out the port just as the entry buzzer rasped three times.

He’s up to three. That’s not good. We better let him in and see what he wants, Mr. Curtis.

At Gunderson’s nod, Curtis keyed the lock open and even before it whined to a halt, three black suited Trade Investigation Commission officers rushed up the ramp and leveled shock rods at Gunderson and Curtis. The opaque face plates revealed nothing of the persons inside. Gunderson stood very still, his hands held palm out and away from his body.

A fourth officer, a rangy woman with chestnut hair just going to gray, strode up the ramp. She wore no riot helmet, only a simple black jump suit with TIC embroidered on the left chest. Her gaze flicked to the captain’s collar before she spoke.Captain Gunderson, I presume?

Yes. That’s me, Officer.

You’re under arrest for tampering with cargoes, transporting illegal goods, and falsifying manifest data.

Gunderson’s forehead furrowed so deeply, his eyebrows met in the middle. Excuse me, officer? He said after catching his breath. Arrested for what? His voice almost squeaked with incredulity.

The TIC commander sighed and shook her head. You heard me. Tampering with cargoes, transporting illegal goods, and falsifying manifest data.

You’ve got to be kidding. What cargo? Which manifest?

She pulled out a tablet and read from the screen, Our evidence indicates that your current shipment of machine parts did not originate from Zenovka as it says on your manifest.

How the hell am I supposed to know that? Gunderson bellowed.

Chief Inspector Kneibling’s face lit up in a satisfied grin.

Gunderson took a deep breath and scrubbed a hand across his scalp. Sorry, Inspector...?

I’m Field Agent Meadows, the TIC officer said. And to answer your question, I suspect you wouldn’t be able to tell. This... she waved her hands around at her colleagues with the stun rods, is just standard procedure. Her eyes flickered ever so briefly at Kniebling before returning to Gunderson’s face. She arched one eyebrow at him.

I see.

Thank you for your understanding, Captain. Technically, you’re under arrest and your ship is hereby impounded until we have an opportunity to examine the ship, the cargo in question, and any and all records relating to the transaction. She paused to give him a chance to speak.

Technically?

Yes, Captain. The data forensics team is waiting on the dock and a cargo tug is waiting to pull your cans. We should have what we need in a couple of stans and then we’ll see what turns up.

I got that cargo off the standard cargo availability list at Dree, he said after a moment.

I’m sure you did, Captain. The field agent’s voice held a note of warmth that surprised him. She smiled. The last five or six instances have all turned up no wrong doing on the part of the carriers. You’ve just been duped into trying to ferry a cargo into Confederation space.

I’m no mule, Agent Meadows. Gunderson’s brow furrowed again.

I suspect that’s true, Captain, she said with a small nod. Let us prove it and get you off the hook. Again, she glanced at Kniebling and back to him.

Gunderson sighed. "I don’t

Reviews for A Light In The Dark

[darushawehm-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I quite liked the terse storytelling here, though one may need to already be familiar with the world to follow all the action. For Solar Clipper fans, of which I am one, thus was a great little treat.

[jjmcgaffey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

...Hmmm. Interesting, though there's a lot of background I'm missing, and the characters are a little sketched-in. I'd like to read more of the series, though.

[lynnb_64 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the story of George Webb, failed police officer turned private detective. His life has been turned around by one case: the murder of Mr. Nash by his wife. Mrs. Nash hired George to follow her husband, who was cheating on her. George was drawn to her, and two years later, is still totally wrapped up in her life. Graham Swift has done an outstanding job of painting a picture of George: his personality, hopes, fears and longings. The book takes place over a single day, but with flashbacks to cover George's life. The writing is fast-paced, even though this is primarily a character study. It definitely made me want to read more by this author.

[samsheep_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I gave this four stars because....I was engaged, I liked it, I kept reading, some beautiful turns of phrase, some interesting characters. It had the quality feel to it. BUT sometimes it dragged - he really spun it out a bit too much, the pacing not quite what it could be. Also a silly small thing that really grated on me - the way that he used "sweetheart" a lot when speaking to her in prison. Somehow jarred with the rest of it.

[adrianburke_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

No. I cannot get on with this. Reading it is like listening to two radio stations at the same time. Two much cross interference. And really I feel the complication is all to do with the method of telling rather than anything else. One long fragmented flashback is intercut into a boring car trip. Did not finish. Life being too short.

[coyote99_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

What an awful book. Mesmerized by his own words, Swift manages to spin ever slower circles around events we already know happen with needless jumps forward and backward. Early on he decides that his tale has so little merit that his only chance is to make his narrative so confusing that the reader may mistake obfuscation for brilliance. A complete waste of time.

[booklistener · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have mixed feelings on this book. Author painted a very convincing picture and the imagery sticks with me. On the other hand, it did seem the story moved excruciatingly slowly at times. He would dwell for a long time on the mood of a scene and then, almost in passing, mention key plot details.

[sanddancer_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing! It plays with the conventions of the detective story and romance. We find out almost immediately who committed the crime, and the rest of the book is about piecing together the events that led up to it, all seen from the point of view of a detective, who has fallen in love with the murderer. That summary doesn't really do it justice. It is about relationships, secrets and love - all big themes, but it is beautifully written and griping.

[gocam_4 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Moderately more engaging than watching a slow paint dry, the book nonetheless explodes very occasionally with flashes of incendiary writing. 'Light of Day' indulges for most of its length in endless, insistent, circular, inevitable, here-again/there-again repetition surrounding a violent act that puzzles and initially intrigues and the back story detailing how our private detective protagonist ended up 'the man he is' - using a series of flash-back and -forward sequences we are led through a life that collides in a conclusion that should satisfy but rather stultifies . The form does tend to pull Webb's plight and life arc into tight focus, but honestly neither make for particularly engaging reading. As a treatment of a slow-burning drift into insular obsession the novel succeeds in generating a modicum of sympathy, but little more. Swift can write tremendously compelling almost poetic sequences (particularly when detailing the relationship with his daughter, and a cop whom he faces as nemesis then acquaintance), but they are buried deep in far too many words describing far too slight of a narrative where, frankly, there is little to care about. In reading this book I found myself at one point reminded of the power of selective repitition in Edwin Morgan's "In the Snack Bar" - a poem that achieves more in a few hundred words than this novel does in its entirety. Disappointing as I had high expectations after a punchy opening chapter, and having enjoyed "Last Orders".

[cliffagogo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ex-cop and private detective George Webb reflects on his past and revisits his old relationships, to find meaning in recent tragic events. The author’s knack for readable, believable dialogue makes for a compelling, addictive novel that pleases from start to finish. This, mixed with an incredible sense of structure and atmosphere, places Swift head and shoulders above the competition.

[piefuchs · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A good book that failed to live up to the high expectation I had developed for this author based upon Last Orders.