Flipspace: Oh Fortuna

By John Steiner

During a deep space rescue, the Mockingbird receives emergency dispatch orders for the Fortuna asteroid. Colonel Rama is warned of Russian Federation and Remote Space Conglomerated Industries vessels. The Fortuna Foreign Relations Office invites Mockingbird’s senior officers and Federation command officers to an embassy dinner. The two Earth powers are asked to defend Fortuna from RSCI clandestine ops. Lt. Cipactli Arroyo-Diaz, and his team are invited to a “friendly” game of soccer with Russian security. Stanley Goddard runs into an old nemesis in the form of a Federation Logician.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melange Books, LLC
• Release date: May 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781612358635

John Steiner

John Steiner earned his Associate of Biology at Salt Lake Community College, where he is currently working as a tutor in math and chemistry. He exercises an avid interest in history, science, philosophy, mythology, martial arts as well as military tactics and technology.

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Special Smashwords Edition

FLIPSPACE:

Oh Fortuna

by John Steiner

Published by

Melange Books, LLC

White Bear Lake, MN 55110

www.melange-books.com

Oh Fortuna, Copyright 2014 John Steiner

Smashwords Edition, License 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 person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should go to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-61235-863-5

Names, characters, and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Published in the United States of America.

Cover Design by Becca Barnes

OH FORTUNA

by John Steiner

During a deep space rescue, the Mockingbird receives emergency dispatch orders for the Fortuna asteroid. Colonel Rama is warned of Russian Federation and Remote Space Conglomerated Industries vessels. The Fortuna Foreign Relations Office invites Mockingbird’s senior officers and Federation command officers to an embassy dinner. The two Earth powers are asked to defend Fortuna from RSCI clandestine ops. Lt. Cipactli Arroyo-Diaz, and his team are invited to a friendly game of soccer with Russian security. Stanley Goddard runs into an old nemesis in the form of a Federation Logician.

To Nara Agajani and Viktoriya Nemyrovska for advising me on Russian language, culture and humor.

Table of Contents

Oh Fortuna

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

S.E.T.I. Protocols

Spectres

TuPAC-43

About the Author

Previews

Chapter 1

Between a Rock and a Cold Place

In what could barely be called an orbit, ISS Mockingbird made slow circles around the asteroid, Themis. It measured almost two-hundred kilometer in diameter. Named for the god of natural law and order, Themis proved to be a natural, albeit coincidental choice for raw materials to be used for spacecraft. Among them was the ill-fated Astraeus. When one of the asteroid’s remote operating bases declared an emergency it gave Sumitra Ramachandra a momentary chill.

But Colonel Rama hid that away, as she floated in Mockingbird’s small Combat Information Center next to Major Fitch. She listened to comms of suited crew members deployed to render aid. Two of the Ghostwalker Security Force operators were among them. The Mockingbird was several kilometers above the station, which served as an outlier base of operations to the asteroid’s main complex. Maggie, the ship’s AI had been quick to detect the point of decompression. It was a rupture in the facility’s operations compartment, possibly from a micrometeorite impact.

It looks like zey’ve secured ze breach with emergency patches, Lieutenant Sveindottir, the ship’s senior engineering officer reported from the top of the dome.

Can you assess the conditions inside? the colonel asked, having not yet taken the Operations Command Station. We’re still having trouble connecting to their network.

Through Mockingbird’s external cams and sensors, Rama watched, as Tech Sergeant Wei Jin used a technical assist glove worn over his suit. He placed his palm on the surface to get readings through the dome. A secondary view inside Kevin Wei Jin’s helmet let Sumitra see his subtle head shake.

It’s not good, Colonel, Wei Jin reported. Pressure’s down below half an atmosphere. We’re going to need the flight surgeon and a couple med-rigged Hummers down here.

Copy that, Sumitra acknowledged, and turned to operations. Tell Captain O’Connell to suit up and deploy, and get Sup-Dep to config two Hummers for medevac EVA.

Colonel Rama shifted the view in her ocular augments again to that of the Supply/Deployment Bay interior. She watched, as crews there hustled to reconfigure a pair of Humanoid Modulated Robots for medical emergencies in vacuum.

Sergeant Macready to Mockingbird, One of the Ghostwalkers called in. We’re at Personnel Airlock Two, and everything seems secure for entry.

Stand by on entry, Operations answered back, once Rama gave her a head shake.

Sup-Dep to CIC, medevac Hummers are ready. We’re waiting on the captain.

He still hasn’t answered to confirm your orders, Ma’am, Operations advised.

Is he in the med lab, Colonel Rama asked.

Yes, Ma’am. He’s lying on a surgical bed like he’s asleep. None of his field kit is out, nor is he prepping the med lab to receive casualties. Should I get security down there?

"I’ll handle the flight surgeon, Sumitra called out a tad loud, and then dialed it back with a staying hand to the Operations officer. But thank you. Major, you’re on OCS."

Colonel leaving CIC, Chief-of-the-Bird Anders announced, as she departed.

At the Z-axial corridor, Sumitra descended to Deck Four and maneuvered in free-fall for the med lab through the Spectre Facility Bay. Captain O’Connell still lay on the right side surgical bed but not strapped in. In a brief moment of alarm, Sumitra inspected Malcolm’s still form for any sign of injections, IV’s or more mechanical means of self-destruction. If he was breathing Sumitra couldn’t be sure. That didn’t cause the colonel much concern, however, contrary to normal, due to his fluorocarbon nano-cage oxygenation augments throughout his blood and tissue. None of the med lab’s stations or equipment was on. The entire compartment was as dead quiet as could be, aside from ship utilities behind the walls and Spec Fab she passed through.

Captain, Colonel Rama inquired, and repeated louder, Captain!

Nothing, save for a faint movement under his eyelids. Rama didn’t think O’Connell’s ocular augments included displays or remote access.

Captain, this isn’t the time for pranks. Rama hardened up her voice a little. "We have an emergency on Themis, as you were well informed of before we got here.