Flipspace: Threshold

By John Steiner

The freeze on FTL exploration is over. Mockingbird is dispatched to the exo-planet, XJ-372495E to relieve an outpost team established by the Astraeus. They discover no response from the base, and fear the same fate befell the station as the FTLV. Col. Rama and crew land to investigate the small wind-blown base. Todd Nathanial Ash, Mockingbird’s genetic specialist and Seti team member draws animosity from the science team leader. He and Cpt. O’Connell uncover signs of extinct civilizations, found by the first team, and learn what happened to outpost crew. That’s when things get dicey.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melange Books, LLC
• Release date: Jun 5, 2014
• ISBN: 9781612359014

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:

Threshold

by John Steiner

Published by

Melange Books, LLC

White Bear Lake, MN 55110

www.melange-books.com

Threshold, Copyright 2014 John Steiner

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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ISBN: 978-1-61235-901-4

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

Table of Contents

Threshold

Chapter 1: Four-Handed

Chapter 2: Angle of Approach

Chapter 3: Ghost Town

Chapter 4: Will Wonders Never Cease

Chapter 5: Beyond All Reason

Chapter 6: Cover of Dark

Chapter 7: Flash of Insight

S.E.T.I. Protocols, 2175 Edition

Spectres

About the Author

Previews

THRESHOLD

by John Steiner

The freeze on FTL exploration is over. Mockingbird is dispatched to the exo-planet, XJ-372495E to relieve an outpost team established by the Astraeus. They discover no response from the base, and fear the same fate befell the station as the FTLV. Col. Rama and crew land to investigate the small wind-blown base. Todd Nathanial Ash, Mockingbird’s genetic specialist and Seti team member draws animosity from the science team leader. He and Cpt. O’Connell uncover signs of extinct civilizations, found by the first team, and learn what happened to outpost crew. That’s when things get dicey.

Chapter 1

Four-Handed

Unbelievable! That was the first thing to cross Colonel Ramachandra’s mind when given her new orders. The Mockingbird’s task—the target star—was some 5500 light-years away, making Kepler 22 look like a run around the block. The flip required a new FSD protocol that Mockingbird’s sister ship, the Magpie, had been developing over the last month, called Kinetic Flip Target. Even the star’s name was a mouthful, XJ-372495.

Temporarily stationed on the NATO oceanic platform named Atlantis Airbase, Sumitra was on her way with Major Fitch to a briefing room. There, her crew plus fifteen mission specialists of the science team waited. Once inside, with the morning sun lighting up the room in a brilliant gold from a wall full of windows, Colonel Rama stepped up to the podium. Among the civilians was a Dr. Kelly Yeldon, who seemed to keep staring at Mockingbird’s hydroponics technician, convicted bioterrorist and famed genetic hacker, Mr. Ash, in a chair two rows before him.

Room, come to attention! Chief Anders called out.

At ease, Rama announced, letting thirty four crew members sit back down, and then started the briefing. "As you may have noticed, the Mockingbird is undergoing re-modulation. This is to accommodate an extended personnel roster and scientific capabilities. That we’re over our optimum count by two means we’ll be Crew Heavy for the entire mission, which includes returning the research staff on XJ 372495 Echo, Little November to Earth. It’s a mini-Earth moon orbiting a gas giant around a sub-giant G-type star. They’ve been outside the system since the Astraeus left Sol. The team’s been on Planet Echo’s Moon November for little over a year and, all while outside any NoLo contact. They’ve only had one resupply visit by the ISS Sagan.

"XJ 372495 was the last star the ill-fated Astraeus had visited prior to the Gliese 667 mission. There are thirteen planets around this star, which has high metallicity, three of which orbit within its green zone. The largest of these planets were found in the 21st century on the outer fringes of what we now call the Fourth Observatory Threshold for exo-solar planet hunting. If ever there were to be an exo-solar human colony this star system would be top of the list for candidacy.

Though no shipboard logs remained of how long the Astraeus took matching local velocities, the Sagan spent nearly a month at their highest XIP engine burn rate. They called it The Twenty-Eight Days at Twenty-Eight Degrees. That’s how long they spent doing everything at that angle when in their habitat ring. We’ll be matching up local-V within five days at a medium XIP burn.

With that came a few incredulous looks and a subtle whistle by one of Rama’s two Operations officers. With that out of the way, Rama continued, "We’ll be carrying pretty much a full load in our cargo bay and Sup-Dep. For our lima bravo compliment, Bays One and Two are being reserved for the research team’s satellite network, solar orbit probes and planet-side rovers. For contingencies Bay Three will contain one Helmouth Demon, a Special Operations Atmospheric Reentry Capsule, one railgun artillery satellite, just one unmanned combat aerospace vehicle, an Umbrella remote shrouding countermeasure and the Hydra System.

"You all know why we’re taking a Hydra System with us, so no question on that. Bay Four will, of course, be for Starlings. Though, I highly doubt we’ll encounter any hostiles out there who are from Sol. For the first time we’ll also be running Four-Handed in CIC. Now it’s cramped in there as it is, but our fourth station was built into the combat information center for a reason."

In fact all of Mockingbird would be more crowded, Rama rued inside. For the sake of the crew, she let no expression reach her face other than the fact she was