The Vega Mission: a collection of short stories

By William E. Levine

A collection of short stories by William E. Levine, author of The Zorcon Enigma. The stories feature three bored co-workers at a conference, cope by making an e-game focusing on NFL football. Attempts to sell to students, and other factors in play determine the outcome.

• Language: English
• Publisher: William E. Levine
• Release date: Feb 23, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311521095

Book preview

The Vega Mission

A collection of Short Stories

by

William E. Levine

Table of Contents

The Vega Game

The Vega Encounter

Cyber Rage

The Vega Way

Party Line

The Vega Challenge

Occult Power

The Aldebaran Mission.

The Vega Game

They came from far and wide. Carlito from San Paulo, Julie from Toronto, and Louis from LA, were three young adults, hired by a Military College in Brasilia, Brazil, to serve Professor Horatio Flamesayer. Their expertise was in mathematics, psychology, and computers, respectively. In colloquial parlance, coupled to their being naive, designated them as geek, dweeb, and nerd. The professor's Ph.D. was in International Aerospace Defence Science from that same military college. He was of Spanish-American descent, and was trained and served in the corps before returning to academia. He was tall 6'9", black hair, and fair complexion. He had a stern demeanor, and as a no nonsense middle-age man he took his work and life very seriously.

For the day after our threesome's arrival at their new jobs, they went with their new boss, to attend a Military Aerospace Conference Expose (MACE) in Rio de Janeiro. It was to be a four days conference, where Prof. Flamesayer would give a lecture on extending SDI to include the Moon and Mars. Suffice to say the professor was a pro-American right wing Republican by allegiance. The lecture would take place on Day 2, at 1:00 PM sharp. Carlito was slotted in to present a Poster on Military Secret Codes as applied the SDI relative to Earth and extrapolated to the Moon and Mars. His presentation would be at 3:00 PM on Day 2. And the foursome would head home at the end of Day 2.

Have you ever had to attend one of these conferences where your boss, or professor is lecturing? For the students or TAs manning the booth, it's a crashing bore! Nobody of any interest shows up to the booth, because nobody interesting is manning the booth. It's a vicious circle. The only break the students manning the booth is lunchtime and bedtime. Those students or workers are basically forced labourers. There was one tall muscular student dressed as a military cadet with a green jacket, Jocko read his name tag, walked over to the booth. He was more boring than their boss! By lunchtime on Day 1, our threesome were suffering under wretched boredom. The professor left to man the booth, our threesome headed for the cafeteria for lunch and chat. As they approached the queue, Julie couldn't stay quiet, as she was about to crack: What are we going to do? Louis: What's with you? Don't you love mind numbing silence and boredom manning a booth, only NWO fascists bent on SDI extension would find interesting? They all chuckled. Was Julie laughing or crying? They knew they had to do something, but what, and how fast could they implement their solution?

As their lunch time ebbed away, Louis and Julie began to realize about 90% of students in the cafeteria were on their cell phones. Carlito: They're kids first, then students. Kids play games and have fun especially to relieve boredom. Julie and Louis, in unison: What did you just say? Carlito: Like the song...Kids just want to have fun! In unison, Julie and Louis: ...Playing Games! Carlito: E-games, perhaps? Louis: What is our game about, and what are its rules? Julie: Heads up, guys!

Our threesome peered upwards to see the overheard cafeteria monitor. The screen displayed a semi-red star with a couple of planets orbiting it, one rock black and sandy brown, the other green and blue. The caption read: LIFE DISCOVERED? On Planet A orbiting star Vega? The CNN broadcast: The Hubble Telescope, corroborates the ESA's probes' findings that evolved life such as forests, reptiles, and even primitive humanoids, may be found there! Then as fast as that announcement presented, it vanished, to be replaced by the CNN Sports Special of the day. NFL Army Navy Final. Our threesome are all sci-fi thriller devotees. In a flash of harmony: It's The Vega Game. It would be an NFL-like game between Reptoids and Humanoids. The champion, becomes: Ruler of Earth. American game rules, of course. Each of our threesome would write a portion of the e-game. But how would they test it? Carlito posed a solution.

Have you ever taken an Applied Calculus course, Year 1? The professors who teach these courses think they are God's gift to humanity in general, and students in particular. The students who must take this course are a cross section, but mainly from Arts, Engineering, and Science. Students! A word to the wise, if you don't want to be bitten in the bum. Do NOT fall asleep in class, especially if you snore. You get caught, and you are done! The professor regardless of gender, will FAIL you in that course. And as professors often do network, their predilection to all other math profs. Then you are toast. Done! You'll have to move to another university or college at least three states away. It's called The Law of Three! Where do you think witches got the expression? Anyway, cutting to the chase, what is your best alternative as a student? Yes! You guessed it! PLAY AN E-GAME on your cell phone. Guaranteed, you won't fall asleep in class. If you're not a gamer, you can still have the e-game on, and chat to gamers over social media.

Our threesome decided the two sides would be the Reptoids (aka Greens) vs, Humanoids (aka Whites)! American game rules rule! Winner gets to Rule the World! The three laws of three. Our threesome decided the trial run would be free, and offered for download a half hour before class. The class of about 300 students filed into the lecture hall in anticipation of another incredibly boring class. The test of