A Journey Too Far Plus Imposter

By Donald H Sullivan

Two stories. "A Journey Too Far:" An astronaut returns to Earth to find no humans, but a world of Robots and androids at war with each other. "Imposter:" A robotics engineer poses as an android to leave Earth for a terradome on Mars before a huge asteroid hits Earth, because of a feud with the man charged with making the passenger list for the flight. A few androids go to perform hazardous duties.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Donald H Sullivan
• Release date: Apr 7, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310659874

Donald H Sullivan

I'm a native Floridian, retired from the US Army, I started writing in the army, mostly training and tech manuals. Boring stuff, but it whetted my interest in writing. I've written sci-fi, thrillers, mysteries, humor, fantasies, horror, and more. I'm now living in NC. While in the army, I served in air defense artillery, military intelligence, and psychological operations. I also worked in Federal Civil Service as a quality assurance specialist, ammunition surveillance. I love writing, reading, most kinds of music, and animals--especially dogs.

Book preview

A Journey Too Far

Plus

Imposter

Copyright 2016 Donald H Sullivan

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Part I A Journey Too Far

Part II Imposter

Part I A Journey Too Far

Jay Francis stretched out on the bunk and made himself as comfortable as possible. He reached down with his right hand and pressed the button on the side of the bunk. The rest was automatic.

The door to the chamber slid shut. Straps slipped over his arms, legs, and body and tightened. The temperature within the airtight chamber began to fall A greenish mist filled the chamber as the MV-3 hypnotol gas issued from the ports

The computer would monitor his bodily functions and maintain the correct temperature in the chamber to assure that he would remain in a frozen state of hibernation for the next five hundred years--time enough for The Solarwind to reach Alpha Centauri.

Jay was feeling drowsy now; the hypnotol was starting to work. He gazed through the chamber window to see the other chamber holding Calvin Youngblood, son of Walter Youngblood, multibillionaire and owner of The Solarwind. Jay marveled at how Calvin had manipulated his father into funding this voyage--a voyage of which the elder Youngblood would never know the outcome.

But Jay felt he had been manipulated as well. Calvin had talked him into leaving a secure position as an astronaut with Asteroid Mining Company to pilot The Solarwind to Alpha Centauri to investigate a newly discovered planet there--a planet that astronomers believed would support life. Calvin was convinced that overcrowded Earth must spread out to the stars.

That was Jay’s last thought before drifting off into blissful darkness.

~ ~ * ~ ~

When he awoke, his first thought was that the hypnotol hadn’t worked. But the computer told him differently. Your hibernation period has ended. Vitachal is being administered through the ports to restore vitality to your system. He could see the pinkish mist filling the chamber. Please do not move while the Vitachal is being administered.

He lay still as he felt a prickling sensation over his entire body for the next few minutes.

You may move now, the computer told him. Please arise very slowly. Perform light exercise phase one... The computer continued to spell out instructions he knew by heart.

He stepped out of the chamber. He glanced at the other chamber, but there was no sign of Calvin. While waiting for Calvin to emerge, Jay--still wobbly--went to the galley for a bowl of the prescribed