Adventures of Space Cadets 101: Space Pirates, Allies and Aliens

By Darryl Dean Wright and Karen Stone

An action/comedy with astronauts taking off on one journey which turned into many adventures throughout the galaxies

This is the first book in a series about a wealthy family of the future. The Houstons adventure into space where they take on space pirates and many kinds of aliens. As technology advances, so do their ships until they pilot the most advanced ship in the universe. The risks, thrills and challenges of space exploration are many and diverse -- even to the point of occasionally having to struggle against Earth Defense Forces.

Titles available or to be released soon include:
* Adventures of Space Cadets 101: Invasions
* Adventures of Space Cadets 101: Weddings
* Adventures of Space Cadets 101: Back At It on Two Fronts

• Language: English
• Publisher: eBookIt.com
• Release date: Apr 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781935186380

Book preview

Fronts

Introduction

THE BEGINNING

Today’s date, August 16, 2281. Earth is overpopulated and barely sustainable. Any country that was smaller than a third world nation is now divided up among the powerful countries around the globe. That’s over sixteen billion citizens, last count.

There are laws and programs to decide which citizens get to live where. They were spread out in the New World Order. For example, if a CEO of a major company lost millions of dollars due to greed or incompetence, that person would probably be living at the North-pole. The World Wide Net decides who lives where.

The smaller countries that could not survive without the New World Order were the places where some of the overpopulation was distributed. This step did not take place because of war, but due to a world that needed to be united for the best interests for all.

There is still a United Nations, but now they are at the bottom of the red tape instead of at the top. There are five major nations that keep the wheel turning for a blue planet to keep spinning. Only one small country stood alone, North Korea, and it was by their choice. Now Earth is united in an administration called U.N.O.E. (United Nations of Earth.)

Health insurance is the best it has ever been, and it is for the whole world. Stem research has come a long way. No longer are organ donors needed, and most cancers are no longer terminal. Bionics is inexpensive and used often.

In 2078, the space program began to boom again. It was reborn and a priority for all. There is a colony on Mars for the second time. It is where Earth gets most of its ores since its own depletion. There are half a million living there under a dome, and it’s called New Florida.

Since there were no longer any unnecessary wars, nuclear subs and rockets were turned into hybrids known as space-subs. The new title of this space program is Earth Defense. Now instead of fighting on Earth, there is expansion and exploration in space. Protecting the planets and mankind is priority one.

In 2078, an asteroid as big as Texas was on a collision course with Earth. E.D., Earth Defense, launched two proto-type hybrids to prevent total destruction just in time. The asteroid was blown to bits and is sharing earth’s orbit with twenty tons of metal created since man’s first space flight. It was a very scary day – that day indeed!

E.D.’s secondary mandate is to capture a genuine U.F.O. Every military has evidence that they exist, but no one has ever captured one.

The New World Order’s Judicial Administration set up a prison on the dark side of the moon, which needless to say, deterred crime on Earth by eighty-nine point seven percent. When someone is exiled to the moon, there is no parole or appeals. Death row is a thing of the past and so is escape. Exile is a life-sentence with nowhere to go. It is by their choice that they live there.

The justice system is much faster than in the past. Lawyers have different definitions than in the twenty-first century and things works much better. There are more judges than lawyers, which speeds everything up.

Texas has been its own country since 2036. It was this country where Earth Defense was born and grew. Why? Because they could afford it. Texans decided for themselves not to help the U.S. pay back the trillions of dollars of its debt, but to move forward. If nobody liked it, Texas was sure they would like another civil war a lot less! If it came down to that, Texas could hold its own. Don’t mess with Texas! E.D. gave cowboy a whole new meaning. Texas set the example for the world.

Texas had the resources and the finances to make N.A.S.A. feel small. Both companies are part of the military. Mostly military or prisoners go into space, or if you are extremely wealthy like one family which these stories are about. The stars sing to them!

The military had most of the scientists. They upgraded their fission sub-ships to fusion sub-ships. Fusion canceled out the need for fossil-fuel and atomic power. Hover-cars replaced automobiles and computer-chips replaced models as in Chevy or Ford.

Water, food, and energy are in abundance, but bad weather is still a problem. There’s no band-aid or cure for bad weather. Someday maybe a solution will be found. Pollution is finally under control thanks to the New World Order.

Earth still has its diversity in religions, currency and ideas. Capitalism is still in style. It’s all about the green, or I should say gold. Gold was brought in from other planets or asteroids, and that came from companies, not the military.

One company in Texas, Houston Inc., is doing very well. Ask any stockbroker. It all started with a young boy who came up with an invention, commercialized and marketed it. Now, over a thousand inventions later, the company is the wealthiest in the world. His name is Kirk Houston, and he is a genius.

Chapter 1

GETTING READY

Mr. Houston was a middle aged man with a distinguished smile and gorgeous long brown hair. He looked like a gigolo in his thousand dollar suit, but he was one of the richest men on the planet. Yet with so many offers, he hadn’t been out on a date since his divorce. He was the top man in his son’s company and he was good at what he did.

Hey, Beautiful. Kirkie in his office? the businessman asked his son’s secretary.

The pretty woman looked up and answered, Now why would the President of this company be in his office when he has over a hundred labs to play in?

Mr. Houston sat on the edge of Ms. Kester’s desk. He grabbed a piece of hard candy out of a petite glass bowl and put it in his mouth. He asked her, Any idea which one?

She was typing on her key-pad, and without looking up she said, No. Then she suggested, Why don’t you call him on his cell, Honey? She was flirting with him, which wasn’t unusual.

He stood up, leaned over her desk to where his face was only inches away from hers and said, Then I wouldn’t have a chance to see you, and I do like seeing you.

You’re such a tease, she said, and stopped her typing.

He had her full attention. He asked, Can you believe that we’re going into space in two more weeks?

She said that it probably wasn’t a big deal to him, with all the trips with his brother so many times to Mars and the moon. To me, it is hard to believe that I’m really going into space, Jupiter no less. I can’t wait!

In her excitement she stood up and started using hand gestures as she talked. Deana was wearing a skirt and any guy would tell you she has great legs. That wasn’t even her best feature. She was a knockout! She was younger than Mr. Derek Houston or his brother, Austen. They met her in Tampa, Florida, when the men attended college, and she still looked the same - perfect! They were pretty much a team. The three of them never missed a thing or class. If there was a party, concert, or beach event, those three were there.

The Houston boys always seemed to be working on her car. Once, they went to Disney. They drove her car; it was hours away. It had taken them a week to get there because her car kept breaking down. They would break down, fix it, hotel, party, and do it all over again until they finally made it. The trip was better than the park for them.

The three were very close. That is how she got the job she was in right then. She had known Kirk all his life and even babysat for him. Now she worked for him. Kirk still called her Aunt Deana. At times she wished she was his mother.

She made pretty good money but not enough to go into space. She was invited and glad of it!

The Houstons had had a dream for a while to go on a trip to Jupiter. Austen and Derek were not only rich but they were also presidents of their clubs called Space Cadets 101. They and many members of their clubs were going on a space trek.

The Houston boys had spent over a trillion dollars for the adventure. Most of it was spent on a massive space craft shuttle from N.A.S.A. It could carry as many as a hundred passengers. They purchased all the fuel and more than enough oxygen. They bought enough supplies to last in space for a year, but they were only going to be gone for six months. Three months there and three months back - to Deep Space Jupiter Station and home unless they were to run into problems.

They also bought enough astronaut suits for a crew of sixty-five, but after picking the crew, only fifty-four were going. The Houstons liked having spare parts and extra supplies, just in case. They wanted to be prepared. Boy scouts at heart.

Deana continued the conversation, When I told my mom two months ago that I was going into space, she really freaked! I told her this was something that I really wanted to do, and that you only live once. She jinxed me by telling me, ‘You only die once too.’ She was always a pessimist. She was giving him a big smile.

I told her not to worry, that the Houstons would keep me safe and bring me home. Derek smiled and she hugged him. With her arms around him she whispered, Thank you so much for paying my way on this trip; you won’t regret it!

He told her it was his pleasure. As he was leaving, he pulled out his cell to call his boy and told her not to forget the club meeting. We’ll be going over everything for the hundredth time, and I really want you there.

She winked at him and said, I won’t forget, Boss. She went back to typing wearing a big smile. She was space happy and giddy over Derek Houston. She had had a major crush on him for a long time, and now she was going into space with him.

Austen Houston had slowed down on his freight runs to Mars and his lunar flights to the prison. He could not commit just yet. Right then he was teaching a course on Mars flights so he’d be able to go to Jupiter when the time came. It was still a lot of money, but he missed being in space. Simulations just were not the same. It had been almost a year, and he was looking forward to this trip to Jupiter. He wanted to get away from everything and be back in space at the same time.

Austen was an independent space freight captain with his own ship. He contracted out for N.A.S.A. and Earth Defense, but he and his brother decided to trip out to Jupiter with the company, so he was teaching for one year. All his contracts were for three years, but the teaching job was ending in two days, so he was free to go with his brother. Tonight he would go over everything with his club for the hundredth time. Repetition was a good teacher.

Austen was a big man, bigger than Derek by seventy pounds. His hair was just as long as his brother’s, but it was pitch black and always in a pony-tail. Derek was definitely born with the looks, but Austen could throw Derek pretty far.

Derek picked all of the members that could go on the trip from his business. There were so many that wanted to go, but it was just one ship. A lot of the applicants were dismissed based on age, health, mental state, not passing the physical requirements or space tests, were negative in any way, incompatible, and also on the simple fact that Derek did or did not like their personalities.

Austen picked his crew from the club based on a lottery because everyone in his crew worked in space. His bunch presented lectures to Derek’s group about being in space. Austen’s club members were marines, engineers, and pilots that worked for or retired from N.A.S.A., or E.D. They were all veterans of space in one way or another.

The ship they bought was the hundred and first ship that N.A.S.A. had built. It was just coincidence that their club was called the Space Cadets 101. This ship was enormous! It was the latest shuttle built and made for a large crew.

The day they bought it they ran into a space-marine who had just finished his tour with E.D. This guy hated being on Earth, so he begged the brothers to take him with them. His name was Dale Hawkins. He was a marine who worked in engineering. He was also free, so the men hired him on the spot, and had a few drinks with him.

Dale didn’t belong to either club, but because he lived closer to Austen’s place, he would go with Austen’s club tonight to the Apollo 99 bar for the meeting.

Both of the Houston’s ex-wives had been trying to get in touch with Derek and Austen for more than three weeks. They did not want their sons to go with their fathers, period. Talk about crossing state-lines! They had contacted their attorneys to try and prevent their sons from going, but there was a lot of red tape involved in preventing it. The Houstons had managed to avoid them and their messages. Plus a lot of judges were their drinking buddies. The two boys really wanted to go on the trip, and by law, they were sixteen so it was allowed. All this was Derek’s son’s idea after all.

Austen Houston was wealthy due to space. There was big money in space travel now that lawyers and doctors weren’t a big deal or sharing the wealth in this century. If you wanted to be rich you had to risk the final frontier.

Derek was wealthy due to one-third of his son’s business and copy-righted songs.

This was how they were able to buy a serious shuttle and take a lot people with them into space, and have more supplies than they might need, but better safe than sorry.

It was not unheard of those days that everyone wanted to work in space for the money. It has been said that the easiest job on Earth was to be a recruiter for Earth Defense. They turned down millions of applicants yearly. It was very hard to get in.

Occasionally a millionaire would buy a shuttle and go into space, but even that was rare. Some of them never made it back to Earth. Nobody knew why; it just happened. People just assumed the eccentric millionaires reached the end of space and kept going.

Kirk’s mom, Kim Houston, was the vice-president of his company. She worked in the other building clear across town so it was easy for Derek to avoid her.

One of Kirk’s inventions was a screen-saver for computers. He made a probe that launches into space and once there its inertia would carry it forever unless gravity grabbed it, like from a star or a planet. Its signal would bounce back in real time on whatever frequency signal its owner used. Consumers could actually feel like they were in space because the probe’s signal came through on the screen saver. Every day the probe would make it farther into space. One-third of the world’s population had bought one or two of them. Houston Inc. made billions of dollars from them which started the company off.

Right then Kirk was in Lab Eleven finishing up the final touches on one of his many ongoing inventions. Icon Visitation, was a graphic video card. It was gaming Tech that gave the ability to bring information and data from one game to another game using adapters, even if it was two different gaming systems, like p.c. to something else. You could take one character from any game and put him in a different game. Just picture James Bond playing a football game or flying a spaceship to save Earth, or for that matter, having a spaceship landing in the football game. The choices were unlimited.

The commercials that were used to grab the public’s attention had a billion and a half units already on a waiting list to buy. There were so many ways that the card could be used. Nobody would ever become bored with games lying around the house anymore.

Everybody in the lab was checking out Kirk's playing one of the games using his new video card and an adapter with his associate, Will. Will was the only other teenager that worked at Houston Inc. Everyone was of course rooting for Kirk, but it wasn’t about winning or losing, it was about changing a game to make it fun and more interesting. Will had just won and Kirk said, Fractal! The people there were patting Will on his back.

Chapter 2

LAUNCH

Apollo 99 was a bar in the downtown business district in Houston, Texas. It is where Austen Houston was having his club meeting, and it seemed proper. The place was packed even though it was a weekday and still early evening. Austen was buying a round of drinks for all of the twenty-five cadets at the club.

Adriana Simpson was a pilot, first in the Air Force for a tour, then as an alternate astronaut for the last two N.A.S.A. missions that never happened. New tech prevented those launches, but now she was going up in one of those shuttles anyway, because the Mr. Houstons had bought one of them. They planned a trip, and Austen invited her to go with him. She was, after all, a member in his club. She was space happy and anxious to go.

She had been frustrated with her career, and she was thinking about joining E.D., but right now she was going into space with her buddies who told her not to join Earth Defense because there were too many rules and no fun.

She was cute and unattached. She was twenty-eight and got along with everyone. She raised her mug and toasted the president of the 101, To Captain Austen, two more weeks! It was so loud in the Apollo, you would have thought that it was a Friday night.

With all of the cadets there wasn’t much room left in the bar for any other patrons except the few that beat the crowd. Austen was buying their drinks also. He said to everyone, Now I’d like to make a toast: to being unemployed for seven months and doing what we all crave! Everyone drank up and got real loud.

Lita Scott yelled out, Everybody please quiet down! Bartender, turn the screen up. She had everyone’s attention, and the barkeep turned the view screen up. On the screen was the evening M.C.C. news. They were talking about a man who had broken out of Quarantine Miami Florida. The same man had broken into the very same area almost three days ago. They were showing footage of the escape via helicopter. S.W.A.T. was shooting at the man running through the main street, but the only ones getting shot were D.E.A. agents and innocent bystanders across the street. Of course the man was blamed even though all he was carrying was a duffel bag. He had no gun in either hand.

As he jumped into a passing convertible driven by some gorgeous woman, two S.W.A.T. officers were shot by D.E.A. agents as the man made his escape. W.E.T.W.O.R.K. had just shown up, but they were too late for the party.

As the camera zoomed in on the man giving the heli the finger, Austen recognized the face behind all of the chaos - his brother, JR Houston. He then sat down hard. Austen knew that Lita recognized JR also, which is why she yelled, Quiet!

He ordered two shots from the bartender and whispered in Lita’s ear, E-mail that piece on the screen to my younger brother’s cell. No sense in JR messing up just my evening. She laughed and did as she was asked. Austen felt a migraine coming on.

At Houston Inc. on one of the middle floors inside the conference room, Derek Houston had the lights dimmed. He was showing a film that he had acquired from his brother Austen, who borrowed it from N.A.S.A. Derek said to his club members that this film wasn’t about good things that happen in space, but so that history wouldn’t repeat itself, this film was about the bad stuff that happens in space. The film was titled Disasters and Close Calls. Derek had been lecturing throughout the film, but it was just about over. He could tell nobody there was enjoying the film at all.

So you see there on this last clip, the astronaut sacrificed himself so that the others could make it, and they did make it. The film came to a stop. The lights were back on, and Derek asked the crowd, Can anyone come up with a way that he could’ve cheated death? No one answered. He was a hero, but not that smart. He too could have made it … anyone? Everyone was thinking, trying to come up with an idea, but still no answer. He looked at Kirk, his son, but all he did was shrug his shoulders.

It’s true they lost all communications and life support. They were shallow breathing, but they did manage to get a distress call out before they lost all power. He was looking at each person in the room.

Derek gave the class plenty of time, but still no answer. He decided to fill them in, People, I’m not asking for an essay. It isn’t that hard a question, and don’t worry, I’m not going to test you. You could feel the whole room all sigh.

What the film doesn’t show you was that Earth Defense was only twenty-eight minutes out from where they were, so there are a few answers that come to mind. On the film, they showed the guy taking his life not ten feet from an escape pod. If he would have used the pod, it would have given him twelve hours of air, and still leave the rest of the ship with nine hours of oxygen. So anyway, the Nightingale was rescued, that much is public knowledge. Even the back-up systems have back-up systems. You have to spend every second to figure out how to live a few more seconds and never give up! Pick a solution and if the math doesn’t add up, then find another. It never occurred to that pilot to get in the escape pod, or for a better answer, do nothing. That’s right, sometimes nothing is the answer. Sure, hindsight is twenty-twenty, and I’m not trying to scare you cadets. I’m just pointing out that sometimes you have to find the answer that is right in front of you and that there is always hope. I know that I am very lucky and thrilled to be taking some of the smartest minds with me, just in case we do run into trouble. Everyone laughed a little at the way he made that statement.

Normally, Derek’s son, Kirk, would be with his uncle because he was on Austen’s crew, and Noah, Austen’s son, would be with Derek’s crew. But since Austen was at a bar and Kirk was sixteen, Kirk was with his dad’s crew that night.

They each had a nephew on their crew because, quite frankly, when the captains gave orders, the sons always argued with their fathers. The boys could not comprehend that Captain’s word is law, especially in space. Stubbornness was a family trait.

Derek continued, I’m sorry to show you this … reality film, but trust me when I say that this is educational. Out there (he pointed up) I don’t ever want you guys to give up or panic. Panic and space don’t mix; all you get is more … space.

By the way, this film is classified, so forget you ever saw it, he said.

Before he could say anything else, Lynda Clark who was teary eyed said, How the heck are we going to forget what we just saw?! Several cadets were sick from watching the film.

Derek replied, I apologize; poor choice of words. What I meant to say was if you mention this film to anyone … you’re fired.

Lynda retorted, I know what you meant, Sir

Derek asked Deana if she would let the catering crew in as he was putting the film in an envelope already addressed to N.A.S.A. He walked over to the slit in the wall and dropped the envelope in it, preventing anybody from touching it.

I know you weren’t expecting karaoke night, and the film was a little dark. I just want to make sure we all make it back. They all applauded him.

The caterers were already setting everything up. Derek handed Kirk a pile of forms to be passed out to all the club members. These are the waiver forms. If anything happens from launch to six months later, Houston Inc. will not be held responsible for anything. You work here so you have health and life benefits. Then if, God forbid, something should happen after six months in space, Houston Inc. will pay your beneficiary one million dollars. We do this because you all only signed up for a six month tour. So if we are still out there for some reason, then it will be mine and my brother’s fault as captains. Our contract is set up with Judge Jones right here in Houston. Should we disappear, he has instructions to carry out the policies.

No one was holding the negative meeting against Mr. Houston. They knew that he was just doing what he had to do. Normally, his meetings were a whole lot of fun.

Alright, Cadets, let’s eat. Of course I still will be giving a speech. It’s what I do, and you know how much I love to talk. There were some statements and giggling.

Derek was drinking some expensive Champagne while he was talking. I see that all of you passed the sensory deprivation course. Looks like you women scored higher than the men? The women cheered and started pointing at all the guys. Kim Hart was pointing at Derek while giggling. Derek told her that he and Austen both scored a hundred on every test, and passed their captains tests with Aces. He wasn’t bragging; he was letting her know she was in good hands.

Kirk said, Probably had to get in touch with his feminine side to score that high. Then everyone was laughing including his father. Noah gave Kirk a high-five for his remark.

Derek continued, You all passed the centrifuge ride. That was a lot of fun wasn’t it?

Faith Jones said that that ride was a pretty good diet. Of course, she was talking about puking.

Derek smiled at her and said to the class, And you all tested stable although I still have some doubts. Yeah, you people know who I’m talking about. More laughter from the tables grew louder. You all passed the swimming course, although young Will had to repeat the course three times. He didn’t understand what swimming had to do with space, but he does now. I made sure that he can swim. Stand up, Will, and takes a bow. Everyone applauded him as he blushed, stood up, and sat back down quickly. Then he thanked everyone, especially Mr. Houston for not giving up on him.

Derek continued, "He was nervous at first because he didn’t know how to swim, but he did the right thing by telling me and all is fine now. Let him serve as an example, though;