Gemini Series: Books 1 - 3

By Don McAuley

The Gemini Series Collection Books 1 -3 boxes together the first three books in one easy to read set. Consisting of... 

MOON 
A systems failure on an Apollo Lunar Module turns from bad to worse in minutes. 

Commander John Campbell encounter a problem so unexpected that it never made the training or the emergency manuals. On the last day of lunar exploration he and his fellow astronaut Bill Goodwin have only hours to come up with a solution. 

What they see turns their views on life upside down. Will they die alone with this knowledge or can they at least make the radio work to tell the world? 

In this first short story of the Gemini series a tense, action-packed thriller reveals the race to survive against dwindling life support in a hostile world. If you love sci-fi with mystery and suspense you’ll love ‘Moon’. 

STORMS 
Dr Carla Richards is an astrophysicist striving to impress in a male world. Approached by the government to conduct a covert operation, she sees a speedy route for promotion. 

Her search reveals more than expected. A government secret they’ll do anything to protect. A secret connected to the past, but is effecting the future. A secret connected to the increasingly violent weather threatening to destroy the world. 

Storms is the second short story of the Gemini series and reveals an unexpected ally for Dr Richards in the race to avert the approaching catastrophe. An ally who knows what actually happened on the moon years ago. 

ANCIENT 
A routine archaeology dig in the Egyptian desert reveals a buried entrance so intricate, Peter Merchant has seen nothing like it before. Hoping for a lost tomb, he secretly opens it and unveils what he has always believed — we are not alone. 

The discovery will make Peter famous and re-write ancient history. A history that will rock the established views. Rock the world. 

He isn’t alone. He isn’t the only one who wants it. A sinister, shadowy group will stop at nothing to make it their own, leaving Peter with a problem. How can he protect the ancient secret and still live? 

Ancient is the third short story in the Gemini series. Combining new technology with old, Peter and his team must use all their wits to survive. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Don McAuley
• Release date: Jul 20, 2016
• ISBN: 9781536541496

Book preview

Gemini Series Collection

Books 1 to 3

By

DON McAULEY

Cover Design by http://www.StunningBookCovers.com

Copyright © 2015 DON McAULEY

Published By: DON McAULEY

Table of Contents

Title Page

Front Matter

Connect with Don

Book Descriptions

MOON - The Book

STORMS - The Book

ANCIENT - The Book

About Don

No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and events are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. In other words, nothing is to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

© 2015 DON McAULEY

All rights reserved.

Published by: DON McAULEY

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Book Descriptions

MOON

A systems failure on an Apollo Lunar Module turns from bad to worse in minutes.

Commander John Campbell faces a problem so unexpected that it never made the training or the emergency manuals. On the last day of lunar exploration he and his fellow astronaut Bill Goodwin have only hours to come up with a solution

What they see turns their views on life upside down. Will they die alone with this knowledge or can they at least make the radio work to tell the world?

In this first short story of the Gemini series a tense, action-packed thriller reveals the race to survive against dwindling life support in a hostile world. If you love sci-fi with mystery and suspense you’ll love ‘Moon’.

STORMS

Dr Carla Richards is an astrophysicist striving to impress in a male world. Approached by the government to conduct a covert operation, she sees a speedy route for promotion.

Her search reveals more than expected. A government secret they’ll do anything to protect. A secret connected to the past, but is effecting the future. A secret connected to the increasingly violent weather threatening to destroy the world.

Storms is the second short story of the Gemini series and reveals an unexpected ally for Dr Richards in the race to avert the approaching catastrophe. An ally who knows what actually happened on the moon years ago.

ANCIENT

A routine archaeology dig in the Egyptian desert reveals a buried entrance so intricate, Peter Merchant has seen nothing like it before. Hoping for a lost tomb, he secretly opens it and unveils what he has always believed — we are not alone.

The discovery will make Peter famous and re-write ancient history. A history that will rock the established views. Rock the world.

He isn’t alone. He isn’t the only one who wants it. A sinister, shadowy group will stop at nothing to make it their own, leaving Peter with a problem. How can he protect the ancient secret and still live?

Ancient is the third short story in the Gemini series. Combining new technology with old, Peter and his team must use all their wits to survive.

MOON

Commander John Campbell placed his gloved hand on the dead Lunar Module that would likely become his coffin. He looked up at the infinite black backdrop and the distant earth he’d never return to. He’d never see his wife, Julie. His daughter, Clare.

The Command Module, orbiting miles above, would soon be forced to leave.

Forty minutes earlier.

That’s enough, John said, closing the lid on the sample container. We’ll get this fastened down to the Rover and we’re done here. That should be enough rock to keep them busy for years.

It sure will, Bill, the mission geologist said, as he wrote in crude letters on each container. I’ve got my eyes on that last piece for my research. Did you see it catch the light?

Yes I did, but have they promised you first choice?

Bill shook his head, the helmet of his spacesuit barely moving. A deep breath hissed over the microphone. Not as such, but they will find it hard to turn down the first geologist on the moon’s request. Especially if I mention it at the press conference.

John smoothed a smile. That’s clever … bordering on blackmail, Bill.

Resourceful, I’d call it. Isn’t that what they drummed into us at training?

Come on, you bugger, let’s get stowed and back. He switched to the Mission Control frequency. Houston, we are finished at Plinius crater edge and are returning to the Lunar Module.

Roger. John, just to remind you, there’s a rest period when you return.

Confirmed, Houston. Should be back in twenty minutes.

Freeze dried pineapple fruit cake here we come, said Bill, barely containing a groan.

Roger that, said John with as much sarcasm as he could get into two words. He was looking forward to the prospect of day 3, meal B in its inviting silver foil wrapper. Day 3, meal A wouldn’t take much to beat.

He watched with a mix of sympathy and amusement as Bill clambered in the Lunar Rover. It’s not the same as doing it in the training tanks, is it?

No, it isn’t. Six months practicing the maneuvers in water and what does the moon have a severe lack of? Water. Yes, I know they tried to simulate the low gravity, but it’s just not the same when you’re here. Bill collapsed back into the Rover seat. It’s all right for you pilots, you’ve prised yourself into tiny cockpits wearing those G-suits for years.

I guess that helped. John smiled.

Right, I’m in, Bill said with a huff. Let’s go.

John moved the ‘T’ shaped control stick forward. The Rover made its leisurely way across the dusty moon surface following their tracks from earlier.

Bill, did your headset sound just change?

Yes, the static is quieter.

Houston, Gemini requesting comms check. Houston, Gemini requesting comms check. He waited a moment before saying, Bill, try yours."

Houston, this is Gemini, communications check please. He repeated the request a few time, then spoke to John, Radio link problem?

Sounds like it. Might be the VHF radio. There’ll be a few sweaty brows in Mission Control.

This is the first fault we’ve had, said Bill.

John snorted a little laugh. Were you expecting more?

No, but there’s thousands of components that all have to be shook around, baked, frozen and still work.

NASA’s got good at it now, learned a lot of lessons. No one expects another Apollo 13. We’re getting ordinary, routine — not the superstars we once were. I bet we didn’t make the third news item when we launched.

I never wanted to be a superstar. Just Bill Goodwin, the first geologist astronaut.

Well, you’ve done that. And don’t tell me there’s a few colleagues you won’t enjoy upstaging?

True, there’s some that could do with coming down a peg or two.

There we are then, mission accomplished. Ah, there’s Gemini. We’ll soon find out what’s wrong. John guided the Rover around a rocky outcrop that had hidden the Lunar Module from view. The backup radios will take minutes to swap over. He brought the Rover to a halt a few feet from the ladder to the hatch. You unload the rock samples and I’ll check the systems.

John clambered out of the seat in the part cumbersome, part effortless way that low gravity and a restrictive spacesuit dictated. He grabbed the ladder and bounced up the rungs to the Lunar Module.

As soon as he got through the hatch, a chill ran through his body. He saw the problem immediately—the power was off.

It was dark inside except for the shafts of bright sunlight streaming through the two small triangular windows. John reached for one of the emergency flashlights clipped on the side console.

Bill, no power here. Just checking the breakers. John ran the flashlight beam along the breaker panel.

That’s not good.

Could be a faulty circuit just tripped it out.

Can you see anything?

No, still checking. All the breakers are still in, but the meters are showing no battery volts.

Shit, that’s not right, is it?

A battery fault would be unusual, said John with a dip in his voice. But we have the spare cell. He felt the need to suck on his water tube. His mouth was dry. I’m turning off all the breakers so we can run through the start-up sequence once it’s working.

Don’t forget to bring the panel tool.

With the spare cell in one hand and the tool in the other, he turned and reversed out of the hatch. In low gravity, he could hold onto the rungs with just a partial finger grip. Bill had already made his way to the battery compartment on the opposite side to the ladder. John met him there and passed the spare cell to him.

Batteries don’t just fail, do they? Bill asked. Not fifty thousand dollar ones.

Bet they were more than that … but we’ve got a spare.

What if there’s more than one faulty?

Chances must be so small. John imagined a team of scientists would have spent months testing and working out the probabilities of failure and decided one spare was enough. That’s what he hoped had happened.

Or it was a question of weight and one was all we got.

It’ll be okay, let’s get the cover off. John guided the panel tool onto the first securing clip. With thick gloves and little feel, he knew it would be a difficult job.

Bill’s tone and questions concerned him that he was getting jumpy and not sticking to the training. He didn’t like the situation either, but they had practiced this many times. They’d be back working in a few more minutes.

Last clip now, said John. Got it, it’s free. Bill, shine the flashlight in here. I can’t see. The beam lit up the compartment. He felt his stomach knot up as a chill contracted his body. My God!

He was staring at a battery array with a missing cell. Six cell slots and the rightmost one was empty.

In his headset, he heard Bill breathing fast and shallow. He’d hyper ventilate like that. Bill, pass the spare, let’s get it in quickly.

But … but what’s happened, Bill stuttered.

I don’t know but let’s get this fixed. Let me have the spare. It took several seconds for Bill to process the command before his hand moved and he passed the spare over. "Bill,