Saint Vladnitz

By David Wiley

Over five hundred years since the start of the Space Age and humanity has still not yet broken out of the prison of the solar system. Generation ships have been sent to nearby star systems, but the sublight speeds involved means that nobody has returned yet. Warp drives and worm holes have been around for centuries, although only in science fiction. Running short on resources in the solar system–even Saturn's rings have been strip-mined–humanity needs some divine intervention. Instead, they get Boris S. Vladnitz, a down on his luck captain of a battered spaceship. Follow along with Captain Vladnitz and his crew of wildcatters on board the Arkhangel as they eke out a living among the snowballs and rocks of the Kuiper Belt and finally get the chance of humanity's lifetime, if they survive the trip–and each other.

Saint Vladnitz is the first story in the Borgia Trajectory, a series set in the same universe as the Eichi Testaments, back when the Galactic Empire wasn't even a glimmer in the eyes of the corporations that ruled Earth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Wiley
• Release date: Dec 20, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370236381

David Wiley

David Wiley is a pseudonym for Dave Felstul. By day I am a scientist who lives in Oregon. I was worried that people would have trouble remembering, spelling, or pronouncing my given name, so I decided to adopt the name of a childhood hero, Wile E. Coyote, for my pen name.I wanted to be a writer from an early age. After being unduly influenced by the first Apollo mission with Armstrong and Aldrin walking on the moon in 1969, there was never any real choice as to my area of writing, science fiction. This was predictably followed by many early stories, lavishly illustrated with spaceships, deathrays, and aliens.Some of us outgrow our dreams, others merely postpone them.I did combine my love of science and writing in several technical journalism jobs—including for a computer magazine where I not so presciently proclaimed that "the new Microsoft Word and Microsoft mouse could do a few interesting things, but were not as good as existing products and would never work well together."After realizing that my options in science journalism were limited, I stuck with the science half of the equation for many years. Only recently am I beginning to realize that deferred dream of spaceships, deathrays, and aliens. Although it is debatable whether the humor has improved since those early efforts, the science has hopefully done so.My science background has certainly pushed me towards the hard science fiction genre, but I have a definite bent towards biology and not just physics. I want to explore what happens when future technology meets real life. How would a far-flung galactic civilization maintain a common culture or genetics? Will a raygun work in a downpour? Will we have holographic assistants like the doctor in Star Trek Voyager or will the holos be used for advertising shills instead? Unfortunately, I know which one my money and those of the corporations will likely be on.I am exploring these ideas in books set in the Eichi Testaments Universe, Make No Martyrs, Message from Gondwana, and others as they make it through the review process.To conclude, my hero, Wile E Coyote had a business card. If you think about it, the card is perfect for a science fiction writer. "Wile E. Coyote, Genius, Have Brain – Will Travel." Who knows where our imaginations can take us? Maybe one day Acme will even sell a rocket ship that works!

Book preview

Saint Vladnitz

____________

Book 1 of the Borgia Trajectory

Set in the Eichi Testaments Universe

____________

By David Wiley

Saint Vladnitz

David Wiley

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2016 David Felstul

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Table of Contents

Prologue

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

Epilogue

Excerpt from Toothless

Prologue

Okay class, who can tell me who Saint Vladnitz was? Of course Seraphina's hand shot up before anyone else's. Delos? The teacher prodded. Seraphina shot a dirty look at Delos who was absently staring out the window at an orange-legged Specker hanging upside down from a branch of a gollywan tree. Seraphina then glared back at the teacher, but Miz Corintos persisted. So few of the indentured plantation workers here on Demeter bothered to send their children to school, she was determined to enlighten those that did come. Delos?

The boy finally shrugged. He lucked out and found the first wormhole is all.

Miz Corintos prodded. And why is that important?

Delos heaved a sigh. If he hadn't, we wouldn't be sitting in this boring classroom.

Several students tittered as Seraphina's hand waved like a semaphore signal. Miz Corintos gave in. Yes, Seraphina?

Seraphina cleared her throat. Obviously anything she had to say was something all the other students needed to listen to very closely. Miz Corintos sighed. It was already one of those weeks and it was only Monday.

Miz Corintos, Saint Vladnitz, in 559 Post Kosmos, not only discovered the first wormhole through incredible persistence, but he showed incredible bravery and skill in navigating his ship through the wormhole and with his loyal crew, returned to share the secret, so he could save the human race by releasing us from the shackles of our single solar system.

Miz Corintos nodded wearily. It was word for word what the text said and why the Church Universal had made him one of their foremost saints, along with Darwin, Newton, and Noya. Of course, the history texts tended to gloss over the fact that on the very next voyage he vanished without a trace. That was hundreds of years ago, lucky devil.

Miz Corintos decided to change topics to something that might be of interest to boys. Okay, who can tell me what his ship's name was? Anyone? Come on, didn't anyone else read the lesson? The silence was deafening. Fine. Seraphina?

Well, duh, it was the Arch-Angel, of course. What else would a saint's ship be named?

Miz Corintos glanced longingly towards where a bottle of alcohol lurked in her bottom desk drawer. If Seraphina really had memorized all of the lessons for this week, it was going to be a long week indeed.

CHAPTER 1

Captain? Sir? the annoying voice would not go away. You really need to take a look at this, Sir. Annoying and polite, that would be Ernie, the youngest crewmember on the Arkhangel.

Boris Vladnitz warily opened one bloodshot eye. She was still standing in his cabin. Hell, he had not even heard her come in. He gave up and grunted by way of encouragement.

I think it might be an exotic, Captain. Ernestine Borgia had been with the Arkhangel for a few months and she still sounded like an eager little puppy. Frankly, Vladnitz thought she could use a little less Ernestine and a little more Borgia, and yes, he did know who the Borgias were. A sure sign of his wasted education if ever there was one.

For your sake, I sure hope it is, Vladnitz growled, but he was already calculating what values of some of the scarcer platinum-family metals might bring back on Haumea, the closest of the Kuiper Belt's trading outposts. How big? he asked, absently rubbing at a stain of indeterminate origin on his coveralls.

Four or five tonnes, at least that's what Horst thinks. Of course, Abasolo disagrees, but then, he would. He–

Vladnitz opened both eyes. He tuned out the rest of what Ernie said, knowing that she did not care for their arrogant young pilot, handsome devil that he was. On the other hand, if the ship's purser thought the rock might be five tonnes or so, then it damn well might be five tonnes. Horst Schroder and his razor-sharp mind had been out here in the Kuiper Belt even longer than Vladnitz. Of course, it was the use of a different kind of razor that had brought Horst out here. Regardless, the man knew his way around a goddamn rock. Maybe Christmas had come early