Mimbres: Heroes of the League, #9

By Frank Carey

A cult plans to revive an ancient evil. Can the Smuggler Elf save his world again?

Harman was hoping for some peace and quiet, but the universe has other ideas. With the help of his friends and family, he travels to a prison planet in another universe to stop Nochmar and his clones.

Mimbres is the ninth book in Frank Carey’s Heroes of the League series. 76 pages.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Frank Carey
• Release date: Apr 28, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386568124

Frank Carey

Frank Carey has been formally writing and publishing works of science fiction since late 2013. Over the years prior, he had dabbled in various forms of writing including haiku poetry, but that all changed when he and his wife, Jo, decided to try their hand at writing and self-publishing. Since then, he has written and published a collection of flash fiction and short stories, two anthologies, a pentalogy, and a trilogy. All his work, to date, has been in the science fiction genre. Most of his stories take place about two centuries in the future when Earth joins the League of Planetary Systems. Many of his protagonists are strong females. He is an inveterate pantser who believes the story will go where the story wants to go. Frank’s background includes degrees in physics and extensive work as a scientific programmer and technologist.

Book preview

Chapter One

Aerith awakened to the sound of a metal bucket bouncing down the center of the crew's quarters. Rise and shine, people! Daylight is officially burning! a female voice announced.

Opening one eye a crack, Aerith saw Merla, the Spindrift's first officer, standing at one end of the corridor which ran the length of the small room. Turning her head slightly, she saw Rock standing at the other end, he was holding a fifty-five gallon oil drum, ready to throw it down the length of the aisle if need be.

Hrmph, Aerith muttered as she got out of her bunk and walked to the aisle where she stood waiting for the rest of her group to get out of bed and join her.

Ah, Ms. Aymar. Good of you to join us. Have a good sleep? Merla yelled.

Aye, mistress, a fine four hours it was, ma’am, Aerith answered while snapping to attention.

What the hell? a voice said next to her. She looked over and saw Quincy roll out of bed, looking like something a wombat had dragged in. Aerith caught his eye and raised her eyebrows in warning, but it was too late.

You have a comment to make, Mr. Tolson? Rock said. Quincy looked up only to find the giant cargo master standing less than an inch in front of him.

No sir, sorry sir, he said as he looked up at the creature towering over him. Truth be told, the only thing one could be sure of about Rock was his size: he was very, very, large.

Good to hear, Mr. Tolson, good to hear, Rock said as he silently returned to his position at the end of the aisle, palming the steel drum all the way.

Finally, after much grumbling, the other five Merchant Space Marine cadets assembled in the aisle at the end of their bunks, snapping to attention.

Outstanding! Merla said as she played with her sideburns—mutton chops would be a more accurate description. Like all females of her race, she sported a pair of sideboards Gen. Ambrose Burnside would be proud to wear. Cadets, today is your lucky day! she announced.

Shore leave, ma’am? Quincy asked. Aerith cuffed him.

Thank you, Ms. Aymar. To answer your question, Mr. Tolson, no. No shore leave, but we have something far better: We have a paying job! Yes, you heard me right. Weeks ahead of schedule, you all get to participate in working for hire as part of the crew of the League Transport Vessel Spindrift. Aye, the halls should be full of singing as all merchant spacers know that a paying job is the pinnacle of our existence!

Ma'am, what kind of job? Aerith asked in an attempt at sounding excited.

I am glad you asked, Ms. Aymar. Out on the dock are twelve pallets of supplies bound for a research station a day's journey out from the Olympian home world. It is a simple pick-up and drop-off, so we'll be back in three days. Any other questions?

What about the rest of the crew, ma’am, Quincy asked.

Another good question. My, we are in good form today, Merla said as she walked up to stand toe-to-toe with the young human. Quincy looked more terrified of her than he was of Rock. We are going out with a skeleton crew of regulars so that you cadets get a taste of the spacer's life aboard ship. Any other questions, Mr. Tolson?

God, no, ma’am. Thank you, ma’am, for this opportunity... She stopped him with one raised index finger. Rock will take you to the cargo bay where you will practice the fine art of loading and securing cargo. When Rock finishes with you, you'll head to your assignments in the rest of the ship. During the outbound and return legs, you will switch-off duties so you can become familiar with all aspects of the ship's operation. You all remember the story of the Teska Maru, do you not?

Who could forget the story of the Teska Maru, a cargo ship bound from Earth to a colony on the far side of Corrigan's expanse? When she went overdue, a massive search was launched to find her and her crew. Seventy-two ships ranging from one-person patrol craft to Protector-class war ships scoured the area around the Teska's route, but they found nothing. Then, three months later, the Teska limped in with only the assistant cook aboard.

Half-crazed, he told of the ship encountering a proton mine which took out the crew with a gamma ray burst, sparing him only because he had been in the cold storage locker when it lit off. He emerged from the locker to find a dead crew and the ship wildly off-course. Only his cross-training and sheer chutzpah allowed him to get the bodies into stasis, repair the ship, and navigate back to League space.

He never ventured into space again, opting instead to write his memoirs and spend his remaining days tending a memorial garden for his crewmates.

No, ma’am. Not forgotten, Aerith said while suppressing a shudder.

Very well. Dismissed.

Chapter Two

His tail shifting about from the excitement of the moment, Dr. Thia watched through the cabin viewer as the cloaked freighter made its final approach