Reton: Stryker Team, #7

By Frank Carey

Can they stop a rampaging sapient ship while holding a band of pirates at bay?

Stryker Team 1 is caught in a family feud from a distant nebula that's spilled over into the League when the two combatants are transported over 5000 light-years by a rogue wormhole. The team must find a way to stop a mammoth ship before it wreaks any more havoc.

If you like tech-heavy sci-fi, relatable characters, and stories of family and redemption, you'll love the seventh book in Frank Carey's Stryker Team series. 45 pages.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Frank Carey
• Release date: Apr 26, 2018
• ISBN: 9781533746115

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

It was a typical day in the Talot Asteroid Belt. The Ventosian Cruiser Mekla watched over her brood of research ships as their science teams measured the space around them.  The Talot star system was directly in the path of League expansion, so a survey was in order so see what the first wave of colony ships would find on the way to their new homes.

Normally, a research flotilla would not be accompanied by a war ship, but this situation was special. The Talot system was reported to be the home of a group of pirates known as the Claus Collective. These pirates were rumored to attack any ship that passed close to the asteroid belt, so the Mekla was dispatched to the area to keep an eye on things.

The commanding officer of the Mekla, Captain Martia Menos, pounded three times on the door to the Marine's billet before walking in. Atten-shuh! Captain on the deck! Sergeant Mersa, a basili, barked. The other members of the team, including their commander, Lt. Colonel Titus King, came to attention and saluted.

At ease, she said while returning the salute. Titus, it’s been awhile.

The colonel nodded. Too long. Esmeralda misses our bridge nights.

How is that wife of yours doing?

Great. She loves living on Degreb.

Excellent. So, how about introductions?

Of course. Captain Martia Menos, this is Captain Kalana Grenor, my second in command.

Ma'am, Kalana said.

I've heard a lot about you, Captain.

All good, I hope, Captain.

Martia smiled. Better than good.

Titus continued. This is Sergeant Mersa, our weapons specialist.

Ma'am.

He continued with introductions until he came to Parker, their newest AI addition. Today, she was wearing a biped battlebot suit.

Are we going to war, Parker?

Training aid, ma'am. The strykers need some live-fire time, so I volunteered.

Live fire...?

Kalana, Private Marcus Wen, and Private Nana Tor, transformed into their stryker forms—armor and built-in weapons created by the nanorobots coursing through their bloodstreams. Yes, ma'am. Kalana explained. As an artificial intelligence, Parker is impervious to our weapons, so she can drive any suit in real-time. This allows us to test new settings and systems without having to worry about harming the driver or dealing with latency in the data streams.

Does she shoot back?

Private Marcus Wen, a genetically engineered life form, or GELF, unconsciously rubbed his left breast plate. Yes, ma'am.

Does she pull her punches?

Not usually, ma'am, Private Nana Tor, the team's other GELF, said while rubbing her arm.

Wuss, Parker muttered.

Nana glared back at her.

Hopefully, this is all the action you will see this trip... Captain Menos started to say. She was interrupted by alarm klaxons sounding.

General quarters, general quarters, all hands man your battle stations. Set condition one throughout the ship. This is no drill. Captain Menos to the Bridge!

The captain walked over to the wall and punched the intercom button. This is Menos! Report!

Ma'am, sensors show a rift forming 100,000 clicks dead ahead and something is coming through it.

Specify? she demanded as her tail threatened to take-out a bystander's eye.

Unknown, but readings indicate it has a quantum spin signature from this universe.

Order the research ships to get the hell out of here. We'll cover them. Go weapons hot; safeties off. Prepare log buoy one for immediate launch. I'm on my way. Colonel King, with me!

Aye, aye Captain. Captain Grenor, with us. Mersa, take charge of the team.

Aye, sir, Mersa said to three retreating backs. You heard the man! Move!

Upon arrival, Menos sat down at the center chair while King and Kalana took flanking positions behind her. Report! she ordered.

Ma'am, it's a ship, a big one, the science officer reported. "Data coming in now... Two miles long, a mile across at its widest. Ma'am, it's under