Conduit 3: The Conduit Saga

By Adam Green

The final chapter in the Conduit saga is here.

Join the crew of the Recovery as they race against time in an effort to locate the stabilizer and travel back to San Diego in the hope of saving their city pod.  Adversary Captain George Hanson returns to stand in their way.  More Raiders stand in their way.  Crossing the southern continental states stands in their way.  

Join them as they travel through locations such as Birmingham, New Orleans, Texas, and the Southwestern Conduit.

Who will endure?

Will they make it home in time?

Find out in Conduit 3.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Adam Green
• Release date: Jun 26, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393184874

Adam Green

Adam Green Born in small town Missouri, Adam Green continues the family teaching legacy as a fourth-generation educator.  With two decades in public school education, he encourages youth to explore new ideas.  Using the inspiration of his imaginative children and students, Green combines pirate themes with science fiction.  Conduit is the first self-published book of a trilogy.  Green lives in Texas with his wife, two sons, and multitude of dogs.  Connect with him via Twitter: @AdamCGreen95.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Zacharias Gompers was upset.  The man was stalking back and forth on the bow of the deck.

What are you trying to tell me here, Slick?

The man named Slick stuttered, Uh ... sir ... the engine cells look like they have been removed forcefully sir ... and ... uh ... put back together in pieces.  Sorry sir.  They are worthless.

Zacharias head jerked around, and he stared at Slick. 

What did you just say?!  Zacharias demanded.

Uh ... they were worthless.  Slick answered confused.

No, not that.  What did you say right before that?  Zacharias asked.

Um ... I’m sorry?  Slick responded.

Yeah.  I thought that’s what you said.  Zacharias answered coldly.  Zacharias deftly pulled an energy pistol from his holster and fired once into Slick’s chest.  Slick fell to the ground dead. 

Somebody, clean this up!  Zacharias ordered at several men standing on the deck.  He then walked towards the bow side of the vessel. 

Zacharias continued across the gangplank which his men had connected to their newly obtained prize and walked onward to a metal walkway.  He turned left at the end of the gangplank and continued until he walked into an office at the end of the tunnel.

Long ago, Zacharias had converted this small conduit tunnel into his own haven.  He had built barriers at the mouth of the tunnel to keep others from investigating the area.  He then built multiple scaffolding to build his own base at the tops of the conduit. 

Too many bad things on the ground, so build in the air was one of Zacharias’ mottos.  Zacharias walked into his office and breathed deeply.  He was trying to let his frustration wash off of him.  He walked to a mirror and brushed his hair to one side and straightened his tie. 

Another motto of Zacharias’ was A businessman must always look his best!  He finished straightening up his suit in the mirror and walked through his cluttered office.  Zacharias went to his desk and sat down for a moment.  Numerous papers sat in scattered piles on the desk.  Other office items littered the desk top as well.  Zacharias reached down and opened his bottom right hand drawer.  Inside was a plaque with multiple military medals which he pulled out and admired.  He sat back in the chair and closed his eyes for just a moment to let the anger subside.

––––––––

Zacharias Gompers was born in the Norfolk Military Pod.  He learned at an early age, that the pinnacle of achievement was to be assigned as military personnel in Washington D.C.  That was the goal and the dream of every young person born in Norfolk.  The whole purpose of the pod was to act as a breeding ground for the protection of Washington D.C.  Only the best and brightest earned that job!

As children, they would begin to train to become the backbone of the D.C. military force.  Zacharias’ earliest memories were to become the best soldier that Norfolk ever produced. 

He was the only child of Stanley and Ruth Gompers.  Stanley Gompers had been one hundred percent a soldier.  He was one of the finest soldiers to ever come out of Norfolk according to the family history.  On the day that Stanley was leaving for Washington D.C. as a young sergeant, the TeaR he was on crashed.  The crash left Stanley severely injured, and his bright shining career ended abruptly. 

Stanley stayed in the military for a few more years hoping his body would recover and he would have his second chance at Washington D.C.  It never happened.  He eventually left the soldier life for one as a cook in the pod.  The loss left Stanley a broken, bitter man who would eventually turn to alcohol to numb his senses. 

Ruth Gompers had been Stanley’s girl since they were children.  She too had entered the military and became a good soldier.  She was not as talented as Stanley and would not ever be stationed in Washington D.C. but that never bothered Ruth. 

When Stanley had his accident, Ruth left the military to help her man.  Shortly after, the two got married and Ruth settled into her life as a happy housewife.  When Stanley left the military a few years later, Ruth could sense the darkness growing in him and tried her best to make him happy.

She decided that if they had children, maybe, Stanley could forget about his past.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t so easy.  They tried and tried but couldn’t have children.

Life moved on.  Stanley went about his life as a cook.  He would work all day and return home after his double and triple shifts, only to drink the rest of his night away.  He then got up and repeated his day.  Ruth learned to be careful when Stanley was drinking.  It was best to just let him sit in his silence.

Years passed and the two existed in the same home.  One day, Stanley returned home from his shift without a bottle in his bag.  He was excited!  Stanley had encountered an old military buddy at work that day.  The buddy was now the highest-ranking military official in Norfolk and had told Stanley that he might be able to pull some strings to get Stanley back working on the soldier side of things. 

At least a month went by of Stanley returning home without his drink.  Ruth began to think how much Stanley began acting like the young man she fell in love with. 

One day during this Stanley Renaissance, Stanley came home and Ruth was so happy to see him.  She had news.  Stanley did as well.  Stanley’s military buddy couldn’t help him.  Ruth noticed the old familiar bottle was back in Stanley’s bag.  But Ruth’s news was important too.  She was pregnant!

Ruth’s announcement was enough for Stanley to ignore the alcohol.  At least until the baby was born.  During the pregnancy, Stanley was a doting husband caring for all of Ruth’s needs.  Stanley began to imagine how his son would be the new soldier of the family.  Stanley would teach the baby all of the techniques he had learned over the years.  He would turn the baby into a soldier that would definitely be Washington D.C. material.

Finally, the big day came.  Zacharias Gompers was born in the Norfolk Military Hospital.  The only hospital in the pod.  After the birth, the doctor came into the room where Ruth was resting.  It appeared that Zacharias was born with a condition called spina bifida.  It was a birth defect where Zacharias’ spine did not develop correctly.  There was a correction through surgery that could be done, but it was only allowed if the parents of the child were military personnel. 

The doctor stated, I’m sorry.  Since neither of you are active military anymore, there is nothing we can do for your son.

Zacharias would have to go home to live his life with this condition.  Stanley’s dreams of his son being a super-soldier died that day.  He turned back to the bottle and his spiral of darkness and depression. 

Ruth did her best with Zacharias.  As the baby grew, he often had to be confined to a wheelchair or a walker.  The Norfolk pod wasn’t equipped with ramps or handicap accessible walkways.  Growing up, Zacharias couldn’t keep count of how many times he heard, I’m so sorry for your inconvenience.  That was always said when the chair couldn’t get up a stairway or down a walkway or street.

As Zacharias grew older, he was able to use a brace system on his legs to help him walk without the use of the chair or walker.  But it was incredibly painful.  He would still hear those words, Sorry for your inconvenience, Zacharias, but you might want to go a different direction.

All he ever wanted was to be treated equal and to earn a chance to be a soldier.  All of that was thrown in his face when he heard those words, I’m sorry.  By the time Zacharias was a teenager, his father was in terrible health.  His lingering injuries mixed with his alcoholism had driven the man towards an early death.  None of that really bothered Zacharias.  Zacharias felt like a huge disappointment to the man and he wasn’t wrong. 

Stanley had always been distant to his son.  Zacharias could never be the soldier that he wanted him to be, and so he had little interest in the boy.  Only Ruth gave her everything to her son.  Stanley had also grown increasingly distant from her as well, and so she concentrated all of her love and interest into Zacharias. 

She constantly told him, You can be anything you want to be Zacharias.

Zacharias knew that it wasn’t true but he always smiled and said, Thanks mom.

Zacharias was still fixated on the military.  He might not be able to join as a soldier but he was concentrating on other ways to join the military effort.  One of which would be through his mind.  His body might fail him but his mind was just fine. 

In all of his schooling, Zacharias paid attention.  He worked incredibly hard to get passing marks and to excel, particularly in science and math; two subjects that would help him make it into the military wing. 

In the Norfolk pod, official education started at age eight and lasted until age sixteen.  At that point, if selected you would continue on with four year of accelerated military training to earn your post in the Norfolk, Richmond, or Washington D.C. pods.  If you were not selected, you would be released from school and appointed a civilian job in the pod.  That was considered the ultimate sign of failure. 

Stanley Gompers died when Zacharias was fifteen.  The years had been hard on the man.  The family had a small reception for him, and a handful of people came to pay their respects.  Every time someone said to Zacharias’ I’m so sorry it almost made him visibly cringe.  Those words haunted him his entire life. 

Zacharias and Ruth continued on with their lives.  If nothing else, their home was livelier with the passing of Stanley.  They no longer lived in fear of talking too loudly and drawing his unwanted anger and shouting. 

Once Zacharias finished his final year of school, he eagerly awaited the appointment lists to be posted.  He practically camped out at the academy awaiting the results.  Finally, on the morning of the third day, an officer arrived at the academy and posted the list.

Zacharias was one of the first people to get to the front of the line to study the posting.  He looked over the three pages searching for his name.  He recognized most of his classmates on the paper, but his name was not there.

Sadly, Zacharias made his way home.  His braces on his leg and his spine never hurt quite as badly as they did that particular day.  He finally arrived to find his mother waiting for him.  Zacharias came into the house with tears in his eyes. 

Ruth sat him down at their kitchen table and Zacharias got it out of his system.  All these years of fighting and nothing to show for it.  When he finally was done with his ranting, he looked at his mother.  Zacharias wasn’t sure when his mother had weathered quite as much as she had.  He had been so focused this last year it were if she had aged ten years old in just one.

She smiled back at her son and said, Your father wasn’t the only one in the military you know.  I might have a connection or two that can help us out.  Let me make a call.

Zacharias nodded and went to his room.  He wasn’t expecting much.  He sat on his bed and removed the painful braces from his legs.  All he wanted to do was sleep.

The following day, Ruth awakened Zacharias with news. 

I have called in an old favor.  You have a meeting with a Lieutenant Colonel named William Smothers at the academy at 1300! 

Zacharias smiled, Thanks mom!  I’ll be there.

Zacharias decided to be early for his appointment.  He painstakingly placed his braces onto his legs and washed up in the basin.  He found his nicest set of clothes, complete with a tie and put them on.  He walked out to the kitchen in the small apartment he and his mother shared.  Zacharias grabbed a small bite to eat and talked to his mother.

I’m going to head out early so I won’t keep the Colonel waiting. 

Ruth looked at Zacharias, It’s Lieutenant Colonel.  Military titles are important!

Zacharias chuckled, Lieutenant Colonel.  Got it. 

Zacharias couldn’t remember the last time he felt so excited.  He looked at his mother who had suddenly bent over the sink.

Mom are you ok?  He asked.

After a brief pause, she replied, I’m ok.  Just a little winded I suppose with all of this excitement.

Zacharias wished he had made some friends at the academy.  He would have stopped by their homes to tell them to check on his mother, but most of the other trainees just pitied him and didn’t want to get to know him.  This appointment shouldn’t take long.  Then he could get home to make sure his mom was alright.

Zacharias gave his mom a quick kiss on the cheek and took off.  He arrived at the academy at 1145.  Plenty early.  He made his way to the dean’s office which is where all military officials came to hold their meetings and interviews.

He found a chair outside of the dean’s office and sat.  Time passed slowly.  Zacharias found himself squirming in his seat as 1300 approached.  But then, 1300 passed.  Soon it was 1400 and the only person Zacharias had seen in the office was the dean’s secretary. 

Um ... ma’am?  Do you know if the Dean is having a Lieutenant Colonel in today?  Zacharias asked.

Yes, he must be running late.  The woman answered.

Soon it was 1430 and Zacharias was beginning to grow irritated.  He decided he would just leave if it got to be 1500 and there was a no-show.

Finally, at 1450, a military officer walked into the office.

He looked at Zacharias and said, Sorry for the inconvenience young man.  Other duties needed my attention.

Zacharias tried not to bristle at that phrase that he hated so much.

Not a problem sir.

He stood up to shake the officer’s hand.

The man said, I’m Lieutenant Colonel Smothers.  Let’s walk in here and have a chat.

The two went in and sat in the dean’s office.  The officer sat in the dean’s chair and Zacharias sat opposite of it.  Zacharias took in the officer.  The Lieutenant Colonel removed his hat and straightened his uniform before he sat down.  He looked just like every officer that Zacharias had seen before.  Crisp, ironed blue uniform.  Rigid jawline and a sense that he was in top physical shape.  He had the same buzzed haircut that only military personnel were allowed to wear in Norfolk, complete with a shaved line running around his head.

The officer opened his briefcase and pulled out a folder.  He casually opened a manila folder and looked over several papers inside of it.  Zacharias could hear a clock ticking back in the hallway.  It was so quiet in the Dean’s office.

Finally, the officer looked at Zacharias and spoke. 

I want to be as upfront with you Zacharias as I can be.  I’m here first and foremost as a favor to an old friend of mine.  Right now, I’m wondering how we can fit you into the military scheme here in Norfolk.  Do you have any ideas?  What is it that you want to do?

Zacharias cleared his throat.  I really want to be a part of the military.  It has always been my dream sir.  I know that my physical limitations would eliminate me from active service in the field, but I was hoping that maybe I could serve in the science or research division.

Smothers answered him.  Your scores from the academy are good in science and math, Zacharias, but they are not great.  We have made exceptions in this division for candidates before, but they had incredible grades.  Yours are just a little better than average.  You would still have to pass a physical exam in basic training, and I’m not sure you are capable of doing that.

Zacharias felt like someone slapped him.  He just sat and looked at the officer.

When the Lieutenant Colonel didn’t get an answer from Zacharias, he continued.

"It’s a no to the