Orbits - The Mind Trap: Orbits, #4

By Thomas Swartz

LiMing has been keeping a deep secret from her crewmates on the Excelsior.  She has seen the artificial intelligence code and know the consequences if it is installed again.  But her brother desperately needs her help.  So she must choose between family and her crew.  Captain Thomas Major is shaken from a deep slumber and instantly senses that something is profoundly wrong.  His suspicions are confirmed when he finds LiMing hiding that mysterious code.  He agrees to transport LiMing to an enigmatic orbital hospital where he completely embarrasses himself before the alluring Heather Fairfield.  But when he learns the truth about LiMing's brother, the horrors of the war come back with a vengeance.  He knows that he must act to stop the spread of the perils again.  He will have to make the ultimate decision of life and death.  But what about the fate of LiMing and her brother?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Swartz
• Release date: Mar 8, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224766710

Thomas Swartz

Thomas Swartz was born on Long Island, NY in 1964 where everyday after school he would watch the adventures of Captain Kirk and the Star Ship Enterprise on the Star Trek TV series. Those stories always made him think that regardless of how far mankind can go, and what he would encounter, he could and should always remain human. Now a former lawyer, amateur astronomer, and father of two young children, with a loving wife, he wants to create a new space adventure series that is a little closer to home in the not too distant future where the qualities of humanity and heroism are revered. Orbits - The Hunt for Everything is his first book.

Book preview

Orbits

Book 4

The Mind Trap

Thomas Swartz

Orbits - Book 4 - The Mind Trap by Thomas Swartz

Copyright © 2024 - Thomas Swartz

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact: [e-mail]

From NASA:

More than 27,000 pieces of orbital debris, or space junk, are tracked by the Department of Defense’s global Space Surveillance Network (SSN) sensors. Much more debris -- too small to be tracked, but large enough to threaten human spaceflight and robotic missions -- exists in the near-Earth space environment. Since both the debris and spacecraft are traveling at extremely high speeds (approximately 15,700 mph in low Earth orbit), an impact of even a tiny piece of orbital debris with a spacecraft could create big problems.

Table of Contents

……………………………………………………………

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter One

……………………………………………………………

Excelsior was cruising comfortably in an uneventful orbital lane. There were no vessels in front or behind that needed paying attention to. The crew’s work was done for the day. The crew was grateful for the comparative peace. But a listless boredom had set in. The crew of Thomas Major, Rosalind Rose, Carlos and LiMing did their very best to find any diversion to alleviate the dullness of such times, which were occurring more frequently in recent launches. It was Captain Major’s idea that they try the diversion they were currently performing in the ship’s galley at a somewhat late hour.

It was Carlos’ turn and a nervous look was on his face. He saw the impending doom ahead. He rolled the dice, Nine, he counted out the spaces, One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, NINE! Oh, come on man! Park Place again!

LiMing rubbed her hands together gleefully and told him the damage, Park Place with four houses. That will be one thousand three hundred dollars.

I’m wiped out. Who picked this stupid game? Wasn’t this supposed to be movie night. I like movie night. Let’s bring back movie night! Carlos objected.

Rosalind and Major were giggling at Carlos’ financial destruction. LiMing, for a former communist you really know how to play this game, Rosalind remarked.

Former communist my foot! There’s never been a more ruthless, cut throat, robber baron in my life. Movies everybody! Everybody likes movies, Carlos implored.

Oh, don’t be sore sweetie. It’s not personal. Then with a cunning smirk, LiMing added, It’s business.

Well, it’s getting late. Carlos is bankrupt and I don’t think I or Rosalind stand any chance seeing how many properties Miss Robber Baron has over there. Let’s call it a night, Major said.

Agreed, Rosalind concurred as she tossed in her property cards and the few bills in cash she had left.

Major did the same as he announced, LiMing is tonight’s winner. And since it is loser’s choice, our next diversion will be movie night.

Yes! That’s what I said - movies. And I’m picking John Wayne.

A muffled groan escaped from Rosalind and LiMing.

This scene was now typical for the crew of Excelsior. A playful rapport had matured amongst these now close friends. Each came from different worlds and each had their own distinct personality. Captain Thomas Major was the laconic, principled leader superbly skilled as a pilot of his beloved Excelsior. Rosalind Rose, recently widowed, was the ship’s mathematician whose heart was always open and there for others. Carlos was the young idealist who was the jack of all trades; he could fix anything on Excelsior. And LiMing, the newest member of the crew and now wed to Carlos, was the dissident on the run. She was on a mission to undermine the communist regime in her homeland.

Though the crew had been through harrowing perils in their past few launches, there was none of that this night. There was tranquility, comfort, and camaraderie. They were at home. That feeling that here, right now, nothing on the outside matted and all were where they were supposed to be. Tomorrow was also unimportant when you were with friends you could count on in any situation.

But there was some business to attend to tomorrow. What’s on the agenda tomorrow Captain? Carlos asked after calming down from his humiliating defeat.

We have three pick ups tomorrow. We have our routine waste disposal removal from the cruise ship Orion. We have to capture an old derelict Starlink satellite that has wandered into orbital lane 1A. And we have to find and capture a rocket booster from a recent ISRO launch. So it is going to be a pretty full day. We should all get some sleep.

Hyped up from her Monopoly win, LiMing offered, I’ll take the first watch. I’m not drowsy yet.

Alright, LiMing is on watch. I’ll relieve in seven hours, Captain Major commanded.

As the crew stood and stretched, Rosalind and LiMing began sorting game pieces into the game box. As they did so, Carlos wanted to address an enigma that was on his mind. Captain this is our fourth launch since . . . since, he hesitated because he did not want to directly raise the murder of Rosalind’s husband by the communists on Mars. He lowered his voice’s volume and continued, since Mars. How come they have not come after us yet? Carlos was of course referring to the Excelsior’s battle with the Chinese Space ship Xi Jinping. The Xi had pursued Rosalind’s husband John Rose to Mars to stop him from exposing one of the regime’s heinous practices. The crew of Excelsior was not able to save John Rose. But through the skillful piloting and tactical genius of Thomas Major, they were able to render a humiliating defeat to the communists by destroying the Xi in Mars orbit and eliminating several of its soldiers. The