Exodus: Empires at War: Book 8: Soldiers (Exodus: Empires at War.)

by Doug Dandridge

  Donut, The: Massive century long engineering project, an enormous space station in orbit around the Supersystem central black hole, using the swirling gravitational energy of a sixty solar mass charged hole to generate wormholes.

  Exploration Command: Subdivision of the Fleet tasked with exploring new worlds, making scientific discoveries, and expanding the Empire into unexplored space.

  Fleet, The. Term of respect an endearment for the naval forces of the New Terran Empire, a force which has never lost a war, and is responsible for guarding the people of the Empire.

  Frontier Worlds: Class IV. 8,462 planets in 8,147 systems, with a combined population of 6.9 billion citizens.

  Gravitons: Messenger particles of gravity, detectable in all levels of space, including subspace and hyperspace. The manipulation of gravitons is responsible for artificial gravity and the use of hyperspace and subspace. Gravitons can be tracked through all dimensions of hyper.

  IIA: Imperial Intelligence Service. Imperial Security Service responsible for intelligence gathering beyond the boundaries of the Empire. By Imperial decree they are allowed some investigative powers within the Empire, mostly those involving threats to the government.

  IIB: Imperial Investigation Bureau. Imperial Security Service responsible for counterintelligence and criminal investigation within the boundaries of the Empire.

  Imperial Alien Systems: 7 aboriginal systems with 3.2 billion beings. Ten alien protectorates of 89 systems, 262 billion aliens.

  Implants: Electronic devices attached by nanotech to the brains of Imperial citizens, allowing them to contact com and data services, as well as emergency services. Range from basic to Governmental that allow access to classified databases and vital command and control services. By Imperial Privacy Laws the tracking feature of implants can be disabled by citizens concerned about being monitored. Convicted criminals have this feature removed.

  House of Commons: Second House of Parliament, made up of elected members of the common people, based on the population of the planets of the Empire. 2,647 total members. All appropriations and infrastructure bills originate in this house.

  House of Lords: First House of Parliament, made up of hereditarily appointed nobles, as well as high ranking members of the major churches of the Empire. 961 members. All military bills, intelligence bills, and treaties originate from this house. Prime Minister comes from the Lords.

  House of Scholars: Third House of Parliament, made up by appointed and elected members of scientists and academics. Most members are from first tier Universities, with a small number appointed by the Lords and the Emperor. 400 members. All science, technology, medical and educational bills originate in this house.

  Hyper Barrier: Effect of gravity wells on objects traveling through hyper. Vessels striking the barrier are translated out of hyperspace catastrophically. The radius of the barrier depends on the mass of the object generating it, black hole, star, planet or smaller object. For a black hole the barrier can be thirty light hours or more from the center mass. For a planetoid it might be light seconds. The higher the dimension of hyper the further out its barrier. Star systems typically have a hyper I barrier of from three to five light hours, depending on the mass.

  Hyperdetection: Ability of spaceships, particularly warships, to detect other ships moving in hyper. The larger the ship and the higher the level of hyper, the longer the range another vessel can be detected at. Extreme range of a battleship sized vessel moving in VII is up to seven light years. Translations also send out a hyper signal well beyond that of traveling ships,

  Hyperdrive: Graviton projection device capable of opening holes in the dimensions leading from normal to hyperspace. Also projects a graviton field around the ship while it is in hyperspace, protecting the crew and vessel from the effects of that space. Each succeeding dimension takes 4.2 times the power to open and remain in than the one below it.

  Hyperspace: Upper dimensions of the Universe, corresponding to the same space time coordinates of the visible Universe, through a nesting of graduated smaller dimensions. Allows ships to travel at below the light speed limit and still traverse normal space at faster than light speeds. Hyperspace is a realm of energies and particles unknown in normal space, and is in fact inimical to normal matter. Hyperspace does not exist within the moderate gravity wells of heavy objects.

  Hyper I: 9.11 to 1 ratio, .9 c pseudo speed 8.2 light.

  Hyper II: 40.9 to 1 ratio, .9 c pseudo speed 36.8 light.

  Hyper III: 163.44 to 1 ratio, .9 c pseudo speed 147 light.

  Hyper IV: 654.2 to 1 ratio, .9 c pseudo speed 588.78 light.

  Hyper V: 2,616.9 to 1 ratio, .9 c pseudo speed 2355.2 light.

  Hyper VI: 10,467.6 to 1 ratio, .9 c pseudo speed 9,420.8 light.

  Hyper VII: 41, 870.4 to 1 ratio, .9 c pseudo speed 37,683.36 light. .95 c pseudo speed 39,776.9 light.

  Hyper VIII: 167,481.6 to 1 ratio. Only electromagnetic signals can be transmitted through VIII, and only for a very limited range.

  Inertial Compensators: Devices, normally paired with grabber units, utilizing superiron to convert inertia to heat, then using the properties of superlead to project the heat into space. Inertial compensators allow ships to pull high gee loads, while giving off enormous amounts of heat, making them as visible as small stars to the enemy.

  Inertialess Fighter: 1,500 ton attack fighter that uses a negative matter warp bubble that reduces inertia essentially to nothing, allowing extreme acceleration and the ability to attain velocities faster than the speed of light. There are two weaknesses to the process. The fighters are totally cut off from the Universe and cannot see where they are going, and the craft must leave the bubble at the same velocity as when they entered or they will suffer an inertia rebound.

  Jewel: Capital planet of the Empire, based in the Home system and in a mutual orbit with the terraformed planet New Terra and the moon Ariel. Home to twenty billion citizens.

  Klassekian: Alien species inhabited a planet in extra-Imperial space. Klassekians are born in litters of from six to twelve siblings, all interconnected through quantum matter in their brains. His connection allows them to transfer information instantaneously across any distance and through all known dimensions.

  Mag Weapons: Weapons from civilian hand to vehicle mounted cannons which fire a solid or explosive projectiles through a magnetic tube that accelerates them to the desired velocity. For hand weapons this is in the one thousand to five thousand meter per second range. Tank cannon can fire rounds at up to a thousand kilometers a second.

  Nanotech: Ubiquitous technology used in almost every industrial and operational aspect of the Empire. Nanites process raw materials, construct alloys and fibers at the atomic level, and weld and join larger constructs. All citizens have a multitude of nanites in their bodies, making them immune to almost any conceivable biological contagion, as well as healing minor injuries and allowing the digestion and utilization of native foods that would otherwise not provide any nutrition.

  Negative Matter: The exact opposite of matter, and not found in our Galaxy. Made by an industrial process that is very energy intensive. Negative matter repels itself and matter, and is capable of generating antigravity. Negative matter cancels an equal amount of regular matter in a very unspectacular disappearance. Negative matter is necessary for the maintenance of wormhole gates.

  Particle Beams: Streams of high energy protons or antiprotons. Infantry and hand weapons project up to a gram of matter at low relativistic speeds. Heavy infantry and ship borne weapons project matter at much higher speeds. Protons strike targets with high kinetic energy that translates into force and heat. Antiprotons explode on contact with matter.

  Secret Service: Imperial Security Service responsible for the protection of the Imperial Family and members of Parliament.

  Special Ops: Army Rangers, Naval Commandos and Marines Recon operatives, biologically augmented and trained to fight without the use of armor or electronic equipment. Augmentation includes th
e removal of all human scent emitting glands. This allows them to escape the detection of most high tech sensors, and strike from the shadows.

  Sonics: Stun weapons that act on the nervous system of the target, disrupting its actions and in most cases dropping it into unconsciousness. Civilian self-defense weapons come equipped with a transmitter to alert local police to the use of the weapon, though this has often been bypassed by criminals.

  Subspace: A single dimension separate from hyperspace, with correspondence to normal space coordinates, and with a 12.47:1 normal space to subspace ratio. At .90 c within subspace pseudo speed is 11.22 light speed. Subspace is not inimical to matter, and though energy is needed to enter and exit, none is needed to remain.

  Subspace Com: Unit capable of sending vid through subspace at 12.47 light speed. Only useful in normal space, though not within the close gravity wells of stars and planets.

  Supermetals: Artificially produced high numbered elements that take advantage of an island of stability in the periodic table. Produced in enormous industrial plants that utilize the entire surface of frozen moons and small planets, using the temperature differential to cool the high temp nuclear furnaces. Superiron, superlead and superplatinum are the three metals produced, with super platinum both the most useful and most difficult to make.

  Supersystem: Central Systems in orbit around the black hole. Home system and seven others. Sixteen habitable planets, four habitable moons, as well as assorted asteroid belts and habitats. 102 billion citizens, 6.6 billion of them aliens, with 26 percent of all Imperial space industry.

  Translation: The act of moving in and out of the dimensions of hyper. Accompanied by a burst of

  gravitons that can be detected for from many light hours to several years.

  Wormhole: Bridge through space and possibly time allowing objects to transit. Extremely rare in the natural universe, produced by the Donut for use as com links, portals, and weapons deployment.

  About the Author

  Doug Dandridge is the author of over twenty-five self-published books on Amazon, including the very successful, Exodus: Empires at War series, the Refuge techno-fantasy series, The Deep Dark Well Trilogy, as well as numerous standalone science fiction and fantasy novels. In a two and a half year period as a self-published author, Doug has sold over one hundred and twenty-five thousand ebooks, paperbacks and audio books. He has amassed over 1,800 reviews across his books on Amazon, with a 4.6 star average. He served in the US Army as an infantryman, as well as several years in the Florida National Guard in the same MOS. Doug, who holds degrees from Florida State University and the University of Alabama, lives with his five cats in Tallahassee Florida. He is a sports enthusiast and a self-proclaimed amateur military historian.

  About The Prometheus Saga

  The Prometheus Saga is the premier project of the Alvarium Experiment, a consortium of accomplished and award-winning authors. The Saga spans the range of the existence of Homo sapiens. The stories do not need to be read in any particular order; each story is an entry point into the overall story.

  The Prometheus Saga stories & authors are:

  “The Pisces Affair” by Daco Auffenorde. CIA operative Jordan Jakes meets Prometheus when the Secretary of State becomes the target of a terrorist attack at a head-of-state dinner in Dubai. Visit Daco at www.authordaco.com.

  “On Both Sides” by Bria Burton. When a mysterious woman vanishes during the American Revolution, young Robby Freeman searches for answers from a cryptic sharpshooter who deserted Washington’s Continental Army. Visit Bria at www.briaburton.com.

  “Ever After” by M.J. Carlson. Two mysterious women convey the same Cinderella story to Giambattista Basile in 1594 and Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in 1811. How different cultures retell this story reveals humanity’s soul to those who listen. Visit M.J. at www.mjcarlson.com.

  “The Blurred Man” by Bard Constantine. FBI agent Dylan Plumm's investigation of a mill explosion puts her on the trail of the Blurred Man, a mysterious individual who may have been on Earth for centuries. The case turns deadlier at every turn, placing Dylan in the crosshairs of shadowy antagonists even as she unravels a centuries-old mystery. Visit Bard at www.barwritesbooks.com

  “Crystal Night” by Charles A. Cornell. Berlin, 1938. On the eve of one of history’s darkest moments, a Swedish bartender working in Nazi Germany accidentally uncovers a woman’s hidden past. Can he avoid becoming an accomplice as the Holocaust accelerates? Visit Charles at www.charlesacornell.com.

  “Marathon” by Doug Dandridge. Prometheus, posing as a citizen of Athens, participates in the battle of Marathon alongside the playwright Aeschylus. Visit Doug at www.dougdandridge.net.

  “The Strange Case of Lord Byron’s Lover” by Parker Francis. Writing in her journal, Mary Shelley recounts a series of perplexing events during her visit with Lord Byron—a visit that resulted in the creation of her famous Frankenstein novel, but also uncovered a remarkable mystery. Visit Parker at www.parkerfrancis.com.

  “Strangers on a Plane” by Kay Kendall. In 1969 during a flight across North America, a young mother traveling with her infant meets an elderly woman who displays unusual powers. But when a catastrophe threatens, are those powers strong enough to avert disaster? This short story folds into Kay’s mystery series featuring the young woman, amateur sleuth Austin Starr. Visit Kay at www.kaykendallauthor.com.

  “East of the Sun” by Jade Kerrion. Through a mysterious map depicting far-flung lands, a Chinese sailor in 1424 and a Portuguese cartographer in 1519 share a vision of an Earth far greater than the reality they know. Visit Jade at www.jadekerrion.com.

  “Manteo” by Elle Andrews Patt. In 1587, Croatan native Manteo returns from London to Roanoke Island, Virginia. Can he reconcile his strong loyalty to the untamed land and people of his home with his desire for the benefits the colonizing English bring with them before one of them destroys the other? Visit Elle at www.elleandrewspatt.com.

  “First World War” by Ken Pelham. 40,000 BC: As the last remaining species of hominid, Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis, fight a desperate battle for ownership of the future, the outcasts of both sides find themselves caught in middle. Visit Ken at www.kenpelham.com.

  “Lilith” by Antonio Simon, Jr. In this retelling of the Adam & Eve story, a hermit’s life is turned upside-down by the arrival of a mysterious woman in his camp. As the story of their portentous meeting carries forward through the millennia, only time will tell if Lilith is a heroine, a victim, or a monster. Visit Antonio at www.DarkwaterSyndicate.com.

  “Fifteen Dollars’ Guilt” by Antonio Simon, Jr. 1881: After a close brush with death in a steamship disaster, Prometheus encounters another survivor who gripes about how aimless his life has become. Prometheus helps him find his calling, inadvertently setting in motion the assassination of President Garfield. Visit Antonio at www.DarkwaterSyndicate.com.

  For additional info about the stories and authors, visit the official website: The Prometheus Saga

  Five By Five 3: Target Zone

  TARGETS ARE LOCKED!

  Five short novels by five masters of military SF capture the excitement, and hell, of fantastic future war—on and off the battlefield. Stories of terrifying monsters, dangerous aliens and staggering cosmic dreadnaughts march alongside far-flung courtroom dramas and cautionary tales involving man and his devices.

  Michael A. Stackpole—The Star Tigers are commandeered by a powerful alien overseer on a covert mission to a world long abandoned by an ancient species. There, the ruins of a forgotten war will tip the balance of their war, unless the Star Tigers can prevent it.

  Sarah A. Hoyt—Lucius Dante Maximilian Keeva is a well-respected leader of the Usaian Revolution, but treason in the ranks can cost him everything that makes life worth living—unless he takes justice into his own hands and breaks every military regulation in its pursuit.

  Doug Dandridge—Faced with an enemy more than two hundred times her own size, Cinda Klerk has two options: hide, and let it destr
oy the planet she is supposed to protect, or find a way to even the odds and kill the enemy, even at the cost of her ship and crew.

  Eytan Kollin and Dani Kollin—As the Unincorporated War envelops the entire solar system, a father must come to the rescue of a daughter he never raised. But he'll have to convince her to save herself first.

  Kevin J. Anderson—In the war against an alien menace, Earth’s greatest military commanders risk themselves on the front lines, but with an escape hatch: If the situation goes terribly wrong, they can switch places with a safe soldier far from the battlefield. But the cannon-fodder volunteers don’t consider that such a good deal.

  Set your cross-hairs on the Target Zone.

  Excerpt from Goliath:

  “We have a translation, from the hyper VII dimension down to VI,” called out the Sensory Officer, Ensign Emile Schmidt, in his soft New Berliner accent.

  “Ours, or theirs?” asked Lt. Commander Cinda Klerk, watching the tactical holo and dreading the answer. She was not a large woman, in fact, the captain’s chair still felt too big when she sat in it. And she had the kind of face that attracted men, which she saw as a detriment to her career, not letting her fit the image of the warrior woman.

  “Theirs,” answered Schmidt, a look of anxiety, no, fear showing on his face. “And it’s a big one. Twenty million tons or more.”