Xander
The Nova Force: Book 1
Vivienne Savage
Xander
The Nova Force: Book One
By Vivienne Savage
All material contained herein is Copyrighted 2018 © Vivienne Savage. All rights reserved.
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Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Other Books by Vivienne
The Hidden Court by Vivienne Savage
About the Author
Chapter One
After serving a standard galactic year at a tiny naval base, Doctor Xander Vargas looked forward to his new assignment aboard the HMS Jemison. Fuck, every day of that sentence had been hell, each day confined to a small military clinic where he’d been lucky to receive a cybernetics patient once a week to occupy his time.
Then again, for what he’d done, maybe the punishment hadn’t been severe enough. If not for a couple close friends, he’d still be there pushing a digital pencil through medical records.
Or in prison.
Before passing through decontamination, Xander double-checked the shine on his dress shoes and smoothed the front of his uniform. A combination of sterilizing lights and germicidal gases cleared him to board the space vessel. Like all other models developed by the Lexar—humankind’s new alien overlords—it beat the technology developed by the scientists of Old Earth. But he also suspected a gerbil in a hamster ball could have improved the ships developed by their Terran ancestors.
This ship, though? It was a work of art, a real beauty, and his mounting excitement grew in leaping increments, since he’d never served on a Lexar ship. They’d only started rolling out the new ones to the human military branch within the last five years.
After a moment of waiting inside the airlock, the chamber opened to reveal his new commanding officer, Ethan Bishop’s stocky frame lit by the blue overhead lights of the quarterdeck. “Welcome to the Jemison, Xander.”
Xander saluted. “Commodore.”
Chuckling, Ethan stepped forward and embraced him in a bear hug. “Forget the formality. It isn’t every day that a man’s closest friend comes to serve aboard his ship.”
The uneasiness faded and tension drained from Xander’s body. Home. He was finally home again, and with that in mind, he embraced Ethan in return. “Thank you. Words can’t describe how much I appreciate this opportunity. You saved my ass by pulling me off desk duty.”
As Ethan guided him inside, the airlock sealed behind them. “Once you see your new caseload, you won’t be thanking anyone.” The whirrs and noises of the ship’s electronic interface were joined by a low hum, reminding Xander of how simultaneously noisy and quiet military ships could be.
“Trust me, you could work me through thirty-six-hour shifts and I’d still be thankful.”
Ethan laughed. “Come on, I’ll show you to Medical. But first, let me introduce you to Jem.”
“Greetings, Doctor Vargas. I am Jem, the artificial intelligence personality of the HMS Jemison,” a sensual female voice announced from the nearest audio aperture.
“Hello, Jem.” Xander glanced at Ethan. “A custom voice instead of the default synthesized robot personality?”
“The Lexar weren’t too amused by the change, but it’s my ship now and I couldn’t stand listening to it.”
“I’m shocked. The Bishop I remember was a notorious cheapskate. So what’s the cybernetics budget like here?”
Ethan chuckled and took the good-natured ribbing. “You’ll be pleased with it, trust me. I’ve got more personnel coming over in the next couple of days, several with implants of some kind. It should keep you busy.”
They passed through a maze of winding corridors, twists and turns down polished steel paths, taking a stairwell down to another passage instead of the lift. Xander tried unsuccessfully to memorize the way. “Each ship is so different. Space vessel architects are masochists in disguise.”
“Well, you can rest assured that all these new Lexar cruisers will be the same. They’re built to stay out longer and travel farther before refueling is required. We’ll be hitting up all the border colonies and new terraform projects to check in on their progress. Make sure they’re safe.”
Concerned, Xander glanced at Ethan. “Is this because of those abandoned settlements they found?”
“Good, you’re keeping up with the news. I have a feeling your medical experience will be needed on the ground assault team. The queen wants to know why her people are vanishing.”
Xander had been a combat medic before he became a doctor, one of the corpsmen sent down on ground missions to keep their marines alive. He nodded, eager for any action that didn’t involve a desk. “What about the Lexar? Are they helping?”
“They’re allowing us to make the investigations, since only human colonies have been affected.”
“In other words, it’s our problem.”
“Yep.”
Fifty years had passed since the human race came into conflict with the sovereign alien presence in the Nova galaxy. The war between humanity and the Lexar had been brief, a crushing and humiliating defeat in which almost all United Nations of Earth had surrendered. There’d been no winning against the technologically advanced race of giants.
They’d had little choice but to fall under Lexar rule if they wanted to keep the new planets they’d colonized since leaving Earth. Once the peace treaty had been ratified, not much had changed, except their military had been absorbed into the Nova Force.
Ethan and Xander approached a group of medical personnel collected near the hydraulic doors to the infirmary. Three of the five automatically stood at attention. The other two drank Xander in like thirsty women crawling through a vast desert until their associates nudged them.
“Some things never change,” Ethan muttered under his breath.
They moved into the medical wing’s lobby, an open space painted canary yellow and lit by artificial solar panes spanning the walls. Those were designed to resemble windows, replicating sunlit scenes like serene forests or a lake bordering a flowering meadow.
“Smells a bit like a garden, but—”
“Oh, don’t listen to him, sir. The Commodore didn’t complain much when he was down here with the twilight flu two months back.” A redheaded woman in a white lab coat joined them. She offered her hand. “Kathleen Hart. You must be the new cyberneticist Oshiro is so excited about.”
“That’s me. Pleasure to meet you, Doctor Hart.” Xander glanced toward Ethan, grinning broadly from ear to ear. “He won’t admit it, but he likes the downtime away from command.
”
Ethan muttered beneath his breath, then cleared his throat. “Hart is our genetic technician and responsible for the care of our splicers. According to the bunk assignments, which I had no part in creating, you’re also sharing a bathroom with her. So good luck with that.”
Experience with his fellow officers of the female persuasion had taught Xander to never look forward to sharing bathroom assignments with them. They were brutal when it came to using the last of the hot water and showed no mercy to men who forgot to put the seat down.
“Ah, so he has finally arrived,” the friendly voice of Xander’s greatest mentor spoke from behind them, the man who was the father he’d never had.
The trio turned to face the chief medical officer. Little about the small man had changed since their last reunion a year ago, Oshiro standing a few inches shy of reaching Xander’s chest—though considering his great height, the same could be said of most humans. Ethan was one of the few exceptions.
Oshiro smiled up at him. “Always a pleasure to see you, Xander.” He glanced at Ethan and allowed a broader grin to surface. “I will take things from here, Commodore. You are relieved from our effeminate infirmary.”
“Fine, but I get his company for breakfast.”
Xander laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll be there.”
Breakfast was the least Xander owed him. God, had it really been twenty years since Ethan recommended him to United Command as a prospect for medical school? Time had flown.
“Coming off shore duty, Xander? Ready for ship life or wishing you were boots to ground again?” Hart asked after Ethan left.
“I like ship duty. Glad to be with the crew.”
“Well, you can relax. The Jemison’s crew is bloody brilliant, so you have nothing to be anxious about.”
“I think I’ll take Xander around now, Kathleen.” Oshiro touched Xander’s arm.
Disappointment flitted briefly over the woman’s features, but she nodded and stepped away. “It’s almost end of shift, so I’ll lead him to his quarters once you’re done, if you’d like.”
Oshiro nodded. “That will be fine.” He gestured for Xander to follow and then led him down the wide corridor.
A uniformed young man strode toward them, the kind of guy who looked like he spent too long in front of a mirror styling his hair into a perfect pompadour before reporting to shift. He offered Oshiro a thin tablet.
“Doctor, I have the inventory review you requested. I just need your signature.”
“Thank you, Jean-Claude. Please welcome Doctor Vargas. Corporal O’Reilly will be one of your technicians, Xander.”
“Excellent. It’s a pleasure to meet you, O’Reilly. I look forward to working together.” Xander shook the corporal’s hand firmly.
“An honor, Doctor Vargas. Your work in cybernetics has been inspiring. I heard you pioneered the recent advancements in synthetic veins and live nerve connections in artificial limbs.”
“Jean-Claude has an interest in your field, as you can see.” Oshiro passed the tablet back and smiled.
“I even read your article in the Galactic Cyberneticists Journal about neurocybernetic modification. Do you think they’ll ever repeal the laws prohibiting cybernetic brain enhancement?”
As far as the UNE was concerned, brain modification was a strict no-no. It was one of the few medical morals the Lexar agreed with—to them, the brain was the sacred home of the soul. They didn’t approve of humans using splicing to enhance themselves, but any alteration of the mind was blasphemy in their eyes.
“We made small steps in completely curing Alzheimer’s Disease and epilepsy using cybernetics long ago, and I think, given some time, we can convince them to allow supervised research into other studies.”
The kid brightened, hero worship in his eyes, words bubbling from him like a font of enthusiasm. “Amazing. I hope to be there when it happens. We have lots of cyborgs coming onboard, so I’m really looking forward to working with you, sir.”
Oshiro cleared his throat. “Thank you, Jean-Claude. Please make sure everything is secured for our departure then report to Doctor Matthews before you check out. That will be all.”
“Of course, Doctor.”
When Jean-Claude ducked away to return to his duties, Xander glanced down to Oshiro and grinned. “That was a nice change from the ordinary.”
“If it relates to the synthesis of man and machine, you won’t find anyone more passionate.” Oshiro brought him to a wide door which opened smoothly at their approach. Lights brightened inside.
“Welcome, Doctor Vargas, to your new laboratory,” Jem announced.
One glimpse of the spacious cybernetics lab assuaged the remainder of Xander’s worries. An array of lights hung suspended from the ceiling, connected to a retractable beam that repositioned on voice command, fully-automated by the ship’s intelligence program.
It was physician’s porn, the stuff of dreams that doctors like Xander wasted hours ogling on social media and hoped to work with at some point in their careers.
He stared, mouth slack.
“I suppose it’s safe to assume you did not see anything of this sort on base,” Oshiro commented.
Xander slowly turned his head to regard the older doctor, his eyes large. “No. I expected the usual from Ethan. Back where they stationed me in Valencia, the lead medical officer decided voice-assisted surgery was an unnecessary expense.”
Though that had been a lie, hadn’t it? He suspected the truth of the matter was that they hadn’t wanted any Lexar tech on their base, shunning the alien race’s advancements as much as they loathed the people.
“He’s truly happy to have you aboard and so am I.” Oshiro placed his hand on Xander’s shoulder. “You have been missed.”
Xander released the breath held in his chest and, for the first time in almost a year, felt the stirrings of hope. Of acceptance.
Hart attached to him the moment he appeared in the hall following Oshiro’s tour of the medical wing. “You don’t know how much of a relief it is to have another adult among us, Xander. So, what are you like?”
“Excuse me?” he asked her in confusion.
“Tell me something about yourself. Doc’s kept his mouth shut tight and wouldn’t utter a single word about you for good or ill.”
“Well, that’s a relief. What do you mean about having another adult in medical, though? Aren’t we all adults?”
“I suppose so. Lilibeth arrived about two months ago from Sargossa. She’s some sort of bloody prodigy, I guess you’d call her. Only twenty.”
“That’s young,” he commented, maintaining his careful neutrality.
“Aye, it is. We’ll soon have a full complement of Royal Marines onboard. Plenty of splicers for me and cyborgs for you. All right, the Wardroom is that way and staterooms form a horseshoe around it. The food’s not bad and fried chicken night is always the busiest. Starboard side is where you’ll find the CO, XO, and distinguished visitor suites. Port side is the rest of us. We’re about halfway down.”
“Thanks for the walk up, Doc—”
“Kathleen’s fine, or Hart. We’re all going to be good chums, so I’m all for canning rank and title formality if you’re that sort. You seem that sort, at least.” Something about her friendly smile encouraged him to do the same.
Xander grinned. “Astute observation.”
“Anyway, I s’pose we’ll all talk in the morning. Enjoy your new digs.” And without so much as a flirtatious glance, Kathleen Hart turned and jogged away.
He liked her. No bullshit, and she hadn’t flirted once.
Inside his assigned bunk, a blank canvas with sterile walls greeted him, waiting to be personalized. Crisp white sheets wrapped a double-sized mattress tucked into a headboard with a shelf. An oval viewport overlooked the upper reaches of the ship’s bio-farm, displaying leafy treetops that swayed in the park’s generated breeze. Compared to the enlisted berths, it was practically a mansion.
Xander found h
is belongings lined up neatly beside the small desk. With minimal possessions to unload from his luggage, he powered on the computer rig and flopped down on the bed. It finally set in. He had a new home and new patients.
Before he could unpack any further, Ethan rang him on the comm system and ordered him to mingle with the crew. Resigned to his fate, Xander ventured reluctantly from his room. It didn’t take long to reach the Wardroom. The distance was conveniently close without being so near that the smell of cooking food would flood his room. He’d already had a bunk like that before on his old ship, and he’d quickly tired of smelling boiled vegetables and overcooked meats during all hours of the day.
All eyes turned in Xander’s direction when he stepped through the door and he progressed to a lone table, where he observed the crowd until a blinking holographic menu urged him to make a choice. He blindly pressed one of the entree options without reading the choices. It promptly vanished.
A dark-skinned officer with gorilla arms, a barrel chest, and closely trimmed black hair crossed over. Too deep of a breath would burst his uniform at the seams, turning buttons into lethal projectiles. “Commander, welcome. You the new Operations officer?”
Xander’s gaze fell on the man’s rank insignia, also a commander. “Actually, no. I’m Doctor Vargas. I’m the new cyberneticist in Medical.”
“Ohhhh, right. I saw the CO giving you the tour earlier. Didn’t get a good look at you then. Good. When old Doctor Price retired, I wondered how long it would take to get a replacement.”
“Your CO stole me from the Valencia base on Paradiso. I’m as glad to be here as you are to receive me,” Xander joked.
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