“I’m sorry to keep correcting you, but I don’t have—”
“You have a disease called—” she stopped as she took care to utter the unfamiliar words in English “—multiple sclerosis. Our term for it translates roughly as ‘coated neurons.’”
Murphy’s body felt like it was being dipped in ice water. He discovered that he was staring at her. “How did you learn that term? How did you learn about the disease at all? I thought it was unknown among—”
“It is unknown amongst both Dogs and Hounds. But on the planet, its precursors occasionally manifest in the young, aged between eight and twelve of your years.”
“What precursors? The…the unsteadiness?”
“No, that is a symptom of the active form of the disease. Here, the most common precursor reaction appears years before. Specifically, on R’Bak, there is a food that some children cannot stomach. All those who will one day have this…this ‘multiple sclerosis’ will find that food not merely unpalatable, but unbearable. It is similar to what you call anaphylactic shock. They are given oral infusions of a root extract, and the disease you call ‘multiple sclerosis’ never occurs.”
“But in an older person like me—”
Naliryiz shook her head. “It is unknown. There are old tales that indicate it might have been an affliction of adults, many centuries past. Mentions of a cure are more the stuff of legend and myth than proven knowledge. But R’Baku alchemists still have records of it.”
“And how was it that Matriarch Kelrevis had knowledge of such obscure information?”
Naliryiz smiled slowly. “You have not guessed, yet? In her youth, she too was a liaison. She knew the ways of the communities of the poles. As a healer, she exchanged knowledge with the alchemists. That is why she had to travel to the planet personally. To speak to them and to ensure…”
“…to ensure that her questions could not be intercepted or reported by anyone else. Because the disease is so unknown among your kind that the Hardliners would have deduced that it must have been seen among us. And if the inquiry came from your Family’s Matriarch, that implied it had been detected in a person you and the Expansionists deemed essential to the success of our joint plans.”
Naliryiz nodded. “There were other considerations. It had been two decades since Kelrevis had been in communication with the villages among which she had traveled as a liaison. She first had to ascertain who among her useful contacts was left alive and remained mentally competent.
“Unfortunately, fate prevented her from making any significant inquiries. Consequently, we remain almost wholly ignorant. We have only what she committed to notes that were shared with me after her death. Those records seem to indicate that for the root extract to be beneficial for adults, it must be exposed to the rays of the true Searing. If harvested earlier, it is too weak to reverse the disease process that has already spent years building in an adult body.”
Murphy frowned, refused to allow his hopes to rise and then be dashed by giving any credence to information that owed more to folktales than fact. “Exposed to the rays of the Searing? What does that mean?”
She sighed. “It means that the root is only found reliably in the desert beyond the Ashbands and must be harvested soon after the Searing has begun.”
He shrugged. “Well, even if there’s some truth behind these legends, it sounds pretty moot. We’ll almost certainly have visitors from Kulsis before then.”
“Yes, but you say you will have the means of preventing their return.”
It was Murphy’s turn to sigh. “Military campaigns and courses of disease treatment have at least one thing in common: uncertainty of outcome. In the case of the Harvesters, we have plans, we have growing resources, and we’ve preserved the advantage of surprise. But from what little we’ve been able to learn about Kulsis, they have all the other advantages and powerful motivations to keep coming here and getting the exoflora that they seem to value more than gold.”
“That is not an exaggeration: they do value it more than gold. Perhaps more than anything.”
Murphy raised an eyebrow but kept on the topic. “Which means that Kormak was right when he warned us that we are embarked upon a journey that essentially means jumping from the fire, into the frying pan, and then straight down the nozzle of a blowtorch. Yes, I’ve got a plan, but I don’t know if all the pieces will fall into place, or how well it will work. Hell, we have almost no intelligence on the Overlords of Kulsis and no way to impact their ability to project force into this system.”
“Then perhaps you should acquire those capabilities.”
Murphy was ready to dismiss her reply as hopelessly ingenuous until he noticed the measured, serious look in her eyes. He nodded. “That is part of the plan, but it depends upon me convincing enough of you SpinDogs to work together. And not just with us, but each other. Really work together.” He smiled. “Perhaps you could be a good-will ambassador to the Families, encourage that spirit of cooperation?”
She smiled back. “Perhaps I could. However, I cannot hope to convince anyone with mere assurances. I would need to know some specifics of your plan.”
“I figured as much. I’ll share what I can as soon as I’ve worked out more of the details.”
“And I shall keep you apprised of anything more we might learn about finding a treatment for your multiple sclerosis.”
He shrugged. “I wouldn’t want anyone taking those kinds of risks on the basis of a half-forgotten myth.”
“I understand.” She rose. “But you will understand that you have no say in what risks I—we—are willing to take to ensure your survival.” She nodded. “I suspect we shall talk again soon, Major Murphy.”
A moment after she exited, he experienced a sudden regret that he hadn’t stolen a few moments to dance with her at the Acclamation…
That thought seemed to set his left hand tremoring. Violently. He closed his eyes, tried willing it to stop, to put it out of his mind.
But the moment he controlled that part of his mind, another part reiterated what he had been feeling for weeks now: There are too many clocks ticking down.
And one of them is inside me.
# # # # #
About Charles E. Gannon
Dr. Charles E. Gannon‘s Caine Riordan hard sf novels (Baen Books) have all been national best-sellers and include four finalists for the Nebula, two for the Dragon Award, and a Compton Crook winner. In 2020, the “Caineverse” expanded into an exclusive imprint, Beyond Terra Press, under the aegis of Chris Kennedy Publishing. It has already brought the essential side series Murphy's Lawless to readers, has a second “season” in process, and is also reissuing the anthology Lost Signals of the Terran Republic.
Gannon’s epic fantasy series, The Vortex of Worlds, debuts in 2021. He collaborates w/Eric Flint in the NYT/WSJ bestselling Ring of Fire series, has written two solo novels in John Ringo's Black Tide Rising world, and co-authored three volumes in the Starfire series. He’s also worked in the Honorverse, Man-Kzin, and War World universes. His other writing credits include lots of short fiction, table-top roleplaying games (Traveller, 2300 AD, Twilight: 2000, Dark Conspiracy) and years of work as a scriptwriter/producer in NYC.
As a Distinguished Professor of English, Gannon received five Fulbrights. His book Rumors of War & Infernal Machines won the 2006 ALA Choice Award for Outstanding Book. He is a frequent subject matter expert for national media venues (NPR, Discovery, etc.) and for various intelligence and defense agencies. He resides in Annapolis, Maryland, with his wife and four living children.
* * * * *
The Caine Riordan Universe
The Caine Riordan series and Terran Republic universe deliver gritty yet doggedly optimistic hard scifi in a world that is a believable and embattled successor to our own. For those who are not familiar with the series’ hallmark blend of exploration, alien encounters, intrigue, and action, you can find them all right here:
The Caine Riordan series
(Baen Books)
/>
Fire with Fire
Trial by Fire
Raising Caine
Caine’s Mutiny
Marque of Caine
Endangered Species (forthcoming)
Protected Species (forthcoming)
Triage (forthcoming, with Eric Flint)
The Murphy’s Lawless series
Shakes
Obligations
Man-Eater
Promises
Pearl
Waveoff
Other works in the Terran Republic universe
Lost Signals (Re-release January 29, 2021)
Since that list includes a winner of the Compton Crook Award, four Nebula finalists, and two Dragon finalists, they’re not hard to find. Just go wherever books are sold. Want to learn more about the Caine Riordan series? Easy. Contact any of the publishers, or you can reach out to me at [email protected].
Want to see more of what’s going on in the Terran Republic universe? Check out http://www.charlesegannon.com for exclusive written and visual content.
And if you decide you don’t want to miss a single new release or announcement, then go to http://charlesegannon.com/wp/sign-up/ to join the all-inclusive mailing list for sneak peeks, special offers, and features you won’t see anywhere else.
And most important of all…welcome aboard; we’re glad you’re here!
The following is an
Excerpt from Book One of the Revelations Cycle:
Cartwright’s Cavaliers
___________________
Mark Wandrey
Available Now from Seventh Seal Press
eBook, Paperback, and Audio
Excerpt from “Cartwright’s Cavaliers:”
The last two operational tanks were trapped on their chosen path. Faced with destroyed vehicles front and back, they cut sideways to the edge of the dry river bed they’d been moving along and found several large boulders to maneuver around that allowed them to present a hull-down defensive position. Their troopers rallied on that position. It was starting to look like they’d dig in when Phoenix 1 screamed over and strafed them with dual streams of railgun rounds. A split second later, Phoenix 2 followed on a parallel path. Jim was just cheering the air attack when he saw it. The sixth damned tank, and it was a heavy.
“I got that last tank,” Jim said over the command net.
“Observe and stand by,” Murdock said.
“We’ll have these in hand shortly,” Buddha agreed, his transmission interspersed with the thudding of his CASPer firing its magnet accelerator. “We can be there in a few minutes.”
Jim examined his battlespace. The tank was massive. It had to be one of the fusion-powered beasts he’d read about. Which meant shields and energy weapons. It was heading down the same gap the APC had taken, so it was heading toward Second Squad, and fast.
“Shit,” he said.
“Jim,” Hargrave said, “we’re in position. What are you doing?”
“Leading,” Jim said as he jumped out from the rock wall.
* * * * *
Get “Cartwright’s Cavaliers” now at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MRZKM95/.
Find out more about Mark Wandrey and “Cartwright’s Cavaliers” at: https://chriskennedypublishing.com/the-four-horsemen-books.
# # # # #
The following is an
Excerpt from Book One of the Salvage Title Trilogy:
Salvage Title
___________________
Kevin Steverson
Now Available from Theogony Books
eBook, Paperback, and Audio
Excerpt from “Salvage Title:”
A steady beeping brought Harmon back to the present. Clip’s program had succeeded in unlocking the container. “Right on!” Clip exclaimed. He was always using expressions hundreds or more years out of style. “Let’s see what we have; I hope this one isn’t empty, too.” Last month they’d come across a smaller vault, but it had been empty.
Harmon stepped up and wedged his hands into the small opening the door had made when it disengaged the locks. There wasn’t enough power in the small cells Clip used to open it any further. He put his weight into it, and the door opened enough for them to get inside. Before they went in, Harmon placed a piece of pipe in the doorway so it couldn’t close and lock on them, baking them alive before anyone realized they were missing.
Daylight shone in through the doorway, and they both froze in place; the weapons vault was full. In it were two racks of rifles, stacked on top of each other. One held twenty magnetic kinetic rifles, and the other held some type of laser rifle. There was a rack of pistols of various types. There were three cases of flechette grenades and one of thermite. There were cases of ammunition and power clips for the rifles and pistols, and all the weapons looked to be in good shape, even if they were of a strange design and clearly not made in this system. Harmon couldn’t tell what system they had been made in, but he could tell what they were.
There were three upright containers on one side and three more against the back wall that looked like lockers. Five of the containers were not locked, so Clip opened them. The first three each held two sets of light battle armor that looked like it was designed for a humanoid race with four arms. The helmets looked like the ones Harmon had worn at the academy, but they were a little long in the face. The next container held a heavy battle suit—one that could be sealed against vacuum. It was also designed for a being with four arms. All the armor showed signs of wear, with scuffed helmets. The fifth container held shelves with three sizes of power cells on them. The largest power cells—four of them—were big enough to run a mech.
Harmon tried to force the handle open on the last container, thinking it may have gotten stuck over time, but it was locked and all he did was hurt his hand. The vault seemed like it had been closed for years.
Clip laughed and said, “That won’t work. It’s not age or metal fatigue keeping the door closed. Look at this stuff. It may be old, but it has been sealed in for years. It’s all in great shape.”
“Well, work some of your tech magic then, ‘Puter Boy,” Harmon said, shaking out his hand.
Clip pulled out a small laser pen and went to work on the container. It took another ten minutes, but finally he was through to the locking mechanism. It didn’t take long after that to get it open.
Inside, there were two items—an eight-inch cube on a shelf that looked like a hard drive or a computer and the large power cell it was connected to. Harmon reached for it, but Clip grabbed his arm.
“Don’t! Let me check it before you move it. It’s hooked up to that power cell for a reason. I want to know why.”
Harmon shrugged. “Okay, but I don’t see any lights; it has probably been dead for years.”
Clip took a sensor reader out of his kit, one of the many tools he had improved. He checked the cell and the device. There was a faint amount of power running to it that barely registered on his screen. There were several ports on the back along with the slot where the power cell was hooked in. He checked to make sure the connections were tight, he then carried the two devices to the hovercraft.
Clip then called Rinto’s personal comm from the communicator in the hovercraft. When Rinto answered, Clip looked at Harmon and winked. “Hey boss, we found some stuff worth a hovercraft full of credit…probably two. Can we have it?” he asked.
* * * * *
Get “Salvage Title” now at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H8Q3HBV.
Find out more about Kevin Steverson and “Salvage Title” at: https://chriskennedypublishing.com/imprints-authors/kevin-steverson/.
* * * * *
The following is an
Excerpt from Book One of the Singularity War:
Warrior: Integration
___________________
David Hallquist
Now Available from Theogony Books
eBook and Paperback
Excerpt from “Warrior: Integration:”
I leap into the pit. A
s I fall in the low gravity, I run my hands and feet along the rock walls, pushing from one side to another, slowing my descent. I hit the pool below and go under.
I swim up through the greenish chemicals and breach the surface. I can see a human head silhouetted against the circle of light above. Time to go. I slide out of the pool quickly. The pool explodes behind me. Grenade, most likely. The tall geyser of steam and spray collapses as I glide into the darkness of the caves ahead.
They are shooting to kill now.
I glide deeper into the rough tunnels. Light grows dimmer. Soon, I can barely see the rock walls around me. I look back. I can see the light from the tunnel reflected upon the pool. They have not come down yet. They’re cautious; they won’t just rush in. I turn around a bend in the tunnel, and light is lost to absolute darkness.
The darkness means little to me anymore. I can hear them talking as their voices echo off the rock. They are going to send remotes down first. They have also decided to kill me rather than capture me. They figure the docs can study whatever they scrape off the rock walls. That makes my choices simple. I figured I’d have to take out this team anyway.
The remotes are on the way. I can hear the faint whine of micro-turbines. They will be using the sensors on the remotes and their armor, counting on the darkness blinding me. Their sensors against my monster. I wonder which will win.
Murphy's Lawless: A Terran Republic Novel Page 73
