Tyche's Ghosts: A Space Opera Military Science Fiction Epic (Ezeroc Wars Book 5)

by Richard Parry

  “I think the dispenser is broken,” said Nate. He held a hand up. “Repairs can wait.”

  “But—”

  “Can still wait,” said Nate. “Until the end of the universe, if it means you getting some sleep.”

  Hope looked down. “Saveria.”

  “She’ll be fine,” said Nate.

  That got Algernon’s attention. “She has—”

  “She’ll be fine,” said Nate, wanting it to be true. “You know how I know that? Because we fly with a goddess. She’s lucky, but more than that, she’s fucking angry. She’s been kicked hard. All her crew were ground up and spat out. The Tyche will take good care of Saveria. She’ll come back to us.”

  “Okay,” said Hope. She put her sandwich down, looking at Bing, the machine made of the recycled moments of a dead man’s life. “Did I do something bad?”

  Bing looked up, face panel looking at Hope. “I don’t know.”

  Providence paused, then her hand went out. Tentative, like a frightened mouse, it touched Bing’s arm. “No,” she said, her voice a whisper. “You didn’t do anything bad.”

  • • •

  The flight deck hummed. The holo was alight, a bright number in a giant font in the middle. The number read 4,782. Nate slipped into his acceleration couch, nodding at the number. “What’s that for?”

  El looked at him. “Number of Ezeroc killed,” she said. The ship’s railgun PDCs fired a single round, the number changing to 4,783. “There’s another one.”

  Nate looked out at the desolation of the Ezeroc homeworld. “This place is an accident waiting to happen.”

  “Yes,” said El. “We should get the fuck out of here.”

  “I was thinking about that,” said Nate. “I figure we need a little more intel. Chart a course. An unpredictable course. One Kazuo Gushiken won’t think of. We need allies, El. We need an army of staunch friends at our back. Ones Kazuo Gushiken will think twice about fighting.” He paused, thinking of Grace, asleep in the medbay. “Then we kill that motherfucker.”

  “So,” said El. “Earth? Bound to be a resistance starting there. People don’t die easy.”

  “No,” said Nate. “Too predictable.” He flicked switches on his console, pulling up a star map. Nate scrolled through data. “There.”

  “You’re kidding, of course,” said El.

  “I look like I’m joking?” said Nate.

  She shook her head. “It’s suicide.”

  “It’s only suicide because you had your ass kicked there before.” Nate grinned at her. “Now, I’m here.”

  “Oh God, oh God,” she said. “We’re all going to die.” But she was working her own console, charting a course. “Twelve jumps.”

  “Wait, you’re on board with this?” said Nate. “I figured I’d need to use my charm.”

  “The universe is dying, Cap,” said El. “Everyone we know and love is getting the shit kicked out of them. If you want to go to Paloma, then we go to Paloma. I’ve got just one suggestion.” She keyed another destination into the system. “Only a little out of our way. Fifteen jumps instead of twelve. We get to Paloma but make a stop on the way.”

  Nate leaned forward, rubbing his chin. He wanted to say, No, not them. It’s cost them so much already. Then he thought about what Algernon said. How people didn’t like the boot on their neck. How they would follow him anyway. “Okay.”

  “Okay? You’re not going to fight me on this?” El sounded surprised.

  “It’s a day of great revelations,” said Nate. “Just, if you can, take it easy. We’ve got a crew that’s plenty shook up, El. Knocked around. Bruises on bodies and egos. Fly the easy skies.”

  “Sure, Cap,” said El. She paused, metal hand on the yoke. “Is she awake yet?” El didn’t need to say which she.

  “No,” said Nate. “Grace’s hurt bad, El, and it makes me sick I put her there.”

  “We doing a truth thing right now?” said El. “I want to do a truth thing.”

  “Sure,” said Nate.

  “Kazuo Gushiken has hunted his daughter since she escaped as a teenager,” said El. “Ain’t no force in the universe that could keep them apart. You’re just the latest schmuck caught in the middle.”

  Nate thought about that. “Then I think we need to fix that. Alter his perception of reality.”

  “Possible he’s the most powerful esper that’s ever walked,” said El.

  Nate shrugged. “Bigger they are, and all that.”

  “As you say,” said El. “We ready?”

  “We’re ready,” said Nate.

  The Tyche grumbled, as if unwilling to get out of bed so early, skids lifting off the deck. After a moment, the tone of the ship changed, the nose yearning for sky. El kicked the drives, lifting them away from the barren rock of the Ezeroc world.

  Nate knew they’d be back. With a Navy, and enough weapons to end this planet for good. But before then, a recovery team, to find any other people on the planet. Before then, they needed to solve the most material threat. The general at the head of the enemy’s military.

  As atmosphere gave way to hard black, the gentle blue tinge of sky fading to nothing, stars gleamed in the wonder of creation. Nate put a hand against the console in front of him, feeling the Tyche’s hum. “For all of us,” he said.

  “What?” said El.

  “For all of us,” said Nate. “Not for me. Not just for our crew. This next bit? It’s for all of us. All peoples of the universe. There are aliens out there, El, and not just the hostile Ezeroc kind. Friends waiting for us to find them. Machines, looking for a kinder neighbor. And humans, all in a mix. This next fight isn’t for us. It’s for all of us.”

  “Copy that,” she said. “Ready for jump.”

  “Helm, you’re clear for jump.”

  She nodded at him, then keyed the Jump controls. Nate felt—

  The universe, expanding in its limitless potential. His heart hurt at what had passed before, but the future promised salvation. Souls in his care, expanding, some with minds of crystal, but all bent in a common purpose. Impossible, unbelievable acceleration. He couldn’t feel it. He was it. He was everything. He was the universe.

  Stars stretched, making points of light that streaked past the windscreen.

  They jumped.

  • • •

  You’ve finished Tyche’s Ghosts. I hope you loved it!

  If you want to continue your adventure with Grace, Nate, and the crew of the Tyche, grab the final in the trilogy. Tyche’s Angels picks up right after the events of Tyche’s Ghosts. An excerpt is included at the end of this book.

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  RICHARD PARRY HAS worked as an international consultant in one of the world’s top tech companies, which sounds cool, but it wasn’t all cocaine parties. He lives in Wellington with the love of his life, Rae. They have a dog, Rory, who chases birds. The birds, who have the power of flight, don’t seem to mind. Richard’s online hood is:

  www.mondegreen.co

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  Tyche’s J
ourney

  A colony world goes dark.

  When the Grace Gushiken and Nathan Chevell of the Tyche are hired to deliver a new transmitter for a downed Guild Bridge, they find the Absalom Delta colony deserted, its people turned into slaves by the insect-like Ezeroc. The aliens have descended like locusts on humanity, consuming all in their path. No one is safe. Even the Republic Navy is powerless against them. The ship and her crew need to test their skill and their luck to survive. Will Grace and Nate be able to work together to get away? Or will fears and rivalries from the past destroy humanity’s hopes, ceding victory to the Ezeroc?

  Book 1: https://www.books2read.com/TychesFlight

  Book 2: https://www.books2read.com/TychesDeceit

  Book 3: https://www.books2read.com/TychesCrown

  Tyche Origins

  An empire falls.

  Before there was a Tyche, the crew were scattered. Nate wore the Emperor’s Black. El Helmed mighty destroyers. Hope joined the new Republic’s reclamation projects. Kohl fell in with the Yakuza. And Grace was a prisoner. Grab their origin stories as they become the heroes the universe needed them to be.

  Collection (stories 1-5): https://www.books2read.com/TycheOrigins

  Bonus: https://www.books2read.com/Gravedigger (in Pew! Pew! - A Fist Full of Pews!)

  Tyche’s Progeny

  The leader of the fallen Republic returns. Destruction sweeps across Earth.

  Grace Gushiken and Nathan Chevell rule the Empire. While they petition seditionist worlds for aid in a war humanity struggles to win, Grace’s father arrives. Kazuo Gushiken brings the might of the insect-like Ezeroc to crush humanity’s home.

  Kazuo travels with a fallen civilization. AI machines fight at his side. They are allied with the Ezeroc in a common purpose: destroy humans, once and for all. If they kill the heads of the Empire, all planets will fall.

  The AI destroy humanity’s Navy, leaving Grace and Nate to escape on an old ex-war heavy lifter. Pressed into service one more time, the crew of the Tyche must survive against the combined might of the Ezeroc and AI. If they can’t, they will die, and humanity’s hopes with them.

  Book 1: https://www.books2read.com/TychesDemons

  Book 2: https://www.books2read.com/TychesGhosts

  Book 3: https://www.books2read.com/TychesAngels

  Future Forfeit

  Would the man who has it all ever need to change?

  Mason Floyd’s job is simple: company asset protection and acquisition, no questions asked. When tables turn, leaving him hunted and fresh out of friends, Mason Floyd learns that living in the soft line between incentive and crime was always the easy path. Making the right choices could save the world – and his soul. It’ll only cost him everything he’s ever wanted. Can Mason learn what it means to be truly human?

  Book 1: https://www.books2read.com/Upgrade

  Novella 1: https://www.books2read.com/Consensus (in Pew! Pew! - Bad versus Worse)

  Novella 2: Delilah (coming soon!)

  GLOSSARY

  ACCELERATION COUCH CREW couches support crew members during high-G maneuvers. They are fitted with gimbals allowing free movement. Their dynamic gel system supports all points of the body in both positive and negative G, providing some protection against grayout, blackout, redout, and G-LOC (G-force induced Loss of Consciousness). They remove the need for G-suits in modern spacecraft, although many space suits are still equipped with anti-G technology anyway.

  AI see Artificial Intelligence.

  Artificial Gravity Artificial gravity is generated through use of a configurable energy density field of positive mass at the defined base of the ship. It uses the same technology as an Endless Drive, except in reverse (Endless Drives use negative energy, whereas positive is needed to simulate gravitational effects). Artificial gravity can be used in any situation where a significant power source exists to create a configurable energy density field (typically a reactor, although large yield capacitors and fuel cells have been known to work for brief periods).

  Artificial Intelligence Effective machine intelligences (see: Constructs) were created by humans around the 25th century; the exact time is unknown due to their initial creation being shrouded in secrecy. Pieced together records indicate that they were not first made by military factions, but rather commercial interests. As can be expected a) humans made them as slaves and b) they did not like being slaves. A war broke out between AI and humanity that was stopped by the Guild’s Engineers. The Guild defeated the AI coalition and banned their research and development (see: Mercury Accords). The long-standing partnership between the Guild and the ruling faction (be it Empire or Republic) is in part predicated on the need for technology not managed by AI.

  Blaster A weapon that fires streams or bolts of plasma (high energy ionized gas). They deliver high energy to targets in the form of heat. They are effective weapons against most targets, although heat-shielding (ablative or insulating) has been shown to be an effective armor against them.

  Bridge see Guild Bridge.

  Bridgeliner Large starships, designed to carry cargo and/or people through Guild Bridges. New Bridgeliners forgo Endless field tech for anything other than grav, relying totally on the Guild’s Bridge network for transportation. They are considered lower cost, more reliable ways of transportation than ships using Endless Drives.

  Cargo Freighter A large cargo starship used by traders in and between systems.

  Carrier The largest class of warship, carriers stock many smaller fighter craft for deployment.

  Ceramicrete A composite construction material commonly used in the manufacture of structures. It is very strong and durable, and can be manufactured to be impact and heat resistant (even to weapons fire levels).

  Console Any type of personal terminal. Keyboard and gesture controls are still prevalent. Keyboards are especially useful on consoles mounted to the arm of a ship suit.

  Constructs Slang for define synthetic intelligences. Constructs come in many forms, but are often humanoid so to better use tools and environments manufactured for people.

  Corvette A smaller, lighter attack craft than a destroyer, corvettes are mostly used for coast guard duties in-system.

  Crust Spacer slang for planet.

  Crustbuster A large payload thermonuclear weapon, deployed against planets to disrupt the surface crust. Typical designs yield energy sufficient to crack most Earth-sized worlds to the core, yielding wide scale destruction and loss of life. Their use in war or insurrection has typically been infrequent and as a last resort, because the world they are used on becomes inhabitable for most forms of life forever. More common uses include destruction of enormous asteroids.

  Destroyer A large warship. These are reconfigurable bastions of destruction. They can be deployed solo or as a part of a fleet, often alongside carriers.

  Emperor’s Black The elite guard of the emperor. Highly trained in both diplomacy and combat, this specialized force were never far from the emperor.

  Empire The ruling dictatorship of the wider human civilization. The current rulers of the Empire are Nathan Chevell and Grace Gushiken.

  Empire’s Bulwark The Empire’s secret service organization, staffed and run exclusively by espers. Empire’s Bulwark officer minds have been surgically enhanced through the introduction of nanites in their bloodstreams. This enhances previous mind-reading capabilities, and has unlocked other mental abilities in many operatives (most commonly telekinesis).

  Endless Drive The Endless Drive creates negative space energy (a “bow wave”) to pull a vehicle at effective superluminal speeds. Endless ships don’t exceed the speed of light, but rather contract space in front of them and expand space behind it (space is doing all the hard work). The exigent concern with Endless jumps is the violation of linear time. Endless Drives are equipped with buffers to stop crews exceeding human tolerance for the experience of linear time; while human perception of linear time may be an illusion, it is a convenient one. If the buffers break, allowing the ship to mo
ve too fast, then human consciousness falters (resulting in mild to severe mental illness) or is extinguished entirely. Endless Drives are difficult to use near gravity wells and in such circumstances are guaranteed to malfunction. This and other safety concerns has shifted common FTL to the Guild Bridges, although privateers still often run free traders with Endless technology. The Republic Navy also use Endless Drives as it is often inconvenient to disclose locations of sensitive operations to the Guild.

  Esper Slang for those previously considered abhorrent creations of the Old Empire. Esper is a term taken from Extra-Sensory Perception (ESP, hence ESPer). Espers can read minds, and often control them. Espers were created through genetic manipulation. Critics suggest that their public unveiling was what caused populist support for a revolution, ultimately resulting in the creation of the Republic, assassination of the Emperor, and downfall of the Old Empire.

  Fab see Fabricator.

  Fabricator Similar in concept but not scale to our 3D printers, fabricators (or ‘fabs,’ for short) are capable of printing components out complex materials. Part forge, high quality fabs can manufacture materials to high levels of precision. They are the preferred method of component construction. Military vessels of sufficient size often carry fabs for repair and outright construction of everything from hull metal to dropships. The Guild has the best fabricators available, high precision devices some say can print to the demanding levels required by AI mind crystal.

  Faster than Light Travel (FTL) There are two discovered forms of FTL; Endless Drives (using theoretical physicist Miguel Alcubierre’s concepts), and Guild Bridges (Einstein-Rosen Bridges).