Star Trek: Vanguard: Storming Heaven

by David Mack

  “FNS? INN?” When he realized no confirmation or denial was forthcoming, he seemed to grow concerned. “The Orions? . . . The Klingons?”

  Realizing his reticence had unnecessarily alarmed Reyes, Pennington held out a hand to cue him to stop. “No, no, nothing like that, I promise. If you must know, I’m here on a personal contract. I’m acting more as a private investigator than as a journalist, to be honest.”

  Behind Reyes, the mainland dock appeared from the fog—a dim suggestion of a shape at first, then a dark gray outline slowly growing more solid. As Reyes guided the skiff to a halt alongside the mooring posts, a shadowy figure on the dock became half visible through the leaden mist. Reyes stood to secure the skiff for Pennington’s departure with his back toward the unannounced traveler on the dock, and Pennington said nothing as he climbed out of the narrow boat and took a few steps toward the mainland. Then he stopped and looked back.

  Reyes turned and climbed onto the dock—probably to bid Pennington farewell and safe travels, the writer surmised—only to find himself speechless.

  He faced Rana Desai, who stood and gazed back at him, and in their eyes Pennington saw an affection undimmed by their years apart. Neither of the estranged lovers said anything. Ever a willing martyr to romantic illusion, Pennington imagined the two were so attuned to each other’s feelings that they had no need of words.

  Desai graced Reyes with a bittersweet smile. His eyes misted with emotion. He beckoned her with one outstretched hand. She went to him. He lifted her off her feet and swept her into a passionate embrace. As they kissed, Pennington turned and walked away, granting them some well-earned privacy.

  Arriving at dry land, he looked back. Desai was in the skiff with Reyes, who rowed them slowly away toward his island, into the veil of fog. Watching their details fade into the mist, Pennington knew that they, like so many other figures both noble and tragic, despite being deserving of honor and remembrance, would be forgotten by history. Their names and deeds would sink into obscurity, borne away by time’s ceaseless current.

  He reached inside his jacket, took out his wallet, and opened it to admire a single white blossom, a token of love and memory, a memento of life as it once had been.

  Let the world forget, he consoled himself, tucking his wallet back inside his coat and walking back toward town. I’ll remember.

  HERE ENDS THE SAGA OF

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  There’s a lot I want to say in this space, because for me this was a very special undertaking, the culmination of a seven-year literary journey that has meant a great deal to me both personally and professionally. First, I want to thank my wife, Kara, for her support and patience over the past several months. She has been my muse, my cheering section, and my sounding board as I wrote the manuscript for this novel. I would have been lost without her.

  I also am grateful to my friends and creative partners in the Star Trek Vanguard series. Marco Palmieri, with whom I developed the Vanguard concept seven years ago, and who edited the first four volumes of the series, has been a terrific mentor, guide, and collaborator. His creativity and passion inspired me to challenge myself and craft a more thoughtful work than I had ever attempted before. Authorial duo Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore helped make this series the best it could be by infusing it with their vision, talent, and hard work. Our friendly game of one-upmanship, which informed many of the twists and turns of the series’ early installments, made writing each new Vanguard novel a true joy and a labor of love. Thank you, guys, for making this all more fun than I could ever have imagined.

  I’d be remiss if I failed to acknowledge two other remarkable visionaries whose artistic contributions are as integral to the Vanguard series as those of the writers and editors. I speak, of course, of designer Masao Okazaki and digital artist Doug Drexler. Masao designed the exterior and interior of Starbase 47, a.k.a. Vanguard, as well as those of the Archer-class scout ship U.S.S. Sagittarius. It was Masao’s designs that brought both the station and that plucky little ship to life in my imagination; thank you, Masao, for making these places “real” to me. Doug, of course, is the man who transformed Masao’s designs into the series’ striking CGI cover renderings. Each time we saw one of Doug’s covers, Marco, Dayton, Kevin, and I would all be blown away—and then we’d collectively wonder, “How will he ever top this one?” And then, whenever the next book in the series came along, he did. You are a master without equal, Doug. Thank you for making ours some of the finest-looking novels on anyone’s bookshelf.

  Lest I forget, my sincere thanks also go out to all the editors who have worked on the Vanguard series over the past seven years. In addition to Marco, this roster includes Margaret Clark, Jaime Costas, and Ed Schlesinger. Thanks also to one of our most ardent fans, the knowledgeable John Van Citters, our licensing contact at CBS Consumer Products. And, lest I not get my royalty checks on time, I offer my gratitude to my agent, Lucienne Diver, for dotting my I’s, crossing my T’s, and vetting the pesky fine print in my publishing contracts.

  Keeping one’s facts straight is one of the hardest things to do when writing for such a vastly developed shared universe as Star Trek. As such, I am indebted to the many fine sources of information that help me remain in step with both the series’ canon and the vast web of continuity shared by the current line of novels: The Star Trek Encyclopedia and Star Trek Chronology, by Michael Okuda and Denise Okuda; Star Trek Star Charts, by Geoffrey Mandel; and the wiki-based reference websites Memory Alpha and Memory Beta.

  Because music is so integral to my creative process, I wish to thank the composers whose work served as my touchstones on this final literary odyssey in the Vanguard saga: Clint Mansell (The Fountain), Ramin Djawadi (Game of Thrones), Hans Zimmer (Sherlock Holmes), Alan Silvestri (Beowulf), Bear McCreary (Battlestar Galactica), and Cliff Martinez (Solaris).

  Lastly, my thanks belong to you, the readers of the Vanguard series. Your passion for this series not only made it possible to keep it going for eight books to its natural conclusion, it made it worth doing in the first place. So, until next time—live long and prosper.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  David Mack is the national bestselling author of more than twenty novels and novellas, including Wildfire, Harbinger, Reap the Whirlwind, Precipice, Road of Bones, Promises Broken, and the Star Trek Destiny trilogy: Gods of Night, Mere Mortals, and Lost Souls. He developed the Star Trek Vanguard series concept with editor Marco Palmieri. His first work of original fiction is the critically acclaimed supernatural thriller The Calling.

  In addition to novels, Mack’s writing credits span several media, including television (for episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), film, short fiction, magazines, newspapers, comic books, computer games, radio, and the Internet. He also co-authored Bryan Anderson’s nonfiction Iraq War memoir, No Turning Back: One Man’s Inspiring True Story of Courage, Determination, and Hope.

  Mack’s upcoming novels include a Star Trek: The Next Generation trilogy and a new original supernatural thriller. He resides in New York City with his wife, Kara.

  Visit his website, www.davidmack.pro, and follow him on Twitter @DavidAlanMack and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/david.alan.mack.

  We hope you enjoyed reading this Pocket Books eBook.

  Sign up for our newsletter and receive special offers, access to bonus content, and info on the latest new releases and other great Pocket Books from Simon & Schuster.

  or visit us online to sign up at

  eBookNews.SimonandSchuster.com

 

 

 
uttons">share