Magwave (The Rorschach Explorer Missions Book 2)
Page 33
“Um, I dunno.”
“Oh, come on. By all accounts, you were a remarkable astronaut. Resourceful, brave, determined. These are the words your crewmates used to describe you.”
“I wasn’t any more remarkable than anyone else aboard.”
“Yes, but you weren’t the wreck-waiting-to-happen many people said you’d be.”
Kiera shook her head. “That’s not true. I screamed like a frightened child when we were caught up in the battle between the BLUMOs and Zikzaw. I curled up into a fetal position multiple times. And I jumped off a ledge to try and kill myself.”
“But stacked up against all you accomplished, all you endured, those moments of weakness don’t make you a wreck.”
“You’re right, Jenna. They make me human.”
The Rorschach Explorer Missions series continues with a third installment in 2020. To receive updates regarding the new title as they emerge, follow K. Patrick Donoghue on Facebook by clicking here, or join the author’s email subscriber list by clicking here.
Interested in other books by K. Patrick Donoghue, including his archaeology-based mystery thriller series, The Anlon Cully Chronicles? Visit the author’s website at kpatrickdonoghue.com to learn more.
PARASAUR ILLUSTRATION
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
A3rospace Industries — the name of Augustus Amato’s aerospace engineering firm.
A3I — an acronym for A3rospace Industries.
A3I-TDRS — an acronym for A3rospace Industries’ tracking and data relay satellite, the satellite that relays data between the Rorschach Explorer and Mission Control on Mayaguana.
Andromeda — the name of an instrumentation probe carried by Cetus Prime.
BCON — an acronym for a television network. Stands for Be Controversial.
BLUMO — blue-colored UMOs (unidentified magnetic objects, electromagnetic aliens that appear as balls of light). UMOs, in the whole, are also referred to as space bees and Cytons in the story.
Callisto — a moon of Jupiter where Augustus Amato and his team discovered the long-lost spacecraft, Cetus Prime, and an alien structure in a crater named Nuada.
Callistons — lizard-like humanoid aliens, also referred to in the story as the Suhkai, the beekeepers and lizard-men.
Cam-1, et al — the names of various cameras on the Rorschach Explorer and its accompanying fleet of probes.
CAPCOM — an old NASA acronym that stands for capsule communicator, the liaison between the crew aboard a spacecraft and mission control.
Cargo, Cargo-1, et al – A3rospace Industries’ name for delivery-truck sized supply probes traveling along with the Rorschach Explorer. These vessels house provisions, parts and other supplies intended to support Rorschach’s mission.
CCDR — an acronym used to identify co-pilot Major Julia Carillo in communications between the Rorschach Explorer and Mission Control.
CDR — an acronym used to identify the commander of the Rorschach Explorer crew, Colonel Paul Morgan, in communications between the Rorschach Explorer and Mission Control.
CPO — an acronym for Cetus Prime Orbiter, an instrumentation probe carried by Cetus Prime.
CubeSat — a small-sized, unmanned instrumentation probe. In Magwave, there are two types of CubeSats, Recons and Shields (see their separate descriptions below).
Cytons — an alternative name for UMOs and BLUMOs.
Dione — a moon of Saturn.
DSN — an acronym for NASA’s Deep Space Network, a conglomeration of Earth-based satellites that track and communicate with NASA spacecraft in deep space.
Elroy — the nickname for Ajay Joshi and a 1960s-vintage cartoon character.
EMP — an acronym for electromagnetic pulse.
EMU — a NASA acronym for extravehicular mobility unit, otherwise known as a spacesuit.
Ethel — nickname of a Suhkai spaceship.
FE — an acronym identifying flight engineer Dr. Kiera Walsh in communications between the Rorschach Explorer and Mission Control.
Gateway Museum — name of Augustus Amato’s space memorabilia museum located at the Orlando headquarters complex of A3rospace Industries.
GEFF — an acronym for the gravity environment forcefield aboard the Rorschach Explorer.
GRS — an acronym for a gamma ray spectrometer, an instrument that measures gamma radiation.
HEO — an acronym for high Earth orbit.
HF — an acronym for high frequency radio band, also known as shortwave radio.
Iapetus — a moon of Saturn.
INCO — a NASA acronym for the instruments and control officer station in Mission Control.
JPL — an acronym for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
km/h — an acronym for kilometers per hour.
LDV — an acronym for launch delivery vehicle, the name of the spacecraft Augustus Amato uses to carry his CubeSats into Earth’s orbit.
Living Universe garden — a sculptured garden at A3rospace Industries’ Orlando headquarters complex that displays a fanciful depiction of the solar system.
LOS — an acronym meaning loss of signal. It is commonly used by NASA and others to indicate loss of communication with a probe or other type of spacecraft.
LEO — an acronym for low Earth orbit.
Mayaguana, MAYA, Maya — the various names used to describe Augustus Amato’s mission control center and launch facility. It is located on the Bahamian island of Mayaguana on the grounds of a former NASA satellite tracking station.
MAYA-FLIGHT — an acronym used to identify mission director Dr. Dante Fulton in communications between the Rorschach Explorer and Mission Control.
Mission Control — the instrumentation and communications nerve center where the Rorschach Explorer mission is managed.
MSAJ — an acronym used to identify Mission Specialist Ajay Joshi in communications between the Rorschach Explorer and Mission Control.
MSRS — an acronym used to identify Mission Specialist Dr. Richard Shilling in communications between the Rorschach Explorer and Mission Control.
Perseus — the name of a weaponry probe armed with electromagnetic pulse missiles carried by Cetus Prime.
RCS — an acronym for reaction control system, the system that manages the maneuvering thrusters on the Rorschach Explorer and its accompanying probes.
Recon, Recon-1, et al — A3rospace Industries’ name used to identify a specific type of CubeSat probe traveling along with the Rorschach Explorer. Recons are outfitted with instrumentation to scan and monitor for various forms of electromagnetic radiation.
RE2 — an acronym for the second generation Rorschach Explorer.
Rorschach Explorer — the name of Augustus Amato’s spacecraft of the future, designed to carry humans on deep space missions with the support of a fleet of unmanned probes.
SatFleet — a term used to identify the fleet of probes accompanying the Rorschach Explorer.
SHF — an acronym for the super-high-frequency radio waves transmitted over X-band radio equipment.
Shield, Shield-1, et al — A3rospace Industries’ name used to identify a specific type of CubeSat probe traveling along with the Rorschach Explorer. Shields are outfitted with special magnets that provide radiation protection for the Rorschach Explorer and its accompanying fleet of probes.
Skywalker — the nickname for Colonel Paul Morgan.
Sol Seaker — the name of Dr. Anlon Cully’s superyacht.
Suhkai – lizard-like humanoid aliens, also known as Callistons, the beekeepers and the lizard-men.
Titan — a moon of Saturn.
TRE – an acronym used to identify the Rorschach Explorer in communications between the Rorschach Explorer and Mission Control.
Tula — name of planet in a far-away solar system.
UHF — an acronym for the ultra-high-frequency radio band and ultra-high-frequency radio waves.
UMOs — an acronym for unidentified magnetic objects, electromagnetic aliens that appear as small white, blue, orange
or golden balls of lights. They feed on ions in space, the atmosphere of planets, moons and asteroids and ions ejected by the unique VLF engines that power the Rorschach Explorer and its accompanying fleet of unmanned probes. They are also referred to in the story as space bees and Cytons.
VLF — an acronym for the very-low-frequency radio band and very-low-frequency radio waves.
VLF engine — a breakthrough propulsion system designed by Dr. Kiera Walsh that utilizes very-low-frequency radio waves to heat and accelerate electrons and ions inside a plasma chamber, producing a lightning-like output that generates propulsion.
Whave Technologies — the name of Dr. Antonio Wallace’s high-tech engineering firm.
WNN — an acronym for the television network known as World Network News.
X-band — the term used to identify the radio band used to transmit and receive super-high- frequency (SHF) radio waves.
XTC — an acronym used to identify the Expedition to Callisto television program
Zikzaws — electromagnetic, snake-like creatures that appear in the story.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kevin Patrick Donoghue is the author of the mystery thriller series the Anlon Cully Chronicles and the science-fiction thriller series the Rorschach Explorer Missions. He lives in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., with his wife and two sons. His books include:
The Anlon Cully Chronicles:
Book 1: Shadows of the Stone Benders
Book 2: Race for the Flash Stone
Book 3: Curse of the Painted Lady
Book 4: Priestess of Paracas (Fall/Winter 2019 release)
The Rorschach Explorer Missions:
Prequel: UMO (novella)
Book 1: Skywave
Book 2: Magwave (July 31, 2019 release)
Ways to stay in touch with the author:
Click here to join K. Patrick Donoghue’s email subscriber list
Click here to follow on Facebook
Click here to visit the author’s website
COPYRIGHT
This book is a work of fiction. All the characters, incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual locations, events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
MAGWAVE
Copyright © 2019 Kevin Patrick Donoghue
All rights reserved.
eISBN: 978-0-9997614-5-8
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9997614-3-4
Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-9997614-6-5
Published by Leaping Leopard Enterprises, LLC
www.leapingleopard.com
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
First edition: July 2019
Cover art and design by K. Patrick Donoghue and Asha Hossain Design, LLC
Print edition interior design by Amber Colleran
Notes
[←1]
To see CGI images of the Rorschach Explorer, visit the author’s website by clicking here.
[←2]
For an illustration of the crested head and crest tubes of a Parasaurolophus dinosaur, return to the table of contents and click on the link labeled Parasaur Illustration.
CONTENTS
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
NOTES TO READERS
PROLOGUE: PREMONITION
CHAPTER 1: BUMPS AND BURSTS
CHAPTER 2: STING LIKE A BEE
CHAPTER 3: INQUISITION
CHAPTER 4: WATCH YOUR SIX
CHAPTER 5: POSTMORTEM
CHAPTER 6: BIRD CALLS
CHAPTER 7: HUNTERS OR FORAGERS
CHAPTER 8: WOLFPACK
CHAPTER 9: SENTINEL
CHAPTER 10: KILL ZONE
CHAPTER 11: QUEEN ON DECK
CHAPTER 12: MIND’S EYE
CHAPTER 13: ICARUS
CHAPTER 14: OVERLOAD
CHAPTER 15: SYNC UP
CHAPTER 16: BUMPY RIDE
CHAPTER 17: CLEANSING
CHAPTER 18: LYING EYES
CHAPTER 19: SCATTERED
CHAPTER 20: DESPERATE MEASURES
CHAPTER 21: RIDE OR DIE
CHAPTER 22: A NEW DAY
CHAPTER 23: COMING IN HOT
EPILOGUE
PARASAUR ILLUSTRATION
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
COPYRIGHT