Alpha One Read online

  Alpha One

  The Jump Pilot

  By

  Chris Burton

  Eternal Press

  A division of Damnation Books, LLC.

  P.O. Box 3931

  Santa Rosa, CA 95402-9998

  www.eternalpress.biz

  Alpha One: The Jump Pilot

  by Chris Burton

  Digital ISBN: 978-1-61572-242-6

  Print ISBN: 978-1-61572-243-3

  Cover art by: Dawné Dominique

  Edited by: Kim Richards

  Copyedited by: Gerald L. “Moss” Bliss, D.D.

  Copyright 2010 Chris Burton

  Printed in the United States of America

  Worldwide Electronic & Digital Rights

  1st North American and UK Print Rights

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any form, including digital and electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the Publisher, except for brief quotes for use in reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  To Ness, Lewis and Harry, whose patience was paramount. To Jack and Tam, who spurred me on to write.

  Part One

  Prologue

  Salas shook his head in disbelief. The Sentinel ship was abandoned and left to defend itself in the vastness of open space, against the might of Alpha.

  They came from nowhere and his ship had no answer. His shields were depleted, the weaponry hold empty. He had nothing left to offer.

  He found himself dreaming of another place, his planet, so far away and his family, his children and his home. All were just a distant dream.

  The missile hit the ship broadside, towards the stern and ploughed straight through the main hull before exiting amidships. In a fraction of a second, nine Sentinels vaporized and the ship split almost perfectly into two, as if a chef’s knife sliced straight though an apple. The bow disintegrated as it fell away from the main body of the vessel and a massive explosion engulfed the remaining hulk in flames.

  The Sentinel Commander looked puzzled briefly, before realization struck. With his ship destroyed, he was about to breathe his last breath.

  Minutes passed and Salas awaited his fate with his crew lying dead around him and his own demise inevitable. He sat in his chair, raised his hands to his head and sobbed.

  Then the bridge exploded and it was all over.

  Chapter One

  The Battle Cruiser

  Commander Jonathan Hoskins sat at his station, observing his morning’s work. The Sentinel ship, with its crew of three hundred perished under the might of his Battle Cruisers superior weaponry. Weakened by his blaster cannons, the final blow, delivered with pin-point accuracy, destroyed the enemy ship just like the last five.

  Hoskins commanded the Alpha Battle Cruiser Aurora 5. He was thirty-five years old and in his second tour in command of the Aurora. He had clear views on the Sentinels and the strategy to defeat them once and for all. simply the Sentinels were outnumbered and outgunned. This war would shortly be over. He would soon enjoy the spoils of victory. A third star beckoned and surely a fourth would not be far away. How many more Sentinel ships would they destroy this week?

  Now was not the time to contemplate future glory.

  “Helm, set a course for Beta Five, cruising velocity. Mister Ohama, scan the area for Sentinel activity. Stand down alert status.”

  The Aurora 5 turned slowly and purposefully towards her new heading and accelerated briskly.

  “Sentinel vessels within range, straight ahead Commander.”

  Jonathan Hoskins smiled. This is too easy.

  * * * *

  The Human ship pursues its prey like a Vantac bird, he thought. Their persistence was a valuable weapon and their vessel was able if not exactly agile, but they could be defeated.

  The Sentinel Mother ship remained in stealth mode and witnessed the destruction of yet another of their dwindling Northern fleet. The General decided enough was enough; the Alpha Battleship had destroyed its last Sentinel ship. He ordered his ship to alert status and set a new course. He would pursue the Alpha Ship and destroy its crew, one by one if he must.

  The Sentinels were a species whose planetary realm lay some distance from Earth’s solar system. They were renowned for an emotionally-charged obsession with the protection of a region of space known as the Tri-Star System. They saw it as theirs to protect despite its location outside their known territorial boundaries. General Yoshi, commander of the Southern Fleet, defeated all who came before. He made it his priority to defeat Alpha. This, he insisted would be the start of that process.

  General Yoshi’s Southern Fleet was different. His was the superior fleet of the Sentinels armed flotilla with a kill ratio second to none. His fleet arrived, unseen, in this sector three weeks before and prepared for battle, while in hiding in the plasma wave cloud which swathed the eastern tip of the Ionian System.

  His three thousand strong warship was the flagship of his fleet. It was the epitome of advanced Sentinel engineering and illustrated his people’s commitment to the greater cause: the protection of the Tri-Star system.

  The humans of Alpha fleet penetrated the outer perimeter of the Sentinels Tri-Star defensive screen. They immediately brought themselves into a much larger conflict between the Sentinels, the Partacians, and anyone else who happened to find themselves within the protected region. The humans ‘invasion’ and resultant entry into the Tri-Star system moved them firmly to the top of the list.

  Chapter Two

  A New Year- A New Term

  The warmth of the morning sun was still evident even in late summer. Jake Carter took a short swig from his refreshment tube as he stepped out of his apartment block and walked purposefully towards the security station at the end of the main entrance to the Academy. It was going to be a hot day, and with the summer extending well into October it would be for a good while yet. Protective clothing was the order of the day, as the solar rays penetrated the Earth’s ozone as if it were a permeable membrane, rather than a shield to protect the planet.

  Security here was a formality as e-genetic registers replaced retinal scanners. You could walk straight through a security station. At the station, Jake met up with Carla who gave him a big smile, pecked him on the cheek, and then on the lips for good measure.

  “Good job. Steve’s not looking,” said Jake.

  Carla laughed and shrugged her shoulders. “I can kiss whomever I choose. Thank you so much.” the exaggerated drawl of her Australian accent rose at the end of her sentence.

  Carla was Steve’s girlfriend, although in recent months it became a one-sided relationship. Carla was losing interest rapidly. The three of them spent the last three years together at the South Downs Alpha Fleet Academy. Today was the start of a new academic year, their last in the Academy.

  Jake was eager to get started. The new Sabre short-range attack ships were due in port later this week. Although he would have to wait until he graduated before he got the chance to pilot the new variant, he was desperate to climb back into the cockpit of a ‘real’ ship. The Rapiers were good but the Sabres were far more agile.

  Carla was keen to get to class and rekindle her love for languages: nine of them, all off-world and all required fluency for her to graduate as a translator for Alpha Fleet. Unfortunately both flying and languages were off the agenda. Today was about the new term and admin, admin, admin.

  Steve waited for them outside the tutor class. He, too, was keen to st
art flying but he also wanted to see Carla. The lovers embraced. Jake smiled and passed through into the tutor class and sat down at his workstation.

  Great. The climate control is not working properly. It’s going to be a long day, he thought.

  By midday, it was very hot. Thankfully the temperature in the tutor class was regulated, keeping the day’s heat at bay. Jake still felt uncomfortable and loosened the straps on his tunic down a notch.

  Registering for classes was a lengthy process. Individual security protocol was a key academy stratagem. For each specialism and core subject, registration was separate and the duplication of personal data was tedious. Jake opted for five specialist subjects in his final year, even though only four were required. These days, Alpha recruiters looked for personnel with the widest possible brief. It became normal within the more established Alpha Academies to stretch oneself considerably in the final year.

  Jake opted for Weaponry, Advanced Stellar Navigation, Quantum Mechanics, Earth Defense and, his key skill set—jump ship Command. These were spread over fifteen periods throughout the week, interspersed with his six core subjects. In all, fifty periods spread over a five day week. The rest of Jake’s time was in theory his, but private study and extra curricula activities meant limited free time.

  By one p.m., registration was completed and timetables calculated. Lunch was followed by Parade Ground and thirty minutes’ intensive physical training in the gym, before the first actual tutorial of the day commenced. Geometric Mathematics was a core subject in year four and a double period on the first day of term, together with the insatiable heat and the desire to engage in his favorite activity, did little to improve Jake’s enthusiasm as he watch the old style ‘station’ clock tick slowly towards four o’clock.

  The period ended so Jake joined Steve and Carla at the Alpha Broadcast panel in the corridor outside the classroom. After catching up on the latest Academy gossip and a précis of Alpha, Earth and Galactic news, they headed towards the main campus for a coffee break.

  Fifteen minutes later, Jake and Steve climbed aboard the subrail, which departed with its usual tuneful whoosh before it reached its desired velocity. Within a few minutes, they reached their destination and they exited the train and climbed the steps to the surface. The brightness and sudden rush of heat hit the students as they arrived at ground level. The Academy’s space port was the largest of its kind in southern Britain and seconded as an official Alpha Launch Port, a commercial port as well as a student training facility.

  The Students were here for their first flight theory lesson of the year. Today was Rapier simulation and while it wasn’t flying, it was the next best thing and definitely the highlight of the day.

  Steve Costello was an excellent pilot. He vied for academy Top Gun and, in his eyes, he had little competition. Sure Jake was good, but this wasn’t his forte. Steve intended to be the best pilot in the fleet and be recognized in years to come as a flying ace par excellence, outpacing his rivals and out maneuvering his enemies. Steve found nothing wrong with being confident. He believed it was a good trait in a jump pilot. What he hated almost vehemently was formation and wing-man flying. Alpha insisted its trainee jump pilots master the vagaries of team ethics, above anything else.

  Steve never showed his dislike of this. He needed to show team spirit was his highest priority and his actual outstanding ability was second. Today he was wing-man to Monte, an Algerian whose command of the simulator was good, but in reality, he would never be a real jump pilot. He would follow the Algerian’s maneuvers and stay out of trouble. He wanted the real thing and would come up soon.

  Flight simulation was a critical part of jump pilot training. A newly qualified jump pilot was required to amass fifty hours of simulator flying in addition to three hundred hours of actual flying before he could be qualified. The flight simulation sessions were multi-disciplined and multi-craft-oriented to ensure the ‘Pilot’ experienced the maximum number of scenarios and training in as many types of craft as possible.

  Steve was a product of the colonies. Born in New Portsmouth on Titan twenty-one years ago, he always wanted to be a jump pilot. He was accepted into the South Downs Academy on a scholarship, following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. Both had graduated and gone onto become middle-ranking jump ship pilots. Both died in active service. This fact was never lost on Steve. He considered this father and grandfather careless or unlucky. In this game you made your own luck.

  He was distracted. Carla grew distant in the last few months. He didn’t know why, but he had a growing feeling it had something to do with Jake. While Jake was his ‘best buddy’, if he and Carla became involved, their friendship would come to a sticky end.

  With the session complete, all fifteen students set down their ‘craft’ and completed post flight checks. Day one was over.

  Carla joined Steve and Jake in the Students Bar on the main campus. Over beer and pasta they talked about the day, their expectations for the year and what they did during the long recess. As they left campus and walked back to the accommodation block, the evening turned cooler but was still humid. Steve walked beside Carla, with Jake a few paces adrift.

  “I guess you’ll be able to find a few moments for me this evening Carla…your place or mine?” Steve sounded playful, but ever so slightly confrontational.

  “Can we give it a miss tonight Steve? It’s our first day back and I have two language sessions tomorrow. I really need to prepare.”

  “Will Jake be helping you prepare then?”

  “Why should he do that?”

  “You seem to spend more time with him than with me.”

  “Oh, come on. I know you’ve been away from this for a while but let’s not get paranoid.” Carla was clearly agitated.

  “What’s this all about?” interjected Jake.

  “You keep out of this. It doesn’t concern you.”

  “Okay, it’s your funeral. Jake turned round and walked slowly back towards campus.

  “What the hell’s wrong with you? Why did you just shout at Jake?”

  “Are you seeing Jake or not?” demanded Steve.

  “No, I am not. I am not seeing you tonight either.”

  The rest of the walk back to their block was spent in silence. As Steve reached his block, he turned off towards his apartment without further comment. Carla sighed. This is becoming repetitive, she thought. In the corner of her eye she spotted Jake who caught up having done a u-turn a minute or so after his earlier exit.

  “Everything okay?” he asked Carla.

  “You know it’s not. He really pissed me off.”

  Jake comforted her and asserted that Steve would be fine tomorrow. he was just under a lot of pressure. With that the two friends chatted briefly, said goodbye and agreed to meet up before breakfast for a drink and a chat the following morning.

  Jake arrived at his front door two minutes later. It opened automatically. He entered, stripped off his clothes and jumped straight into the jet shower.

  He awoke the next day at five a.m. as usual. The proximity of his accommodation to the space port meant two things: one good, one bad. The noise from the roar of all manner of space craft, be they Academy, Alpha or commercial was constant. This was a bad thing. The good being front row seats to the finest display of ships this side of London. Sleep disturbed, he showered quickly and set off to meet Carla.

  Jake Carter was in this for the long term. This was his career of choice and the long term aim was clear in his mind. He wanted ‘ship of the line’ command and preferably star ship command. This was all he had ever wanted. At the age of six, he had his first off-world experience in a Mars shuttle with his father.

  Simon Carter rose to his current rank of three-star Commander during the Galactic war of 2195. His highest command was a B-class battle cruiser. He regretted never commanding a star ship or achieving a higher rank.

  Although in recent years, Jake’s relationship with his parents grew difficult, he always wante
d the best for his father and had the utmost respect for both of his parents. He knew the best way to make his Dad proud of him would be to graduate and work towards his personal target to command a star ship. Jake knew he had the capability to achieve it. He always came near the top of his class for everything he did while at the Academy and prior to that at the Edwards Academy, where Jake spent his childhood and teenage years studying.

  He considered himself highly articulate and adaptable. He had a high IQ, was numerate, and a free thinker. His passion for galactic exploration was equally as passionate about Earth and its environment. He felt determined to make this year count and to graduate at the top of his class. He didn’t need off-campus distractions and he didn’t need Carla. Or did he?

  Carla and Jake became closer during the academic break. He knew Carla since the Fresher Academy year. Although he was attracted to her, he always thought of her as a friend, than anything more; fundamentally, because she was Steve’s girlfriend. As he walked up the path towards Carla’s accommodation block, he wondered if that were changing. He hoped not because it would complicate things.

  Chapter Three

  The Rapier

  The Rapier has staying power. That was the message in the President’s key note speech to Congress two years ago, when the one hundred thousandth Rapier came off the production line.

  There were many different variants and nearly fifty years passed since the original Rapier jump ship concept was first demonstrated at Edwards Air Force Base.

  The concept was simple. a small short range attack ship with the capability to take off vertically off-world or via a short runway from a planetary mass, but yet could reach high velocity in a short time period. Other jump ships would follow, but the Rapier was still the standard from which all comers must compete.

  The latest variant came into production five years ago. The Rapier 7 was a technologically advanced two man interceptor/fighter which, off-world, could attain stellar speed from start in under fifteen seconds. It was fifteen meters in length, with the cockpit situated right in the nose cone of the space ship. This made for a awkward and not necessarily aerodynamic shape, but the proof was in the pudding. At the time of the variant’s launch, the other main jump ship models, the Hunter and the Sabre could not compete with the new Rapier. Over fifteen thousand Rapier 7’s were manufactured and they were once again the mainstay of Alpha Fleets off-world and ground launch attack philosophy.