Infinity's Edge

Book 4: Ascension Series

by Ken Lozito

Genres: Cyberpunk; Space Exploration; Science Fiction; Sci-fi Action & Adventure; Alien Contact; Alien Invasion; Colonization; Military Sci-Fi; Space Opera

Synopsis

Sixty years ago a plan was conceived to help humanity survive its first contact with an alien race. Now it’s time to put that plan to the test. No country can stand alone. The world must unite if there is to be any hope of survival.

Commander Kaylan Farrow and her crew are investigating an ancient alien signal from beyond the fringes of known space. After months of searching, the Athena is starting to wear down. It’s only a matter of time before a catastrophic failure destroys their ship, but if they return to Earth now, Kaylan knows that humanity will not survive their first contact with hostile aliens. They must find the source of the signal and with it a means to end this war before it has a chance to reach Earth.

Infinity’s Edge is the fourth book in the Ascension space opera series. The crew of the Athena will risk everything to unravel the mystery of an ancient alien race whose wars nearly destroyed the galaxy. On Earth, people must accept that the world as they knew it is gone. The Xiiginns are coming to pull Earth into the crosshairs of an interstellar war.

Release date: March 2, 2017

Publisher: Acoustical Books LLC

Print pages: 282

Sample

Chapter 1

Thirty years ago, Edward Johnson had been an outstanding young intelligence officer working for the Department of Homeland Security when he’d caught the attention of billionaire Bruce Matherson, Chief Executive Officer of Dux Corporation. For about a year, Bruce had repeatedly tried to recruit Ed before Ed decided to see what a company like Dux Corporation—known for its various military contracts and weapons development technology—was all about. He’d had no idea what was in store for him or how important a man the late great Bruce Matherson really had been. 

Plenty of billionaires believed they were visionaries of the future, but it just so happened that Bruce Matherson actually was and had been tasked with the preservation of the Human race. Early on, Bruce had taken Ed into his confidence. He’d been shown the first-contact videos that were withheld from Project Stargate during the nineteen-eighties. Later, in the year twenty-fifteen, the New Horizons spacecraft had flown by Pluto and taken the first ever high-resolution photographs of the dwarf planet’s surface, showing what they now knew as a Boxan outpost, and confirming what scientists had long suspected: they weren’t alone in the galaxy. 

Proof that intelligent life did exist in the galaxy had been kept from the general public. The fact that these intelligent life-forms knew of Human existence and were watching had also been withheld, and Ed couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for Bruce. 

Ed had joined Dux Corp a few years after the New Horizons’ discovery, and it was another ten years before Bruce brought Ed into the inner circle, which was responsible for funding scientific research across the globe. Bruce had always suspected that the Russian equivalent of Project Stargate had received the same mysterious Boxan message through a psychic link that hadn’t been fully understood, but there was no way they could have known about the Boxan outpost on Pluto until recently. The current world stage was vastly different from what it had been in the nineteen-eighties with China’s rise as a global superpower. Somehow, it had become Ed’s job to get all these nations to work together as humanity stepped to the brink of taking an evolutionary leap into the wider cosmos. Truth be told, Ed would have preferred at least another hundred years to develop the technology they needed to go out into the galaxy and face the challenges they were about to face. 

Ed sat in the war room at the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or as it was better known, NORAD, and glanced around the large oval conference table where a holodisplay was beaming the solar system ten feet above its surface. Various military officials and directors from the different intelligence agencies sat, engaging in small talk as they waited. Lining the walls were banks of blank holoscreens that would remain so until the meeting began.

A firm hand touched Ed’s shoulder, and he looked up at Iris Barrett. On digital paper, she was his assistant who handled his schedule, which she did quite effectively, but truthfully she was his protector. Iris had state-of-the-art neural implants and reinforced muscle tissue made possible with nanite technology, and her blood had been engineered for quick healing beyond even the capabilities of the military.

“Five minutes, sir,” Iris said. She wore a black business suit, and her short black hair was pulled back into a tight bun.

Ed nodded.

Bruce Matherson’s original plan had been for the ‘discovery’ of the Boxan outpost on Pluto to be ‘rediscovered’ in another ten years, but Zack Quick had put an end to all of that after he’d released the original New Horizons images to the general public. Zack’s actions had been the catalyst that changed the destination of the Athena mission, which had originally been Titan. The mission to Titan was to have been Kaylan Farrow’s test run for a later mission to Pluto, but she’d ended up on an urgent mission to Pluto first, and then the Athena had disappeared into space. 

They’d finally received a mission update from the Athena, and it raised more questions and concerns than it answered. Ed had watched the video logs over a hundred times in an attempt to glean all the information available, but he had to admit that if they’d stuck to Bruce’s original plan, an additional ten years might have been too late for the people of Earth. It was an interesting thought that had become more prevalent in his mind and the minds of the younger generation around him. 

Old world national borders had increasingly become blurred in their more advanced society. While they were far from united as a species, Ed had noticed the increasing change in perspective regarding national identity of late; however, he wasn’t foolish enough to believe that the world would unite to meet this alien threat. No, those perceptions were mere seedlings of a plant that had yet to bear any fruit, and if they had another hundred years, they might be much better prepared. Besides, a hundred years from now the problems they were currently facing would have decidedly fallen into someone else’s lap, which Ed would have preferred when exhaustion seemed to be crushing him. He felt his lips curve upward in a half smile at the thought. He knew he would do his utmost both for his late friend and for the people of Earth.

Colonel John Hines called for the meeting to start. The large, dark-skinned man stood ramrod straight, and his chiseled features gave him the appearance of the Greek Titan Atlas personified.

Edward Johnson stood up, and those in the military snapped a salute as four-star general William Sheridan entered the war room. Ed still had to resist the urge to raise his hand and snap a salute with the rest of them, but his military days were long gone, more than half a lifetime ago. 

General Sheridan swung his mighty gaze around the room and acknowledged them all with a single, no-nonsense nod.

“Sir, the president is connecting,” Colonel Hines said.

They sat down, and Ed tried to recall what he knew about General Sheridan. He came from a long line of enlisted men and women. He’d made a name for himself in the fight against global terrorist organizations and had risen through the ranks during his thirty-five-year career. If there ever was another world war, General Sheridan stood a good chance at getting that fifth star and ascending to Commander of Armies for the United States. Ed could think of worse choices for the president to have put on point for this.

The holoscreens blinked to life as President Susan Halloway came to prominence. The other holoscreens were occupied by the vice president and joint chiefs.

“Madam President, thank you for coming,” Sheridan greeted.

“General Sheridan,” the president said. She glanced at those in the room, and Ed would have sworn that her gaze lingered on him for a moment.

The general nodded to Colonel Hines. Hines’s thick neck muscles rolled as he swung his gaze to the far end of the table. “Dr. Gray, you have the floor.”

Dr. Philip Gray, Scientific Advisor to the President, stood up. Ed suppressed a groan and couldn’t for the life of him figure out why Halloway kept Gray on as a scientific advisor. Family connections at their finest.

“We’re here to discuss the recent Athena mission update that we received two weeks ago. We’ve circulated some of the details through the FBI, along with a complete update to the CIA and NSA. Their findings confirm that the testimonies provided by the Athena crew, while compelling, should not be accepted at face value,” Dr. Gray said.

“Which part?” General Sheridan asked.

“There were multiple inconsistencies in their reports, with no fewer than two of their crewmembers under the direct compulsion of the alien species identified as the Xiiginn,” Dr. Gray said.

“Only Jonah Redford is showing outward signs of being under Xiiginn compulsion,” Ed said, drawing an annoyed look from Gray. “Zack was cleared by Dr. Goodwin.”

“Yes, we have her report as well, but she also indicated it’s possible that Mr. Quick’s symptoms simply hadn’t manifested yet.”

Ed shook his head, brows raised. “He was held captive by the Xiiginn. Even the Boxans don’t understand why he’s immune.” Ed turned his gaze to the president. “Brenda Goodwin is an excellent medical doctor, as well as a psychiatrist. We should trust her opinion. Brenda is just acknowledging the possibility that Zack is under Xiiginn compulsion, but she doesn’t have any evidence whatsoever to support it. She’d be remiss in her duties if she didn’t at least highlight the possibility.”

Halloway looked at the general questioningly.

General Sheridan cleared his throat. “In my experience, anyone held prisoner, even under extraordinary circumstances such as this, will show signs of PTSD. Goodwin’s analysis of Mr. Quick appears sound. Given what the crew of the Athena has had to deal with, I think we can all acknowledge that they are under a lot of stress, which would appear in any intelligence report.”

There were several chuckles from around the room.

“Madam President,” Sheridan said, and all the people in the room immediately hushed, “I’m more concerned with the assertion that these aliens will come to our solar system. Regardless of whether it’s these Boxans or Xiiginns, both have the potential for catastrophic effects on the Human race.”

Halloway nodded. “I appreciate your opinion. Ed Johnson, what do you think?”

All eyes in the room focused on Ed, and his pulse quickened. “The Xiiginns are the enemy. They are the real threat, and we need to prepare for them. The Boxans might become our allies.”

“You would lay the fate of the Human race on ‘might’?” Sheridan asked.

“They’re already helping the crew of the Athena,” Ed replied.

“Are you familiar with safe harbor?” Sheridan asked, and Ed shook his head. “Sea captains are under obligation to give aid to any vessel in need and provide safe passage to the nearest port. What this Boxan, Kladomaor, is doing is that.” Sheridan looked up at the holoscreen of the president. “Based on all the evidence, these two alien species have been fighting a war for some time, and how many other species have been caught in the crossfire? We’re at a severe disadvantage if they come here.”

“What are you suggesting?” Halloway asked.

“That we prepare for imminent invasion. Start leveraging our resources, both at home and beyond, to give us some protection for the Ark Program,” Sheridan said.

Ed’s gut clenched. “This isn’t a time to wall ourselves away in a mountain, hoping to ride out a storm.”

General Sheridan’s brows pushed forward severely. “The fact that you’re even aware of the Ark Program is enough for me to have you taken into custody by the FBI.”

Ed turned toward the president and swallowed hard. “Madam President, the world has changed so fast, and we’re stumbling to catch up. I have the highest respect for General Sheridan, and his recommendation is in line with what an officer in the United States military should recommend. But the fact is that we can’t stand against the threat of the Xiiginn on our own. We have to reach out to the other nations and form a coalition of forces whose sole purpose is to defend the Earth from an alien invasion. No nation on this planet can stand alone against this threat.”

President Halloway’s dark-eyed gaze regarded Ed for a few moments, and then she looked away. “Go ahead, Philip.”

Dr. Gray cleared his throat, and Ed looked over at him. “Both alien species are keenly interested in what the Boxans refer to as the Mardoxian trait. Dux Corp, or one of its subsidiaries, developed the psychic warrior initiative in secret. Since these aliens are so interested in this ability, the general intelligence community needs to understand it better.”

Ed frowned. So this was what they were after. “What are you asking, Philip?”

Philip Gray narrowed his gaze. “That you immediately turn over all research and findings of the psychic warrior initiative to the United States government as a matter of national security.”

Ed chewed on the inside of his bottom lip for a moment. “What you’re demanding of me and Dux Corp is entirely illegal.”

“This is non-negotiable,” Philip said.

Ed looked over at the president. “I know you can freeze our assets and try and take what we’ve built, but it will do you no good. I’m willing to give you what you ask for in return for something else.”

Ed heard the shuffling footsteps of the military police heading toward him. Iris Barrett stiffened behind him but otherwise remained motionless. 

“You don’t make demands of the president—” Philip Gray started to say, but Halloway interrupted.

“What is it that you want?” she asked.

Ed met the president’s gaze. “I want you to reach out to China, Russia, the European Union, and the rest of the United Nations with a proposal that a coalition force be formed to deal with the alien threat. At this moment, a formal proposal of the Earth Coalition Force is being sent to your office. I ask that you and your staff review it and open communications with all the nations of this world. This is a burden that should be shared by all. Do this, and I guarantee you will have unfettered access to all of Dux Corp’s research on everything since its inception.”

There was a collective breath held in the war room. There weren’t many who would make a demand or veiled ultimatum to the leader of the free world. Ed knew that if he were taken into custody, another of the inner circle would take over and help the people of Earth fight as best they could, although in his heart of hearts he didn’t believe it would be enough. Not now. They needed the governments of the world to set aside their differences and work together.

“General Sheridan,” Halloway said.

Ed felt the MPs closing in on him, but his chips were on the table and he’d bet everything on this moment.

“Yes, Madam President.”

“I want you and my chief of staff to appoint a committee to formally review this Earth Coalition Force proposal that Ed has so boldly sent us. I want to know your thoughts and opinions on it before we even consider sharing it with other world leaders,” President Halloway said.

“I’m at your disposal, Madam President.”

Ed swallowed. The fact that they were even considering it was a good sign, but it was still a long road ahead. He glanced at Iris and nodded.

“Thank you, Madam President,” Ed said. “As a show of good faith, my assistant is sending the first of seven encrypted data caches to your office.”

“First of seven!” Philip exclaimed. “You should be sending everything.”

Ed leveled his gaze at him. “That’s why you’re only an advisor, Philip, and not the president.”

Philip’s face contorted to several shades of red, but he remained silent.

Ed had made some enemies, but hopefully his actions would be looked upon by future generations as having benefitted humanity, as long as there were any of them left to do the looking.

Chapter 2

Dale Hicks sat in the Athena’s mess hall, polishing off his breakfast with a cup of black coffee. He’d never been one for cream or sugar, preferring the bitter taste and heady aroma of freshly ground coffee. He glanced at the coffee maker. If he lived to see Michael Hunsicker again, he would thank him for insisting on bringing this glorious piece of equipment that made what NASA had anticipated as a long journey to Titan more bearable. 

The Athena’s original mission had been to one of Saturn’s moons, but thanks to the actions of one Zack Quick, that mission had to be put on hold so they could go to Pluto instead. It had been either fate or luck that had put Pluto’s orbit relatively near Earth during that fateful mission—at least that’s what he and Katie Garcia had been told when Edward Johnson recruited them for the Athena’s mission. Though only months had passed since they’d journeyed and gotten boots down on Pluto—an achievement worthy of the history books—they were light years from home, chasing a Boxan legend about an alien race called the Drars, who’d fought an intergalactic war that had wiped them out. When they’d first escaped the Boxan space station destroyed by the Xiiginns, Hicks had believed they were only a few days away from figuring out what had happened to the Drars, but almost two months later they were still chasing a mysterious signal that Zack had stumbled onto right before they’d escaped. Signal wasn’t even the right word. Zack had tried to explain it to him, and they’d essentially been following a trail of cosmic breadcrumbs left by a race of beings that predated Humans by tens of thousands of years. 

Hicks cocked his head to the side and cracked his neck. It was a bad habit, but it just felt so good that he couldn’t stop himself. An alarm showed on his internal heads-up display, but he killed it instantly, finishing his coffee. The hardened ceramic composite that comprised the Athena’s outer hull had been designed for Earth’s solar system, not traipsing along in interstellar space. Even with Kladomaor’s help, he was beginning to think the crew of the Athena was living in a ticking timebomb.

“Hicks,” Kaylan’s voice said over his PDA.

“Good morning, Commander. I saw the alarm. It’s on the section Vitomir and I are going to check on our EVA this morning,” Hicks said.

It was alarming to think that keeping the Athena space-worthy required daily EVAs, during which they were required to patch the outer hull of the ship. How long before patching wasn’t enough? Or they ran out of materials for repairs? 

“Acknowledged. Please be careful,” Kaylan said.

Hicks made his way down the corridor to the rear airlock. Katie Garcia came out of one of the adjacent corridors and smiled in greeting.

“Where you off to?” Hicks asked.

“My rotation with Efren at the reactor,” Katie said. Her dark hair was tied back into a ponytail.

“I thought that was on Wednesday,” Hicks said.

Katie shook her head. “It is Wednesday, Major. Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” she asked in a slightly amused tone.

Hicks sighed. “I’m fine. Just mixed up the days is all. How do you think the rest of them are doing?” he asked.

Katie shrugged. “They all deal with it in their own way. There’s really no precedent for what we’re doing.”

Hicks nodded. “I’m not really sure we should be doing what we’re doing.”

Katie frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not sure how much more the ship can take,” Hicks said.

“Have you spoken to Kaylan about it?”

“No, not yet. I agree with the reasons for coming, but it doesn’t feel like we’re making any progress, and it’s making me wonder why we don’t head back to Earth right now.”

“You should tell her.”

“I will, but first we’ve got to keep our girl in the air,” Hicks said, glancing up at the nearest monitor.

“Your concern for my well-being is noted, Major,” the Athena’s AI voice said through the monitor’s speakers.

“I’ll leave you to it, sir,” Katie said and went on her way. 

Hicks continued on and met Russian cosmonaut Vitomir Mikhailovich, former Commander of Titus Space Station. The bald cosmonaut was slipping into his EVA suit while being watched by Nikolai Vratowski. Trust was in short supply where Vitomir was concerned. The former commander had attempted to sabotage the space station in an effort to join the Athena mission. The botched sabotage had claimed the lives of four people, including Vitomir’s wife. Under different circumstances, Hicks would have locked Vitomir in a cell and thrown away the key, but, as the Athena’s AI pointed out, not using an able-bodied person would put them outside peak efficiency—fancy words for telling them to use all available resources in order to survive.

“Major,” Nikolai said. “I’ve included extra repair kits for this EVA, and the updated targets will appear on your HUD once you’re outside.”

“Thank you,” Hicks said.

“I could join you if you want,” Nikolai offered.

“Two at a time. That’s what the commander ordered,” Hicks said.

Nikolai bobbed his head and waited for the two-man team to finish donning their EVA suits.

Vitomir finished first and stood up. “Ready when you are, Major,” he said.

Hicks quickly put on his suit, and Nikolai cleared them for their EVA. They stepped into the airlock and waited for the atmosphere to be sucked from the room. When the indicator lights around the door changed to green, Hicks popped the door, and there was a slight snap-hiss as the little bit of air that remained in the airlock escaped into the void. 

Directly across from them was the Boxan stealth ship they’d been tagging along with since they’d left the Nershal star system. It was an impressive sight, but according to the Boxans, it was among the smaller scout-class vessels. If so, Hicks couldn’t imagine what some of their bigger ships looked like. During their recent adventures, he’d gotten a glimpse of Xiiginn warships, which were sleek, wedge-shaped crafts. But Hicks knew that should anything happen to the Boxans’ ship, the crew of the Athena would most likely die because their ship didn’t have a Cherubian drive capable of folding space, which was the only way for them to get back to their own solar system.

“Major, we must be going,” Vitomir said.

Hicks turned away and lowered the intensity of his mag boots. Tethers had already auto-locked onto the backs of their suits. Reducing the power of the mag boots enabled them to take longer strides down the Athena’s hull and cover longer distances in a shorter amount of time. Beyond them was a sky full of stars the likes of which had never been seen by any Human. Gaarokk, a Boxan scientist, had pointed out that they were even beyond where the Boxans had been, since exploration had ground to a halt during their war with the Xiiginns.

“We’re coming to the first series of micro-cracks,” Vitomir said.

Hicks slowed down, and the two of them came to a halt. The Athena’s gleaming white hull had been peppered by the small asteroid fragments they’d encountered on their long journey, creating tiny cracks.

“This grouping is bigger than the last one. I’m surprised the sensors didn’t alert us sooner,” Hicks said.

Being on an EVA with Vitomir was almost peaceful. Whenever Zack came along, he had this pressing need to fill the time with conversation. At least he used to. Since he’d been held prisoner by the Xiiginn, the former hacker had been much more serious. Hicks had never been a prisoner of war, but his military training had accounted for the possibility. Recovery from an ordeal like that would take time. He didn’t think being aboard a spaceship was the most peaceful environment for someone suffering from PTSD, so he and Kaylan had agreed to manage Zack’s stress levels, which meant cutting back on EVAs. 

He and Vitomir used two repair kits to patch the fractures on the Athena’s hull. 

Hicks frowned and turned to Vitomir. “If Titus Station had been showing this much wear and tear, what would you have done?” he asked.

Bringing up Titus Station was never easy for Vitomir, but Hicks had to leverage the former commander’s expertise. Regardless of what he’d done, he’d been responsible for Titus Station’s upkeep for close to two years.

“Our fabricators were located in the subterranean levels of the asteroid we were on, and we could eventually replace entire sections of the station if we needed to. So the situation is different here. There is only so far we can go with our current resources,” Vitomir said.

“Why don’t you say anything?” Hicks asked.

Vitomir’s eyebrows drew downward. “Because of what I’ve done to my Natalia and the others. My perspective on the state of your ship wouldn’t be welcome,” he said.

Hicks blew out a breath. The cosmonaut wasn’t wrong. 

“I would advise you to speak with Dr. Redford, but . . .” Vitomir began, leaving the thought unfinished.

Jonah Redford had succumbed to the Xiiginn compulsion, which effectively made him a sleeper agent for them. Hicks had gone over all the events that would have exposed Redford to the Xiiginn. They all had, and they’d determined that Redford’s first exposure had been on the compound on Selebus. Redford had been unaccounted for for the span of a few minutes during the battle, and, according to the Boxans, a few moments was all that was required to plant the seed of compulsion in Jonah. Later on, during their escape from the Nershal star system, they’d received a strange transmission that they couldn’t make sense of, and they’d overlooked it while they fled the system. Later, Kladomaor surmised that the signal had contained instructions for Jonah. The Xiiginns had gambled that Humans would be susceptible to their compulsion ability. They’d been right about Jonah but not about Zack, for some reason.

“Well, I want you to share those opinions of yours with me at the very least. Is that understood?” Hicks asked.

“Yes, Major.”

They continued on, patching the Athena’s hull where they could and noting other areas that would require further investigation. Hicks resolved himself to the fact that he needed to sit down with Kaylan and make a case for them to abandon this search for the Drars in order to return home to Earth while they still could.