The Epherium Chronicles: Crucible Read online

  The Epherium Chronicles: Crucible

  By T.D. Wilson

  Book two of The Epherium Chronicles

  January 2155

  Earth Defense Forces Captain James Hood is on the mission of his life. The Cygni solar system is just one space-fold jump away. One more jump and they’ll have reached the fledgling colony that Earth desperately needs if the human race is going to survive. But a plot to derail him has already damaged his ship, threatened the lives of his crew and cost him time. Time the colonists might not have.

  So much depends on him now, but Hood’s confidence is shaken. It’s self-doubt he thought he’d buried, a brutal mind-killer for all military commanders. Yet danger surrounds his team; a brutal insectoid alien race is still out there, intent on eradicating humans, and a greater threat from an unknown, elusive enemy has emerged.

  The forces at work on Cygni are like nothing Hood has trained for, tactically or emotionally. When put to the test, he must choose to either trust the unlikeliest of allies, or run and seal the fate of the Cygni colony forever.

  93,000 words

  Dear Reader,

  If there’s one thing that’s sure to tickle me every time, it’s when I ask for book recommendations via social media, and readers come back to recommend books I’ve edited or published. Most recently, readers have given me recommendations for Saved by the Bride by Fiona Lowe, Wild Ones by Kristine Wyllys and Goddess with a Blade by Lauren Dane. I’m always pleased when this happens and I think our batch of May books will be next on readers’ recommendation lists!

  We’re thrilled to welcome fan favorite Josh Lanyon back to Carina Press with Stranger on the Shore. Journalist Griffin Hadley shrugs off lawyer Pierce Mather’s objections to his investigation of a decades-old kidnapping, but it might not be so easy to shrug off the objections of someone willing to do anything to keep the past buried.

  Bestselling author Stephanie Tyler returns with another sexy, unique story set not too far into our possible post-apocalyptic future. In Salvation, when Luna leaves Defiance to rescue Bish from a rival gang, she doesn’t realize she’s the one who will end up needing saving—both from the gang and from Bish, the man who can’t wait any longer to claim her and make her his. Though this book can be read as a standalone, be sure to check out both Defiance and Redemption as well!

  There’s No Accounting for Cowboys in Leah Braemel’s sexy contemporary cowboy romance. Jake Grady relies on family accountant Paige Reynolds to bring order to his life, when family secrets throw it into chaos. Check out our new reduced-price bundle of Leah’s erotic romance duology, Texas Tangle and Tangled Past, available now.

  And speaking of sexy contemporary romance, the only woman Grand Duke Armand ever desired is her, but not every girl dreams of marrying a prince. Anna doesn’t want prince charming, she loved the man behind the crown. Can they overcome their mistakes and reclaim a love neither forgot? Don’t miss this Going Royal book by Heather Long, Some Like It Scandalous.

  Tamara Morgan joins us with the start to a new contemporary romance series in If I Stay. In this kickoff to a modern-day Downton Abbey series, the nanny to a rich hotelier family must choose between the hard-edged chauffeur who gets her pulse racing and the profligate playboy she’s loved her whole life.

  Another author kicking off a new series is Sheryl Nantus. If you’ve been looking for a unique futuristic romance series to enjoy, In the Black is being described as Firefly meets Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. What’s more unique than a heroine who’s captain of a bordello spaceship?

  Male/male author KC Burn also offers up a futuristic romance this month. Falling in love with an alien exotic dancer forces a prejudiced fleet captain to reevaluate who he is and what he believes in Voodoo ’n’ Vice.

  May is a month packed full of science fiction, fantasy and futuristic books. Cindy Spencer Pape is back with a new book in her Gaslight Chronicles, Dragons & Dirigibles (I love this title!). Airship engineer Melody MacKay is exactly the kind of emancipated woman Victor Arrington wants to keep away from his impressionable niece—that is, until smugglers start trying to kill the girl. Then Victor turns to Melody for help. If you’re new to the Gaslight Chronicles, you can start the series now with a new reduced-price bundle of the first three books in the series. Available wherever ebooks are sold.

  Author T.D. Wilson returns to Carina Press with book two in his space opera series. In The Epherium Chronicles: Crucible, only one more jump to the new colony in the Cygni star system, but what will Captain James Hood find when he arrives—a thriving colony, dangerous enemies, or will it be in ruins?

  We’re pleased to welcome four authors to Carina Press this month. Debut author April Taylor brings us a tale of fantasy and alternate history. In Court of Conspiracy, book one of The Tudor Enigma, ordered by Anne Boleyn to protect her son, can apothecary and elemancer Luke Ballard overcome the evil sunderer who seeks to kill Henry IX at Hampton Court Palace?

  Also with a debut novel this month is historical paranormal romance author Kari Edgren. Selah Kilbrid would sacrifice everything for her birthright, except the one kiss that could destroy her in Goddess Born.

  For our mystery offering this month, debut author Rosie Claverton brings together an agoraphobic hacker and a streetwise ex-con to hunt down a serial killer in Cardiff. Don’t miss Binary Witness, the first in a new mystery series.

  Last, we’re thrilled to have author Vanessa North join us with her new male/male romance High and Tight. Deeply closeted Navy pilot Adam returns home, planning to convince his longtime lover he’s ready to commit at last, only to find Harris has moved on without him.

  Coming in June: novels from Lynda Aicher, Ava March, Christi Barth, Dana Marie Bell and more, along with a fabulous male/male contemporary romance anthology from three talented authors.

  Here’s wishing you a wonderful month of books you love, remember and recommend.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Editorial Director, Carina Press

  Dedication

  For my father, whose ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease inspires us all.

  Preface

  Everyone has a profound and unique nature to create something. Creativity comes in many forms, but creative writing and expression of one’s vision takes time, practice, perpetual patience and a love for what you’re doing. I have often likened it to golf and Chi Chi Rodriguez’s quote: “Golf is a game of never ending improvement.” I think writing is in that same club. We always look to better ourselves in different facets of our lives. With that said, I wanted to make sure that each story I create, I learn from my previous lessons and take any criticism as what it was intended to be—a guide or nudge in the right direction. Writing this book series has taught me many lessons, but as with most things in life, you have to be true to yourself. Thanks again goes out to my beta readers and most of all to my new editor, Rhonda Helms, who has excelled in pointing out ways to improve this story and my writing style. I am truly blessed to have her as my editor.

  Dramatis Personae

  Humans:

  James Hood, Captain, EDF Armstrong

  Rafael Sanchez, Commander, Executive Officer, EDF Armstrong

  Maya Greywalker, Lieutenant, Chief Security Officer, EDF Armstrong

  Sienna Aldridge, Lieutenant, Tactical Officer, EDF Armstrong

  Arlen McGregor, Major, EDF Marine Corps

  Terrance Whitaker, Chief Engineer, EDF Armstrong

  Dr. Derik Patton, Chief Medical Officer, EDF Armstrong

  Harrison “Wolfhound” Krie
g, Lieutenant, Fighter Pilot, EDF Armstrong

  Emma “Reaper” Thielson, Ensign First Class, Fighter Pilot, EDF Armstrong

  James “Nighthawk” Marsten, Ensign, Fighter Pilot, EDF Armstrong

  Domingo “Sandy” Vega, Ensign, Fighter Pilot, EDF Armstrong

  Adrienne Searcy, Lieutenant, EDF Marine Corps

  Franklin Carney, Lieutenant, EDF Marine Corps

  Alex Toronaga, Gunnery Sergeant, EDF Marine Corps

  Harlan Jarvis, Corporal, EDF Marine Corps

  Henry McCraken, Epherium Corporation

  Jonathan Hood, Commander, EEF Magellan

  Jillian Howard, Lieutenant Commander, EEF Magellan

  Gina Atkins Hood, Researcher, EEF Magellan

  Harvey Kingston, Researcher, EEF Magellan

  Dr. Caris Wilder, Chief Researcher, EEF Magellan

  Russell Tramp, Fleet Admiral, EDF Space Forces

  Jared Martin, Petty Officer, EDF Armstrong

  Cilik’ti:

  Kree, Worker, Ota N’lan

  Ut’liss, Chief Elder, Hal’ta N’lan

  Ilesh, Elder, Ota N’lan

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  EDF Armstrong

  Deep Space Route to Cygni

  Sunday, January 26

  Earth Year 2155

  Captain’s Log, Sunday, January 26, 2155, EDF ARMSTRONG, James Hood commanding. Three days. Probably the longest three days of my career. Three days stuck licking our wounds from a near disaster I didn’t see coming, but through profound actions from our crew, we managed to survive.

  It’s been a little more than a week since we left Mars Station en route to the first of at least two new fledgling colonies. Our trek following the path of the colony ship MAGELLAN to the Cygni system has already seen its fair share of setbacks. An attack on the Epherium Corporation’s temporary office on board—the very company that developed and launched the massive colony ships—has catapulted us into a full-blown conspiracy. It seems one of my officers, Lieutenant Commander Walsh, is involved and the potential assailant. Early on, the evidence centered on our best fighter pilot, Lieutenant Krieg. He was framed for the attack at first but has since been exonerated. Afterward, Walsh, along with the help of some unknown force flying a prototype stealth frigate, managed to move our jump beacon into an asteroid field and caused significant damage to this ship. I believe the entire situation was created to facilitate his escape.

  The motive for this whole sequence of events appears to be linked to two sets of personnel data. The first list contains records of individuals who had been experimented on in development and in actual flight with Epherium’s Embrace sleeper cell technology. Most of their testing was related to brain activity reinforcement and memory or knowledge enhancements, but there is a darker side to their experiments. One of their scientists discovered a way to use the Embrace units to rewrite a person’s entire personality, and even though Epherium shelved that piece, Epherium unearthed it to reprogram convicted criminals aboard the MAGELLAN and the other colony ships. The revelation by Henry McCraken, the head of the Epherium Corporation’s contingent on board this ship, about the use of the technology is troubling enough. According to my chief security officer, Lieutenant Greywalker, some of the criminals were among the worst of their time. If we arrive at Cygni and this personality replacement has failed, we could be in for a very rude reception.

  Our Epherium troubles aside, I’ve kept the crew’s focus on repairs. I know the incident in the asteroid field has cost us valuable time, but our repairs are almost complete. The gunship PERCIVAL took the worst of the damage during the first collision with one of the asteroids, but we’ve managed to get her back to 80 percent operational status. Repair crews had to cut her away from our hull, which has caused considerable delay getting us back under way. Two of her gun arrays were destroyed and she suffered a large hull rupture. The damage to the ship was compounded with the deaths of two of her gunnery crews and the fact that her captain, Will Alford, is still in a coma. While we have more arrays to replace the ones lost on the PERCIVAL, it will take more time to finish installing them. I think it’s more important to reach Cygni now at our current strength and continue repairs there.

  The stealth frigate we encountered has caused quite a stir back at HQ and with the companies involved in its design. Greer Technologies and Epherium have both denied any involvement in the further development of the ship. The original prototype is still in pieces and its parts were distributed between the two companies. There has been no trace of any information leak of the classified design, nor have there been any sightings or intelligence provided outside of our own. All EDF commands have been alerted to be on the lookout for Walsh and this vessel, but I’m positive both will avoid contact with any outposts for some time.

  For now, she’s still out there, but we must press on to Cygni. The delay for repairs has caused us to lose precious time, borrowed as it may be already for the colonists, even the ones with new personalities. I understand the position McCraken was trying to defend for his company, but lifetime-sentenced criminals or not, a death of self cannot be decided with a simple wave of a pen. Due process and all alternatives should have been considered. Now that the program’s existence is known to at least EDF Command, I don’t envy the Epherium executives right now. The problem remaining is how to rectify the matter and not show the EDF as complicit in what transpired.

  * * *

  Captain James Hood walked onto the EDF Armstrong’s Command Deck with renewed energy and could see the same feeling expressed in those around him. Despite the needed hard work to return the ship to full active status, Hood had ordered mandatory rest periods for everyone, including himself. The mysterious ship that lured the Armstrong into the asteroid field wasn’t the only threat. The EDF’s primary enemy, the Cilik’ti, hadn’t been encountered in some time, but Hood’s experience with the dangerous insectoid race had taught him to never underestimate them, nor let his guard down. He wasn’t going to start now.

  Commander Rafael Sanchez, a tall, dark-complexioned man a few years younger than Hood, was already waiting for him at the Command Station.

  “Commander, give me a jump status,” Hood said.

  The Armstrong’s XO turned away from the panel he was monitoring. “Sir, all sections report green and go for jump. We have a lock on the final beacon, and scans around the jump zone are clear,” Sanchez stated. “Countdown to begin on your order.”

  The Armstrong had followed a series of communication relay beacons left in place by the colony ship, Magellan, along its route to Cygni. The beacons were intended to be a communication lifeline for the gigantic ships once they reached their destinations. Wary of the Cilik’ti intercepting the signals, EDF Command had disabled the beacons after the initial signals of safe arrival reached Earth from the Magellan and the Cabot, which was destined for Tau Ceti. Since the Magellan had signaled its arrival two weeks earlier than the Cabot, EDF Command had directed Hood to head to Cygni first.

  The beacons along the Magellan’s flight path were spaced at intervals just inside the Armstrong’s jump range. The EDF had restricted blind jumps into deep space except for designated scout ships. The beacons provided Hood specific jump targets, but that wasn’t all. Despite the loss of direct communication with the colony at Cygni, the Armstrong’s sen
sor team had configured each beacon’s communication array to act as a short range scanner to detect potential threats.

  The plan had worked without issue until the past jump. The next to last beacon on the road to Cygni had been moved into a nearby asteroid field by an unknown vessel just before the Armstrong jumped. The Armstrong had encountered a mysterious stealth frigate a few days earlier. The elusive ship had maintained her distance in their first encounter, just at the edge of the Armstrong’s scanner range. The Armstrong’s tactical officer, Lieutenant Sienna Aldridge, had attempted to identify the ship before it disappeared. While she hadn’t been able to match it to any known ship type, Lieutenant Aldridge’s analysis of the scan data of the ship proved it wasn’t a Cilik’ti vessel.

  The only first contact with an alien race was a tragedy for Earth. Hood was determined not to have his ship in a situation against another potential adversary without more reliable intelligence. He needed to put distance between the Armstrong and that ship, contact EDF Command and prepare.

  During the past three days, the Armstrong’s communications team had continued to monitor traffic from the colony that was now blocked at the beacon. The messages were clear and in the open. The colonists were well and were trying to contact home. Hood felt for the colonists, but armed with the knowledge that many of the colonists were programmed with new personalities, he couldn’t risk letting the signals reach home. Not yet. If the colonists discovered their lives back home were a lie, what would they do? He could only wonder what kind of spirit-crushing revelation that would be. Would there be any justice he could offer them? Worse, what if the knowledge unraveled their new personalities, causing them to revert or lose their sanity? It would be chaos.

  There was also the possibility that the Cilik’ti would pick up their transmissions.

  Any of those scenarios would doom the colony—a colony vital to Earth’s plans for the future.

  “The order is given, Commander. Let’s get moving.” The words invigorated him and his heart raced with anticipation for the oncoming jump. He was eager to put this asteroid field behind them and get to Cygni. During the past several hours, he had made sure to let those around him see his confidence and strength. He knew from experience that the crew’s morale was a cornerstone to a mission’s success and it all started with him. Even as he sat down at the Command Station, he kept up the facade, but inside he was still a wreck. His confidence lay in pieces on the floor like the shards of a broken mirror. Hood prided himself on being one step ahead of his opponents and he had been duped. Now his ship’s mission was delayed. Worse still, crewmen who were his responsibility had been injured or killed. I should have seen it coming. Those words continued to tear at his thoughts and now the looming specter of self-doubt was once again prodding at his faculties. It was always there, ever since the battle at Pluto Station. But now was not the time to waffle over bad decisions. With a deep breath, he focused his will to brush aside his inner turmoil and prepared himself for the Armstrong’s next jump.