Flying top-secret missions for NASA is hazardous to oneâs health. The crew of the USS Osprey face dangers from: Cutting edge technology that is at best unpredictable; Pierre Beauregard, a skillful Space Force Captain gone rogue; a mole inside NASA that wants them dead. If that is not enough, now Washington wants them to return to Portae, the place that previously claimed the life of one of their own. Despite a severe warning to never return, the Osprey is required to lead a task force of starships against the Custodes (watchmen) and their outpost.
This fast-paced misadventure propels the crew of the Osprey onto new exploits in Arcadia. Their ominous mission to warn Arcadiaâs inhabitants is disturbingly short on details. What is the danger facing the unaware Arcadians? Who is their enemy? In Arcadia the crew of the Osprey stumbles upon a threat to the existence of both life and on Earth. Facing danger on multiple fronts, will the crew of only one spaceship stop the duel attacks? Will the crew of the Osprey even survive?
Flying top-secret missions for NASA is hazardous to oneâs health. The crew of the USS Osprey face dangers from: Cutting edge technology that is at best unpredictable; Pierre Beauregard, a skillful Space Force Captain gone rogue; a mole inside NASA that wants them dead. If that is not enough, now Washington wants them to return to Portae, the place that previously claimed the life of one of their own. Despite a severe warning to never return, the Osprey is required to lead a task force of starships against the Custodes (watchmen) and their outpost.
This fast-paced misadventure propels the crew of the Osprey onto new exploits in Arcadia. Their ominous mission to warn Arcadiaâs inhabitants is disturbingly short on details. What is the danger facing the unaware Arcadians? Who is their enemy? In Arcadia the crew of the Osprey stumbles upon a threat to the existence of both life and on Earth. Facing danger on multiple fronts, will the crew of only one spaceship stop the duel attacks? Will the crew of the Osprey even survive?
âOften you escape by going where those chasing you are unwilling to go.â
- Michael Westen [Burn Notice]
Mars Detention Outpost Delta
Jacquesâs mind was racing. What woke me up? Was it the food door clicking closed? His heart jumped. Quietly he swung his feet to the floor, stepped to the door, and opened the food box. He looked at the badge and a small piece of paper lying in the food box. Finally! My ticket out of here, he thought, while scratching his bushy beard.
The plan, days in execution, was simple. He would exit the prison as a janitor. Each day Jacques had received a note with instructions, which he memorized and flushed down the toilet. The badge was the final item to arrive. It signaled that tonight was the night. Jacques quickly gathered a razor and moved to the sink. Lathering his face, he began to shave off his beard. As he shaved he went over the plan in his mind. Thereâll be a janitorâs cart somewhere nearby. As soon as someone bumps into my door, Iâll use my badge to unlock my cell. Iâll find the janitorâs cart and push it past the guard to the break room. A distraction in another wing of the prison will be in progress to draw attention away from me. This should be a piece of cake.
After shaving, Jacques removed his prisoner jump-suit and donned a janitor uniform. Lucky for me, both prisoners and janitors wear the same kind of shoes. He climbed back into bed and pretended to sleep.
He heard the footsteps of a guard making the hourly rounds. As the footsteps passed his cell, he heard a distinct bump of something hard against his door. He rose, This is it. Iâd better get to it. The note said donât be late. He took one last look around the cell. There was a nagging feeling he was forgetting something, so he looked more closely a second time. Timeâs-a-wasting, he thought. He placed his badge against the latch side of the door, anticipating the click of the lock opening. Nothing. He gave the door a slight budge. It didnât move.
What? Is the chip on the badge screwed up? Think, man, think. Wait a minute! Of course, the inside of the lock must be shielded in case a prisoner gets a badge. What to do? Iâd reach through the food box, but the outside door is locked shut. Or is it?
Jacques opened the inside door of the food box and pushed tentatively against the outer door. It wasnât latched! Jacques grasped the badge and stuck his arm through the passage waving the badge in front of the cell door latch. Relief washed over him as he heard the latch click to the open position.
He opened the door and stepped out into a lava tunnel that was lined by a series of cells. The builders of this âfacilityâ carved cellblocks out of several natural lava tunnels. This provided a secure jail and protected both the prisoners and personnel from the cosmic rays ever present on Mars. There it is, he thought, as he saw the janitor cart just to his right. He took hold and pushed it down the tube. Almost there! The diversion must be in full swing up in cell block A. I can hear it all the way down here. So far so good. Jacques crossed the intersection of the three tubes, each one comprising a âcell blockâ. He was two steps away from the break room when he was stopped by a shout.
âHey, you!â a guard yelled at him. Jacques slowly pointed at himself and shrugged. âYes, you. Iâm talking to you. Get your sorry ass over here.â
Crap! Jacques thought as he turned slowly toward the guard.
The guard looked at him intently. âDo I know you? Never mind. Get up to cell A4. The inmate there got food poisoning. Theyâre treating him right now and are about to take him to the infirmary. Heâs tossed his cookies and has diarrhea. You need to clean it up pronto.â
âBut my shiftâs over,â Jacques replied.
The guard glared at him. âI donât care.â
âI need to meet someone â itâs urgent,â Jacques explained.
âQuit wasting my time. That cell stinks and weâll not put up with the stench until the morning shift. The faster you get to work the sooner you can leave for your âurgentâ meeting.â
âYes, Sir.â Jacques began pushing his cart toward cell A-4. He was careful to look down as he passed the guards and the EMTs, who were removing the sick prisoner.
The stench is worse than what that guard said, Jacques thought. He worked as quickly as he could to clean the floor, bed, toilet, and sink. Bet whoever planned this little distraction didnât count on me being part of it. Iâm going to be sooo late!
Finally, with the mess cleaned, Jacques stored the janitor cart and approached the final prison door. Even though the guard waved him through, his heart was racing. Twenty minutes late. Thisâll never do. I hope Iâm not too late to catch my ride.
Outside the prison, Jacques found himself overlooking a park-like area. It was about the size of a football field and descended gently into a bowl. He guessed that straight ahead, on the other side of the park, was a gated lava tube that led to where the actual Delta 1 colony was located. To his left was another gated lava tube that probably led to the living quarters of the prison staff. Snuggled against the lava outcroppings, the parkâs exposed side was enclosed by a partial geodesic dome structure that extended over the park to form its roof. The structure of stainless steel and heavy plexiglass was covered with a thick layer of ice. This translucent combination allowed an airy feeling during the day. It was a clever way of reducing exposure to cosmic rays. He smelled pine needles. Looking around the park, Jacques saw several small stands of neatly trimmed evergreens. The park also featured a lawn of moss and many raised beds of growing vegetables.
A voice in his head said, Quit gawking and get moving. Youâre late! Jacques turned toward his right and followed a path that led through a stand of trees to an obscure door. Next to the door was an RFID reader and a keypad. To gain access one needed to have the correct badge and key in the correct code, which changed daily. Jacques swiped his badge over the chip reader and keyed in the code that he remembered from the note that came with his badge. Nothing! He tried again. Still nothing. Crap! Think, think. What was the code anyway?
Was it 2463 or 6324 or⌠if I donât get this right, Iâm toast! Jacques had already tried both combinations with no success. Wait, I forgot to swipe my badge when I keyed in the second combination. This time he did both. To his relief, the door unlocked. Jacques opened the door and squinted at the brightness of the lights. He entered the prisonâs service hanger. It was big enough to hold three large starships. Currently, no such vehicles were present. Jacques saw an assortment of half-track service vehicles, hovercraft, and small pursuit aircraft. Jeeze, Iâm a full half-hour late, Jacques fretted. He dashed behind Halftrack #8, as the note had instructed. No one was there. What now? No one ever told me who my contact is! He picked up a nearby broom and started to sweep, trying to fit into his janitorial role.
âHey you!â Someone yelled across the hanger to get his attention. Here we go again, Jacques thought, as he answered, âYes, Sir.â
âYouâre late,â the Sergeant said, as he walked over to Jacques. âThis is no way to start your first night. Follow me and weâll find the captain.â Jacques followed him to a large office on the far side of the hanger. When they arrived, several other maintenance people were leaving. The Sergeant introduced Jacques. âHi, Captain. Hereâs the new janitor.â
The Captain said, âHmph. Being late is no way to start your new job. Sergeant, take him over to Hovercraft Station #3. I noticed that the floor over there is in desperate need of mopping.â
âYes, Sir,â the Sergeant replied. âCome with me,â he said, looking over his shoulder at Jacques. Just as they arrived at the hovercraft station, a tall husky fellow quickly grabbed the Sergeant, from behind, and applied a sleeper hold. The Sergeant flailed, trying to get leverage and break free. But the attacker was too large and strong. Soon, lack of oxygen to the brain left the Sergeant limp. The attacker lowered him to the ground, tied his arms and legs with zip ties, and gagged his mouth. After rolling the Sergeant under a workbench, the assailant opened the hovercraft door and motioned for Jacques to get in. Once inside, he motioned for Jacques to sit in the right seat as he slid into the pilotâs seat.
âYouâre late!â The attacker challenged.
âIâm hearing that a lot lately,â Jacques said.
âWhat? Whatever. The boss wonât be happy.â
âHad to clean up aââ
âSave it for the boss. We need to boogie,â the assailant interrupted. He spoke into his radio, âTraffic Control, this is employee 673682 requesting permission to take hovercraft 492 out for a test spin.â
âHey, Chuck, did the Sarge okay this?â Traffic Control asked.
âYep, and he said I shouldâve started a half-hour ago,â Chuck answered.
âGood enough, Iâm opening the door. When itâs fully up, feel free to leave. Just stay well away from the frontier. Understood?â
âUnderstood,â Chuck answered.
Jacques jumped at the sound of alarms and red lights flashing.
âA little jumpy are we tonight? Thatâs just the notice that a flight door is open. Itâs a safety precaution. They arenât coming for us, yet,â Chuck said.
âBy the way, Chuck is just my cover name. You can call me Dimitri.â He eased the craft out into the night.
âWhyâre we taking just a hovercraft?â
âDonât ask. Iâm getting you out of here, arenât I?â
âDonât we need a spaceship?â Jacques asked
Dimitri continued flipping switches and started communicating with Traffic Control, but didnât answer Jacquesâs question.
âYou know ⌠something that actually flies?â
Dimitri took a deep breath and hit the accelerator. The hovercraft swept forward with a vengeance.
âI have a question Chuck ⌠err⌠Dimitri,â Jacques said. Â
âYouâve got a lot of questions. What is it?â
âWhyâd you take the time to tie up the Sergeant? You couldâve just killed him.â
âYeah ⌠but strangling someone takes more time than youâd think. Besides, if this little adventure goes south Iâll only face an assault charge, not murder.â
This better not go south, Jacques thought.
âSwitch on the toggle marked âcomâ,â Dimitri said.
Jacques complied. The voice of Traffic Control could be heard speaking with other vehicles.
âWhoâs Traffic Control talking to?â Jacques asked.
âResearchers, travelers between Moon Base Alpha and Moon Bases Beta and Charlie. Mostly civilian traffic. OK â nowâs when the fun begins.â Dimitri made a sharp turn and accelerated. Shortly after making his turn a warning alerted Traffic Control. âWARNING! WARNING! THE FRONTIER BORDER IS BEING BREACHED. Sentries intercept the intruder.â
Jacques laughed. âWeâre going in the wrong direction to be intruders.â
âYouâre laughing now but the partyâs over once the pursuit ships arrive.â
âSTOP! STOP! YOU ARE ENTERING A RESTRICTED ZONE,â a sentry drone warned.
Dimitri said, âHere, take over the ship while I occupy those little buggers. Steer toward that slot canyon over there.â He hopped out of his seat and made his way to the back of the ship. Climbing into the port side gunnerâs seat, he started shooting at the drones.
âYou got it,â Jacques said, as he grabbed the controls and began flying.
âDamn those buggers, theyâre too quick dodging my energy bursts. Drop into the slot canyon so theyâll have less room to maneuver.â
Jacques accelerated the craft into the slot canyon.
âHey, a little smoother man! I canât line up my shots.â
âExcuse me,â Jacques rolled his eyes. âIâm keeping us from decorating a wall.â
âQuit complaining and fly smoother. Yeah, like that. Hey! I just got one of those buggers! Yes! Another just lost a wing to the canyon wall.â
Two other security drones hit the canyon wall, trying to evade Dimitriâs fire.
âTake that you little bugger,â Dimitri gloated, as he shot the last drone out of the sky. âGo ahead and set this baby on the ground, Jacques. That was easy.â
 âYeah â too easy, if you ask me.â
âIâm not asking, chump. Just set her down.â
âReally?â Jacques asked.
âThis is where the boss wants to meet us.â
Before Jacques could reply, a middle-aged man in a NASA flight suit appeared in the pilotâs seat that Dimitri had once occupied. The man was looking straight ahead and appeared not to notice Jacques.
Jacques jumped and said, âWhat the Helââ
âOh, donât mind him,â Dimitri interrupted, âthatâs just a hologram of the Boss.â
âCouldâve fooled me.â
Upon hearing the exchange, the hologram looked at Jacques. âYouâre late.â
âI had to clean up a mess left by your planned distraction back at the prison,â Jacques complained.
âYou two being late couldâve ruined this whole endeavor,â the boss said.
âWe lost our escorts anyway, Boss,â Dimitri said.
âThe sentry drones are nothing compared to the pursuit ships. Theyâll be waiting for us as we exit the canyon,â the boss said. âJacques, go take over the starboard side guns. Youâll both have to keep firing at the pursuit ships if we are to survive.â
Jacques took up his gunnery position. âWho flies?â
The boss said, âIâll fly remotely.â
Jacques felt the ship lift and shoot forward. He was pushed hard against his restraining harness as the ship got up to full speed and blasted out of the canyon. Just like a bat out of Hell, he thought.
They were waiting, just as the Boss said, and their initial blasts took out the shipâs shields. But the Boss was flying too fast to be brought down. Soon the escaping vessel was several lengths ahead of the pursuit ships, as they turned and followed. The chatter from their pursuers could be heard clearly over the shipâs speakers. Occasionally, a transmission would be aimed at their ship. âHalt! Set your ship down. You canât escape!â
âTake careful aim boys,â the boss said. âThese pilots will be harder to hit than those pesky drones.â
The ship rocked and pitched wildly as the boss maneuvered to avoid the pursuing shipsâ fire. Jacques and Dimitri aimed carefully, but the pitching and rolling of their ship kept them from scoring any hits. Fortunately, their firing and the bossâs maneuvers kept them safe, for the moment. We canât keep this up much longer. We need to find shelter soon, Jacques thought as he felt a ball of fear knotting up in his stomach.
Jacques glanced forward and saw only an open barren landscape ahead. âFeeling a little exposed back here,â he said.
âNot to worry,â the Boss said, âI have a plan.â With that, he made a hard turn angling toward a small bluff in the distance. The pursuit followed and drew closer.
The speakers came to life again. âWARNING! WARNING! YOU ARE ENTERING A HIGHLY RESTRICTED ZONE. TURN BACK NOW!â
An annoying alarm sounded. Jacques looked at his console and saw a red radiation alarm was blinking. He glanced at the radiation meter. Wow! The radiation meter is off the charts.Â
âAh, Boss, we have wandered full speed into a radiation zone,â Dimitri said.
The boss just laughed. âWhatâs a little radiation among friends?â
âYou heard it boys.â The pursuit leader could be heard over the speakers. âThese clowns are flying us into a radiation field. Itâs time to pull out.â
âRoger that,â was the reply given, as the pursuit ships pulled up and set their course for home. Their leader hovered at the radiation boundary to guard against Dimitri and Jacques circling back.
âGo ahead and fry your hearts out, you fools,â he said.
The alarms grew louder as the boss flew further into the radiation field.
The boss chuckled. âThe secret to any successful escape is to be willing to go where the pursuit wonât follow.â
âWhat about us?â Jacques asked. âWeâre the ones getting fried!â
Together Jacques and Dimitri jumped out of their seats and dove for the shipâs controls. But they couldnât change the ships relentless drive into the radiation.
The Boss laughed and said, âNice try, but the ship is totally in my control. You shouldnât have been so late, Jacques.â
The pursuit leader, hovering at the radiation boundary, sent one last message to the ship trying to escape. He thought, By my calculation, youâll be fried in three more minutes. I guess your boss was more interested in seeing you die than escape.â
This book divides neatly into two sections, each encompassing a different genre.Â
This is a standard soft-science Space Opera. No ink is wasted on the physics of space travel such as speed, time or distance, which is fine. Star Trek didnât do any different. Characters are likeable, sympathetic and more individualistic than the usual stereotypes in this genre.
In the early part of the book, there is a good space battle scene, and while using the space ships like bumper cars is stretching the rules a bit, itâs acceptable.Â
Action sequences on the ground are less practical. For example, in one section, someone is close enough to the pirates that one spits tobacco on his shoulder, but he isnât seen. Soon after, one of the pirates gets close enough to urinate on his foot, but doesnât see him until he exclaims.Â
And then, like Alice down the rabbit hole, the Osprey goes through a wormhole and comes out in a Fantasy story. I wonât discuss the plotline because that would give too much away, but the second half of the story takes place in a sort of underground Middle Earth on Mars, with trolls, dwarfs, fairies, gremlins and flying half-man, half-scorpions. Who speak Latin.
This mishmash is all sorts of fun, with an incredible amount of creativity in the world-building. However, when it comes to conflict, too much magic of different sorts leaves no scope for suspense. Whatever dangerous situation arises, the author will provide a ninety-degree turn in the plot that negates it. After a while we stop worrying that anything will go seriously wrong, and just go along for the ride.
All of this would seem to be leading towards a nice, plain, three-star review, if it wasnât for the poor editing.  For example, the author uses the same paragraph of tactics, verbatim, in two separate spaceship battles.Â
One of the best scenes in the book, a great Garden of Eden-based argument between a mysterious Satan-like demagogue and one of Ospreyâs crew members, is well-argued on both sides, with clear logic and rising tension. Unfortunately, there is one glaring hole in the enemyâs story that negates his argument, and no one notices it. Â
There are also some smaller grammar and spelling errors. If you enjoy both Sci-Fi and Fantasy with the kitchen sink thrown in, this is the book for you.Â