Ascendant Saga Collection: Sci-Fi Fantasy Techno Thriller Brandon Ellis (ebook reader for comics txt) 📖

“I wouldn’t piss on you if you were on fire,” said Fox. “You’re a traitor. By now, during your hypnotherapy sessions with Dr. Donny, you’ve probably uncovered that you defected from the Secret Space Program to help our enemy, the Taiyonians.”

“The who?” He shook his head. “I’ve only had two se—”

Fox clenched his jaw. “Slade on the other hand wants to milk you for information that can benefit our trip to Callisto. He’s got some hair-brained idea that you know something useful. That much you know. The rest, well, you’ll probably never find out if I can convince Slade that once a defector, always a defector.”

“Who are the Taiyonians?”

Fox stepped forward. “Don’t play coy with me, asshole. When you were in the SSP you were a great asset. In fact, even I was impressed with your skills.” He shoved the rifle forward. “Then you left your squadron, our squadron.”

“What squadron?”

Fox clicked on his communication device. “Slade, I have Jaxx in front of me. He was snooping around the RIOUT room and checking out images on one of the computers in here. I’m positive he’s sending information to someone we’d not approve. I knew he wouldn’t change. I’m about to pull this trigger on this low-life, slime-bucket and I don’t know if I can stop myself. Come soon.”

“Do not pull that trigger, Fox! I’ll be right there. Out.”

Fox gave a sly smile. “He ain’t gonna be happy, Jaxx.”

Jaxx’s heart raced faster, perspiration dotted his forehead.

Fox blew an exasperated breath. “Maybe a long time in prison will set you straight.”

Jaxx wouldn’t have access to the images of Callisto from a computer behind bars. That meant the email had to go out to Drew now.

He eyed Fox’s rifle, bringing up every emotion he had, and thrust it towards the rifle.

Nothing happened. The rifle didn’t fly across the room like Donny’s pen. Telekinesis took a rain check. Maybe it was all a setup and he never had the powers in the first place. He’d have to do it the hard way. Jaxx kept his hands up and slowly lowered himself onto the chair. “I just have to do one thing.”

“I told you not to move. Stand up.”

“I’m not doing anything illegal or bad.” He turned, facing the computer. He put his hand on the mouse, directing the mouse icon over the send button. “I just have to—”

A gunshot cracked the air and Jaxx fell forward, his chest bouncing hard off the edge of the desk. He fell back, his left shoulder numb, blood splattered all over the screen. Everything went silent. Jaxx’s breaths came quick and shallow, his left arm useless.

He raised his right arm, grabbed the chair and pulled himself up, dazed. He swiveled the chair around to see where Fox was, his vision fazing in and out. Fox yelled something Jaxx couldn’t quite make out. He wanted to tell Fox that he surrendered. It could give him another few seconds to send the email.

He tried to speak, but nothing. Jaxx raised his good arm, waiving it like a white flag of surrender. His left shoulder ached, the thick, wet blood dripping off his fingertips. His head bobbed down towards his chest and his vision almost faded. He figured he didn’t have much more life left in him. It didn’t matter anymore that Drew dug up information for him. What mattered now was for Drew to get this information out to the world.

Fox closed one eye, aiming at his target—Jaxx. His finger gently touched the trigger just as Slade came running into the room, reaching for Fox.

An instant too late.

Another blast fired from the rifle and Jaxx went flying back out of his seat and against the computer. He slid off the chair and onto his knees, cringing in pain. He spat out blood, iron, and salt burning in his throat, as if the bullet’s innards were traveling its way up from the wound.

His breaths changed, harder. He glanced down at his chest. Blood oozed down onto the floor, his sternum collapsed inward. He lifted his good hand up, fumbling with the mouse. He clicked it several times before collapsing to the floor, hoping the mouse’s arrow still hovered on the send button. If so, the email delivered the attachments to Drew. If not, then Jaxx figured he signed his own death warrant for nothing.

14

May 29thStar Warden – Second Class Star Carrier – Secret Space Program. J-Quadrant, Solar System (Near Jupiter)

Admiral Gentry Race’s fleet sat .39 Astronomical Units from Callisto, approximately thirty-six million miles from the moon. They’d been there, waiting, for two days. Waiting for the Global Safety Administration, namely Colonel Slade Roberson, to return their Interstellar Phone Calls. IPCs shouldn’t take that long. Slade purposely stalled. But Admiral Race couldn’t jump the gun. He needed more information before they moved any closer to Callisto. Was it inhabited? If so, were the inhabitants friendly? Had the GSA made contact? Had they signed treatise? What in the name of all that was good and holy was the damned status? He ignored the urge, as he always did, to punch something, very hard.

They were being ignored by the Global Safety Administration. Or, more likely, the Global Safety Administration was pissing their pants this very instant with the knowledge that he, and by extension the Secret Space Program, knew about the structures on Callisto. GSA’s rogue satellite had been detected. That wasn’t a good predicament, especially if the satellite didn’t go through the government protocols for approval. The Secret Space Program had the right to retrieve corporate rogue satellites without asking. He reached out to Slade as a courtesy; old colleagues and all that rot.

Gentry walked over to the central display in the middle of the bridge. It was a large table fitted with small laser mounts, each projecting a single laser beam that split into two beams by a special lens. The Holographic Lectern. On display were holographic images of the fleet and the fleet’s health constitution data.

He