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

tapped the Lectern, about to order another IPC to the Global Safety Administration, when Captain Bogle spoke, “Bringing up energy signatures on the Lectern. This is unbelievable.” She gave a slow shake of her head.

Gentry drew back when a pyramid materialized on the Lectern. A bar chart of heat, electricity, and electromagnet radiation appeared next to the pyramid.

Bogle walked to him, placing both hands on the Lectern. “The chart shows exactly what the satellite detected from Callisto’s largest pyramid.”

Heat at minimal levels. Electromagnetic radiation safe. Electricity, on the other hand, off the charts. Energy signatures high enough to power a megalopolis on Earth blipped on the hologram. Either left on by the last inhabitants of the moon, or someone currently lived there.

“Tell the rest of the fleet to remain here. We’re going in for a closer look. This is an asset and belongs to the American people. It’s not going to fall into private hands. If that asshole thinks otherwise, he has another thing coming. Leave Slade another IPC message. Let him know that we know.”

Gentry sat at his small Lectern in the Admiral Quarters, letting the Rapid Ion Drives—RI Drives—propel his ship closer to his objective, Callisto. Jupiter just off in the distance; a beauty in the darkness of space.

Still no word from Slade.

He dialed up an image of Earth, taken by an SSP satellite in lower orbit. The smell of coffee filled his room. He picked up his mug and took a sip. He moved his finger across the image of the Earth, zeroing in on a target. North America.

Each human had a distinct ID, fingerprints. He touched another portion of the hologram, pulling up Slade’s. “Where are you? Where? Are? You? Where did you take your SSP retired ass?”

He pressed on Slade’s fingerprints and dragged it over to North America. The Lectern ran a search, the results pulling up a few seconds later.

SPECIFY SUBJECT’S LOCATION BY YEAR

LOCATE SUBJECT’S CURRENT AND PRESENT LOCATION

NEW SEARCH

He waived his finger over present location. The Lectern searched. Gentry folded his hands, waiting for his results.

Star Warden flew slowly, cautiously. Just in case. Gentry had been in combat with races from other systems. If there was a race living on Callisto, he didn’t want to find himself and his crew in the middle of an ambush.

Where is Slade? His search on the Lectern took longer than normal. Is he off planet?

He leaned in, resting his chin on his palm. His briefing with his officers and Captain Bogle earlier, indicated that of all places in the solar system, Callisto might be the best place to live outside of Earth. Yes, it appeared to be dead, but it was far from it. It was the most abundantly oxygen-rich object in the solar system, besides Earth. It was out of Jupiter’s radiation belt, but close enough to steal warmth from the gas giant.

The Lectern brought up data, pulling Gentry out of his reverie. “There you are.”

DATES OF FINGERPRINT LOCATION WITHIN LAST FIVE DAYS

MOST RECENT FINGERPRINT LOCATION

NEW SEARCH

Gentry waived his finger over most recent fingerprint location. The satellite, created by the Secret Space Program to find anyone, anywhere, and at any time, was able to pinpoint a subject’s exact location by fresh fingerprint identification. Fingerprints, if not scrubbed, leave a trace for up to forty years. The freshest fingerprints could give someone’s location away in a matter of seconds. In this case, it took Gentry three minutes and forty-two seconds to find Slade. He’d given the man every opportunity to return his calls; he couldn’t be faulted for tracking him down, even if it was considered crass to use SSP hardware to track a colleague. Or, as in Slade’s case, a former colleague.

Slade, however, wasn’t at the GSA headquarters in Plano, Texas, where Gentry tried to connect. He was deep underground in St. George’s, Grenada. No wonder it took so long for the Lectern to find results.

Gentry pressed holographic buttons, bringing up all the phone numbers in the area. Hundreds popped up. He highlighted them, keeping them on the hologram, but erasing everything else. He tapped a few more buttons, pulling up Slade’s vocal recognition, which came up as a microphone icon. He dragged it to the phone numbers. A few seconds later, all phone numbers vanished but one.

“Lectern, call number and use GSA Plano, Texas as our caller ID.”

The phone patched in the number and Gentry heard it ring.

“Colonel Slade Roberson.”

“Well, if it isn’t Colonel Slade ‘Gumpop’ Roberson.” Gentry grinned. He didn’t need to introduce himself. Slade would recognize his voice and, with any luck, be pissed at the reminder of his old SSP nickname. How he would have loved seeing Slade’s expression.

A pause, as if Slade thought about hanging up. “Admiral Gentry Race.”

“What are your plans with Callisto?”

“It’s above your pay grade, Admiral.”

Gentry rolled his eyes. “I get paid more than you, Slade.”

“Not anymore.”

Gentry needed Slade to talk. “We figured out why you’re interested. It seems that the pyramids give off power like you wouldn’t believe. Can you image that, Slade?”

“What are you getting at?”

“The Secret Space Program has authority over even those in the United States government, black ops or public figures. I’m going to ward off J-quadrant and do a thorough investigation on those structures on Callisto.”

“No, you will not.”

Gentry curled his lips. “This is my investigation now. You could say you’re in my jurisdiction.”

“I have authority from the President of the United States to research and investigate Callisto. This is my baby. Do not touch.”

A warning cropped up on the Lectern, accompanied with a face and fingerprints. He stood, not believing his eyes. “The Lectern is letting me know an old SSP enlistee is near your location. Kaden Jaxx? Why is he near you? Anything connected to his past—people, objects, even smells—will bring back his memories, Slade. Are you nuts? We can’t activate Jaxx. That’d be suicide.”

“I know what I’m doing. He is safe with us. We aren’t exposing him to anything that will trigger that set of memories. He