Frontier's Reach: A Space Opera Adventure (Frontiers Book 1) Robert James (mind reading books txt) 📖

away from the Vesta System. His memories of the Argo flashed before his eyes. He remembered the day he’d left along with all the arguments.

Jason reached down into the side of the sofa and found a small flask. He shook it. There was something inside. He pulled the cap and took a long swig. Whatever was in it, burned all the way down.

“Open a commlink to the Argo.”

God help me.

Four

Herald Clinic - Massachusetts, Earth

“What took you so long?”

The hollow eyes of Lewis Keene gazed up at Captain Nicolas Marquez as he entered his room. Putting on a brave face, Nicolas did his best not to stare at the thinned, gaunt body of his friend.

“Well, I took a while to find your brew.” Nicolas pulled a bottle of McKinley Oak scotch from behind his back and handed it to Keene.

He nearly jumped from his bed when he saw the bottle. “Put that away. If my wife or any of the docs see that I’ll be in serious trouble.”

Nicolas took the bottle and hid it behind the plethora of flowers and get-well-soon cards on the windowsill. He turned and took a seat at Keene’s bedside. It’d been the fifth time he’d visited his former Chief-of-the-Boat since the Vanguard came into port. Every time he felt like another part of the chief had slipped away.

“How are you feeling?”

“How do I look?” Keene questioned back.

“Well, you, uh—”

“I look like hell, don’t I?”

While his deteriorating physical condition was obvious, Nicolas couldn’t fault the chief’s mind. “Yeah, I guess you do.”

“Would you believe I feel about ten times worse?”

Three months earlier, Chief Keene had been diagnosed with the dreaded Jung’s Disease, a horrific condition that eats away at every living part of the body from the DNA upwards. There was still no cure for it. Just therapy to stave it off. Some people could beat it for a few years. Most didn’t.

When the Vanguard reached port two months earlier for its refit, Keene began his treatment. Though Nicolas didn’t want to admit it to himself, he didn’t think his friend would break any records. “Well, I hope you’re being nice to the doctors.”

“Kids, the lot of them.” Keene snorted. “It feels like a kindergarten around here.”

“I’m sure they’re having a ball caring for a crotchety old bastard like yourself.”

“Just trying to keep them on their toes.” Keene chuckled. “How much longer am I going to have you visiting me anyway? Surely the Vanguard’s due to depart soon.”

“The refit’s on schedule. It won’t be too much longer.”

“Good, you’re making the place look untidy.” Keene fluffed his pillow. “And what of my replacement?”

Nicolas straightened his back at the question. “I—”

“You haven’t evaluated any of the candidates yet, have you?”

“I haven’t had the time,” Nicolas lied.

“You know I’m not coming back. At some point you’ll need to decide who’s taking my place.”

 Nicolas had served with Keene a long time. Replacing him was not something he wanted to think about, especially with his friend on his deathbed.

“Commander Perera to Captain Marquez.”

Nicolas activated his commband with a press of the device on his wrist. “Go ahead, Commander.”

“Sir, a message from HQ. You’re to report to Admiral Mueller immediately.”

Nicolas dropped his head. “Very well. Inform HQ I’m on my way.”

“Aye, sir.”

Keene whistled. “It’s not every day you get called to the principal’s office.”

“I’ll be sure to send her your love.” Nicolas stood from his chair and rolled his eyes. “Don’t drink all that scotch on your own.”

 ”I’ll save you a glass.”

CDF Headquarters - Miami, Earth

Nicolas’s transport pod swept low over the city of Miami giving him the opportunity to take in all the colorful views of the art-deco buildings that continued to stand the test of time. He’d always found it amusing that the Commonwealth Defense Force based their headquarters in the warm climate of Florida. Officially it was due to the historical significance regarding the early space programs. But Nicolas knew better.

The sun was out, the sky was blue, and the beaches were full of people taking a dip in the clear waters off the coast. He was envious. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone for a swim.

The pilot of the pod flew over the water and toward Key Biscayne, the home of the CDF Headquarters. The vast complex appeared to rise out of the ocean, like something from an old Jules Verne tale. The pod closed and gently descended, touching down on its extended struts.

“Thank you, Ensign.” Nicolas unbuckled himself from his seat and gave a nod of appreciation to the pilot. The rear airlock opened and he stepped onto the landing pad. Waiting for him stood a man in a navy-blue admiral’s uniform with a dour expression. His eyes examined Nicolas as if he were a first-year cadet.

Nicolas straightened his back and saluted. “Captain Nicolas Marquez, reporting as ordered.”

A grin curled on the side of the admiral’s mouth, until it became a full-blown smile. “It’s good to see you, Nicolas.” They shook hands. “It’s been a long time.”

“Too long, sir.” Nicolas had the honor of Admiral Gerald Foster being one of his instructors at the academy. He’d been the mentor to thousands who had gone through the system over the years.

“So, working in the Fleet Operations office?” Nicolas followed the admiral toward the door. “Get sick of the academy, did we?”

“Hardly.” They walked through the entrance of the building and strolled down the elaborate corridors of HQ. “I just wanted to be promoted to admiral before you. I couldn’t let you beat me to the top.”

“Still time yet.”

“I’ll make sure to keep an eye on my back.” Foster led him around a corner and entered the command wing of the building. “How’s the Vanguard’s refit proceeding?”

It’d been a whirlwind couple of months back on Earth. While the bulk of Nicolas’s ship’s refit had been concentrated on the new Mark V FTL engine that could propel vessels at forty times the speed of light, there was still the upgrade of ancillary systems to deal with. “They installed