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

“It’s fine,” said Martelle. “He still doesn’t have a clue. The smartest man on Earth and he doesn’t know he’s the key to our future. You’d think they’d teach them common sense, but no. He’s all angles, vectors, and theory.”

Slade laughed.

Jaxx stared at one man, then the other, trying, as always, to fit the pieces together.

“I even threw him a bone,” said Martelle. “Mentioned his name was etched on the pyramid on Callisto.” He slapped Jaxx on the back. “Why didn’t you ask how I know that? You’re incredible.”

Jaxx’s mouth hung open. The possibilities raged through his head. They were going to a resource-rich moon, possibly inhabited, with the Government, a gaggle of scientists, and the military. Not good, not good at all.

“We’re just headed for a drink, Slade. Care to join us?” President Craig Martelle flung his arm around Jaxx’s shoulder and steered him towards the bar.

Destination Atlantis

Ascendant Chronicles #2

Destination Atlantis

Ascendant Chronicles #2

Copyright © 2020 Brandon Ellis

Published by Hudson Indie Ink

www.hudsonindieink.com

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.

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All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referred to in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorised, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

Destination Atlantis/Brandon Ellis - 4th ed

ISBN-13 - 978-1-913769-63-5

Prologue

June 13th - Star Warden – Second Class Star Carrier – Secret Space Program - J-Quadrant, Solar System (Near Jupiter, Callisto Moon Orbit)

Star Warden’s reverse thrusters slowed the large ship, its engines easing into neutral as she entered Callisto’s orbit. The Second-Class Star Carrier was on a first-class mission: to land on Jupiter’s moon, Callisto, and claim it for the United States.

Admiral Gentry Race slid his hand over his freshly-shaved chin, a reminder to himself to behave like an admiral. Even though Callisto shaped up as the find of the century, and he’d be the first with boots on the ground, he couldn’t afford to let his excitement show.

“Executive Officer Bogle…” He faced her. “Have we detected human life down there? Correction, human or ‘other?’”

Bogle stood to attention. “The starfighters on Callisto appear cutting edge and recent builds, Admiral.”

Callisto’s pyramids, landing pads, and forested, biospheric translucent dome filled the screen in front of Gentry. If that didn’t peak his curiosity and awe enough, jet-like craft lined up alongside these marvels of ancient engineering. How pyramids or starfighters came to be on Callisto was a question for another day. Today, Gentry wanted to land and plant the flag.

“According to our scans, Sir, the moon’s a treasure of ores and minerals. Among other resources, we’ve detected crude oil, a subsurface ocean, and underground rivers and lakes. The surface’s electrotonic signatures register crystal and gold. The moon is teeming with underground assets.”

“You didn’t answer my question, Bogle. Have we detected life forms?”

“Negative, Sir.”

“Then whoever assembled this fleet has left?”

“That is one interpretation, Admiral.”

“Good,” said Gentry. They could mine Callisto’s resources without resistance. He pointed at an officer near the back of the bridge. “Send a communication to Colonel Slade Roberson.” He grinned. He’d beaten Slade to the punch. “Open communication. ‘Callisto secured’. Close communication.”

Colonel Slade and Admiral Gentry had served in the Secret Space Program together, for eighteen years, until Slade left to head the so-called 'Global Security Administration' which, in his own words, was tasked with 'securing humanity’s survival'. If the ocean’s rose, as Slade believed they would, and Earth was subjected to yet another Great Inundation, what better than a habitable moon? Though Slade and Gentry were ostensibly on the same side, Gentry was beyond thrilled that he would be first to set foot on Callisto. It would serve Slade right for leaving the SSP for civvy-street. Civilians weren’t suited to space exploration. Best leave that to the professionals.

“Take us down.”

“Affirmative.” Bogle's focus glued to the moon’s anomaly’s on the ships wide view screen, she slightly jerked back her head. “Warning, Sir.” She motioned toward the view screen. “We detect movement. Something is emerging from the ground. Whatever it is, is huge. I mean, massive. If I’m not mistaken, they are turrets. Scans report forty-four in total.”

Gentry glared into the view screen. “Are they targeting us?”

“Yes, Sir.”

That caught Gentry by surprise. No contact. No disagreement. No declaration of combat or war. He slapped his console, frustrated. “God dammit. Ready cannons.”

“Cannons ready.”

“Do not fire unless they fire at us,” ordered Gentry.

Bogle scanned her chair’s holographic display for energy anomalies. She didn’t have to look far. There were short pulses of energy, grouped in bursts of eight, emanating from the 'Lady of Atlantis', a statue the size of the Statue of Liberty, also known as 'Princess Leia' to the Secret Space Program. “We’re detecting strong energetic activity from the Princess. Her heat signature is rising.”

“Zoom in,” said Gentry.

Bogle brought the statue on the view screen. As Gentry racked focus, Princess Leia changed her transmission, pulsing blues and oranges. Bogle’s fingers raced across her screen, activating audio, visual, binary, every decoder that Gentry imagined she could think of, but her screen kept blinking the same useless result,

'Code source unknown. Message unreadable'

“The Princess is transmitting something, but she’s not targeting the turrets. But, it’s not to us, either. Maybe she’s communicating with sub-surface Beings, Sir.”

Energetic bolts, like balls of electricity, shot from the turrets. They exited Callisto’s thin atmosphere in a hurry, and slammed into Star Warden. The starship buckled under