Solar Warden by Jakob Waechter (best thriller novels to read .txt) 📖

move after they took their seats. It was late afternoon as they arrived. They made the full tour. So Samuel could see much of the base and labs but not all. There were still some restricted areas. Even that he signed the documents.

Ryan went now with Samuel to the lab.

“Here we do our research and analysis. This is a computer lab where we can do most of the technical analysis. Team this is Dr. Samuel Archer our new expert for the foreign language. He is also a computer scientist like Kelsey. So I introduce you to her first. She is our computer expert coming from a cyber defense team of the CIA. It was more the hacking team which did the attack scenarios. So she is very skilled in analyzing foreign code,” Ryan told.

Kelsey was not tall. With her long brown hair and the fitting eyes to them, she looked surly appealing. “Dr. Archer nice to meet you.”

Samuel which didn’t focused her too much while looking around, he shook her hand. Looking at her directly she could have Arabic ancestors like him.

Ryan notice that there was something more than just a greeting. “Also we have a physicist for deeper technical stuff. Major Newman is our expert in physics.”

Samuel also shook his hand.

Newman’s body seemed to be similar to Samuel. He was taller. From his face and the color, he could have had Afro-American ancestors, which supported his black hair. “Dr. Archer welcome to our team.”

Ryan continued, “Another member of our team is Dr. Watkins. She is our expert for biology.”

She was tall and a bit athletic, with blond hair. Also she looked quite attractive for Samuel. “Dr. Archer we are glad for your assistance.”

After shaking hands, Ryan went with him in the common room. “Here we have our two pilots Taylor and Owens.”

Taylor had the hair cut short. Her size was between Watkins and Kelsey. She looked stronger and more trained.

Owens had black hair. He was also well trained and had size close to Ryan’s. His chest was not as broad compared to Ryan and Caine.

They shook hands and the greeting ceremony was over. Samuel was not sure what he should think of this. Two pilots and physicist. What does they have to do with archology and this translation he made. Then a computer scientist who is specialized in hacking.

Now he and Ryan went back to the lab. It was now Samuels turn to show of what he had. He showed his software to his new team. Even the two pilots showed up to check it out. After showing everything and some discussions, for Samuel the introduction was over. He left to his new flat to start work tomorrow. The others started to play a bit around with the software. It seemed for Samuel that more information will come on the next day.

 

“Good morning Dr. Archer,” Marc Newman the physicist in his team was greeting.

“Good morning Dr. Newman, did you played a bit with my algorithm?” Samuel asked.

“Yes, I gave them a lot more data we have. To analyze this, it will take quite some time to get results. But more important are the numbers. We need to know what value each symbol stands for,” Marc replied.

Samuel was accessing a computer nearby and viewing one of those text pages with symbols, which now were partly translated.

“Well, if you entered a lot more of these cryptic symbol text pages we should get a solution automatically. But if there still is not enough information in it, we have to guess or check the translation by our own to find a possible number we can identify.” Samuel was now checking the translation, but what he could read gave him no clue for the values of the numbers. Both were now checking the translations for some clues. It still was not done. So they looked at some of the possible fitting words by moving the mouse pointer over the symbols to see the current possibilities. Only where a single solution was found the corresponding symbols were replaced.

Then Maxima Kelsey the computer expert was joining them. She was looking very tired.

“Hi, Max seems the morning looks not so good for you?” Marc noted.

“Yes, I worked too long and should have slept longer. But I got a breakthrough with the new translations. I started the algorithm like shown from Samuel with the known stuff and used some cloud power of the NSA. I hope they don't bother. I have been notified that the calculation is done and the solution counter for the numbers I picked says one. There are also some instructions pages I checked before I went to bed. With them we should figure out where we can direct interface with the device and get the raw data out. This means we should be able to find something similar like an ASCII table. So we can easily verify the numbers,” she explained while accessing another computer. The two men were now joining her.

 

It was afternoon as a meeting with Major Ryan occurred.

“I have some reports of the NSA which is accusing us hacking into their system and abusing their cloud for weather forecast calculations. Lieutenant Kelsey is there something to say?” Ryan looked at her.

“Well, if they think it was that we should not argue. We got a major breakthrough. All data and the numbers have been translated. There is not much which could be not solved to a single solution,” Max replied.

“Then Lieutenant Kelsey we will go to phase two. I will apologize to the NSA and tomorrow we will meet on the proving ground. Mr. Archer after your successful training you can decide where to go on,” Ryan replied.

“Does this mean I have to join the military?” Samuel asked skeptical.

“Well, you are in the military. For that a little weapon and combat experience is needed. But if you want stay out of field missions you still can stay on civilian duties. The different risk levels I will explain to you after the training. The training does not mean you will become a soldier. But on field missions a bit endurance and combat knowledge is useful,” Ryan explained.

“But those stuff we have translated was seemingly from a spacecraft. What should combat training be good for working with spacecraft’s?” Samuel argued.

“To give you a bit more information. There was a navigation address in the system of this spacecraft and we will go there as we now understand it. To encourage you a bit more for your upcoming training. It is possible that we will land on a foreign world and you can be part of that team. The full briefing you will get when we depart to our preparation base. You can also stay here and do research, it's your decision,” Ryan informed.

Samuel was thinking.

“I guess I take the training then,” he finally decided.

“Good. I think that's all for now. Dismissed.” Ryan finished the meeting.

Ryan thought he saw something as Samuel was introduced to Kelsey. He was tactical thinking and the knowledge that Kelsey was eager about her carrier because of her father, might lead him to use it to get Samuel ready for field missions. He knew he would need an expert on the front and Kelsey’s skills were just too valuable to risk it there.

“Kelsey, for the training shorter hair might be useful,” Ryan said.

“Affirmative.”

 

A month later Samuel was meeting the others at a hangar. His training was successful done. There were the two pilots Owens and Taylor, the biologists Watkins, Marc Newman, Maxima Kelsey, Thomas Ryan and John Caine waiting. As Samuel decided to take the full risk option, somehow he competed with Newman and Kelsey in the training. They were in the body condition similar like him. Also Kelsey seemed to be interesting for him, which he tried to not show too much. The same was it for Kelsey, because it could have effects on her carrier.

Watkins had a better condition and could compete with the pilots. Also the shooting went ok for Samuel.

Nevertheless, he was now member of the team and had a military grade of a Lieutenant.

“So we are complete. This is our team for the upcoming mission. We are now transferring to our preparation base and then to our operation ship when it arrives. Let's go,” Ryan finished and led into the hanger. It was dark outside and not much lighting. The hangar lights went on as they opened the doors.

“There it is the TR-3CS the shuttle version of our TR-3C fighters. For all which don't know it yet. This is an anti-gravity powered spaceplane. So we have artificial gravity on our flight to the Moon.” Ryan told and walked to the open back ramp of the shuttle. Then he stepped up the ramp for the airlock. The shuttle was triangular and over 25-meter long.

“So here is an airlock this means with pressure suits we could also operate in space. But it also can clean us from most of the biological danger we might encounter. So our standard operation suits will work well here,” Ryan explained.

Both doors of the airlock were open. The inner cabin had ten seats and two stretchers that could be used for multiple needs. There was a toilet and some locker for equipment. In the middle another door led to the cockpit. Taylor went to the front where they started the preflight checks as Owens arrived, after closing the backdoors.

Ryan showed the others around. There was not much to show but the locker near the cockpit door were filled with food and drinks. The weapons locker was empty. And there were some emergency suits. On each side of the cabin above the beds were also a bigger screen. Ryan explained, it will show all needed tactical information, the cockpit view or any other useful sensor feeds. Also every seat had a smaller display in the back. The cabin itself had no windows.

“Preflight check done. We are ready to depart,” Lieutenant Taylor informed as she opened the hangar doors with the integrated remote control.

“OK, team. Get to your seats. Using the belts is optional. It will be a smooth flight.” Ryan informed and also went for his seat. He was the last one.

“We are ready Lieutenant Taylor,” he said as he looked at the front display showing the cockpit view where the hangar doors were opening.

The spaceplane started to hover. Then the landing gears went in. They were a mixture from skids and wheels. Slowly they floated out of the hangar and as they were far enough away they accelerated up into the dark sky. Inside there was not much to feel about that maneuver which looked a bit like a catapult start into the sky. Also the changed angle to the horizontal was not noticeable.

 

As expected it was a smooth flight. They were close to their destination. The Moon base came in sight on the display.

“Amazing how could we build such a base in secrecy and stay hidden?” Samuel asked.

“Well, we didn't build it. We captured it from aliens which probably observed us for a long time. Also this view here is infrared enhanced. We are on the dark side of the Moon.” Ryan turned the infrared mode off. There was only a black screen now.

“Captured? Did we encounter the aliens or have some imprisoned?” Samuel asked.

“No, they have seen us coming and departed in time. So we captured an empty base with minimal technology. But suitable for our operations. The Solar Warden project we are part of could extend its resources because of that,” Ryan explained and switched the infrared mode back on.

The base was close now. On a building was a landing pad and on its side a building that could be a hangar. Also on the ground there was a much bigger area which could also be a landing location.

“You see that big area. That is for our ship we use when we start our operation. The landing pad for it is built by us. Meanwhile since we captured this base