A Sword Into Darkness
Read A Sword Into Darkness Online
Authors: Thomas A. Mays
A SWORD INTO DARKNESS
“
Solid adventure, intrigue and speculative space-tech, from a rising star in military science fiction.
”
—
DAVID BRIN
, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of ‘
EXISTENCE
,’ ‘
THE POSTMAN
,’ and ‘
STARTIDE RISING
’
“
There are brilliant first contact stories, great space combat stories, and amazing stories of technological discovery. Rarely do you find all three in the same novel. Remember the name Thomas A. Mays. You’re going to be seeing it on the bestseller list.
”
—
JEFF EDWARDS,
Award-winning author of
‘
SEA OF SHADOWS
,’ and ‘
THE SEVENTH ANGEL
’
“
Sharply written, suspenseful and tightly plotted, A SWORD INTO DARKNESS reads like the best Tom Clancy novels, with a science fiction heart provided by Arthur C. Clark. Can’t wait to read more from Thomas Mays!
”
—
GRAHAM BROWN
, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of ‘
ZERO HOUR
,’ ‘
BLACK RAIN
,’ and ‘
THE EDEN PROPHECY
’
A SWORD INTO DARKNESS
Thomas A. Mays
Stealth Books
A SWORD INTO DARKNESS
Copyright © 2013 by Thomas A. Mays
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author or publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Stealth Books
www.stealthbooks.com
www.improbableauthor.com
ISBN-13: 978-1-939398-13-0
Printed in the United States of America
TABLE OF CONTENTS
6: “OF PICTURES, PRAWNS, AND POSSIBILITIES”
DEDICATION
To my lovely wife, Jen. She’s not a big sci-fi reader, but hopefully she makes it far enough in to see this.
I love you, Babe!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book would not have been possible without the massive assistance I’ve received from a great many people across this wonderful nation of ours. All the good things about it came out of close collaboration with these fine folks and groups. Any bit of awful science, military strategy, or prose that remains is entirely my fault. Special thanks to:
The United States Navy and all my shipmates from USS STETHEM (DDG 63), USS LASSEN (DDG 82), USS BONHOMME RICHARD (LHD 6), COMDESRON 26, Naval Postgraduate School, Surface Warfare Officers’ School, Pacific Missile Range Facility, and US Fleet Forces Command
Jeff Edwards (who goes above and beyond the call)
Winchell Chung and his amazing site, Atomic Rockets
Mark and Melissa Ellis, and the whole Newport Roundtable
Baen’s Bar and the Barflies, especially Edith Maor, Sam Hidaka,
Gray Rinehart, and Gary Cuba
Nathaniel Torson
Charles Lakey
Chris Ross Leong
Maria Edwards
The Kevins (Henson, Csubak, and Allison)
Joe, Iris, and Daniel Peace
All of those who followed me over from SciFi-Meshes.com
the entire First Readers Group (you know who you are!)
and lastly, but most importantly, my family: Mom, Dad, the Brothers, Jen, Isabel, Gabrielle, Dylan, and Kona. Without you, I wouldn’t be who I am and I wouldn’t write how I write. Love y’all.
BOOK ONE: “FORGED”
1: “TURNAROUND”
April 3, 2023; NASA Headquarters; Washington DC
There
was nothing quite like the District in springtime. Gentle sunlight bathed the cityscape with warmth, banishing the last vestiges of winter's gloom and filling the idealistic and the unscrupulous alike with hope for the coming year. Fragrant, flowering ramparts of lilacs, forsythia, and cherry blossoms bordered sidewalks, providing tourists, politicos, and drivers an almost idyllic setting for navigating the nation’s capitol. Not even thoughts of the inevitable scandals, gang violence, and traffic congestion—which were certain to come with summer—could spoil Washington’s upbeat mood.
That mood was not shared by all, however.
A side door to the National Aeronautic and Space Administration’s DC headquarters burst open and released a furious, embarrassed Gordon Elliot Lee upon the city. He stormed out of the building, muttering to himself and glaring at the knots of ill-attired tourists walking along E street. Gordon strode forward with purpose, his own dark mood unrelieved by the joyful colors and pleasantly fragrant air everyone else seemed to bask in. He brushed past stupefied Washingtonians and stalked toward the nearest garbage can he could find, right at the intersection of E and 3rd. Reaching the can, he ripped open his slim briefcase.