Kirov Saga: Altered States (Kirov Series)

Kirov Saga:

Altered States

Volume I

By

John Schettler

A publication of:
The Writing Shop Press

Kirov Saga:
Altered States
, Copyright©2013, John A. Schettler

Discover other titles by John Schettler:

The Kirov Saga:
(Military Fiction)

Kirov
-
Kirov Series - Volume I
Cauldron Of Fire -
Kirov Series - Volume II

Pacific Storm -
Kirov Series - Volume III

Men Of War -
Kirov Series - Volume IV
Nine Days Falling -
Kirov Series - Volume V

Fallen Angels -
Kirov Series - Volume VI

Devil’s Garden -
Kirov Series - Volume VII

Armageddon
– Kirov Series – Volume VIII

Altered States
– Kirov Series – Volume IX

Award Winning Science Fiction:

Meridian
-
Meridian Series - Volume I
Nexus Point
- Meridian Series - Volume II
Touchstone
- Meridian Series - Volume III

Anvil of Fate
- Meridian Series - Volume IV
Golem 7
- Meridian Series - Volume V
Classic Science Fiction:
Wild Zone
- Dharman Series - Volume I
Mother Heart
- Dharman Series - Volume II
Historical Fiction:
Taklamakan
- Silk Road Series - Volume I
Khan Tengri
- Silk Road Series - Volume II

Dream Reaper
– Mythic Horror Mystery

Mailto: [email protected]

http://www.writingshop.ws ~ http://www.dharma6.com

Kirov Saga:

Altered States

Volume I

By

John Schettler

“Mother Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations.”

—
Faith Baldwin

Kirov Saga:

Altered States

By

John Schettler

Foreword
Part I –
Altered States

Part II –
The Spin

Part III –
Glorious
Part IV –
Resurrection

Part V –
Encounters

Part VI –
Deja Vu

Part VII –
Intervention
Part VIII –
Ride of the Valkyries
Part IX –
Altmark

Part X –
Shadow of Death

Part XI –
War Councils

                             
Part XII –
The Witching Hour

Foreword:

At
the end of Book 8 in the
Kirov Saga
five new novels were proposed as put to a vote by the readers. It was not surprising that this continuation of the
Kirov Saga
in a 9th volume entitled
Altered States
ranked #1 in the reader poll, and was also the #1 vote getter in all the many emails I received, which constituted the bulk of the voting. The #2 proposal was the alternate history of the WWII naval campaign in the North Atlantic that was entitled
Hindenburg
and predicated on the assumption that in 1936 Germany initiates an aggressive naval building program to produce ship designs conceived under the code name “Plan Z.”

As
Altered States
was to present the world that was born as a consequence of
Kirov’s
many interventions in the past history, it seemed plausible to me that the Plan Z alternative could have easily been one of the many things that changed. I therefore decided to please as many readers as possible by combining those two top proposals into one new story here under the title
Altered States.
In so doing I will present all the historical material for the
Hindenburg / Plan Z
story, as integral to the continuation of the ongoing trials and travails of the mighty
Kirov
.

Though this story is a fiction, I have made every effort to underpin it with sound research concerning ships that fought this campaign and the men who led them to sea and served on them. All the old characters you have come to know aboard
Kirov
are here, along with several new historical characters I will be developing as this portion of the saga both continues the story from where it last ended while also beginning a new series that will take you through the naval campaign in the West.

Historical characters are real persons who lived, fought, and sometimes died in the actions described…and some fated to die live here in my story when fate or chance changes their personal destiny. LtC. Christopher Wells, for example, died aboard HMS
Glorious
on that ill fated day in June of 1940 when she was caught by
Scharnhorst
and
Gneisenau
. Yet here I have given him a new life, with all respect to those that knew and loved him, and I sincerely hope my fictional depiction is deemed worthy of the man he truly was.

The
Kirov Series
itself has gone through many evolutions, and though I have thought to bring it to a conclusion several times, it keeps finding a way to carry on. At present it is structured as a set of trilogies linked by what I call “bridge novels.” The opening trilogy comes to some satisfying end at the conclusion of Book III,
Pacific Storm
when Karpov spares the
Key West
.  It was then that I wondered how their contemporaries would have received them upon their return to Vladivostok, and how they would explain their strange disappearance and unexpected return. This gave birth to
Men Of War
, where Fedorov hatches his plan to go and find Orlov, thinking it was essential that they leave no unfinished business from their jaunt through time.

The second trilogy was born from
Men Of War
, beginning with
9 Days Falling
and extending through
Devil’s Garden
. I could have left Karpov in 1908 at the end of that volume, simply sending
Kirov
back to 2021 and then showing the consequences of Karpov’s intervention. This would have been another point of possible ending for the story, but Fedorov again refuses to permit the contamination, thinking he can somehow still preserve the time line and the history he so loves. The plan he hatches this time became
Armageddon
, another “bridge novel” which served not only as a sequel extending the
9 Days Falling
trilogy, but a prelude to what is now before you—
Altered States
.

I conceive this part of the saga as extending at least through three books, at which point I will see if anything remains unsaid in this long tale that would compel me to continue it. I realize that it is more a long episodic story within its own world now, much like the never ending
Star Trek
saga which saw so many rebirths. In some ways the main characters on the ship are as familiar to me as Kirk, Spock, Sulu, Scotty and McCoy, or the all new cast that I also came to know and love in the “Next Generation.”

Here now is the next generation of the long
Kirov Saga,
and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. There is so much more to come.

~ John Schettler

Part I

Altered States

“Things alter for the worse spontaneously

if they be not altered for the better designedly.”

―
Francis Bacon

Chapter 1

It
was over…finally done, or so they thought. They stood on the bridge with heavy hearts, each man silent with the inner weight of his own conscience. Then Admiral Volsky closed the book he had been reading from, slipping it slowly into his uniform breast pocket. The poem he had read carried a dour sentiment, and an equal burden of guilt. He knew that the ship had been responsible for much harm, fighting in three wars across two centuries. The damage they had inflicted on the mirror of time was easily seen, the cracks webbing out through the months and years to change the reflection of history. Yet there was no way to fully understand exactly what they had done, or so they thought...

We have been blundering about with good intentions for the most part, thought Volsky, yet blundering still. Fedorov launched his mission to find Orlov for every good reason, yet he could not control the outcome. It seems that every mark we have left on the days of the past must inevitably work its way forward in time to some resolution, some consequence, and we cannot hope to measure or even know the whole of what we may have done.

This was what he had tried to convey with his words. Yes, they could not measure it, could not hold it, yet it was nonetheless theirs. They had to own it and accept the responsibility for what they did, for whatever reason—to preserve the ship, to save their own lives, or to embark on the bolder agendas that grew in the Devil’s Garden of Karpov’s mind.

What had happened to the Captain? Volsky saw the blood, still wet on the gunwale of the weather bridge. Rodenko had told him they heard gunshots, yet no body was found. Could he have fallen from that high place and careened into the ocean? If that were so he would have been pulled into the void right along with the ship. Did that mean his body was out there somewhere, adrift on the heartless sea?

“Well now,” he said. “Time to grieve it all later. At the moment we must determine where we are, and look to the safety of the ship and crew. He turned to Rodenko to ask about
Kirov’s
overall condition and the
Starpom
gave his report.

“Chief Byko is working below decks on the situation in the bow, sir. We struck a mine and there was a minor hull breach. Three compartments flooded but they have been contained and the pumps are working now. I’m afraid we have lost the Horse Jaw sonar dome, and we will need to make repairs to the bow.”

“That means no active sonar from that system…Well, we will have to rely on
Kazan
. Their systems were completely operational, so I will be sure Nikolin establishes a direct communications link and monitors it at all times.”

“That would be prudent, sir.”

“And how are the men here?”

“We are fine, Admiral. The situation we just faced was difficult, but I think the men can continue this watch and we can make regular relief rotations as scheduled. Facing the Captain in his rage was no easy task, but it is certainly better than what we were facing in that impending battle.”

“Yes, Armageddon, you fought it here on this bridge and saved Admiral Togo and his lot for another day. It must have been very difficult indeed. Thank God no one else was hurt. All things considered, the crisis resolved itself fairly well. Yet I cannot help but wonder what happened to Karpov. Was a search made for the body?”

“Yes sir. Byko put divers in the water to inspect the damage while you were touring the ship. I gave those men orders to have a look around, but nothing was found. Just a few fishing boats off near the  island that I hope belong to this day and time.”