Echoes in the Endless (A Preview)

Today brought many disappointments to light. Some trivial, others complicated in their machinations. Then I remembered my todo list for this year. And since a few of you asked me personally about what I’m writing. So I present to you an excerpt of chapter 1 of Echoes in the Endless.

Note that this is an early revision of the book. The end product may be radically different. Enjoy.

Echoes in the Void
By: Dorian Antoni Puła
Chapter 01

Two Ligian Jaguar interceptors tore out of the Magnus Prime Ice Cloud that marked the end of the Gamma Trannes star system. The milky white ice cloud also marked the edge of Allegiance space. Captain Ewa “Hunter” Kruk sighed as her interceptor cleared the last of the ice cloud.

“No immediate threats detected.”, Ewa said. She watched as the sensor mast’s data floated ghostly in front of her forward cockpit monitor.

“Negative on Allegiance presence.”, her wingman repeated. Ewa looked to her right and sighted her wingman’s interceptor. The monitor overlaid a green triangle around the flat triangular hull of her wingman’s spacecraft. The interceptor’s camouflage skin softly faded from a light grey speckled with blobs of white into a uniformly dark grey. Powdery ice dust swirled off the interceptor’s forward swept wings and the high gain transmitter mounted to the belly of the interceptor. The transmitter encrypted and relayed the information to the Sentinel carrier group still hiding inside the ice cloud.

“Acknowledged Alpha Flight. Proceed with sector sweep.”, the deep voice of Admiral Jeremy Nelson boomed in her ears.

Ewa looked down at the floor of her cockpit. The cockpit’s bottom monitor displayed a large hexagonal sensor array hugging the belly of her own Jaguar. Thin long pale graceful ice dust trails streamed off the sensor’s edges. The monitor drew a orange outline around the sensor. Cleaning sensor array – 60%. The message written in large orange font flashed across the sensor. The surface of the sensor pulsated as its membrane tried to throw off the sticky dust. Cleaning sensor array – 63%.

“Permission to clear buffer zone. Particle interference with array.”, Ewa said.

“Granted. Proceed with caution.”

The admiral’s words sent a shiver down Ewa’s spine. Without the standard set of capital ship buster and anti-spacecraft missiles on either her or her wingman’s interceptor, she felt vulnerable. A Jaguar interceptor could outrun and outmaneuver any Allegiance interceptor. But if the Allegiance placed a beacon drone close to their position, it would sense their presence and sent out an alert to the nearest Allegiance fleet. Neither the carrier nor the accompanying Hibernian lance frigate would have time to escape. Ewa breathed deeply and eased her fighter out of the cloud.

To be continued…

All rights reserved. Copyright Dorian Pula.

Update: 200th post too! w00t!