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 Today's recommendation

A chapter from the upcoming novel of R.A. "Doc" Correa

We are brothers, before the masses we stand together. No matter what issue may exist between two members of this brotherhood, all brothers will be united against all others. To ensure our members are joined in unity, we declare the following as the bylaws which we will live by.

- The declarative statement of the Bylaws of The Brotherhood -

 

Prologue

Steve Baker walks into the lobby of the Galactic Geographic building. He strolls towards the lifts, stopping for a moment to take in the paintings on the walls. Over the last century the institution has accumulated an impressive collection of artworks depicting the scenery and creatures of hundreds of worlds from renowned artists throughout human space. His favorite has always been the one of the dragons from Sigma 5 Omega. It has been hanging in the lobby for as long as he can remember, at least twenty-three years. That is when he was transferred from London to Sydney.

     He walks up to the painting. It is a meter wide and two meters high. The tortured landscape, and the orange and red sky, are brilliantly depicted. The subject of the portrait spreads its massive wings as it roars towards the heavens. Having been on an expedition to study these creatures early in his career he can feel the passion the painter felt as she captured the essence of these reptilians and their primitive world.

     In all the years that he has admired this painting he has never looked at the painter’s information so Steve glances at the artists signature, Jennifer Anne Sebring. He gazes at the artist photo on the information plate, Wow, she could be Kathy Masters older sister, they are almost twins. The information plate says she lived on Safe Port. Hmmm, I wonder if she survived the Chinese attack.

     Steve goes to the lift and rides it to his offices on the thirteenth floor. He walks past his new receptionist giving her a perfunctory good morning and continues to his office. What is her name? he asks himself as he enters the room.

     Steve crosses the floor to his desk, as he does, he realizes there is someone else already in the room. He turns to face the big leather chair in the corner near the window. A man sits in the chair sipping tea. "Good morning Mr. Baker," the man says.

     Steve carefully looks him over. He is in his sixties perhaps a little older. Very athletic. The man wears an expensive dark gray three-piece suit and black Italian leather shoes. He has a black leather briefcase sitting on the floor beside the chair.

     "What the hell are you doing in my office?" Steve demands.

     The man simply holds up an ID wallet. Steve at once recognizes the Planetary Law Enforcement Agency badge. He gulps nervously, What the hell is he doing here?

     "I love that painting too. In case you didn’t know, she traveled to Sigma 5 Omega, spent three weeks photographing the dragons, then studied those photos for six months before she painted that dragon."

     "Really?" Steve replies, somewhat intrigued.

     "Did you know that Jennifer Anne Sebring is in fact the first Mrs. James Ulysses Black?" the man asks.

     "You mean she was married to Commodore Black of the Rapier?" Steve queries.

     "Yes, that's exactly what I mean. And the answer to your musing is no, her and their four-year-old daughter were killed the night the Chinese attacked. That's the main reason Commodore Black became a privateer."

     "How'd you know I was wondering about that? Do you have implants?" Steve asks.

     "No, and the only way that would work is if you had implants as well. That is something we learned during our examinations of Kathy and Cindy Black. It is just simple deduction Mr. Baker; the fact you spent so much time looking at the information plate shows you were wondering about something. Because it tells you the artist was from Safe Port leads one to speculate you were thinking about whether or not she survived the attack. Like I said, simple deduction," the man in the suit replies.

     "What do you mean by the first Mrs. Black?" Steve asks.

     "Ah, I take it you haven't heard yet. Our dear Miss Masters married Commodore Black just before he died. I am sure it will all be explained when you open the package that came for you in the morning post," the man in the suit says, as he takes another sip of tea.

     "What package?" asks Steve.

     "The one your receptionist will bring to you in about," the man looks at his chronometer, "five minutes."

     "How do you know all this?" Steve asks.

     "It's my job to know these things. More specifically, I have a number of contacts, on and off planet, whose jobs are to keep me informed on things of importance," says the stranger.

     "You mean spies, you run a massive spy ring," declares Steve.

     "That's one way to put it," the man in the suit states. Then he takes another sip of his tea.

     Steve changes the subject, "Then it's confirmed, Commodore Black is dead."

     "Yes, it's confirmed. A shame really, I truly wanted to meet him," the man says with a touch of sadness.

     "Really and beside putting him in prison why would you want to meet him?" demands Steve.

     "Mr. Baker, most men that enter his profession are truly pirates, like Bartholomew and his crew. Others, the privateers, border on being pirates just barely holding onto their humanity. But Commodore Black was a man that kept his humanity despite all that happened. Yes, he came close to losing it but somehow, he did not. I think Kathy may have been the reason, her, and Cindy. He made sure the captains and crews that served under him also kept their humanity, a remarkable accomplishment. And he was a man of honor, even knowing his story you do not seem to see it, but I do, and that Mr. Baker makes him a truly exceptional man. I meet all kinds in my profession, but very seldom do I meet a truly exceptional man," replies the man in the suit. There is a short pause, then he says, "She's pregnant again."

     "Who's pregnant?" Steve asks.

     "Kathy Erin Masters-Black of course," he replies.

     Steve looks surprised then asks, "Is that important?"

     "It could be," replies his unexpected guest with a grim expression on his face.

     There is a knock on the door, then it opens, and Steve's new receptionist walks in with the morning post. Again, he asks himself, What the heck is her name? She lays out the letters on Steve's desk and sets a small package next to them then walks out the door, closing it as she leaves. Steve walks to his desk and sits down in his chair. The man in the suit picks up his briefcase and moves to a chair in front of Steve's desk. He sits and sips more of his tea. "I suggest you open the package," the man in the suit tells Steve.

     Steve unwraps the package, it holds a small box. Inside the box is a holographic projector. He sets it on the desk and turns it on. It projects an image that grows to about a meter in height, the image forms into Kathy.

     Steve looks closely at Kathy's holographic image. The gray streak in her hair has turned white. She wears a sixteenth century blue skirt with a white blouse and blue vest, that cover a slight baby bump. A black tricornered leather hat with a white ostrich plume on its right side sits on her head at a slight cant. There is a rapier on her left hip and a laser pistol slung low, gunfighter style, on her right. The leg strap for the holster goes through two slits in the skirt and around her right thigh. She has a twentieth century slug thrower on her belt by the buckle over the baby bump. It is holstered for a left-handed draw. Though her eyes still sparkle he can tell they are filled with a deep sadness. "Hello Steve," the image says.

     "Hi Kathy," he replies.

     "I take it someone from planetary law enforcement is in your office," Kathy's hologram states.

     "Yes," Steve answers.

     "That's okay, he can stay," Kathy says.

     "Thank you, Mrs. Black," the man in the suit says.

     "You're welcome," the holographic image of Kathy replies. "The recorder only has limited response capability, so I won't be able to answer all of your questions, especially yours Mr. Aimes."

     "Ah, so you know who I am," the suit says.

     "It is wise to learn all you can about those that pursue you,” Kathy's image responds.

     "So true,” Mr. Aimes states.

     "I'm sure by now you've heard about the death of Commodore Black," for a moment she chokes up, "and the extinction of the nanchiks." A tear runs down her cheek. Steve finds himself wondering, Is the tear for the commodore, is it for the nanchiks, or is it for both? "Then of course there's the rebellion of the houses of Chan, Zhu and Yi against the Chinese Prefecture. So much has happened since we left Earth Steve," Kathy's hologram declares.

     "Yes, it has," Steve agrees.

     "Well Steve, I've got another exclusive for you. A story that will tie it all together, so it makes sense. And I'm sure the suit in your office would like to hear all that I have to say on this," the holographic image says. Mr. Aimes nods his agreement.

     "If you agree to the same terms as last time place your thumb on the scanner," Kathy's image instructs.

     Steve looks at the suit for a minute, he turns on his transcription bot, then places his thumb on the scanner of the holographic projector. It reads his thumbprint, and the hologram continues.

     "We were in Reavers Cove for a couple of months buying and upgrading a ship, then recruiting a crew. For the record Mr. Aimes, the ship has advanced nanchik tech, one might say two generations more advanced than what we traded for our freedom. While we were doing that Lien was taken to Xerxes Major by her grandfather to present herself to the emperor. As soon as we were ready, we left aboard our new ship, the Razor, and made best speed for Safe Port..." 

R. A. “Doc” Correa

https://www.amazon.com/stores/R.A.-Doc-Correa/author/B073R82QC5

A retired US Army military master parachutist, retired surgical technologist, and retired computer scientist. He’s an award-winning poet and author. “Doc” has had poems published in multiple books and had stories published in Bookish Magazine and Your Secret Library. His first novel, Rapier, won a Book Excellence award and was given a Reader’s Favorite five-star review.