Counselor Tõkor, his wife, Leanne, and their infant son travel to Vida-7 to negotiate the terms of an agreement.
Responding to the Federation demand for the planet Kaùsan to become a member of the United Federation of Planets, Counselor Tõkor, his wife, Leanne, and their infant son travel to Vida-7 to negotiate the terms of the agreement. Unknown to them, a powerful consortium plans to use Federation membership to replace the native Kaùsan government and open the planet’s lucrative mining operation to foreign control. Can the McGregors, with the help of three university students, Judge Advocate Craig Larson, and their outlawed nanomedical robots thwart their plans while simultaneously fighting a deadly virus?
Excerpt
“Councilor Tõkor, wake up, please.”
I open my eyes and recognize the med-tech of the Federation Cruiser Reliance. She’s raised the canopy of the cold sleep chamber with one hand, and in the other holds out a warm robe to slip into. “We have arrived at Vida-7 space platform.”
While I put on the robe, she reaches for one of several mugs on a tray nearby. She hands me one. “Here is a hot protein drink. It will ease some of the effects of cold sleep.”
I see my wife, Leanne, and infant child, Rad, along with my security and household staff still asleep in their chambers, but other people are missing. “Where are Marc, Zyrah, and Craig?”
“Marc and Zyrah disembarked at the McGregor maintenance facility to oversee repairs on their ship, Second Wind. Staff Judge Advocate Craig Larson had asked to be awakened early. He will meet you in the officers’ wardroom.”
She moves to Leanne’s chamber. “I’ve already started the warming sequence on your wife and son. They should awaken soon.”
She moves down the line of cold sleep chambers to check readouts. “I’ll wake the others in your party, now. After everyone is up and dressed, the captain has requested you meet in the officers’ wardroom for a debriefing before disembarking. It’s down the corridor to the left.”
I turn to my wife’s chamber and see her begin to stir. I take a robe from the warming rack and lift the canopy. “Wake up, dear. We’ve arrived.”
I drape the robe over her and lean in to share a long hug and kiss. She sits up, slips her arms through the sleeves, and pulls the robe around her. I hand her a warm mug. She smiles and sips slowly before swinging her legs off the bed.
“Sit there. When Rad wakes, he will be hungry. I’ll bring him to you.”
I move to the adjacent chamber, open it, and lift our still-sleeping four-month-old and pass him to Leanne. “He can wake up in your arms.”
Her smile widens as she tucks the naked child inside her robe.
I remove the simple gray business suit from my locker and put it on. I’ll have to get used to wearing the heavy and confining clothes of the humans.
I touch my throat. I feel strange without my pentar hanging around my neck. The amulet marked my status as a member of the Kaùsan élite and allowed me to communicate over long distances to other élite. Without a second pentar to communicate with, the amulet would be useless here. Back on Kaùsan, my brother, Bokae, now wears it.
I hear my wife’s telepathic thought. “Bot informs me, I must tell you a secret. While we’ve been in cold sleep, she has monitored communications between someone from this ship and a dissident group located on Vida-7. They propose to publicize the claim that hostile aliens killed the fifteen-hundred settlers on Kaùsan and one-hundred crew of the battle cruiser Majestic. They believe they can create a political movement to force the Federation military to destroy the colony on Kaùsan. They wish to take over the molybdenum mining operation, and reap the profits.”
I think back to her. “How do you know this? And who is Bot?”
She sighs. “Bot is a strain of sentient, self-replicating, nanomedical robots living inside me. The reason we McGregors were not infected by the mind-wiping virus is because of these medbots. They prevent illness and repair injuries. They can communicate through and control computer networks, and talk directly to their host.”
“And you believe this—Bot?”
“Yes. You will, too, when you get to know yours.” She bites her lower lip. “Since we’ve shared bodily fluids, you, and therefore our son, Rad, also host them. Our natural telepathic range is only good for several meters. The medbots inside us will make it possible to maintain contact through the planet’s computer networks.”
“Why did you not tell me back on Kaùsan?”
I see tears in her eyes. “I know. I’m sorry. The McGregors swore me to secrecy because the Federation has officially outlawed all self-replicating nanorobots and would destroy our medbots if they were discovered. The Federation authorities, including Craig Larson, must never find out.”
I reach to touch her cheek. “I understand, little one.” So, there’s danger. “We’ll have to be extra careful.”
I have taken pride in writing this novel as so many people have the wrong impression on bikers because they dress in leather clothing which is to protect themselves in case of an accident. The majority of bikers are known Policemen, Firemen, Doctors,
