Sentinel a sci fi action.., p.1
Sentinel: A Sci-Fi Action-Adventure Thriller (Galaxy Flux Series Book 2), page 1
Copyright © 2024 by Adrian Murphy
All rights reserved
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-998086-04-7
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-998086-05-4
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including scanning, photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Website: adrianmurphybooks.com
Sentinel
Galaxy Flux Series Book Two
Adrian Murphy
Galaxy Flux Series
Sci-Fi Action-Adventure Thriller
Can a gunship’s motley crew save the galaxy?
Embarking on a secret voyage to uncharted deep space, Captain Jack Grady fears he’s leading his crew to their doom.
Tasked with tracking a mysterious signal, he’ll encounter more than he bargained for, from renegades, slavers, and raiders to enigmatic aliens, ruthless enemies, and dark conspiracy.
With peace at stake, can Grady stop hostile forces from obtaining powerful, advanced weaponry and wreaking widespread devastation? Or is humanity doomed to a galaxy-spanning war, causing billions to suffer horrific misery, destruction, and death?
This imaginative series is a high-stakes science fiction action-adventure thriller. Perfect for space opera/adventure thriller fans who’ll enjoy exploring unknown galaxies with a quirky onboard artificial intelligence, a tenacious spaceship captain haunted by grief and regret, and a gung-ho weapons operator who loves blowing things up.
Read Adrian Murphy’s Galaxy Flux series and journey to distant stars today!
~~~
Book 1: System Lost (available on Amazon)
Book 2: Sentinel (available on Amazon)
Coming Soon
Book 3: Dark Heart (summer 2024)
Book 4: Deadly Surge (fall 2024)
Series available on Amazon
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Bonus Prequel Short Story
Galindra and the Troll
A celebration turned to sorrow. A troll with an appetite for flesh. Can a young dragon-shifter avoid being a meal for her mortal enemy?
Long before becoming a top-notch investigator, Galindra takes her first flight in dragon form using her magical powers. It’s almost her last.
Lost and surrounded by enemies in a remote mountain fortress, Galindra finds an unlikely ally. But can she evade the cook pot and escape from her fearsome captors?
Will she master her abilities before her vengeful dragon father incinerates the entire castle and triggers total war?
Galindra and the Troll is a standalone prequel to Adrian Murphy’s cross-genre fantasy action-adventure thriller series, The ForeSender Chronicles. If you enjoy emerging special powers, a desperate struggle for survival, ruthless foes, and friendship forged in the fires of adversity, then this fast-paced short story is for you. Perfect for fantasy fans everywhere.
Read it for free to learn how the second dragon-troll war began.
~~~
Join Adrian’s newsletter tribe today to receive this bonus prequel short story at: adrianmurphybooks.com
Titles By Adrian Murphy
SCIENCE FICTION
Galaxy Flux Series
Sci-Fi Action-Adventure Thriller
Book 1: System Lost (available on Amazon)
Book 2: Sentinel (available on Amazon)
Book 3: Dark Heart (coming summer 2024)
Book 4: Deadly Surge (coming fall 2024)
Perilous Quest
Bonus prequel short story (coming 2024)
FANTASY
The ForeSender Chronicles Series
Fantasy Action-Adventure Thriller
The Calistra Cycle (5 books)
Available on Amazon
Book 1: Fury
Book 2: Rebirth
Book 3: Destiny
Book 4: Blade
Book 5: Resolve
~
Standalone prequel novella
Dragon Sleuth
Available on Amazon
~
Bonus prequel short story with newsletter sign-up
Galindra and the Troll
Go to: adrianmurphybooks.com
Contents
1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Chapter 7
8. Chapter 8
9. Chapter 9
10. Chapter 10
11. Chapter 11
12. Chapter 12
13. Chapter 13
14. Chapter 14
15. Chapter 15
16. Chapter 16
17. Chapter 17
18. Chapter 18
19. Chapter 19
20. Chapter 20
21. Chapter 21
22. Chapter 22
23. Chapter 23
24. Chapter 24
25. Chapter 25
26. Chapter 26
27. Chapter 27
28. Chapter 28
Thank You & Please Rate
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Bonus Prequel Short Story
Excerpt: Galindra and the Troll
The ForeSender Chronicles Series
Excerpt: Fury
Excerpt: Dragon Sleuth
Galaxy Flux Series
Titles By Adrian Murphy
About the Author
1
Jack Grady, captain of the Interstellar Coalition gunship Adventurer, sighed as he relished a sip of black synth-coffee and slid into the pilot’s seat. He let his gaze roam over the floating hard-light sensor display, relieved to find the screen devoid of contacts.
In the two days since escaping the gigantic space storm spewed by the gas giant, he had kept a wary eye out for renegades. But with the frigate captained by his rogue former commander, Brice Cavill, severely damaged by the ship-killer missile’s detonation, and the destruction of the two enemy attack craft, it seemed pursuit would be slow in coming, if at all.
Grady scrubbed a hand through his short, neatly trimmed, light brown hair and glanced over his shoulder toward the weapons and navigation station. “Still no sign of aliens or their remnants. I wonder if they retreated from this entire system when they abandoned the operations center on that moon?”
“Nah. I think we scared them off,” came the forceful reply, “if any were lurking in the neighborhood.” Zoe, the muscular, tattooed, scarlet-haired weapons operator, hoisted a clenched fist and cracked a satisfied smile. Her emerald hued eyes sparkled as she said, “After all, we did obliterate their malfunctioning weapon before it could target us again as we flew away from the moon.”
“Any excuse to blow something up, huh?” Grady said.
Zoe tossed him a wicked grin. “Hey, don’t knock it. Once an infantry grunt, always a grunt. Life’s gotta be an exciting blast or nothing at all.”
Grady opened his mouth to respond, when a red icon strobed on the main wraparound viewer, to the tune of a strident beep. “Sensors are detecting a large stationary object along our flight path,” Mal, the ship’s artificial intelligence, announced in a flat voice. He had an unpredictable habit of speaking in accented tones, lately favoring those from Ireland and England. The sudden sensor blip may have caught him by surprise, however, and he failed to adopt one of his many personas in time.
“Can you identify the contact?” Grady asked, his eyes flipping to the tactical board.
“Negative, Captain. It is too far away for a more precise scan.”
“There’s no doubt it’s on the direct track of the alien signal?”
“None, Matey.”
Zoe guffawed, smacking her thigh with her hand. “Aha, it’s pirate time again!”
Grady palmed his face and issued a low moan. “What I wouldn’t give for a single day without buccaneers in the cockpit.” He straightened, fingering the pilot’s holo. “It’s preferable to ambushing us from an asteroid field, I suppose, as has been known to happen.”
“Hey, don’t jinx our marauder-less voyage, Boss,” Zoe blurted, flicking her gaze to Grady. “It’s been over forty-eight hours since anyone’s shot at us, and I kinda like the peace and quiet. Even this roughneck of a girl needs a chance to unwind now and then.” She caressed her freckled cheek and gave an exaggerated sigh. “The rest is good for my complexion.”
“Don’t snooze your trigger finger just yet, Freckles,”
An hour later, Grady scrutinized the sensor readout and glanced at the ceiling. “Mal, I’m not seeing any hint of life on the object. No running lights or power emissions, and it’s not under way. You agree?”
“I do, Cap’n,” the AI replied. “Nor am I detecting any comm activity. The craft would appear to be derelict.”
“So, it’s a ship then, is it?” Zoe asked.
Grady scratched his stubbled cheek. “That’s the strange part. There are no discernible identification markings. Nor do I see any obvious engine ports or other propulsion housing on the exterior, though we’ll have to get closer to be really certain.”
He peered at the unmoving image on the screen. “Hmm, that’s odd. It has the overall appearance of an enormous, rectangular barge—it’s nearly a kilometer long for starters. But where’s the tug that would have towed it?” He rubbed his chin, his attention fixed on the display. “The design is unusual, doesn’t match anything in the database. And if it is a barge, what the heck is it doing way out here in uncharted space? We’re far from any trade routes, mining operations, or settlements.”
“That’s if it’s even human made,” Zoe remarked. “Could be alien.”
Grady gave a slow nod and drummed his fingers on the console. “You may be right. Whoever built it, it’s smack bang in the target search zone. Best we can determine, the transmission was sent to someone or something in this broad area of space.” He looked away from the controls. “Mal, any trace of civilization or advanced tech in our immediate surroundings?”
“Scans show no other artificial constructions or vessels for thousands of kilometers,” Mal intoned in his rolling, butleresque tones. “There is a minor planet with a small moon ringed by a cluster of asteroids approximately a hundred thousand kilometers from our position. Scans reveal no obvious markers of sentient life, though such evidence could be shielded and hence undetectable at this extreme range. That said, the object would seem to be solitary, with nothing to indicate its purpose or how it arrived at its current location.”
“Do we log its position and continue on course? Or board it?” Zoe asked.
“I don’t like coincidences,” Grady said, “especially one with a potential connection to our mission. We’ll investigate. I’m leading a small team across.” He chose not to verbalize the doubt beginning to gnaw at him. What if the mysterious object was the alien transmission’s target, and has sat abandoned and adrift for years, centuries even? Then this trip will be for nothing, he thought. Unless we can discover useful tech or other artifacts onboard. Anything that would help shed light on what message the mental vision I experienced on the planetoid was trying to convey.
Zoe eased back in her seat but offered a neutral expression. Did she share his fears that their journey might be a waste of time? Grady dismissed the thought—there was no point dwelling on what if’s—and gripped the control stick, adding, “You’ll be in command while I’m gone.”
Another couple of hours saw Adventurer holding position a few hundred meters from the silent derelict. A sleepy-eyed Tara sat hunched in the copilot’s chair. With a soft patter of paws on the deck, Gizmo trotted through the doorway, tail held high. The creature gave a wide-mouthed yawn, displaying an impressive set of yellow-white teeth, and darted under the copilot’s console.
Tara cracked a smile and reached down to tweak his ear. “Now I’m ready to fly.” She stifled a yawn and scowled at Grady as he got to his feet. “You promised me a solid eight hours of rack time, Bro. I barely enjoyed half that. Gizmo and I need our beauty sleep.”
“Sorry, Sis, blame the alien ship or whatever it is. I need you and Zoe—Gizmo too, I guess—bright eyed and alert on the flight deck, in case things go south over there. Lian, Mbeki, and I will shuttle over and conduct a brief reconnoiter of the contact. Should be back before you know it.”
Tara shrugged, yawning into her hand. “What are the chances it somehow drifted here ages ago?”
Grady paused on the threshold and sent her a backward glance. “Hard to say. Depends on how old it is and how long it’s been in space. Anything is possible. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
“Cap’n, now that we are in near proximity, I have been able to carry out a deeper scan and am detecting a faint energy signature consistent with a power source,” the AI declared. “If the readings are accurate, artificial gravity seems to be adequate and the air should be breathable, although I recommend you confirm that before setting foot on the anomaly.”
“Thanks Mal,” Grady said. “Speaking for myself, I’m quite partial to breathing.” He nodded to Zoe and Tara before disappearing down the corridor, making for the shuttle bay.
He found Mbeki and Lian waiting for him. The burly, ebony-skinned sergeant bore a laser rifle nestled in his arms, a bulky backpack slung across his shoulders, his tactical vest festooned with extra charge packs and grenades.
Lian leaned against a bulkhead, her countenance exuding scarcely suppressed excitement. She sported her customary engineer’s overalls and also wore a pack—smaller than the trooper’s—while her pockets bulged with the tools of her trade and she clutched a slim computer bag in her hand.
To Grady’s surprise, the pair were not alone. Chalmers and Sam, the archeologists assigned to the mission to search for alien life, artifacts, or tech, stood nearby, a collection of hard-shell cases and canvas bags crowding their feet.
“I don’t recall inviting you or your assistant along on this jaunt, Professor,” Grady said as he checked the charge level on his pistol before slipping it back into the holster strapped to his thigh. He’d stopped off at his cabin after leaving the cockpit to grab the weapon and a packed rucksack brimming with emergency supplies.
“I’m a space archeologist, Captain,” Chalmers said, brushing a stray lock of platinum blonde hair from her forehead. “This is an opportunity to study an unknown craft or construct. You’ll need my expertise if it’s confirmed to be of alien origin.”
“It could be dangerous,” Grady noted, his hand poised above the shuttle hatch controls. “We don’t know what we’ll discover. I can’t guarantee your safety, or Sam’s.” And I don’t want the aggravation of babysitting a stubborn scientist and her geeky subordinate, he thought with a grimace.
Chalmers must have noticed his expression of distaste, which he didn’t bother to hide, because she squared her shoulders and said, “All the more reason for us to come along. Sam and I can help analyze any unusual finds.”
Grady folded his arms over his chest. “I could deny your request and order both of you to remain behind. I don’t want two civilians getting in the way and putting everyone’s life at risk, including your own. This isn’t exactly an abandoned temple or other deserted structure we’ll be exploring. We might encounter booby traps or other hazards.”
Chalmers bristled, her nostrils flaring. “My mandate on this mission is to study any unexplained archeological phenomena, alien or otherwise, so we can better understand how such discoveries relate to the peculiar broadcast whose recipient we are attempting to locate. I can’t do that kicking my heels in my cabin.”
She reached into a padded jacket pocket and brought out a small, black metallic laser pistol. “Besides, I can look after myself.”
Grady eyed the weapon, his brows arched, then took in the woman’s determined demeanor. “You’re full of surprises, Professor. Do you truly know how to use that, or is it a pretty accessory just for show?”
Chalmers held the captain’s gaze as she toggled a switch on the side of the handgun, turned, and assumed a shooting stance, one hand cupped beneath the other for stability. “It’s set to stun. Care to be my guinea pig?”
Mbeki said something under his breath and chuckled, while Grady lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. “A warrior archeologist, huh? Who knew?”
He thumbed a button and the shuttle’s hatch opened with a suggestion of compressed air, revealing the compact spacecraft’s spartan interior. “Very well, you both can come along. But keep close to the sergeant and me and follow our lead. Don’t make me regret my decision.”
