Jack Slater has chased UFOs his entire life—and now, he’s found
one! It’s real, it’s abandoned in an alien hangar—and it’s in perfect
condition. As the director of a governmental agency that studies aerial
phenomena (OSAP), he knows he’s just discovered the find of a lifetime…and he
wastes no time learning to fly it.
But as Jack and his OSAP colleagues explore the saucer’s secrets,
the world watches as a deadly meteor plummets to earth, leaving a devastating
path of destruction in its wake—including two important space stations. Too
late, it becomes apparent the meteor is a missile, apparently fired by the
Russian Federation. Detonating, it releases a terrible bioweapon, seemingly
beyond the capabilities of Russia’s current weapons technology
The alien technology Jack has discovered is the only hope of survival
for the United States. But that technology has appeared at a suspiciously
convenient time, in Jack’s opinion. What are they dealing with? Is humanity
truly at war with itself, or is an alien external force playing a deadly game
determined to see the USA: ELIMINATED!
EXCERPT
Space—2072
“This is your captain speaking. Welcome aboard the Spaceplane Aurora. We have just escaped Earth’s gravity, and are now cruising at an altitude of seventy-one miles. Thrusters will kick in in about five minutes. Our ETA to the Interplanetary Space Station is twenty-seven minutes. Please stay seated and keep your seatbelts on at all times.”
Thirty-one people half-filled the passenger cabin. Scientists and engineers in various fields sat chatting. They would live and work aboard the station for the next several years.
Among the passengers was a family of three with their six-year-old daughter, the mother an astrophysicist and the father an engineer. Little Julie would be the first child aboard the space station, and she was excited. She sat next to the window looking out. The stars, brighter and more numerous than she had ever seen at home.
“Mommy, look. Fireflies!” She pressed her nose against the window.
Her mother looked down at her, smiled. “Honey, there are no fireflies in space. There’s no air in…” She stopped short. “What the…fireflies?” A swarm of small lights danced outside the window. Before she said anything else, a bright sheet of light appeared in the forward section of the cabin. It proceeded to move toward the rear, passing through people.
“I think we’re being scanned,” someone speculated. The light went through them with no effect. “It seems harmless.”
“Where’s it coming from?” someone asked.
“I think from that.” One of the men pointed out his window. A glowing sphere-shaped object paced the spaceplane.
“Is that what I think it is?” another questioned in disbelief.
“Well, it’s definitely a UFO.”
Several seconds later, it circled the plane several times. It approached the plane, then backed away. It performed the maneuver several times. Then it glowed brighter. It turned and charged the spaceplane. It ripped through the cabin like it was paper as people screamed. The vacuum of space gripped them, pulled them to their deaths.
The cabin cameras caught everything and uploaded the video to the space station. Right before the video ended, it showed little Julie trying to hold on to her seat, still strapped in. Moments later the strap broke. The horror on her face grew as she flew through the large gaping hole.
The Spaceplane Aurora drifted high in Earth’s orbit. Holes in its sides. Floating debris. Tumbling bodies. Some burned as they re-entered Earth’s atmosphere.
EXCERPT
Space—2072
“This is your captain speaking. Welcome aboard the Spaceplane Aurora. We have just escaped Earth’s gravity, and are now cruising at an altitude of seventy-one miles. Thrusters will kick in in about five minutes. Our ETA to the Interplanetary Space Station is twenty-seven minutes. Please stay seated and keep your seatbelts on at all times.”
Thirty-one people half-filled the passenger cabin. Scientists and engineers in various fields sat chatting. They would live and work aboard the station for the next several years.
Among the passengers was a family of three with their six-year-old daughter, the mother an astrophysicist and the father an engineer. Little Julie would be the first child aboard the space station, and she was excited. She sat next to the window looking out. The stars, brighter and more numerous than she had ever seen at home.
“Mommy, look. Fireflies!” She pressed her nose against the window.
Her mother looked down at her, smiled. “Honey, there are no fireflies in space. There’s no air in…” She stopped short. “What the…fireflies?” A swarm of small lights danced outside the window. Before she said anything else, a bright sheet of light appeared in the forward section of the cabin. It proceeded to move toward the rear, passing through people.
“I think we’re being scanned,” someone speculated. The light went through them with no effect. “It seems harmless.”
“Where’s it coming from?” someone asked.
“I think from that.” One of the men pointed out his window. A glowing sphere-shaped object paced the spaceplane.
“Is that what I think it is?” another questioned in disbelief.
“Well, it’s definitely a UFO.”
Several seconds later, it circled the plane several times. It approached the plane, then backed away. It performed the maneuver several times. Then it glowed brighter. It turned and charged the spaceplane. It ripped through the cabin like it was paper as people screamed. The vacuum of space gripped them, pulled them to their deaths.
The cabin cameras caught everything and uploaded the video to the space station. Right before the video ended, it showed little Julie trying to hold on to her seat, still strapped in. Moments later the strap broke. The horror on her face grew as she flew through the large gaping hole.
The Spaceplane Aurora drifted high in Earth’s orbit. Holes in its sides. Floating debris. Tumbling bodies. Some burned as they re-entered Earth’s atmosphere.
Congratulations on your new release, William. It looks really exciting.
ReplyDeleteBill, I believe Jack Slater can do whatever needs to be done (with a bit of help from his friends) to take care of business--no matter where the threat is coming from. Loved this story and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series! Congratulations on your new release!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful event, and a gift to readers. Doris
ReplyDeleteI think I should go to Sci-Fi anonymous. I start reading stories like this and I can't stop. LOL That's the purpose, right? Well, it's working. This story would be a good fit at "The CONs." Best wishes on the series.
ReplyDeleteI am a huge fan of sci-fi and USA: ELIMINATED certainly looks like an exciting story. I wish you every success with your new release, William.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to thank everyone for your comments and congratulations. It feels good to finally get what's been cooped up within me for around 45+ years.
ReplyDeleteC.A., I know what you mean. It's hard to avoid good sci-fi. I'm attending FenCon next month in Irving. Here's hoping.
Book 2 is just about finished, gotta change one little item and off it goes.
For those who prefer the paperback version, you can find it at www.amazon.com/gp/product/1725683253 . Amazon hasn't linked the paperback and Kindle versions together yet.
If anyone have any questions please feel free to ask.
Bill,
ReplyDeleteI've had a penchant for reading SciFi and futuristic stories most of my life. I enjoy the 'what-ifs' and that the genre offers opportunity to invent history and explore 'strange new worlds'. Best of luck with this series.
Congrats, Bill. I'm going after the real, hold it in your hands, book. That way I'll have something to grip besides a glass phone!
ReplyDelete