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  BEYOND THE GALAXY

  Adventure 1: Captivity

  By Maureen Toonkel

  Copyright © 2017 by Maureen E. Toonkel

  Cover design by Flint D. Million

  Editing by Flint D. Million

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  This book contains an excerpt from a future work. This excerpt has been set for this edition only and may not reflect the final content of the forthcoming edition.

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Printing, 2018

  ISBN 978-0-9980583-0-6

  Me Too Publishing

  Mankato, MN 56001

  www.beyond-the-galaxy.com

  Table of Contents

  Cover Page

  COPYRIGHT

  DEDICATION

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  PREFACE

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE: May 16

  CHAPTER TWO: May 17 – May 22

  CHAPTER THREE: May 23 -24

  CHAPTER FOUR: May 25

  CHAPTER FIVE: May 26

  CHAPTER SIX: May 27

  CHAPTER SEVEN: May 28

  CHAPTER EIGHT: May 29

  CHAPTER NINE: May 30

  CHAPTER TEN: May 31

  CHAPTER ELEVEN: June 1

  CHAPTER TWELVE: June 2

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN: June 3

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN: June 4

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN: June 5

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN: June 6

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: June 7

  EPILOGUE

  POSTSCRIPT

  PREVIEW OF ADVENTURE 2: FREEDOM

  CHARACTER LIST

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  DEDICATION

  This book is dedicated to my husband and son who never seem to get tired of me, no matter how silly I am.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  There are several people I need to acknowledge for their help, patience, and support. This book needed editing and critiquing. I entrusted five people close to me with that task.

  My biggest supporter has been my husband, Dennis Million. Even though he has never been a Star Trek fan and knows very little about the Star Trek universe, he encouraged me to finish writing my story which I had began years before we met. He has been very patient and understanding when I have spent many hours typing away on my computer and leaving him alone to fend for himself.

  My son, Flint Million, has been a major player. His phenomenal computer abilities have assisted me in formatting my novel. He has been patient whenever I called on him to fix a stubborn computer glitch like a line that shows up out of nowhere and won’t go away. I thank him for helping me to research the legal aspects of publishing this book.

  My sister, Luba Sato, another Star Trek fan and a science fiction lover was the first person I allowed to have a glimpse into my fantasy world. I let her read the first third of my book in draft form. I asked her if I should finish it and she said “You must.”

  My step-daughter, Brenda Million, eagerly agreed to read my book. She told me that she was impressed with my ability to write a novel. She has always been a big fan of mine and I am extremely grateful to have her in my world.

  And finally, my co-worker, John Hamilton. He first learned that I was writing a novel when I asked him for some advice on military time. He gave me the answers but made me promise to acknowledge him and give him a signed first edition.

  Additional Acknowledgements

  After the original five people read and critiqued my manuscript and I had already written the above acknowledgements, I asked a former co-worker to also read my novel and give me her advice. Less then a week after receiving a flash drive containing my book Mary Kolles sent me a note card in which she had written “You are a talented writer and your 1st book is very marketable!” Thank you Mary for your suggestions and encouragement.

  And more recently I told another co-worker Jesse Anderson that I had written a book, and one day he asked if he could read it. Jesse is a dear co-worker, one whom I also consider a friend. He is a fellow science fiction and comic book fan and we have had numerous discussions on these topics. Thank you Jesse for the great review and thoughtful comments.

  PREFACE

  Hello dear readers. Welcome to Beyond the Galaxy, a space adventure in the great tradition of Star Trek. Growing up in the sixties and seventies I was a huge Star Trek fan. I wasn’t a classic Trekkie in that I’ve never been to a Star Trek Convention or dressed up in Star Trek clothes. But I have to admit that I do own a Tribble. I loved watching the original Star Trek TV shows and movies and reading Star Trek novels. In the early seventies I decided to write my own Star Trek novel. After starting my novel, I read a piece written by the author of some Star Trek books. He had taken some of the original Star Trek TV shows and turned them into novels. He wrote that many fans had been sending him new stories and novels written about the Star Trek crew. He advised against doing this. He said there was no way to have these materials published. He said writers were wasting their time and would have better success if they developed new story ideas. After reading this I changed all the characters in my story to my own original characters. Of course this author’s advice turned out to be totally wrong. There have been dozens of ongoing Star Trek stories that made it into print and continue to find their way into fan fiction. Oh well.

  I developed fresh new characters who I have come to be very fond of. Some of my characters have names that have special meanings for me. Back in the mid seventies I lived on Andrews Ave. My brother’s name is David, so I named my science officer Commander David Andrews. Years later I met a real live Dave Andrews. He is a co-worker of mine. I also met and married a real Dennis. Loring was another street in my neighborhood and Paul of course was a Beatle. Wayne was my favorite cousin while Jackson was a character I loved on All My Children.

  When I started this novel things like cell phones, tablets, email, and personal computers were all science fiction. Then when I picked it back up in 2012 technology had advanced greatly. I have not dwelled on going back and modernizing the technology or inventing a lot of futuristic technology. Instead I ask that you not get hung up on the technology or the terminology. I look at this novel as an adventure story that happens to take place in outer space. Sort of a modern day cops and robbers tale.

  As I mentioned I began this book around 1973 while I was going to college. I moved across the country to attend graduate school in 1976. I picked it up again around 1980 after graduating and getting married. Then came my son and the book laid dormant until 2012. I’d like to point out that Planet Brisula was created before District 13 of The Hunger Games hit the stands and that Jackson Greene was strolling around the U.S.S. Gladiator years before the emergence of Geordi LaForge in 1987.

  I purposely have not loaded down my story with strong language. That may seem strange since the U.S.S. Gladiator is a U.S. Naval ship. There is that old saying “Swear like a sailor.” But can you really picture Captain Kirk or Mr. Spock using curse words? As you are reading I am sure that you can tell where the curse words would be. So when Dennis is ranting just go ahead and add in the missing words.

  My goal was to create a fun adventure story in the tradition of Star Trek with realistic and memorable characters. I hope I have met that goal.

  Maureen

  June 2013

  PROLOGUE

  “He
y, Great Grandpa. Whatcha doin’?” asked the little boy as he raced through the living room door.

  The old man turned around and smiled. His thick gray eyebrows rose and his wrinkled cheeks puffed up. In his hand he held a video photograph.

  “Just looking at an old photo,” he answered. “Want to see it?”

  “Who is it?” the child asked staring at the picture of the young man with bright eyes and an old-fashioned hair cut.

  “His name is Joshua Stoner. He was my Great Grandfather.”

  “But that’s my name,” said the boy, clearly puzzled.

  “Yes, you are named after him. When your father was just about your age I used to tell him stories all about this Joshua Stoner. He loved hearing about Josh’s exciting adventures. Josh was his hero, so it was no surprise that he named you Joshua when you were born.”

  “Was he a superhero like Spectrum Warrior?” asked Little Josh, his eyes opened wide.

  “Not quite that kind of hero, but he was a hero. He was a pioneer in the American space program. When he began his career the space program was virtually in its infancy. There were only six spaceships and the technology at that time was fairly antique compared to what we use now.”

  “What’s a spaceship, Great Grandpa?”

  “It’s what we now call nebula turbo shuttle jets. The spaceships back then were much smaller and traveled a lot slower. Communication throughout the galaxies was more difficult, too.”

  “Didn’t they have cell chips in their hands?” asked Little Josh, pointing to the area in his right wrist where his embedded phone chip was slightly visible under his pale skin.

  “No, Little Josh,” smiled Great Grandpa. “This was before the chips were invented. They did have a type of cell phone that could be used on the ship and within certain ranges. Like I said, their technology was still pretty elementary.”

  “But they must have had computers,” commented Little Josh.

  “Of course, they had computers. However, would you believe they had to push a key to make each letter go into the computer? They use to call it keyboarding or typing. When Josh started his career they were still employing a combination of the old keyboarding and the newer tablets, and the even newer speech recognition. Now of course we just use brain recognition.”

  “Great Grandpa, can you tell me one of the stories you told Daddy about Joshua Stoner?”

  “Sure.” Great Grandpa James Glenn Stoner sat down and patted the overstuffed cushion on his left. “Come, sit next to me.” Little Josh climbed up on the couch. He leaned his head on his Great Grandpa’s shoulder. “Let’s see, where should I begin…?”

  CHAPTER ONE

  May 16

  Spaceship Captain Joshua Stoner flipped off his private intercom and ran his hands through his hair. His wavy blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes made him appear much younger than his thirty-two years. At thirty-two he was one of the youngest Space Captains in the entire United Galaxy Command. This was only his second year in command of the U.S.S. Gladiator, but he had already proved himself a worthy and highly respected captain. He was in complete rapport with his crew. Aside from occasional squabbles, Captain Josh Stoner ran a taut ship equipped with a relaxed but highly reliable crew.

  In just ten minutes Captain Stoner would be joining the landing party in the Conveyor Port. He leaned back in his chair and locked his hands behind his head. Glancing around the room, he noticed his reflection in the mirror above his desk.

  What would I be doing right now, he thought, if I had taken that ten million‑dollar bonus to sign with the Cleveland Browns? Would I be happier with my life than I am at this time?

  There was probably no other career in the world that was as exciting as being a Galaxy Command Officer. And he wasn’t just any old Command Officer. He was a Spaceship Captain. There were only five other people in the world who held that distinction. The prestige of his position was unmatched. He would never forget the ceremony when he was promoted to Captain. It was an answer to his great grandfather’s childhood dreams. Josh remembered watching Star Trek reruns on television with his great grandfather, Kyle Stoner. Star Trek was a popular TV show when his great grandfather was a little boy. The show was a science fiction series about a time in the future when spaceships explored distant planets. His great grandfather had dreamed of being just like Captain Kirk and having his own Starship Enterprise to command. And here it was one hundred years later and his great grandson was actually doing what seemed at one time like the impossible dream.

  But, with all the glamour and prestige, and excitement, there was still a void in the life of the young Spaceship Captain. Josh had spent the last ten years of this life in space. He had only seen his parents briefly during those years. Marriage and having a family of his own was almost totally out of the question. Maybe one day he’d retire and settle down on a planet colony somewhere in the Andromeda Galaxy.

  The intercom buzzed sharply and startled Josh. He unlocked his hands and flipped on the intercom.

  “Stoner here.”

  “Sir, the landing party is assembled and ready to go.”

  The U.S.S. Gladiator was a massive spacecraft with ten full decks and living quarters for a crew of one hundred. The ship was oblong and resembled a submarine with wings. The bow of the ship boasted a 180° windshield that offered spectacular views of the galaxies it glided through. There were also four portal windows on each side of the craft. The steel blue ship proudly displayed the name U.S.S. Gladiator in large Navy blue letters painted under the portals. The stern contained a giant satellite dish that afforded the crew computer and communications access. Affixed to the top of the ship was a tall antenna like structure that housed the ship’s sensors. Underneath the rear end of the ship was the hangar.

  Just like the legendary mission of the U.S.S. Enterprise to explore strange new worlds and seek out new life, the purpose of the U.S.S. Gladiator was to gain knowledge about distant planets and galaxies. It was one of the six spaceships dispatched into outer space by United Galaxy Command. Great advancements in aerospace and aeronautical engineering during the past century had made interstellar travel possible. It was the discovery of solar heated hydro-rocks that provided the jet propulsion needed to make space travel faster and safer. Every ship in the UGC was equipped with the latest electronic technology and information systems available for intergalactic communication and research including automatic universal spoken language translation programs and ship to planet satellite phones. Zip guns capable of emitting a non-lethal dose of laser beam radiation that could render a person momentarily helpless but could also be set to deliver a fatal dose that could kill a victim immediately, were stocked in the ship’s arsenal along with the old-fashioned combat type weapons and an array of lasers, torpedoes, and blasters thereby ensuring that these ships were suitably able to defend themselves if necessary.

  Inside the spaceship was a busy community of crew members going about the daily business of maintaining this fabulous craft. All were dressed in regulation uniforms. The UGC uniforms were constructed of the latest form of breathable nylon. The smooth material provided warmth in cold temperatures but was cool on the skin even in intense heat. The thin material was actually very strong and durable as well as flame resistant. The uniforms which were designed for comfort consisted of long sleeved polo shirts and full length slacks. The crew wore identical uniforms in different colors depending on the occasion. Aboard the Gladiator they always wore green. On expeditions they usually donned either blue uniforms or a camouflage version. When on leave or visiting a space station the red uniforms were required. For formal occasions the crew all dressed in white. On the upper left chest each uniform had the red, white, and blue UGC logo that resembled the Milky Way in a spinning diamond. On the other side crew members’ names were embroidered into the material with black thread. Gold stars and black stripes across the cuffs indicated the rank of the wearer. All personnel wore Navy issued black leather boots.

  The landing party was just
stepping onto the Conveyor platform as Josh entered the room. The U.S.S. Gladiator had one of the best crews, if not the best, of all of the six Galaxy Command Ships. He glanced at his landing party. Doctor Paul Loring, Chief Medical Officer was standing on the platform waiting patiently. Paul was Josh’s closest friend in the world. He and Paul went to Ohio State University together where they were roommates and later on they both joined the Spaceship Academy. Paul was a fun loving guy born thirty-four years ago in Duluth, Minnesota. He was the crew’s practical joker. Next to him was Commander David Andrews, who was probably the smartest man in the entire United Galaxy Command. He served as the Gladiator’s Science Officer and was second in command. Dave came from a very proud Virginia military family dating back to the American Revolutionary War.

  The next two members of the landing crew were Lieutenant Keith Hampton and Lieutenant Wayne Shasta. Both were young officers with promising futures. Keith was the ship’s chief navigator and Wayne was the number one laser technician. As chief navigator Keith Hampton was responsible not only for plotting courses and keeping track of the ship’s destination, but he was also the helmsman. In years past the navigator and the helmsman were two separate positions but with the advent of the Intergalactic Positioning System or IGPS as it was commonly referred to, the role of the navigator was all but eliminated. So these days the navigator was also the helmsman. Navigator was the preferred title since it was gender neutral. Keith was practically born to be a navigator as he had a natural sense of cardinal directions. When his classmates at the Naval Academy learned of his ability to tell directions, they rejoiced in blindfolding him, spinning him around, and then testing him. He never failed.

  Laser Technician Wayne Shasta’s principle responsibility was to scan outer space with laser beams in order to record scientific data. In the event of a situation where the Gladiator should have to defend itself, Lieutenant Shasta was also charged with firing laser torpedoes and similar weapons.