A Time to Die by Mark Wandrey Read Free Book Online

capital he could lay hands on, loans, and even internet money into his innovative launch system.
    His system was revolutionary and largely reusable, a single stage to orbit, or SSTO. There was even a design he’d developed for using drop tanks to allow for a higher orbit, perhaps even reach earth escape velocity to go to the moon or Mars.
    He reached down to his desk, a grey behemoth he’d gotten military surplus, and pulled out a bottle of Sailor Jerry’s and poured himself two fingers, adding a few drops of coke. Most evenings it was half a glass of coke with a few drops of rum. “Why bother,” he growled and held the glass up. “To Oceanic Orbital Enterprises,” he said and downed the concoction. “Gah,” he coughed and put the glass back on the desk. “May it rest in peace.” He was about to pour another when the phone chirped.
    “Jeremiah,” he said into the speaker.
    “I didn’t think you’d be there,” said a distinctive Southern accent. Theodore Alphonse Bennitti III was one of the most unusual people Jeremiah knew. He looked like Steve Buscemi, sounded like Slim Pickens, and had an IQ approaching 170. He went by Al.
    “Figured I’d be out drowning myself, Al?”
    “Don’t be an ass, Jeremiah. We’ve been through setbacks a lot worse than this when you were still with NASA.”
    “I left, and they made you Director of Colonization. I’m not sure which one of us is wasting our time more.”
    “Ya’ll break me up,” Al laughed from Houston, Texas.
    “What do you want, Al, I’m trying to get drunk.”
    “Before you climb into a bottle, I want to get you in on something.” Jeremiah put the glass down and leaned closer to the speaker and said he was listening. “That meteor storm back on March 31st may have been more than just meteors.”
    Al explained that of the seventy meteors tracked over twelve hours, three displayed non-ballistic characteristics. This had been observed in the past, often attributed to out gassing, never that many in the same ‘storm’. NASA had scientists out looking for the meteors ever since the incidence. “We have found three attributed to the incident, all normal rocks, and we lost one scientist.”
    “Anyone I know?”
    “Geologist named Taylor, Ken Taylor. Been with the agency for about twenty years. He was searching the hill country of Texas around Big Bend.”
    “Went camping there a few times back when I was at Houston. Is he lost?”
    “According to a ranger, they were attacked by a pig.”
    “Sorry, did you say pig?”
    “Ya’ll heard me right. The pig attacked their jeep and Taylor was bitten on the nose. It quickly got infected. The ranger left to get help and when she returned he was gone. They’re still searching but one witness swears they saw him swimming across the Rio Grande River the evening he disappeared.”
    “Holy shit!”
    “Weird, right?” Jeremiah heard the sound of keys tapping in Houston for a moment. “We could use your help.”
    “I wouldn’t know how to find a lost geologist if my life depended on it.”
    “I’ve seen ya’ll’s desk, I’d have to agree.” Jeremiah snorted and looked at his desk covered in blueprints, letters, books and empty food containers. “I know you have a recovery team in place in case a launch goes wrong.”
    “Little chance of that since we can’t launch.”
    “Quit feelin’ sorry for yerself and listen. That team uses drones and magnetometers, right?” Jeremiah agreed. “We’d like you to pick up that meteor search for us in the Hill Country. At least we can hire your team as sub-contractors.”
    Jeremiah thought it over for a second and shrugged. “Okay, sure. Send me the details.”

 
     
    Chapter 6
    Saturday, April 14
     
    Lieutenant Andrew Tobin squinted against the harsh afternoon light of Riyadh Airbase, Saudi Arabia. The heat was hovering around one hundred, a fairly harsh blast after the cool interior of the C-17 transport for the last seventeen hours. He’d been lucky