Ripped Genes

Science Fiction & Fantasy

synopsis

Synopsis

Mission specialists on revolutionary research hospital ship Chiron seek a cure for Earth’s remarkably strange alien pandemic. On their way to a distant planet, they must deal with tricky aliens, weird wildlife, and science gone awry. When they follow their map to meet the aliens of Fabar, unimaginable problems arise. Bits of humour are blended into darker matters that must be taken care of on a pulse-pounding planetary adventure to forge relationships with aliens who might have answers Earth needs. How do they deal with the dilemma of clones who shouldn’t be, but are essential for the success of their medical mission? How can they save one who doesn’t want to be saved? *You can fully enjoy this book if you haven’t yet read the origin story, Earth and Beyond: MedSci Missions 1.

bio

Author Biography

My fiction writing brings together years of science studies, work in heath care, and training and assistant teaching as a black belt in karate. After reading stacks of science fiction in my youth, I was inspired by space adventures such as Star Trek and medical thrillers by Dr. Robin Cook. Before publishing Earth and Beyond, I had articles on art and science fiction published in print and on-line magazines and served as editor for a newsletter/magazine for several years. Selling fantasy art and approved paintings and products related to the Canadian Musical Ride prepared me for doing some graphic design for fellow visual artists and for my own novel cover and ads. In my town in New Brunswick, Canada, I run a writing group, am a literacy volunteer at school, and enjoys gardening, creative cooking, yoga, photography, kicking back to good movies and shows, and, of course, my family.

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Author Insight

Profanity in Science Fiction

You might wonder about my use of sound-alike swear words. Why would I do that? I personally hate having the F-bomb thrown everywhere; I suppose because I grew up hearing it only from school yard ruffians. More importantly, I wanted to make the series family-friendly like original Star Trek was. It really bothers me to hear curses in newer series that don’t fit into the Trek Universe because of the language. Not only does it limit the audience, but it makes a lack of consistency. Also, it’s just plain fun to make up new expressions. Why would future phrases be all the same as crude or religious or planet-bound ones we use today? I chose to explain the prevalence of expressions such as “sucking black holes” as being popularized by a 50’s holo-vid. (a 2050’s “tv show.”) Otherwise, it would be unlikely that people would speak galactically before they had deep space travel available to them. It’s only halfway through book one that a theoretical, dangerous Quantum Displacement Drive is built for a quest to cure an alien pandemic; so the additional fiction enabled the out of this world expletives I wanted for a space series. Why not stay clean and get creative instead of offending portions of the population?

Book Excerpt

Ripped Genes

Fifteen minutes later, the bridge crew watched three of Chiron’s Hygieia ambulance/fighter cruisers manoeuvring in close to the Sapphire Dreams. The dot out the window was magnified on the holographic viewers around the bridge. As the trio grew closer, Woon reported, “Sapphire Dreams is hidden in some long tendril-like plant matter; or wiggling things of some kind.”

“You can’t tell if it’s a plant or animal?” Jack asked.

“Sorry, not a scientist like most of you. I was busy with history and karate medals ’til I was trained up for the war.”

A few minutes later, Woon said, “Cameras are in range. You should be able to see the squiggly things for yourself now.”

Everyone could. “Looks like a sea anemone,” Heather commented.

“We’ve got our hooks onto Seraphim,” Woon reported. “Towing now.”

He spoke too soon. The privateer’s dropship held fast, jarring the cruisers to an abrupt halt as they tried to pull it. “Sucking black holes,” Woon cried, “there’s something coming at us!” There was indeed. The bridge crew watched helplessly as bright lava-red fireballs flew at the Hygieias. Verbal reports stopped as Woon switched his com to talk to his other ships.

The holo visual was good – perhaps too good, as it showed all the details of a hull breach in one of the cruisers. It was a small one, so another cruiser shot a sealant at the hole. As the bombs continued to fly, lashing tendrils wound around narrow regions of the ships, then pulled them in towards the surface.

“What in the universe?” came Woon’s voice. “Sending in a probe.”

“See if you can snip off some tendrils,” Heather said. The medical doctor in her was working on anatomical theories and solutions.

“Will do.” It turned out not to be simple, though.

The ships were manoeuvring as best they could, and firing back. En masse, the three cruisers used their fore and aft railgun missile launchers to fire liquid nitrogen pods that burst open and quick-cooled the burning balls coming at them continuously.

“Info coming in,” Heather reported. “The organisms are rooted in rock, with a hollow metallic tunnel system that connects to the planetoid’s volcanic channels. The stems must be made of something like asbestos. Lava is sucked through them to form membrane-coated balls it can shoot out, I assume for self defense.”

“What damage does it do?” Woon asked.

“There are channels carved into the surface of the Sapphire Dreams as if it’s eating away at the metal of its hull,” Heather reported.