Poseidon (Realm Book 2), page 1
POSEIDON
H.G. AHEDI
CONTENTS
Characters
1. Before the Fall
2. Taken
3. Lost Souls
4. The Fallen
5. Utopis
6. Mysterious Signals
7. Ruins
8. Repercussions
9. The Girl Who Doesn’t Cry
10. Hidden Sorrows
11. Remnants
12. The Forgotten Prototype
13. Lost Causes
14. Proxima 8
15. Reality
16. Stray Objects
17. Unsolved Mysteries
18. Discovery Colony
19. Hidden Pathways
20. Shadowy Getaways
21. A Different Life
22. Ghost in the Machine
23. Poseidon’s wake
24. The Hedin
25. Circuits with Secrets
26. Hard Decisions
27. Distant Memories
28. The Specter
29. Dangerous Endeavors
30. Finding Clues
31. Entombed
32. Breaking and entering
33. Projections
34. Friends and Enemies
35. Unreal
36. Dark Territory
37. Memories
38. Damages
39. Cold and Dark
40. A Long Way from Home
41. Gateways
42. The Kiss Goodbye
Author’s Note
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Also by H.G. Ahedi
First edition published in 2021
Copyright © H.G. Ahedi 2021
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the authorization of the Author.
All characters in this publication are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or scenarios is purely coincidental.
ISBN: 9780645105575 (eBook)
ISBN: 978-0-6451055-6-8 (Paperback)
ISBN: 978-0-6451055-8-2 (Hardcover)
Book cover concept by H.G. Ahedi
Book cover designed by Rebecca covers (fiverr.com)
Edited by Elizabeth
Author’s website: https://harbeerahedi.com
To Find the Realm series by H.G. Ahedi scan
Created with Vellum
For Dad always
Dedicated to my nephews Parampreet & Harshmann
The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible.
Arthur C. Clarke
CHARACTERS
Emmeline Augury: The young cadet of astrophysics who started it all.
Commander Anastasia Waters: Commander of Titan, a leader everyone looks up to.
Lieutenant Commander Adrian Olson: Titan’s pilot, second in command and Evan’s best friend.
Lieutenant Evan Weeds: The infamous operations officer on Titan.
Lieutenant Edward Hawk: Titan’s tactical officer
Lieutenant Cyr Storm: The calm and collected engineer on Titan.
Dr. Chris Kent: The ever-curious head of the astrophysics lab on Titan (Crystal Lab).
Dr. Aceline Keston: Argon’s mother, historian and an archeologist on Titan.
Selina Keston: Aceline’s daughter, who can see what others cannot.
Dr. Isaac Finch: Exobiologist from Earth, who comes to Titan to study the Orias.
Dr. Zac Scheben: Medical doctor on Titan.
Captain Mykel Lockhart: Captain of Prometheus and the man who desperately wants to get home.
Commander Katia Hart: First officer of the Prometheus.
Lieutenant Nick Colson: Pilot of the Prometheus with a personal vendetta against Evan.
Lieutenant Seiko Ishimoto: The nerdy science officer of the Prometheus who has clever ideas.
Lieutenant Ingrid Elrod: The quirky engineer of Prometheus who says what is on her mind.
Ensign Patrick Terra: The anxious communicator officer of Prometheus.
Lieutenant Lyle Hagg: Prometheus’s dependable tactical officer.
Ensign Edna Lamer: Junior tactical officer, who takes Lyle’s place on the bridge of Prometheus.
Dr. Peter Hudson: Medical doctor of Prometheus
Lady Vermont: Imperial Command’s Tribunal, stationed on the Aurora.
Captain Desmond Allan: Captain of the Aurora.
Officer Tristan Blake: Operations officer of Aurora
Lieutenant Gus Lawson: Science officer of Aurora.
Officer Oliver Bain: Pilot of Aurora.
Cadet Argon Keston: Emmeline’s love interest, and the leader of the Titan Squadron.
Cadet Byron Thames: Argon’s best friend who takes over the leadership of Titan Squadron after Argon.
Cadet Clio Ranger: Love interest of Byron, and part of the Titan Squadron.
Cadet Micah Dew: The oddball of the Titan Squadron.
Delta Dune: Pilot of the private ship Astra and Emmeline’s best friend.
Ensign Phoebe Walker: Katia Hart’s partner.
Admiral Jacob Donovan: Captain of Freedom who wants to take over command of Titan.
Arthur Augury: Emmeline’s father, a powerful man who will do anything to save his daughter.
Alexander Hendrix: Emmeline’s forefather who studied the plaque in 23rd century and led the team who studied Nemesis.
Darren Taber: Chef on the Prometheus.
Admiral Vince: Third Tribunal of Imperial Command who is located on Earth.
The queen: The leader of Orias wants the mythical device at any cost.
Aithon: Right hand of the Orias queen.
The Spector: An ancient being on a forgotten moon that awaits its next victim.
Otis: The robot accountable for the safety of the citizen of Titan on the outer rim.
Evox: The leader of the robots who stay behind to protect the Titan crew.
BEFORE THE FALL
TITAN, DECK 5
Captain Mykel Lockhart enjoyed the few minutes of bliss submerged underwater. Swimming brought him immense relief. For a fraction of a second, he forgot about everything happening around him. He swam upwards, broke the surface of the water, and relished the silence. Mykel was envious of people living on Titan. They had a comfortable life, including a swimming pool. Earth was three hours away and loved ones were always within reach. After spending four years in deep space, being back on Titan had been wonderful. Mykel never thought he would treasure these moments to such an extent. Simple things, like walking in an open space, catching up with old friends, and being around Anastasia. Regardless of the circumstances, he was glad to be home.
Titan’s pool was about twenty feet long and ten feet wide, filled with cold, fresh water. The white walls reflected the glow coming from the tiny lights in the corners of the hall. He swam another lap. Breathless, he came to a standstill at the edge of the pool. The large windows at this end revealed a stunning view of the cosmos. Silent, mysterious.
After a few more laps, he left the pool. The water dripped on the smooth floor as he dried himself. The captain of the Prometheus was an athletic, aristocratic man with an angular face, a strong jawline and deep ocean blue eyes. His thick brown hair was turning gray around his temples.
Walking along the edge of the pool, he headed towards the showers. The lights switched on automatically. The white room was divided into several compact stalls. He picked one. Stepping inside, he closed door behind him.
“Begin,” he said.
Water splashed on his body from all directions, helping to soothe and relieve muscle fatigue. Mykel’s mind drifted towards the events of today. The inquest had left everyone disappointed and shocked, and Imperial Command had ordered him to return to Earth. A part of him longed to set foot on his planet, eat freshly prepared dishes, enjoy the cool fresh air, and walk on the beach. He had waited a long time to break the constraints of his spaceship and wanted to go home. But Admiral Jacob Donavan would not give up, and he knew it. Mykel had to stick around for Anastasia. She needed him. He felt a bit selfish and reminded himself that his duty was to his crew and his ship. Prometheus came first. Nothing else mattered.
The water continued to splash on his body.
Do all captains feel this way? Torn between duty and love?
It was not an openly discussed topic. For him, there was no difference. He felt both Prometheus and Anastasia were priorities. He didn’t want to lose either of them. Mykel sulked.
There you go again. Just get over it. It was a long time ago.
It wasn’t that easy. The news of the Orias lurking around perimeter had frightened him. All of a sudden, Anastasia’s and Titan’s safety became a priority, and he did everything in his power to return home.
“Stop,” he said.
The water halted, and several small holes appeared on the walls. Warm air circulated through the cubicle at high speed. He ran his hand through his almost dry hair. When he was done, he stepped out, got dressed, and left. The door shut behind him, the pool closed, and the lights turned off.
As he strolled towards the elevator, the lights came to life.
It’s good to be home.
Mykel had spent most of his life on Titan until he took command of Prometheus. As he walked down the corridor, he felt the swim, the shower, and the silence had helped him think clearly. Admiral Donavan’s actions frustrated him. He was clearly scheming
There must be a diplomatic way.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t think of one. Mykel took the elevator to deck 4 and then made his way to Prometheus. As expected, it was quiet, and he felt like a wandering ghost.
PROMETHEUS, DECK 4
Prometheus’s interior differed greatly from Titan’s. Its corridors were hexagonal, with maroon carpets that covered the frigid floor. Since the ship was in night mode, the lights were dim. The air was sterile, chilly, and devoid of any scents. He walked past several red doors of quarters belonging to his crew. Over a hundred and twenty souls aboard, sleeping peacefully. He hoped.
Mykel’s thoughts turned back to the situation at hand. He shook his head. It was not right. For the first time, he was struggling.
Where do I stand? Who do I stand with? I cannot abandon Titan, and I cannot disobey Imperial Command. How do I resolve this situation?
Every decision he made could affect his life and redefine the fate of everyone he cared for.
“Deck 3,” he muttered when the door to the elevator opened.
The circular elevator moved upward so smoothly that it didn’t even feel like it was moving. The doors whooshed open, and he walked towards his quarters. He entered the codes on a square panel and unlocked the door. The lights turned on. One of the best parts about being the captain was being entitled to the most luxurious quarters on the ship. It was much cozier compared to the older ships like Freedom. The open space was split into three parts: a bedroom, a work area, and a living room. The windows were triangular, pointing upwards. He leaned on the window to admire the peaceful night.
His living space was full of books, clothes, pads lying on the two lounge chairs, and a velvet couch. A small suitcase he had packed for his vacation on Earth sat in a corner. Plants gifted by Anastasia and his first officer, Katia Hart, rested in small pots. To his surprise, the tulips, fern, and sunflowers had survived the journey. Paintings made by his late mother hung over a cabinet with a few artifacts that he had collected during his travels. Mykel didn’t want to sleep, but he had a big day tomorrow.
I better get to bed.
Turning away from the window, he entered the small, cozy bedroom. His large unmade bed was in a corner against a wall. The highlight of his sparsely decorated room was a window that gave a spectacular view of Saturn’s moon Titan. The moon emitted a soft orangish glow. In the northern hemisphere, a group of gigantic clouds raged in an anticlockwise fashion. He walked to his left and tapped on the wall. The door to his closet opened, revealing a set of uniforms, clothes, shoes, and all his belongings. He changed, got into bed, and dozed off.
PROMETHEUS, MYKEL’S QUARTERS, DECK 3
The strong aroma of coffee dominated Mykel’s quarters as he sat on the couch reading reports. He was ready for the day. Not that he had to think about dressing up. The black trousers with black turtleneck shirt with marron jacket was the uniform he wore every day. Surprisingly he was very comfortable in it and most of the time didn’t bother to change before heading to bed. Prometheus needed repairs, and the recent ion storm had damaged a few sections of the ship’s hull. The four-year journey had been rough, and the ship required complete refurbishment.
He grabbed another cup of coffee and returned to work. The Prometheus was due to depart in the next half an hour and Mykel did not want to leave. No matter what his ship needed, or his orders were, his instincts told him to stay. He studied Emmeline Augury’s report. She believed the mythical device could be an invaluable power source to mankind. And that was the problem. Power attracted trouble, and he feared Jacob had his eyes on the prize.
As he sipped his coffee, he thought of recent events. The Orias appeared out of nowhere and began studying the perimeter. Many believed they were looking for weaknesses in their defense system. But when the Titan squadron approached them, they vanished. Then they returned with ten ships and brought chaos and death to his realm. He felt he had made the right decision to cross the ion storm despite the danger to his ship.
After the first battle, he had the situation would get better. He was utterly wrong. He had learned that about two months before the attack, Emmeline had discovered an ancient plaque. Soon after the first battle, she unlocked it and found a star map with coordinates beyond the perimeter. With her best friend Delta, Emmeline had sneaked out of the system and flew to the coordinates. The plaque opened a portal that led to a hidden planet. On the rogue planet, now called Delta 1, they had found the first piece of the mythical device. From what Mykel understood, no one, including Emmeline, knew how to yield its power.
Intriguing.
He smiled. He would have loved to be a part of such an adventure. But tragedy struck when Delta died, and Emmeline suffered the consequences of her actions. Using Emmeline’s ignorance and the fact that she had broken the law, Jacob wanted to discredit Anastasia and take over Titan. If Mykel was not mistaken, his next target would be the mythical device.
A bell chimed.
“Come in,” he said.
Commander Katia Hart stepped in with her usual stride. Katia’s steel-gray eyes regarded his quarters as if scrutinizing every little detail. Her presence made heads turn. It was not only her beauty, but the authority and confidence she radiated. She tied her thin blond hair in a ponytail that highlighted her narrow face. She folded her arms, taking a powerful stance. Making observations was her forte, and Mykel hated it when she did that with him. It worked well professionally, but her demeanor deterred anyone from getting to know her on a personal level. During their four-year journey, she had hardly made any friends.
“Good morning, captain.”
“Morning.”
“May I suggest some home cleaning?”
Mykel grinned. “You may suggest, but I am not inclined to listen.”
“Right. Captain, the ship is ready to go.”
Mykel grumbled and fought his urge to go against his orders. But what would that accomplish.
PROMETHEUS, DECK 1
Several crewmen hurriedly walked past Mykel and Katia as they walked down the passageway. The ship was almost ready to disembark.
