Greetings from the Author's Chair.

Just because I finished 'The Warlords of Antares' doesn't mean that's all there is...oh contraire. 

Attention, all you Salvage-5, and Colonel Tucker Petersen fans!! Hold on to your seat. The swashbuckling, cigar chomping, whiskey drinking, no-nonsense hero is back for 'Another Mission.' 

Colonel Tucker Petersen botched the mission to destroy the Cyborg's Noosphere. Sent out under the guise of a CSMO deployment, something terribly goes wrong, stranding one of his crew. Now, Tucker is on a personal mission to rescue Captain Cassandra Phillips. It's been a long six months for the Colonel, but now the time has come for him to steal the SSV-5 and embark on his most dangerous mission of all: Return to asteroid 52 Europa.

***Please keep in mind, this snippet raw, and is not yet edited***

Chapter 1

Location:
Seattle: Downtown Alley
Earth Date: 03/19/2065 19:25

A silver haired, short but stocky man lurked behind a dark alley in the heart of downtown Seattle. Looking over his shoulder to ensured he wasn't being followed, he descending the few cement steps, bringing him to a door at the bottom of the staircase. He picked the old lock and slowly swung the door open. The creaking snapped and popped, making him wince at the disturbing noise.

“Geez, don’t they ever oil these hinges? Where do they find these people?” he said to himself.

The room was dark, only being illuminated by the soft lights coming from a machine that was covered with white sheets. Next to the sheet covered machine was a computer console and keyboard. He sat at the computer station, illuminating the room further as the screen came to life.

He pressed a few keyboard commands, and then stood to poke his head under the sheet. He made a few adjustments, and then returned to the computer console.

Turning on the camera, he began recording a message, “Bennie,” Colonel Petersen leaned forward, looking close to the camera that was imbedded into the computer screen, “I know you’re alive, son...just don’t know where to find ya...but I do know you use this accelerator from time to time...heh, heh, you know me, I never could get myself a data pad, so that kind of makes it hard for you to find me too. Look, son, there’s a lot that’s happened...just know that it’s too complicated to contact you...or I would have...you have to know that, son.” Tucker turned away from the camera and then back, “I don’t have much time. I hope the day will come that you actually find this recording. Anyway, I want you to understand...I have to go back....I can’t leave her there. It’s been an awfully long six months...but we had to wait...you know, these orbits, trajectory and such...so they wouldn't let us go back, oh yeah...the date’s March 19th 2066. Salvage-5 is set to depart on the 20th. They took the ship from me...they won’t let me go back anymore...especially after botching the last mission. So I’m stealing the Salvage-5 tonight after I get buzzed off Jamaaludeen’s accelerator...I don’t know if we’ll ever see each other again. But in case we don’t, I love you son...never forget that, okay? Okay! I think someone’s lurking outside...got to get AMP’d and outta here!”

Tucker ended the recording and hid the message deep within the memory core of the machine. He reached over and picked up the cable that was draped on the desk, reached around to the back of his neck and plugged it into his jack. Then he launched the code, sending a quick AMP charge into this alien chip. His eyes changed to a bright green color. 
As soon as the accelerator finished with the AMP sequence, he pulled the cord out of his socket and quickly left the dark cellar.

Tucker looked down the alley each way and noticed a black van approaching from one end. In a panic, he ran to the side of the building and began scaling the brick wall like a spider, climbing it with no effort.

Five stories up, he reached the roof and flung himself over the edge. He looked down at the policemen scouring the area.

He saw one of the men pointing at the roof, “Up there!” he heard one shout. 
“After him!” another pointed.

Tucker didn’t wait to see how they planned on pursuing him, and took off across the rooftop. Coming to the edge, he leaped across to the next roof and continued running. 
The men climbed back into their police vehicle and drove down the alleys, attempting to follow the man jumping from roof to roof.

After the fourth rooftop jump, Tucker turned and ran in another direction. He leaped across to an apartment building with a much larger gap between the two, and two stories shorter. Landing with a roll to the ground, Tucker quickly got back to his feet and noticed the fire escape and ran to climb down. 

Traversing the second story fire escape, he climbed on the ladder and rode it to the ground as it made clattering sounds.

He jumped the rest of the way to the ground and shoved the ladder back up. When he turned around he saw a car heading toward him with its lights turned out.

The vintage Prius all electric car pulled up to Tucker and rolled the passenger window down. Tucker leaned down and saw a nerdy teenage-looking boy with black horned rimmed glasses.

“Lieutenant Buster Clark, reporting for duty, Sir!” the unassuming boy said.

“Buster, thought you'd never get here!”

“Climb aboard my starship, we’re heading to the skies!”

Tucker opened the door and hopped in just as another black van turned the corner from behind.

“Go! Go! Go!” Tucker urged.

Buster slammed the electric accelerator and slowly moved to speed. 

“Geez, Buster? Where in the hell did you get this antiquated jalopy? Can’t this thing go any faster?”

“Well, Commander, it might help if you...you know...” Buster motioned to Tucker’s eyes and then wiggled his fingers at the car’s electronics.

“Oh...right,” Tuck nodded, and then he closed his eyes and held his hand over the indicator panel and shot a bolt of AMP’d energy into the car. 

Buster nearly lost control as the car rocketed forward, “Whoa Nellie!”

“Keep it together, Lieutenant!”

“Oh, don't worry about me, Commander,” Buster said, pushing his glasses up.

“...and keep both hands on the wheel, will ya?”

“You got it, Commander...remember? I can pull my own weight, Sir.”

“Umm, yeah...right.”

Buster adjusted his rear view mirror, “They're still gaining on us!”

Tucker turned in his seat, “Not for long,” he smiled, extended his hands out in front of him, and sent a wave of energy down his arms aimed at the quickly approaching van.
The powerful wave hit the van causing them to careen off the road, slamming into the corner of a building. Buster and Tucker exited the alleyway, turned toward the freeway and faded into the night, blending in with the rest of the traffic.

Buster took a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed a few small beads of sweat from his brow.

Tucker looked over at the Lieutenant, “Why Buster, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you sweat before, nice!”

“Well, Commander, we've been through a lot...”

“Yes, we certainly have...”

“...but the one thing that always makes me the most nervous are the cops.”

“You're more nervous being around the cops, than you are being around cyborg clone alien things?”

“Well, yeah! At least with the cyborgs, we can kill ‘em...well sort of kill, but I guess if you really come down to it...”

“Okay, okay, Buster. I get that you're nervous. Just keep your eyes on the road, shall we?”

“Oh, sorry, Commander, sure thing.”

Tucker reached in his jacket pocket and pulled a half smoked stogie. He held it with his lips and lit it with the tip of his finger, “I'm really beginning to like this chip thingie.”

“Commander,” Buster said, pinching his nose, “Do you mind?”

“No, not at all.”

“No, I mean, can you roll down your window, Sir?”

“I can...”

“Please?”

Tucker cracked the window and blew his plume outside.

“Thanks, Commander.”

“No problem, kid. How much longer to the base?” Tucker said, drawing in another drag from his prize cigar.

 “I think we can make it in two hours, Commander.”

Tucker pointed forward, “Then drive, James.”

“It’s not...”

“I know, I know...you need to get a sense of humor, Buster.”

“...James.”

“Geez, where do they find ‘em?”

Buster looked once more in his rear view mirror, “Uh oh.”

“Uh oh, what?” Tucker asked, cranking his head around.

“I think we've got another tail, Sir.”

“Hmmm, you may be right, wiz-kid.”

“What should I do, Sir?”

Tucker pointed to the side of the freeway, “Take the next exit and let’s see if they follow us.”

“Okey Dokey,” Buster said, turning the car across the lanes of the freeway.

Tucker held on to his arm rest, “You mind? I’m trying to keep my stomach contents, well, in my stomach!”

“Sorry, Sir. I didn't want to miss the exit.”

“I would have been alright if you took the next one, Lieutenant.” 

“Oh, sorry, Sir.”

Tucker turned and looked at a car that followed them down the off ramp.

“I think you're right about the tail.”

“See, I told ya...”

“Alright, alright, you pull your damn weight already.”

“Thank you.”

“Take a left.”

Buster turned off the ramp to the left and stepped on the accelerator and sped down the lonely road.

“They're still on our tail, Sir!”

“Fine, fine...stop the car!”

“Stop the car, Sir?”

“Yes, stop the damn car.”

“Here, Sir?”

“Yes, here! Right here!”

Buster slammed the brakes and skidded to a sudden halt.

* * *

So, there ya have it...at least the first half of the Chapter 1. Hope you enjoyed this small sneak peek.

Stay tuned for more as this story progresses.

Author, Brian K. Larson