Speculative Fiction Showcase: Evacuation Order (In Love and War, Book 1) by Cora Buhlert

Monday, September 10, 2018

Evacuation Order (In Love and War, Book 1) by Cora Buhlert

Release date: August 29, 2018

Subgenre: Space opera, Military science fiction

**About Evacuation Order:**

When the test of a planet killer weapon goes awry, the light cruiser Fearless Explorer is ordered to the planet Jagellowsk to evacuate the scientists in charge of the test before the planet breaks apart. But in defiance of orders, Captain Brian Mayhew and his crew decide to aid the civilian evacuation effort instead.

Meanwhile, on Jagellowsk, thirteen-year-old Katya Grikova is desperate to get herself and her little brother Misha to safety from the ever stronger seismic shocks that are rocking the planet.

The Fearless Explorer is Katya and Misha's only chance to get away from Jagellowsk. But Captain Mayhew and his crew cannot evacuate all the children waiting for rescue…

This is a prequel novella of 29000 words or approximately 100 print pages in the "In Love and War" series, but may be read as a standalone.

Excerpt:

Barely five minutes later, they were all assembled in the small conference room adjoining the captain’s office.
It was, Brian Mayhew reflected, the first time he’d ever used this conference room. When his predecessor, Captain Anatol Nikiyan, had given him a tour of the Fearless Explorer, Mayhew had frowned at the conference room, since it seemed such an extravagant waste of space.
“What’s it for?” he’d asked Captain Nikiyan, “Why can’t I talk to my officers on the bridge or in the mess or in my office? What do I need a conference room for?”
Captain Nikiyan had shot him a thoughtful look. “You’ll see. Sooner or later, you’ll see. Though for your sake, I hope it’s later rather than sooner.”
How right the old man had been.
Once everybody had arrived, Mayhew took his seat at the head of the table and looked around.
To his left, his long legs stretched out under the table, set Commander Gregory Owusu, chief of engineering. Wiry, dark-skinned, handsome, with close-cropped hair. Detail-oriented to the point of pedantry in the engine room and easy going outside it.
Next to Greg sat Doctor Anna Kim, chief medical officer. Short, plump, pleasant, with a dark bob and a no-nonsense manner with patients.
Opposite Anna lounged Commander Erol Yilmaz, chief of security. Muscular, handsome, with lightly tanned skin, black hair and a pencil thin moustache. Absolutely professional on the job and a hopeless flirt and ladies man off duty.
At his right, finally, stood Commander Natalya Shepkova. Tall, red hair, pale skin, striking features a little too sharp to be beautiful. This would be particularly hard on Natalya, Mayhew realised. After all, she hailed from Jagellowsk.
They all looked at him expectantly, so Mayhew took a deep breath and began.
“I just received an urgent message from the Admiralty, ordering us to head for Jagellowsk at once.”
Greg nodded thoughtfully. “So that’s why we changed course.”
“I will now replay that message for you. However, nothing contained in said message must ever leave this room. Is that clear?”
They all nodded as one.
“Yes, Captain.”
“Yes, sir.”
“My lips are sealed, sir.”
Mayhew continue, “I have to warn you, you’ll probably find the contents of this message distressing. I did.”
He turned to Natalya who was still standing by his side.
“You’ll probably want to sit down, Natalya.”
“It’s okay, Captain. I can stand.”
“Sit down, Commander,” Mayhew said, not unkindly, “That’s an order.”
Natalya sat down, clearly irritated. Good. Cause if Natalya was angry at him, those emotions might be strong enough to drown out the grief and horror she was bound to feel.
“All right, so here is the message.”
Mayhew pressed a button and the recording started.
The logo of the Republic of United Planets appeared, followed by the logo of the Admiralty and finally by a “Top Secret” warning that threatened dire consequences in case of a breach.
He was theoretically in breach, Mayhew reflected. He also found that he didn’t give a damn.
After the parade of logos, the face of Admiral Cossy appeared, all harsh angles down to the bar-shaped moustache.
“Captain Mayhew…”
The Admiral nodded at the camera.
“…I don’t know how familiar you are with the Overkill project…”
The answer was, “Not a whole lot beyond whispers and rumours”.
Greg Owusu, on the other hand, clearly was familiar with the project. “So Overkill is real,” he mumbled to himself.
The Admiral continued, grim-faced as ever. “…but the short version is, yes, Overkill exists and yes, initial tests have been successful…”
Anna Kim raised her hand. “Excuse me, Captain, but what precisely is Overkill?”
“It’s a seismic planet killer weapon,” Greg replied, “So far believed to be strictly theoretical. But I guess it’s not quite so theoretical anymore.”
“But wouldn’t developing a planet killer weapon violate the Accords of Logabirum?” Anna asked.
“Yeah, but since when has that ever stopped anybody?” Greg countered.
Mayhew shushed them both.
On the screen, Admiral Cossy continued, “Unfortunately, our tests of the Overkill weapon proved to be a bit more successful than we anticipated…”
The Admiral shifted his gaze, looking at something off screen, almost as if he were too ashamed and couldn’t meet their gaze. And he damn well should be.
“For it turns out that after the Overkill prototype was fired up for initial testing at the Kosiolkovsky Laboratory on Jagellowsk…”
“Wait a minute, they’re testing that thing on Jagellowsk?” Greg exploded, “An inhabited world of several billion people?”
“Two,” Natalya said, her face even paler than usual, “Two billion.”
“They’re testing a fucking planet killer weapon on a world of two billion people,” Greg repeated, “What are they, fucking insane?” His already dark skin turned even darker, as blood rushed to his cheeks. “I beg your pardon, Captain, but…”
“It’s all right, Chief,” Mayhew said, “I share your feelings about this, though with somewhat fewer expletives.”
“Ahem, could we leave the ethics debate for later?” Erol interrupted, “Cause I’d really like to hear what Old Coss has to say.”
Mayhew was pretty sure that he didn’t, that none of them really wanted to here what the Admiral had to say. But they had to, and so Mayhew shushed them all with a glare, while on the screen, Admiral Cossy got to the point.
“…it could no longer be deactivated. So far, all attempts to shut down the Overkill prototype have failed…”
“What do they mean, they can’t shut it down?” Greg demanded, “Don’t tell me the bloody thing is functional and active on an inhabited world.”
“Currently, the prototype is executing its original programming and seismically destabilising the target planet…”
“What?” Greg exploded, while Natalya grew even paler than before.
“…which in this case unfortunately happens to be the Republican core world of Jagellowsk…”
“They’ve turned that damned thing lose on one of our own worlds and now they can’t switch it off?” Greg exclaimed in pure fury.
“That’s certainly a whole new level of bureaucratic incompetence,” Erol remarked.
Mayhew cast a worried glance at Natalya who had turned positively grey and looked as if she was on the verge of passing out. Luckily, Anna had noticed as well and rushed to her side.
“Nat, are you all right?”
Anna reached for Natalya’s hand, a simple gesture of support that also happened to allow her to check the pulse. Mayhew nodded at Anna, a silent acknowledgement of her efforts.
On the screen, Admiral Cossy continued, his face grim. “The scientists at the Kosiolkovsky Lab are still trying to shut down the prototype, of course, but unless we get extraordinarily lucky, Overkill will reach criticality in approximately twelve hours…”
“What does that mean, ‘reach criticality’?” Natalya wanted to know. Her voice was faint, but her eyes were clear and alert.
“Nat, you should lie down,” Anna whispered to her. She turned to Mayhew, “Captain, Commander Shepkova is unwell. She shouldn’t be here. She shouldn’t hear this.”
Natalya shook her off. “I’m fine, Anna.”
She looked around the table, her eyes — green like the sea on Turvalok — glancing from one face to the other. “What does ‘reach criticality’ mean?” she demanded, “What will happen?”
It was Greg who answered. “The planet will suffer increasingly severe quakes, until it finally breaks apart,” he said, dark eyes flashing with anger, “That’s what Overkill is, a seismic planet killer weapon. And those fucking geniuses at Kosiolkovsky Lab turned it lose on one of our own worlds.”

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About the In Love and War series:

About Cora Buhlert:

Cora Buhlert was born and bred in North Germany, where she still lives today – after time spent in London, Singapore, Rotterdam and Mississippi. Cora holds an MA degree in English from the University of Bremen and is currently working towards her PhD.

Cora has been writing, since she was a teenager, and has published stories, articles and poetry in various international magazines. She is the author of the Silencer series of pulp style thrillers, the Shattered Empire space opera series, the In Love and War science fiction romance series, the Helen Shepherd Mysteries and plenty of standalone stories in multiple genres.

When Cora is not writing, she works as a translator and teacher. She also runs the Speculative Fiction Showcase and the Indie Crime Scene and contributes to the Hugo-nominated fanzine Galactic Journey.

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