Version Notes
1.0 Scanned on April 1,2002 by Warburner
2.0 Fixed Chapters and Subtitles for Chapters 1-10 which were Missing, Removed Several Hundred headers and page numbers, Fixed Lines that Spanned over two Pages. Feb 12, 2009 by FLC
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
INTERLUDE
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
POSTLUDE
2067 A.D.: Rejoice! the War is Over
Every war begins with a first encounter, a first blow, a first casualty. That is the shot heard 'round the world. But in every war there must also be a last victim. And the event that takes that victim can happen after the combat is officially ended. The Pelagic was a deep-space freighter, hurriedly converted for passenger transport. Designed to creep ore-laden from asteroid mines to the great refineries in low orbit about Earth or Mars, the ship had a maximum acceleration of less than a quarter gravity. The Seeker that pursued her could sustain five gees, or boost briefly at a hundred. The presence of the pursuer had been detected in a routine scan for Belt debris not listed in the data banks. Of the four people in the control room following the emergency call, only Vernor Perry, the navigation officer, had accepted what the Seeker's steady approach meant.
"I know we can't outrun it." Loring Sheer, the chief engineer, was still arguing. "Why should we need to? You heard the radio messages from Earth. The war is over"
"Vern? What do you say to that?" Mimi Palance was the captain, hurriedly appointed when the refugee ship left the mid-sized asteroid of Mandrake. She was a habitat designer, and she was having trouble in adjusting to the idea of space command.
Vernor Perry looked stupefied. He was the one who had called them to the control room. He knew more about Seekers than anyone el...
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