The Chiral Protocol – A Military Science Fiction Thriller: Biogenesis War Book 2 (The Biogenesis War) Read online

  — BOOK 2 —

  THE BIOGENESIS WAR

  THE CHIRAL PROTOCOL

  LL RICHMAN

  About the Biogenesis War™ Universe

  In the twenty-second century, humanity reached the stars.

  With colonies established throughout the Sol system, pioneers hungry for new ventures traveled beyond its borders to nearby Alpha Centauri. There, they planted the first seeds of what would become three independent star nations—two around its binary stars, a third orbiting nearby Proxima Centauri.

  Not long after, a theoretical form of propulsion became a reality. The experimental new drive’s Casimir bubble magnified the Scharnhorst effect, allowing velocities up to three times the speed of light.

  A brave band of explorers took a chance on the new tech and launched a pair of colony ships toward the binary stars of Procyon and Sirius. Their descendants flourished, forming the Geminate Alliance.

  While the Scharnhorst drive made it possible to reach stars as distant as Sirius and Procyon, travel between the fledgling colonies and their parent star was still measured in years. The Geminate settlers were on their own, and they knew it.

  Three hundred years passed. In the mid-twenty-fifth century, a pair of Alliance scientists discovered a way to fold spacetime, bending the compactified branes that were stacked within the Bulk of extradimensional space. Thus, the Calabi-Yau gates were born.

  These specially tuned, ‘pair-partnered’ gates provided instantaneous travel between star systems, regardless of distance. For the first time, far-flung civilizations reconnected in real-time, and true interstellar commerce became a reality.

  Those back in Sol had formed a loose association known as the Coalition of Worlds. The Coalition eagerly embraced the Alliance’s gate tech. Treaties were signed, leases granted, and soon, the Geminate government had gates at each heliopause.

  A robust and vigorous trade developed between the settled worlds, ushering in a prosperous new era for every star nation involved—with one exception: Akkadia.

  The star nation orbiting Rigel Kentaurus had built an export economy around handcrafted materials whose value was based on scarcity, forced by Scharnhorst limitations and slow trade routes. This was utterly disrupted by the gates.

  Akkadia plunged into a recession. Desperate circumstances allowed an oppressive regime to wrest power from its premier. The planet went from an artisan’s enclave to a totalitarian government.

  The current Ministry of State Security was rumored to have its hooks in every star nation from Terra to Sirius. It stole tech where it could, sabotaged when it couldn’t. Such actions propelled Akkadia into a state of cold war with the rest of the settled worlds.

  And then the Akkadian premier set his sights on the Geminate gate tech.

  The Alliance has no idea how far Akkadia is willing to go to achieve this goal. They’re also unaware how thoroughly they’ve been compromised, but they’re about to find out….

  THE CHIRAL PROTOCOL

  Copyright © 2020 by L.L. Richman

  The Biogenesis War™ is a registered trademark of L.L. Richman

  All rights reserved. This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. No part of this eBook may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles, reviews, or promotions.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Published by Delta V Press

  Cover Copyright © 2020 L.L. Richman

  ISBN-13: 9798649665209

  0 9 8 7 5 4 3 2 1

  Produced in the United States of America

  ALSO BY LL RICHMAN

  You can always find the most up to date listing of book titles on LL Richman’s Amazon Author Page.

  The Biogenesis War

  – Prequel: The Chiral Conspiracy (June 2020)

  – Book 1: The Chiral Agent (June 2020)

  – Book 2: The Chiral Protocol (September 2020)

  – Book 3: Chiral Justice (January 2021)

  Want updates?

  Join my reader’s group to hear news of upcoming books, behind-the-scenes glimpses of life with a physicist, and views from the cockpit. And cats, because the feline overlords insist. Sign up at bit.ly/biogenesiswar.

  CONTENTS

  About the Biogenesis War™ Universe

  ALSO BY LL RICHMAN

  CONTENTS

  FOREWORD

  EPIGRAPH

  TRAITOR

  POWER PLAY

  REPORTED THEFT

  LIBERTY

  COMPLICATIONS

  TEMPTATION

  BRIEFING

  NATIONAL DUTY

  HIDDEN LAB

  MERCER

  SYNTHETIC INTELLIGENCE

  PREVENTIVE MEASURES

  YACHT

  BAD INTEL

  DEAD MAN’S BLUFF

  CONTAGION

  MISLABELED

  DAMAGE CONTROL

  STAKEOUT

  BACKUP

  OLD ENEMIES

  ENTANGLED VIALS

  MISSING TRIGGER

  EPIDEMIC

  HANTA IN HIDING

  FARADAY TATTOO

  SLEIGHT OF HAND

  DERELICT SHIP

  REVEALED

  BREADCRUMBS

  TEST SUBJECTS

  ANTIGEN DROP

  MISSION PREP

  NIMITZ BASE

  LIVE FIRE

  PANDEMIC

  DEADLY SHIPMENT

  STRIKE FORCE

  PITCHED BATTLE

  STEALTH ESCAPE

  DEATH TRAP

  SECURITY SWEEP

  A LUCKY BREAK

  SHADOW SHIP

  SUSPICIOUS FIGURE

  UNEXPECTED ALLY

  BLINDSIDED

  TO SAVE HAWKING

  DEBRIEF

  TERMINOLOGY

  WEAPONRY & ARMOR

  MAJOR PLAYERS in the BIOGENESIS WAR UNIVERSE

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  ALSO BY LL RICHMAN

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  FOREWORD

  The first three books in this series were imagined in the summer of 2019. This book, with Akkadia’s plan to weaponize a chiral virus, was both concepted and fully outlined at that time.

  I could not have predicted how things would transpire in 2020. I have to admit, it’s an eerie feeling, seeing events unfold months—in some cases, mere weeks—after I wrote my fictional version of them.

  I thought about postponing the book’s release, since as of September, the pandemic was still a very real thing. There is hope on the horizon, but we struggle to see a true end in sight.

  I thought about adding a trigger warning to this book, because on top of everything else, 2020 hammered us with devastating fire along the western half of the U.S. As luck would have it, this book also includes a very detailed description of how dangerous a wildfire can be.

  I wrote the chapter “Liberty” in February, months before the first fires broke out. I included it because I’m a pilot, and because there is nothing I love more than writing an action scene from a pilot’s point of view.
<
br />   It’s not commonly known, but there are very, very few things that have the potential to be as action-packed and dangerous as flying against fire.

  As with all my books, the numbers are as accurate as I can make them. A burnover truly can reach temperatures more than five times what an astronaut on an EVA might experience in full sun.

  “Liberty” is my ode to the valiant men and women who battle the blaze worldwide. They have my deepest respect.

  Aerial firefighters aren’t the only heroes celebrated in these pages. I also wanted to celebrate the quiet work of another kind of hero: virologists and medical scientists.

  These people work tirelessly day in and day out, seeking new methodologies to eradicate disease. They are making great strides toward that goal, yet they remain unsung heroes, often widely overlooked.

  Although the conflict in The Chiral Protocol centers around an evil empire that seizes a virus and weaponizes it, I wanted you to see both how viruses function, and how they can be used for good.

  You’ll find an explanation in the chapter “Briefing” that describes how chiral supraparticles can be used on the battlefield to deliver healing medical nano and save lives. Though it might seem like science fiction, that technology is being developed right now. Scientists today are building chiral supraparticles, they’re coupling them with nanomedicines, and they’re deploying them on a different battlefield: the fight against cancer.

  I hope you enjoy this book. More, I hope there are passages in it that help you appreciate the heroes we have among us. With every book I write, I strive to honor those who stand between the innocent and the profane, who work each day to ensure that good triumphs over evil and the weak are defended by the strong.

  Such heroism is found in soldiers who charge forward into hostile territory, and in warriors who fly combat missions while under a hail of bullets. In hotshot firefighters who battle the blaze, and in scientists who battle those attacks we cannot see.

  I’ll admit, this book has a tone that is not seen in the previous book, nor the ones that will follow. In a way, perhaps this is entirely appropriate for 2020.

  LL Richman

  Leawood, September, 2020

  EPIGRAPH

  All warfare is based on deception.

  The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy,

  so that he cannot fathom our real intent.

  ~ Sun Tzu

  Protocol (n.) In scientific research, a protocol is a predefined procedural method used to conduct an experiment. Protocols are written in order to ensure successful replication of results by others.

  When treating with fellow star nations, or within one’s own military, protocol is defined as the adherence to a specific and often elaborate code of conduct.

  Under certain conditions, to break protocol can be tantamount to declaring war.

  TRAITOR

  Leavitt Station

  Procyon Calabi-Yau Gate, Heliopause

  Geminate Alliance (Procyon System)

  The agent was stretched prone along a section of catwalk, scope held steady against one eye, intent upon his target. The narrow steel walkway felt cool under his lightweight shirt, its raised crosshatch pattern cushioned somewhat by the duffel he’d propped under one forearm.

  The catwalk was suspended several meters in the air, welded to the side of a massive arch that rose high above his head. It was one of many that curved upward to form the cathedral-like expanse of Leavitt Station’s Concourse D. The catwalk’s height provided the perfect vantage from which to observe the people passing below—and to wait for one in particular.

  Leavitt was a smart choice for an anonymous meet. As the binary system’s lone customs entry point, it was a crowded place, one that provided good cover. It held station just beyond the threshold of Procyon’s Calabi-Yau gate.

  The fortress was built to withstand the stresses placed on local spacetime when the gate punched past the surrounding dimensions to access its pair-partner on the other end.

  Operating costs, coupled with rigorous policing by the Alliance to safeguard its intellectual property, limited the number of gates built. There were currently only five in existence, each anchored at the heliopause of a stellar body.

  Procyon’s nearby neighbor, Luyten’s Star, was the most recent gate constructed. It also held the distinction of being the one most distant from Sol.

  From there, the gates marched inward toward the birthplace of humanity. Sirius was next, followed by Proxima Centauri, Alpha Centauri, and finally, the yellow star around which Earth orbited.

  The agent cared little about such things. They got him to where he needed to be in order to do his job, and that was good enough for him. At the moment, that job was to find out why an Akkadian agent was on Leavitt, and to discover who he was there to meet.

  Beneath him, ticketed passengers flowed past. They marched in predictable patterns, sparing quick glances at holodisplays spaced along the concourse. The screens served as navigational aids. They announced departure and arrival times, delays, and gate changes.

  Citizens of his own Geminate Alliance mingled with visitors from the Coalition of Federated Worlds. Most had some form of luggage floating behind them or slung over a shoulder, filled with purchases bought in far-flung star systems. A few off-duty naval personnel hauled duffels on their way home for a bit of leave.

  Savory smells from food vendors three levels beneath him tickled the agent’s nose. Very little sound reached him, though, thanks to the structure’s nanoacoustics. They worked in concert with metamaterials to dampen the impact such a large mass of humanity had on the cavernous facility. What should have been a loud din was transformed into a soft susurration that enveloped all who transited the concourse.

  Given the number of travelers onstation, the agent was lucky to have spotted the Akkadian at all. The man certainly hadn’t made it easy. The meet’s location—and the agent was certain it was a meet—was obscured by a cloud of light-bending nano. It permeated the short side passageway that had been blocked by an ‘under construction’ sign, warning visitors to stay clear of the area.

  When the Akkadian disappeared into the nanocloud, the agent had been forced to retrieve from his pack the scope he now held. The scope compensated for visual attenuation and allowed him to record the developing scene below.

  The station’s sound-dampening prevented the agent from recording audio, but he knew the Synthetic Intelligence program embedded in the base of his skull would be able to glean some of what was being said by dint of simple lip-reading. The agent would have to be content with what his SI could capture for now, until opportunity presented itself to detain and interrogate the man.

  A woman materialized out of the shadows to stand beside the Akkadian. She looked like she might be a partner of sorts, or perhaps a bodyguard. Her head was on a swivel, her hand hovering near the butt of a weapon holstered by her side.

  The two stood quietly, waiting. The agent waited, too.

  It wasn’t long before a third joined them. The agent’s jaw tightened as he saw the uniform the man wore—that of a Geminate Alliance naval officer. The missing lieutenant, by the holopips on the collar.

  Traitor, or spy? the agent wondered.

  His gaze sharpened as the AWOL transport pilot handed a case over for the Akkadian to inspect.

  Traitor, then.

  The agent shifted to keep the case within the scope’s sights as the Akkadian propped it against a nearby wall and lifted the lid. The man’s shoulder partially obscured the case’s contents, and the agent moved once more to get a better view.

  For one brief moment, he could clearly see the hazard icon emblazoned on the three sealed metal cylinders resting within. He readjusted the scope to try to capture the serial numbers embedded in the icons, but a hand obscured them as the lid closed. What he’d managed to capture would have to do.

  The agent used his neural wire to interface with the Synthetic Intelligence in his skull, ordering it to initiate a data upload to t
he Special Reconnaissance Unit’s headquarters element, back on Ceriba.

  The wire’s evanescent wave nanocircuitry connected him directly to the Ford-Svaiter node held in orbit around Leavitt by a Starshot buoy. It was one of many such buoys seeded throughout the Procyon binary system. Their placement allowed for near real-time communication to anyone, anywhere within the system.

  Not that the agent understood how it all worked. He couldn’t care less about quantum tunneling, or photons as evanescent waves, nor how they allowed for instantaneous transfer of information. It was enough to know that his encrypted transmission would be intercepted at the other end by people who would know what to do with the information he held.

  Sudden action through the scope had the agent readjusting his focal length once more. He caught a brilliant flare of light, indicating the edge of a plasma blade. The Akkadian had pulled a weapon on the traitor. He slashed, and the knife bit deep into the pilot’s throat.

  The agent had seen enough. He lowered the scope, intent on breaking it down and storing it back in its case, when his own internal alarm went off.

  He hadn’t registered the woman’s absence. He’d been so focused on the contents of the small case the courier was handing over that he’d missed her sudden head turn, the sharp look she shot his way as her eyes searched the truss overhead. Had he seen, he might have guessed the truth—that light had reflected off his scope’s optics, drawing her attention.

  It was a rookie mistake.