Cameron Cooper [Cooper - Flying Blind

Space cities have been locked in war for centuries over the resources of an asteroid belt.

Humans pilot swarms of pod fighters to protect their citys mining operations from other cities, risking everything and suffering multiple deaths and regenerations. Then Landry goes through a regeneration which introduces an error that will destroy the delicate balance of the war.
Resilience is a space opera short story by award-winning SF author Cameron Cooper.
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Epic science fiction at its finest. Realistic far future worlds. Incredible characters and scenarios. Amazon reader.

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Caught between two great enemies.
The freeship Hathaway is boarded by the Eriuman navy while smuggling a Karassian, a mortal enemy of the Eriuman. Captain Tatiana Wang must ease her ship and crew to safety.
Flying Blind is the short prequel to the Indigo Reports science fiction series by award-winning SF author Cameron Cooper.
The Indigo Reports series:
0.5 Flying Blind
1.0 New Star Rising
1.5 But Now I See
2.0 Suns Eclipsed
3.0 Worlds Beyond
Space Opera Science Fiction Series

By the time you get to the end of the story youre sitting on the edge.
An exciting glimpse of what's to come by this author in the SciFi genre.
True SciFi is a magnificent world to enter and this is just the beginning of what I know will be a great series.
Hits all the things that I love about Sci-fi.
So much story!! So much promise!! This will keep my inner nerd happy.
Keeping close tabs on this new Sci-fi series.
This little window into the world of SciFi did not disappoint me, in fact, I think I'm addicted!!

Freeship Hathaway. Rinat System Provincial Space.

The appearance of the Eriuman patrol surprised everyone, including Tatiana herself. They were in neutral territory, minding their own business. To anyone who looked, they were just a small freeship.

What in the stars above is Erium doing out here? she demanded of the whole bridge.

Theyre insisting we halt for boarding, Captain! Ruh called from the communications console.

Specifics, please, she asked, forcing her voice back to reasonableness. Others would panic if they heard the captain screeching. And I want our passenger here, right now. I have some questions for her.

People moved.

Tatiana ran through possible scenarios, weighing and discarding potential strategies. She didnt have enough information to make a decision, yet. Ruh?

Her brother wrinkled his nose as he read the data. A convoyer. The AI thinks it might be the Africanus.

A convoyer. Scan wide, Tatiana said quickly. Highest sensitivity. Convoyers dont travel alone. She lifted her voice. And someone tell me about the Africanus!

There was a murmur of voices by the bridge gate. Three of the crew were hauling their passenger along by her arms. Marisol. As most Karassians did, she had only the one name.

The crewmen holding Marisol let her go. She stood on the decking in front of Tatiana, her arms crossed and her head tilted. She had declared herself an Upgrade, rather than a Standard, but had not specified what category of Upgrade she was. Other Karassians might have insisted on the details. Free citizens just didnt care. At least Marisol looked normal. The biocomps and biobots, on the other hand, looked out of place anywhere but central Karassia.

Why is there a Eriuman patrol demanding to board my ship? Tatiana asked her.

Marisol shrugged. When they enter, you can ask them.

Perhaps I should put you out in front of the welcoming committee, Tatiana said. Theyre here for you, arent they?

Marisol shook her head. Her hair was perfect Karassian blonde, her lips full and symmetrical and her eyes a flawless brown. She looked much the same as every other Karassian Tatiana had ever met. The standard enhancements every Karassian received before birth made them that way, especially to outsiders. Even her disdain fit the pattern. They are not here for me, Marisol declared firmly. Too firmly.

Something youre carrying, then, Tatiana surmised. Search her.

Marisol tried to struggle. Too many free staters were willing to hold her down. She swore and leaned up on one elbow from her prone position on the deck, as someone handed Tatiana a small, shielded box. It sat on Tatianas palm, looking innocent.

A whole patrol for this? Tatiana moved her hand, examining it from every angle. She made no move to open it, though. Noxious things came in small packages, as well as big, Erium-sized ones.

Captain, theyre calling again! Ruh said.

Tatiana sighed. Hide the Karassian.

How, Captain? Gelan asked, hauling Marisol to her feet.

Surprise me, Tatiana told him. No, wait She looked Marisol over. The Karassian wore the same bored expression she had used since boarding, yesterday. Heres what you do, she told Galen and outlined the plan swiftly.

Galen grinned, liking it. So did the others. Marisol lost her indifference. Genuine anger flickered in her eyes. She scowled as Galen pulled her away again.

Tatiana hefted the little box once more. Its light weight told her nothing about the contents. The Eriuman patrol hovering above them did, though.

She moved over to the navigation table, bent and tapped the false panel in three corners, in the correct order. The plate popped open, she shoved the box inside and sealed it. Let them come, she told Ruh. Not that we can stop them. She tapped her wrist, selecting the wide channel. Everyone, prep for boarding. The Eriumans are here.

* * * * *

As the shuttle attached itself with a solid thunk and hiss of hydraulics that shuddered and echoed through the bridge, Tatiana reviewed the data on the Africanus on Ruhs terminal. Ruh was part of the greeting party as he was the most fluent in Eriuman.

The Africanus was one of the oldest of the convoyers in the Eriuman navy. The Karassians would have discarded the old craft a decade ago. The Eriumans considered such practice a waste. The Africanus did not bristle with armaments, although she did have a smart canon, which was all she needed against freeships like the Hathaway. The Africanus had been patrolling Eriuman border states for the last five years, which didnt explain why it was out here in the Rinat system.

Now she wished she had opened the damn box. There was no time, though. The march of boots was already sounding in the access corridor, mixed with the babble of frightened voices.

Tatiana straightened up and turned to the gate. Next to her, Ruhs apprentice, Elmer, gave a shuddering exhalation. Tatiana glanced at his huge, dark eyes. It will be fine, she assured him.

Elmer swallowed. Ive never seen one before.

A patrol?

An Eriuman. He pressed his lips together for a moment. Have you?

Tatiana realized she was stroking her thigh where the long scar lay beneath her trousers and made her hand stop. Once, she admitted.