Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Virago One (Ace of Space, Book 2) by John Triptych

Release date: July 18, 2017
Subgenre: Hard science fiction, technothriller

About Virago One

 

Virago: the codename for a top secret project between ACE Corp and USAF Space Command. Its goal is to deploy the first fusion-powered battleship to ensure American domination of any potential conflict in space.

There’s only one problem: Virago has been stolen.

The world is now at the brink of war as the hijacked spacecraft forges a path of destruction across known space. The task to intercept and retake this dangerous adversary falls on corporate troubleshooter Stilicho Jones and NASA Special Agent Darian Arante, who must overcome their mutual distrust and antagonism just to survive. This time the stakes are higher, the price of failure too catastrophic to imagine.

Combining hard science with heart-stopping thrills, this second book in the Ace of Space series will surely delight fans of Tom Clancy’s The Hunt for Red October, Craig Thomas’s Firefox, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle’s Footfall, and the works of Dale Brown.

Excerpt:

 

 “I can still get you to safety if you follow my instructions carefully,” she said.
Despite the chilly weather, Vlad’s long hair was matted with sweat. Her latest words added to his stress and bewilderment. “What? What kind of game is this?”
“It’s not a game. The authorities have surrounded the place. Two plainclothes FSB agents will enter the café in twenty seconds. I would suggest you activate your personal server right now.”
Vlad’s right hand shook as he reached over to his side and power cycled the fist-sized device on his belt. The moment it went online, a series of letters and numbers appeared on the lenses of his smartglasses. “What … is this?”
“That is the administrator level access code for the Saint Petersburg Police AI network. If you are as good as you claim to be, then you should be able to get out of this yourself,” the voice said. “Ten seconds till they come inside.”
Vlad held his breath. For a brief moment he just sat there, staring off into space. His choices were clear. He would either use everything in his power to escape, or he would give up and be taken into custody, to spend the remaining years of his life in a windowless cell. His smartglass as well as the gloves he wore had a virtual interface system, and he could input code with the flick of his fingers or by using his eye movements. Vlad quickly activated his gloves and began typing furiously with his fingers, moving his digits in the air as each input was virtually recorded on his smartglass interface.
The double doors opened, and two very fit looking men with short haircuts entered. They had bulges in their jackets as they started looking around. The smiling waitress approached them, but the taller of the two waved her away. Vlad noticed them, but he concentrated on the lines of code being displayed on the virtual screen in his left eye. Both men looked in different directions, slowly scanning the room until the one closest to Vlad spotted him. The two men started walking slowly towards him, their right hands reaching into their coats.
The interviewer was telling the truth about the com-link access. Vlad was coding furiously as he inserted his control exploit application into the police server. The resulting breach gave him a clear view of what he was up against. Two more FSB agents waited outside, standing by their car. An aerial police drone was hovering near the roof of the building while two teams of cops were cordoning off the street. The FSB had informed the local police that they needed minor assistance, and they allowed their network to be linked for better coordination. That was their mistake.
The two men stood in front of Vlad, their chiseled faces staring intently at him. “We need you to come with us,” the shorter of the two said.
Vlad continued to add more code into the interface as he looked up at them. “Who? Me?”
“Yes, you,” the taller one said. “Now get up or we will hurt you.”
One of the police cars out in the street suddenly activated its own autodrive feature. The sedan’s wheels burned rubber as it barreled past the surprised cops standing beside it, and the vehicle made a quick turn while continuing to accelerate towards the front doors of the café. The two additional FSB agents standing outside shouted in alarm as they both dove away for safety, just as the police car smashed into the double doors of the establishment.
 

Amazon 

Four Chapter Preview available at Instafreebie



About John Triptych:

John writes thrillers of differing genres, from hyper-realistic crime books to fantastic, post-apocalyptic sci-fi novels that make you want to turn one more page just before bedtime. A former fanfiction writer turned self-publishing novelist, John Triptych’s varied interests include: reading other people’s books, recreational diving, watching movies and TV, guns, internet, politics, computer and tabletop gaming, cooking, art, architecture, wines, spirits, beer, history and travel.
 


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