The Riddled Post - Aaron Rosenberg [23]
“I know what you mean,” Fabian admitted. “If they just wanted to know how it worked, we could have sent them diagrams. And if they wanted to be sure it was no longer a threat, we could have dismantled it entirely. But to ask for—well, okay, demand—the entire device, and all plans? It’s pretty weird.”
“More than weird—it smacks of some big plan, and I hate it when we stumble onto those.” Kieran didn’t have to say what both of them were thinking. Bombs could be placed on ships, and then detonated from within their shields. But bombs destroyed people and materials indiscriminately, and most security sweeps could detect all known explosives. This device didn’t use explosives—it wouldn’t show on a scan as anything more than a mechanical device of some sort. It was capable of self-starting, and of going dormant for long periods of time. Being within a shield only made it more dangerous, and more effective. And it could be programmed to avoid certain objects or even people—and to aim for others.
“Maybe we should—” Whatever Kieran had been about to say was cut off as both their combadges beeped.
“Everyone, meet in the briefing room at once. We’ve got a new assignment—and it’s going to be a doozy.” At the sound of Gold’s voice, both men automatically turned and headed for the lifts. Fabian shrugged to himself, trying to put the problem of that device behind him. This mission was over—time to worry about the next one.
About the Author
Originally from New Jersey and New York, Aaron Rosenberg returned to New York City three years ago after stints in New Orleans and Kansas. He has published short stories, poems, essays, articles, reviews, and nonfiction books, but for the last ten years the majority of his writing has been in role-playing—he has written for more than eight game systems (including Vampire, DC Universe, Witchcraft, and Star Trek) and is the president of his own game company, Clockworks (www.clockworksgames.com). Aaron has also taught college-level English and worked in corporate graphics. The Riddled Post is his first published novel.
COMING NEXT MONTH:
Star Trek®: S.C.E. #10
GATEWAYS Epilogue:
HERE THERE BE MONSTERS
By Keith R.A. DeCandido
After the events of What Lay Beyond, the Gateways crisis has finally come to a close and Starfleet can rest easy, knowing that another threat to the galaxy has been stopped …
* * *
… except for the Starfleet Corps of Engineers who, as usual, are left to clean up the mess.
* * *
While on a mission to Tellar, the U.S.S. da Vinci gets a distress call from the planet Maeglin. Still recovering from a months-past attack, the natives of Maeglin find themselves under siege from a horde of alien creatures that came through one of the Iconian Gateways and are now hell-bent on destroying the planet!
* * *
Commander Sonya Gomez and her team of S.C.E. engineers must find a way to stop the rampaging monsters before it’s too late!
COMING IN NOVEMBER
FROM POCKET BOOKS!
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