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Chapters (48)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Table of Contents
  4. Chapter One: Fender Bender
  5. Chapter Two: Bigfoot Burrito
  6. Chapter Three: Treasure Hunt
  7. Chapter Four: Open Sesame
  8. Chapter Five: Central Intelligence
  9. Chapter Six: First Flight
  10. Chapter Seven: Park It
  11. Chapter Eight: Next Steps
  12. Chapter Nine: Search Strategies
  13. Chapter Ten: Overflight
  14. Chapter Eleven: Barn Doors
  15. Chapter Twelve: Saturn Fly-By
  16. Chapter Thirteen: Getting a Clue
  17. Chapter Fourteen: Hacked
  18. Chapter Fifteen: The Spy Game
  19. Chapter Sixteen: Investigations
  20. Chapter Seventeen: Break-In
  21. Chapter Eighteen: Battening Down
  22. Chapter Nineteen: Shoring Up Defenses
  23. Chapter Twenty: Third Time’s the Charm
  24. Chapter Twenty-One: Proxy
  25. Chapter Twenty-Two: Rescue
  26. Chapter Twenty-Three: Chase
  27. Chapter Twenty-Four: Spies R Us
  28. Chapter Twenty-Five: Surveillance
  29. Chapter Twenty-Six: Making Plans
  30. Chapter Twenty-Seven: Going In
  31. Chapter Twenty-Eight: Infiltration
  32. Chapter Twenty-Nine: Accidental Captive
  33. Chapter Thirty: Interrogation
  34. Chapter Thirty-One: Reaction
  35. Chapter Thirty-Two: Kidnappings
  36. Chapter Thirty-Three: Reviewing Options
  37. Chapter Thirty-Four: Public Debut
  38. Chapter Thirty-Five: Distractions
  39. Chapter Thirty-Six: The Big Reveal
  40. Chapter Thirty-Seven: Regrouping
  41. Chapter Thirty-Eight: Waiting for Results
  42. Chapter Thirty-Nine: It Hits the Fan
  43. Chapter Forty: Disassembly
  44. Chapter Forty-One: Wrapping It Up
  45. Chapter Forty-Two: Negotiations
  46. Chapter Forty-Three: Coda
  47. About the Author
  48. About the Publisher

“Point being, though, we can easily get lost in the details,” I said. “We have to figure out what’s important to ask first. And stay focused.”

The conversation reached a momentary lull. I arched my back and stretched, then leaned forward and grabbed the TV remote. I changed the station to one of the music channels, then turned down the volume. “Y’know, it’s going to be really hard to watch some of the science fiction stuff on TV now.”

“Yeah,” Patrick said. “When we yell corrections at the TV, it won’t be just hot air.”

“Right. We’re experts now,” Nat added, shaking her head.

“See, that’s the thing,” I said. “We will be exactly that, once we figure all this out.” I picked up my beer and raised it in the air. “To Starfleet!”

Nat and Patrick grabbed their beers and raised them in response. “Starfleet!”

Chapter Six: First Flight

Chapter Six: First Flight

Day 3. Sunday morning

I woke with a groan. Too many beers last night were exacting their revenge. Of course, for me, too many beers were four or five. Nat could drink me under the table, and I outweighed her by sixty pounds, easy.

I rolled over slowly and fell as much as anything out of bed, trying not to move my head too quickly. Fortunately, the thick curtains kept the room dark. The light from a bright summer morning probably would have caused me to burst into flames.

Absently scratching my nether regions, I dragged my sorry ass the few yards down the hall to the bathroom and began the slow process of becoming human again, starting with a shower. It was a measure of my poor state that I had to stare at the shower controls for several seconds before I remembered which way was hot.

As I stood under the gradually warming water, improving circulation eventually jump-started my brain, and I realized with a rush of adrenalin: We’re going to fly the spaceship today!

My eyes flew fully open at the thought, resulting in the application of slightly soapy water to eyeball surfaces. “Ow, shit!” I scrubbed wildly at my face. It had the required effect though. I was now fully awake and moving with a goal in mind.

As I was dressing, my phone dinged with a text from Patrick. Waiting for Nat. Be there soon.

Good, I thought. No point in wasting daylight.

I waited in front of the barn, the gadgets safely ensconced in my backpack, and a travel mug full of coffee in one hand. I’d tried to think of something else I might want to bring, but it wasn’t like going on a camping trip. What did the well-equipped spaceship pilot carry, anyway? I finally settled on a portable charger for my phone and a spare cable. Hmm. Maybe we could stop at 7-Eleven and pick up some food and drinks. And more coffee.