ALPHA ONE - THE KRONAN - another excerpt!

Whilst those of us in the UK wait for the paperback; I thought I would give you another little taster from book two in the Alpha One series:

The romance with space began on the moon and it very nearly
ended there. The loss of the first manned space station on the
moon in 2032—with fifty-eight crew members perishing in the
aftermath of a huge explosion—set space exploration back twenty
years before the people of Earth regained their fascination with
the cosmos and a second more permanent moon station opened
its doors. The new facility at Black Rock became the center of the
vast Alpha Two joint military commercial complex and it was here
that new non-ranking recruits and graduates of Alpha’s academies
arrived to start their tours.
Lieutenant Carla Stevenson’s shuttle touched down at 0800
hours after the short flight from Earth. Just two days after graduation
and only twenty-four hours after she said goodbye to Jake,
she was here. The cosseted, leafy surroundings of the South Down
Academy seemed a very long way away.
Carla was led into a large hall with two hundred other Alpha
personnel to await further instructions. After a few minutes,
names were called alphabetically and the numbers in the hall
slowly reduced. After what seemed an eternity, her name was
called and she approached the front to be greeted by her sponsor,
Major Thomas Harrington.
“Lieutenant Stevenson. Thomas Harrington, Communications
Lead. I trust you had a good trip?”
“Yes, it was fine, thank you Major.”
Carla was taken aback by the informal nature of her
introduction.
“Excellent. We need to take a shuttle to the Senate headquarters
on the eastern side of the base. Your accommodation will be
on site, rather than within the base.”
Carla followed the Major back towards the shuttle landing
bays and within minutes, they had boarded a small senate shuttle
for their short trip across the complex.
“You will see that we try to keep things informal. May I call
you Carla?

We are Alpha personnel, but what we do is to a degree separated
from the main body politic and our funding is direct from
ECG not Alpha. You will enjoy your work with us. It will be varied
and interesting and we are a sociable bunch. Your apartment
should be quite comfortable and we have direct access to the
eastern leisure facility, which helps to relieve the pressure of our
responsibilities.”
The shuttle landed and they entered a domed automated walkway,
which carried them the last three hundred meters to the senate
building.
“As you would expect, we are extremely busy. Both Alpha and
the ECG are desperately trying to engage the support of other APF
members. There are over seventy separate negotiations in place
at present, including some indirect attempts to open discussions
with the Kryl. For the immediate future, we will be moving from
one negotiation to the next as and when we are called for. This
afternoon, we will be sitting in on a discussion between Alpha
and the Elkhert’s Tribe. Are you familiar with their species and
language? If not the translator software will assist.”
“It is not a language I know but I can start to familiarize myself
right now.”
“No need. We are here to support and to listen. This is an APF
led initiative.”
“I am rather confused, Major. I thought my post was Junior
Communications Officer to the Senate. This role seems more diplomacy
than comms?”
“Your comms experience will come in useful, believe me, but
probably not today. As I suggested, our role is varied and there
will be quite a lot of listening, some comms and translation work,
a little diplomacy and occasionally a mix of all three. Don’t worry
it will all start to make sense in a week or two.”
Carla was uncertain but went ahead with the Major’s assertions.
She would listen, take it all in, and prepare herself. Although
she was finding it hard to see what relevance her four years of military
training had. However, in this environment, everyone had
to be flexible and she was ready for whatever challenge that was
brought before her.
She missed Jake and wondered how he coped with his threeweek
shuttle endurance. She was concerned for him but reasoned
that his combat ban would keep him away from immediate danger.
If there was anything the Senate could do to help the crisis to
resolution without a major battle, then she would do her utmost
to assist.

'Alpha One - The Kronan' - now on Kindle!

Alpha One - The Kronan 

The Kryl are back... but this time they intend to feed.

Published by Eternal Press - 14th May 2012

An extract for your delectation:

'It was not pain in the conventional sense. To begin with, the tingling sensation as his brain was invaded was insignificant. There was no detectable impact on his cognitive ability, or apparently to his motor function. Now, though, the tingling was constant and more so after the event, rather than while the Kryl drones carried out their attack. The functions and capabilities of the cerebral cortex and the temporal lobes in particular were reduced substantially. He could still sense most things around him,his sight was still good, but his perception of things was changing and his emotional responses, his memory and his speech were confused. He did not know how long he had left. He had no perception of time, no concept of his surroundings. He was still able to move around, slowly and purposefully, but each movement was a calculation deliberately made, rather than an automated response.

He was led once again, to the Kronan’s sanctuary. All of his crew had gone and soon, he would join them.

“Ah Lieutenant Samos. Come in and take a seat. I can see that you have grown weaker. Your motor functions are slowing and even your basic functions are fading, your breathing, your heart rate and your digestive capabilities. If I allow my crew to digest again, you will not survive another day. Do you still have a significant part to play in this discussion?”

Samos had been waiting for this. It took all his concentration just to get here, but somehow, somewhere he had stored the basic instinct for survival and this was his last chance.
“I can still contribute...I could be of use to you for a long time. I know stuff.” He found it harder and harder to speak but somehow he managed to finish his sentence.
“I agree that you have been useful and it would be counter productive to end our discussions prematurely. However, your brain functions have been compromised. There is no guarantee that even your basic functions will return. Nonetheless, there is a precedent with other species. Convince me!”

Samos could barely comprehend the Kronan’s dysfunctional dialect at the best of times but now, he was having trouble keeping his eyes open, let alone, make a speech, which could stop the Kryl from killing him. He concentrated hard.
“About Alpha, about Earth, about us...it must be of use!”
“I could capture any human, even a higher ranking one and obtain better, more concise, more accurate information than you can provide. I said convince me!”
Samos sighed and pulled his hands away from his face. “But you know and understand me. I am at death’s door. I will tell you anything, everything!”
The Kronan smiled.“You may be of some use still. I will allow you to recover and we will talk again in a few days. By then, we will have arrived at the wormhole and we can welcome my fleet together.”

Samos was led back to his cell, where he collapsed onto his bed exhausted. When he awoke, he felt more alert. A medication droid was monitoring him and he was hooked up to a spinal drip. He could
not move but realized the Kronan was good to his word. The Kryl were bringing him back from death. He was suddenly overjoyed. This was not much; at least he was alive—for how long, he did not know, but he was still alive.'

Book 2 in the Alpha One series is now published and available via Eternal Press  http://www.eternalpress.biz/book.php?isbn=9781615726745
via Amazon.com  http://amzn.to/Mx8QQu or Amazon.co.uk http://amzn.to/KxGBMZ
The paperback will be available shortly, with other e-book formats and availability in other on-line and retail stores following suit.

'Alpha One - the Kronan' by Chris Burton - release date 14th May, 2012

The sequel to Alpha One - The Jump Pilot will be available in e-book and paperback
from all major on-line and in-store retailers from May 14th, 2012

The Kryl are back... but this time they intend to feed!

Jake Carter and Jonathan Hoskins return in the sequel to Alpha One - The Jump Pilot.

The wormhole has reopened and the Kryl have returned bringing with them a vast armada under the command of the new Kronan – Morvalt. The Kryl Queen and Morvalt’s sole intent is to defeat Alpha and take Planet Earth and its people as their new food source.

Jake graduates and assumes his first post aboard an Alpha Battle Cruiser; whilst his girlfriend Carla Stevenson joins the Senate in a diplomatic post and his friend Steve Costello scrapes through gradation and assumes a Jump Ship post on the front line. Morvalt takes control of Jakes mind and forces him to join the Queen aboard the Queens ship, whilst his fleet continue their relentless advance to Earth.

Alpha’s defenses are stretched to the full as the battle rages and Jake Carter, Jonathan Hoskins Carla Stevenson and Steve Costello become embroiled in a battle to save the Earth.

Britain... the next leaders of the space race?

A company in Britain is building an engine dubbed Skylon which will allow space craft to take off from a runway and lift off into space and beyond with just one engine.... And then it can land again on a runway, with the same engine... How much could this revolutionise space travel?





If you consider the commercial applications alone and given that several companies are already considering the mining of large asteroids for their metal and ore deposits. Then there are the tourist companies, who will take their passengers far beyond the stratosphere, to the moon, to Mars and further still. If this works, how far reaching will its application be and given that actually getting away from our planet is one of the most difficult and costly parts of space exploration; how fare forward would such an invention take us. Suddenly, anything is possible...

So could this very British invention work,and will the UK government put up the cash to fund it? History teaches us, that we will invent it and then allow someone else to bring it to market and exploit the potentially huge income that could derive from it. Typically British, we invent and then stand by helpless, as others benefit...

But then, wait a minute; the UK space industry is growing exponentially. We are already amongst the leaders in the development of new satellite technology and only last week, it was announced that a UK company would build the space craft which is due to travel closer to the Sun than any vessel before it.



Actually in the grand scheme of things, none of this is important. Does it really matter in the long term who built what? If we are looking to the stars and beyond, we should all be as one. The economic benefits are irrelevant... Aren't they?

'The Kronan' launch date ... just 18 days to go!

Just 18 days now until my new novel Alpha One - The Kronan is released and in anticipation I have given my website a fresh new look!

The book, to be published traditionally by Eternal Press is the sequel to 'Alpha One - The Jump Pilot' which was published in Dec 2010 and is the second book in the first Alpha One trilogy. Here is the blurb:

The Kryl are back... but this time they intend to feed!

Jake Carter and Jonathan Hoskins return in the sequel to Alpha One - The Jump Pilot.

The wormhole has reopened and the Kryl have returned bringing with them a vast armada under the command of the new Kronan – Morvalt. The Kryl Queen and Morvalt’s sole intent is to defeat Alpha and take Planet Earth and its people as their new food source.

Jake graduates and assumes his first post aboard an Alpha Battle Cruiser; whilst his girlfriend Carla Stevenson joins the Senate in a diplomatic post and his friend Steve Costello scrapes through gradation and assumes a Jump Ship post on the front line. Morvalt takes control of Jakes mind and forces him to join the Queen aboard the Queens ship, whilst his fleet continue their relentless advance to Earth.

Alpha’s defenses are stretched to the full as the battle rages and Jake Carter, Jonathan Hoskins Carla Stevenson and Steve Costello become embroiled in a battle to save the Earth.

There is still quite a lot to do to get the new book on the shelves, but as you can see the new cover design by Dawne Dominique, which now forms the backdrop of the revised website is brilliant! Just the final edits and the copy and proofing to go and then 'Alpha One - The Kronan' will be in the public domain.

Then I can concentrate on book three. The last in the first trilogy, which is now finished and awaiting it's final pre-submission edit.

Watch this space for more pre-launch information.

Are NASA being left behind by ESA and other space agencies?

Quite remarkable to think that NASA who for so long battled with Russia to lead the space race to the Moon, could now actually be left behind, in terms of the major space conquests planned for the next decade or so.


With NASA's budget being slashed for the EXOMARS project last month, the major European nations have come together to keep this key project from falling away.  It seems the plan to send a satellite and rover to the Red Planet will continue; but Russia will now partner Europe instead, taking on key roles, including the provision of two rockets.


Although the door has been left open for NASA investment; it does seem their priorities now lie elsewhere. Of course, there is still a great deal going on. The plans for future space projects, including sending space craft to land on Jupiter's moons and to chase comets around the solar system are important and over time, what they find may well exceed all expectations; but surely the Mars project is the big one. Does the US really want to miss out on the prospect of man walking on the Red Planet one day?


Surely, putting a man on Mars is the most important space target for the first half of the twenty-first century. The EXOMARS series of missions planned for 2016 and 2018 are just the first small steps that will bring forward the day when a manned mission can take place. The technological advancements that such a mission would bring, will benefit the whole planet and those on-board now, will gain the most from its successful conclusion. It is almost unthinkable that NASA might not be included.


This constant recessionary climate, the world now finds itself in, will one day come to an end. US economic growth is on the up and once the major European economies have sorted out their own financial woes, we will surely be back to growth, growth, growth. Let us hope the international community can then come together and really put some major investment back into the global space programme and by then NASA will be back on board. We can do it without them; but the major player in the space age must surely play its part once again.

An appeal to George Lucas

Dear George,

7 long years... 7 years since the last 'new' Star Wars film came out. Yes, there have been re-releases and I went to see the most recent 3D version of  'The Phantom Menace' at the cinema, just last week, with two of my sons. They experienced the big screen Star Wars phenomenon for the first time. But now we need some new stuff... or even just a commitment or a plan for some new stuff.

Now I know what you are going to say. We have the 'Clone Wars' animated series and the new shows with real people that you are filming/ planning to film at the moment. But these, as far as I am aware, are to be set within the time-scale of the six original films. We; that is the Star Wars hungry people on planet Earth want to see what really happened after Darth Vader died. What happened to Luke? Did the Jedi numbers start to grow again or did the Sith Lords take over?

Of course, you are committed to releasing 3D versions of all 6 films and I would imagine if you were to release one a year, no new films could come out until 2018 at the very earliest... But could we please have a hint? Are you planning a new sequel trilogy to Star Wars. i.e. episodes 7, 8 & 9?

I know you have been asked this question many times before; but the public are starved of good scifi on the big screen and to be honest we would just be happy to know it was coming. Please George... give us a hint.

All right... If you can't and should the franchise be losing its appeal from your perspective, perhaps you are considering new challenges? In which case I do have the perfect solution...

A new scifi concept for the next ten years. It's quite good you know... might be worth taking a peek...