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    The Cometeers
    The Cometeers
    The Cometeers
    Ebook47 pages38 minutes

    The Cometeers

    By Steven R. Southard

    ()

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    About this ebook

    A huge comet speeds toward a devastating collision with the Earth, but no one will launch space shuttles filled with nuclear weapons. It’s 1897. Instead, they’ll fire projectiles from the Jules Verne cannon and try to deflect the comet with a gunpowder explosion. Commander Hanno Knighthead isn’t sure he can motivate his argumentative, multinational crew of geniuses to work together. It turns out one of them is a saboteur. Then things get worse. Only a truly extraordinary leader could get this group to cooperate, thwart the saboteur, and jury-rig a way to divert the comet. Lucky thing Hanno brought his chewing gum.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherGypsy Shadow Publishing, LLC
    Release dateSep 1, 2014
    ISBN9781619502314
    The Cometeers
    Author

    Steven R. Southard

    Growing up in the Midwest, Steven R. Southard always found the distant oceans exotic and tantalizing. He served aboard submarines and now works as a civilian naval engineer. In his stories, he takes readers on journeys of discovery in many seas and various vessels. Steve has written in the historical, science fiction, fantasy, horror, and steampunk genres. Come aboard at http://sites.google.com/site/stevenrsouthard/ and voyage with his intriguing characters in tales of aquatic adventure.

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      Book preview

      The Cometeers - Steven R. Southard

      Contents

      Copyright Page

      Dedication

      Chapter 1

      Chapter 2

      Chapter 3

      Chapter 4

      About the Author

      The Cometeers

      by

      Steven R. Southard

      All rights reserved

      Copyright © August 7, 2014, Steven R. Southard

      Cover Art Copyright © 2014, Charlotte Holley

      Gypsy Shadow Publishing, LLC.

      Lockhart, TX

      www.gypsyshadow.com

      Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.

      No part of this book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and email, without prior written permission from Gypsy Shadow Publishing, LLC.

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      ISBN: 978-1-61950-231-4

      Published in the United States of America

      First eBook Edition: September 1, 2014

      Dedication

      To the supervisors I’ve had the honor of working for, especially Matt M., Tom L., Al F., and Mike B. Expert leadership is a rare skill and a difficult art, and those four are masters.

      Chapter 1

      This crew couldn’t figure out how to shoot a pop-gun, much less save the world, Commander Hanno Knighthead thought. As he chewed a stick of gum, Hanno wondered how he was supposed to lead such a mismatched and argumentative group, but knew if he didn’t, thousands of people would die when Comet Göker struck on September 9, 1897, just eight days hence. Just now, more bickering had broken out.

      No, Sutton Woolsthorpe said with a snarl, my preliminary calculations show we should fire cannon number three in five minutes, but I require time to refine the analysis. He went back to turning gears on his portable Babbage Machine with pudgy fingers.

      There’s no time for calculating. Gotzon Voegler’s rich German accent emphasized each consonant. You must trust my judgment and fire the number three now.

      Based on what? Woolsthorpe asked, The ramblings of a witch from a Grimm’s fairy tale?

      No. Based on rules of thumb formed from decades of explosives experience. Voegler held up a thumb. Prosthetic fingers made up the remainder of his right hand.

      A rule of thumb? Woolsthorpe laughed. But all your other fingers were blown off in an explosion.

      When Hanno saw Voegler cocking his other fist for a blow, he said, That’s enough, gentlemen. Voegler, I’m siding with Woolsthorpe’s recommendation this time. Prepare to fire number three on his mark.

      Voegler grumbled, but then spoke aloud to Woolsthorpe. "One day you won’t have time for your calculating machine. On that day, you’ll

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