A Wondrous Gift

By Doug Turnbull

Set in the early 22nd century, this story gives the reader an idea of what life on Mars was like a century after first being settled. Andrew Smither’s life spanned that century and as he recalled it, we get a feel for the new society that was created. Youth restoring treatments, wingless flying machines, sprawling mining towns and plural marriages were just some of the features on the landscape of this new world.

Take a high speed trip over thousands of miles of Martian desert in an Ariel Sprite Flyer, a wingless flying machine no larger than the family car. Explore an ancient Martian cave and see the spectacular Crystal Room. And meet some of the colorful characters that populated Andrew Smither’s long life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Doug Turnbull
• Release date: Jun 12, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476401553

Doug Turnbull

On a wintery Ohio morning in 1958, Doug Turnbull watched the television broadcast of America’s first satellite blasting off atop a Jupiter C rocket into the darkness above Cape Canaveral. From that moment, he was hooked on rockets and space travel, both what was being done and what could be done. As a youth he constructed a series of solid and liquid fuel rockets, on one occasion filling the house with smoke after conducting a static test in the basement. Future tests were banished to the back yard and while none of the rockets flew, their failures were spectacular. A victim of Math Deficiency Syndrome, his future as a professional engineer or scientist was limited. Nonetheless, while making ends meet in mortgage banking, a field requiring only limited mathematical aptitude, Turnbull maintained his interest in Astronomy, as well as Physical and Planetary Science. He has constructed several telescopes, including one with a clock drive of his own design. As an amateur historian, amateur scientist, radical Libertarian, UCD graduate, member of the NRA, occasional reader of the work of other Science Fiction writers and subscriber to the Scientific American, he is well positioned to opine on a variety of issues. A resident of Lexington, Kentucky, Turnbull also writes Science Fiction novels and stories for young adults and adults.

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A Wondrous Gift

By Doug Turnbull

Illustrated by Dheeraj Verma

An Alien Artifact Story

Copyright 2012 by Doug Turnbull, all rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the author.

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Formatted by Jo Harrison

A Wondrous Gift

Ashmita Chowdury surveyed the tiny gift shop that was part of her domain as a park ranger. Her desk was located near the rear of the shop, facing the entrance. Against the wall to her left stood a bench on which sat a lanky young man with unruly blond hair. He held a cup of coffee in each hand. Behind her was the air lock that accessed the vast caverns to the rear of Lowell Station. The caverns were the other part of her domain.

A man wearing a pressure suit, helmet under one arm, emerged from the dressing room in the corridor just outside the front door and entered the shop. Ashmita recognized the tall, spare figure even before she could read the nametag on the right side of his chest.

Good afternoon, Mr. Smithers, she said. "And how are you today,