The Adventures of Gordon Rogers: Episode 1

By Ash Nom DePlume

Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers have been staples of science fiction adventure. A millennium from now the future Empire needs a hero. Search terms today get the wrong website, in the future, it is a person from the past. Meet Gordon Rogers a retiring chemistry teacher and veteran fresh from the hospice, relocated to the future, to save the Empire. Can high school chemistry save the day?

“Gordon Rogers is one of the best action-filled, sci-fi adventures that I have ever read, and that is something coming from not only an avid reader of the genre but a Literature teacher to boot. Set two thousand years into the future, the Empire needs a hero and captain that can whip the fleet into shape, so they are ready for the real enemy, an intelligent race of space insects. They use technology to summon what they think is a combination of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon rolled into one amazing man who just might save the Empire. The real man is a combat veteran who spent the last 40 years teaching Science mostly, and he just so happens to be a 70-year-old man who is dying of cancer in a VA-funded nursing home. Can we get this man a rescue? Not a problem for the future and their technology to make Rogers into the hero that Captain America’s Steve Rogers wishes he could be. Filled with plenty of puns, teacher/dad jokes, and coffee references to keep you laughing along the way. They wanted to save the Empire well, Rogers does just that with a common sense and understanding that must have been lost over the years. Strap in and take the ride with Gordon Rogers.” M. Richards

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ash Nom DePlume
• Release date: May 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005664343

Ash Nom DePlume

Pen Names are useful for separating the part of me that needs the day job and paycheck from the naughty fun of writing fiction. Between my day job and dyslexia, writing has been a challenge but you cannot keep a good story down. I hope you enjoy the stories. If you do, tell everyone, if you do not, tell me at the contact information in the book. Free access codes for the first Angry Brothers based story, the rest have a small honorarium though from time to time there are free. The Angry Brothers is a free show that can be found on YouTube and in many other places.Hidden in my stories are actual science facts, as well as a mystery or two when I can. I always try to keep the elements of a good story, A little religion, a royal figure, a little sex (sometimes a lot), and a mystery. This makes the shortest story that meets these requirements is, "Good God, the Queen is pregnant; who did it?"I hope the readers like my stories enough to come back for more and, better yet give favorable recommendations to their friends. Please check out my newest website http://www.ashnomdeplume.com to get more detail on books. If you are interested in proofreading or commenting on a galley copy let me know. It is all good fun and I do enjoy honest feedback even when it is you missed this error.Ash

Book preview

The Adventures of Gordon Rogers: Episode One

Copyright March 2020 Ash Nom DePlume

First publishing April 2021

Edited by Jo Augir v1.0

Edited by Ray Rahl v 1.6.1

Cover Art Todd Myzia

ISBN: 9781005664343

All Rights Reserved, so no part may be used, reproduced, or story characters without the permission of the copyright holders of those characters. Contact can be made via the contact information found at the end of this work. Email [e-mail] is also available to reach the copyright holder of this work.

The maturity level for this book is intended for a reasonably adjusted 14-year or older younger or new adult. There isn’t descriptive graphic sex or gore, BUT it is an Empire and War story, so there is violence, death, and some harsh punishments for violating courtly courtesy rules. Parent Guidance warning that the intended audience has an emotional age of 14 years or older. I have seen and watched TV and movies without warnings with harsher language and topics than in the story, but as a parent, I want to give a fair warning that this is NOT for all ages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. This is a homage story, so there will be the use of public figures; however, they are not in the story, and any use is purely fictional. In short, this is fiction even if some things are based on facts, so relax and enjoy the story.

During the development of the series, subtle continuity needs to be developed, requiring a specialist editor for the genre with an appreciation of an extended series.

Table of Contents

Prolog

Gordon - Games Round 1

Prince IX One

Phoenix 1

Gordon One

Gordon Two

Gordon Three - Tea Ceremony

Gordon Four - Private Chat 1

Gordon Five – Hell hath no fury

Gordon Six - Exit Stage Left

Gordon Seven - Rights of conquest

Gordon Eight - Poker time

Gordon Nine - You may now kiss the bride

Gordon Ten – Morning?

Gordon Eleven - Winds of Change

Gordon - Twelve

Wrench One

Wrench Two - Hon

Gordon Thirteen - Full circle

Gordon Fourteen - Request

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Other books by Ash Nom DePlume

Meet the Editor

Connect with Ash Nom DePlume

Prolog

A thousand years or more in the future, time, relativity, space colony collapse followed by resurrection play havoc with records; the human race leads an Empire under threat from an outside insect race. The Empire that has withstood the AI war, plagues, and a violent warring period birth, resembles a cross between Ming Dynasty China with Roman elements, with a Constitutional hereditary Emperor with the Legislative Representative and Colonial Governors that are elected or appointed for life. The Empire is comprised of the Central Kingdom’s thousand planets and ten Outer Realms and Territories of an ever-evolving larger number of sparsely populated star systems. A series of never-ending border skirmishes with other non-humanoid races keeps things interesting on the Frontier.

The long-time enemy has always been a low-level threat, sufficient to keep the need for a strong Fleet and Empirical bureaucracy. Now it has developed into a severe threat. Projections are a loss of fifty to one hundred planets in the Central Kingdom planets within the next twenty years.

Gordon - Games Round 1

Incoming transmission, Dale said as the AI computer voice for the ship.

Conference command, audio ship wide, chiaroscuro effect with backlighting on our outgoing signal, I said. The opposition doesn’t need to see that we have almost no crew.

Your battle is over before it even starts. I am relieving you of command, Captain Rogers. You are to surrender yourself for execution. The command codes have been sent to the ship, you are relieved. We will find out what your oaths are worth. Your crew can stand with you, and we can put that abomination of an outdated ship technology back into the history books with one torpedo, Prince XVI said, trying to look Imperial but appearing as a petty government official photograph complete with bad lighting.

"Monarch, who is in command?" I said to the ship's AI.

You are. Your commission and command authorization is from a higher power than Court 1 or 1st Fleet’s commander, Dale said using a standard ship's computer voice.

This is not over. Telemetry indicates that a member of my clan’s royal line was on that shuttle that you recklessly allowed to do flybys among the combined fleets. You will stand before the board, and I will enjoy your execution, Prince XVI said with megalomaniac tones and gestures of a one-take B movie without a rehearsal.

Computer, illuminate the ship’s sigil, so the impotent Court’s ship can have a clear target and make it bright for their blind gunners to shoot off more than their mouths, Commander Wu ordered, who is the embodiment of a competent naval officer with a good tailor.

"We have real coffee here, and with the quality of the real coffee he serves his crew, we will follow him beyond death. You don’t even know who the family member shuttle your missile destroyed and impacted the 2nd Fleet’s Flagship. It is a good thing the ability to shoot blanks is consistent throughout the command. Court I, you fired live ordinance at the IFF listed for Folger’s Princes III. You don’t need translations for Identify Friend or Foe identification. Telemetry shows that had the shuttle not successfully engaged ECM, both Flagships would be radioactive debris. Report and telemetry to be transmitted to observation for the after our victory prosecution," Helmswoman Adams inserted. As the pilot, she is on the command communication call. Her years of being plugged into computer navigation AI environments forgives her most social faux pax.

Let the battle begin, the Prince said with full megalomania drama that would have done Ming the Merciless proud.

The battle started long ago. Battles are won and lost long before the shooting starts, I said as the Tribune refilled my cup of coffee.

"300 incoming shots from the Court I, 207 from 2nd Fleet Flag, the rest of the Fleets are taking shots at each other and dimensional jumping in combat formations for the honor of first blood and scores," Dale said.

Rooster, Doc, Sam? I said to my weapons, computer systems, and maneuvering specialist.

Systems in perfect integration. It is all automatic from here, Sam said with her Mad Hatter smile and a giggle.

As we are all about to live or die, it will happen down to the picosecond. Would it be too much to ask to get a refill on this real coffee? Doc and a royal family member whose IFF was used to upset the opposing force in this live-fire exercise asked.

Until after the first phase, there is nothing for us to do except live or die. The ready room has a table big enough for all of us to enjoy one last cup together, I said intellectually, knowing that all of the events will happen at velocities too quick for human interaction. Personally, I feel the need to be at a weapons console or something. But I also know if any of us touches the wrong thing, we will mess things up.

As we are all going to die in glorious combat or be the conquering heroes and flagship of the combined fleets to engage the enemy that we are zero out of 25 battles with, and have all sworn lifetime loyalty and fidelity, Acting Optio Katy said before she was interrupted.

All 617 seconds of it that remain, Sam, the helmsperson who is reminding us she has been plugged into ships controls and the virtual reality for too many years for social norms to apply, interjected.

If I may, could I have the honor and privilege of using real coffee to make our farewell cup, Wrench asked solemnly. His small stature and nondescript Asian service tech cause people to underestimate his skills. When he is in a passive mode easily mistaken for a drone personage instead of a highly gifted and private person.

As you are all sworn to secrecy for life, however long it is, I will break out a new package and instruct you all in the proper method of preparing coffee. One last chemistry lesson for the road, I said in my teacher mode of using hard-to-obtain school supplies, so you better pay attention to this lesson’s expectations.

It took 120 seconds for everyone to double-time it to the ready room from the various parts of the ship. Tombstone humor and bravado or not, in about six minutes, despite the automated evasive maneuvers that are precisely programmed for a reason, we will be at ground zero for a lot of explosive forces while doing the expected slip away dimensional shifting, for which the enemy has launched a massive onslaught of countermeasures to keep us in place until the explosions start.

Sir, I am honored. Wrench said as he approached.

Before we all go to the afterlife, let me share the secret of how I can provide a real cup of coffee. Step 1, I said. Then The Chief and I assisted each crew member in preparing 16g per unit of serving by mass and fluffed it up. This took one minute. Wrench then correctly placed the filter and perfectly designed synthetic biology sourced coffee. Grown under artificial conditions to maximize consistent growth and chemistry. Not the total reductionism associated with artificial vanilla and other chemically perfect artificially produced flavor extracts. But as close as you can get with coffee, as it is a mixture of several complicated chemicals.

The twelve-cup-sized siphon coffee maker with a rapid heating element prepared the coffee in 80 seconds.

Everyone has their cup all prepared the way you like it, I asked.

Everyone indicated that they did.

Then a couple of last things before we see each other on the other side. Zarkov put the swarm intelligence for the ablative armor shell online. I want to talk to them, I said.

Which swarm? Dale asked.

All of them involved, I said.

Online, Dale said.

You are about to die to save all of the Empire, not just this ship’s people. We, the command and crew, salute you! I said while I offered them a toast from my coffee, extra cream, and sugar with whipped cream on top.

The crew followed the inherent order and joined me in my toast and salute.

Full royal honors for nanobot intelligence for ablative armor. The Court would disapprove, Commander Wu said.

I programmed them, so they are my children, and I approve and appreciate that my work is appreciated, Doc, the system's operator, said.

We have two great mysteries, the coffee sourcing and your full name with time for one, Sam Adams said.

I promised you the secret of coffee. Behold, I said while putting the wrapper for the cheapest grade of Navy synthetic coffee bag on the table.

It helps if you follow the directions, The Chief said with a laugh.

"It says it may have been compressed; therefore, don’t trust the volume measuring cup. Use mass measures per volume of output liquid. A little is good, and a lot has got to be better, is bad chemistry, and it looks like the Empire’s Fleet has forgotten basic science lessons," I said. While the crew exploded in laughter.

Captain, the enemy doesn’t have a chance. You made Navy swill taste as coffee should, Commander Wu said as the first salvo exploded.

Prince IX One:

(One day previous)

"Nephew, listen and listen well. In 283 SRPs, the Empire will embark on our next foray with the enemy. Our survival as an empire and as a lifeform requires a victory. The Empire has control of one-third of the spiral arm. Our enemy has an unknown number of star systems. They are insects, and like insects, they have large numbers, a unified culture & command structure. I imagine that casualties are viewed with as much emotion as a fuel consumption and repair cost summary. Numbers are designed to make the elder accountants unhappy and want for them to be smaller, but part of the cost of doing business.

We have to breed our people one at a time, educate them one by one. We instill rules of honor, codes of conduct, greed, corruption, plans within plans, court intrigue. We are born with a never-ending urge to protect what we have at all costs while trying to get more. Honor and ceremony keep us from acting the barbarian and killing each other. Now we are fighting for our right to exist and are too honor-bound to what we need to win.

You are to search through history and find that ruthlessness, or we are all dead."

TRE

Hey Computer!

We need to bring forward or reconstruct a venerated vetted person with the necessary social chemistry to teach us the meaning of mindful ruthlessness for the purposes of learning how to adjust the strategy, combat tactics, and such as necessary for us to defeat our enemy, to accomplish preserving the survival of the Empire.

Search terms: veteran, teacher, ruthlessly accomplished in the teaching of perseverance, survived combat, chemistry, politics, tactics, and strategy.

accomplished

chemistry

combat

politics

perseverance

ruthlessly

strategy

survived

tactics

teacher

teaching

veteran

Result 1 of greater than 1M shown

Before we conclude our graduation ceremonies of the 100th class of the Imperial Military Academy, we need to acknowledge and say farewell to a venerated veteran teacher, who has survived the ruthless onslaught of ignorance and persevered in the face of great adversity. Accomplished in the arts of teaching, everything from A to Z, including chemistry, political science, math, as well as a skill strategic and tactical thinker in dealing with the politics of modern teaching and education. A survivor and veteran of military service, cancer, and a career in teaching, it is with heartfelt sorrow that we must bid farewell to our own Gordon Rogers, the Commandant General of the Imperial Military Academy of ……

Computer, this looks good more on this, Prince IX said.

More data follows:

O Captain my Captain, . . . . . .Rogers things change in a Flash! quote attributed to class valedictorian.

Buster, stop being a Crab. Let teacher of the year go in peace, [e-mail]

Gordon, your ruthless pursuit of excellence in teaching has been appreciated, even if the cadets don’t appreciate it until the fullness of time. Best wishes in your retirement, write when you get settled in at the Veterans home maybe you will get a view of the beach, quote attributed to unknown.

Computer! Does this candidate meet the requirements as you understand them? Prince IX asked.

All search terms present, first data point found on historical meme recollections files. Priority is given to the hero, Captain Rogers, space explorer and defender of the earth. Flash Gordon’s record of defeating Emperor Ming the Merciless. Records show both careers were accomplished by the same person. Assumed skills at intelligence work and espionage are considered of additional bonus value, as able to conduct two careers in intelligence and combat using different cover identities. Also operated a school, a company and survived the Hollywood jungle, a real Tarzan. Would you like to see the full biography from Wikipedia historical record? the computer showed.

Computer! No, just bring the ruthless teacher from the IMA that enjoys the admiration of the Commandant General, Price IX said.

Temporal fragmentation of data suggests human verification is required, the computer showed.

"Computer! Bring this person forward after his last historically significate integration when dependent history is not compromised. Restore him and provide him with all the necessary assistance to accomplish the task. I have to get fitted for the ceremony before the war games go live. Ensure the Admiral knows as he will need to command a ship to show us how it is done. If the Admiral cannot provide one, then have one build it out of spare parts if you must. If you need to use the self-repairing nano tape. It works on a leaky tent to space ships. You can crew it with the punishment details for all I care, and all the bots and whatever IT, THEY, or whatever it's called that just sit in boxes collecting dust. Do whatever you think will work. I have to get ready for the ceremony for my uncle. Don’t give me lip, restore upgrade, verify, give the Captain whatever he needs to command us to victory, by order of the Emperor as given by Yòushǒu, his right hand! I have to get ready for the ceremony and then my dinner date," Prince IX commanded.

Phoenix 1

Daddy, Palermo has fallen. How shall we regain it? little Biljana asked.

We shall not, her Daddy said.

Then I shall personally kill them all, little Biljana said.

No! You will not. There are too many, and you are too small, her Daddy said.

Then I shall get my friends to help, little Biljana said.

You are too few and too small. Palermo has fallen, but not our spirit. Be brave, survive, and exact your revenge later, when you destroy them from the inside, her Daddy said.

I will be the Phoenix that rises from the ashes when they least expect it, little Biljana said softly.

That is better. You will have to be very patient and destroy them from within, her Daddy replied.

"I shall be patient like Sun Tzu, and I shall separate and divide my enemy before I destroy him," little Bijana said.

"That will take a long time. ‘Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.’ First, you must do what you must to evade your enemy and stay alive. You will have to pretend to be a compliant little girl loyal to my Cousin’s Empire," her Daddy replied.

Your Cousin, our family, did this to Palermo? little Biljana asked.

Nobody can do you wrong like your friends, except family, her Daddy said.

You cleaned that up, little Bijana replied.

"Yes, and a little girl shouldn’t know those words or use them. It is time for you to go and return to your bed. In the morning, the distant family will come to care for you after whatever tragic fable they tell you is why your real family is gone. Play pretend with them, evade your true enemy’s attack, and live to exact our revenge," her Daddy said as he helped her step back into her old nursery bedroom.

"I need a hug and tears card never fails. I will remember even if it takes a hundred years," little Biljana said as she gave her Daddy a goodbye hug. She then went to lay out for the morning, the cutest dress she wore when she was six as puberty deferment for her gymnastics and dance career allowed her to retain her pixie size.

Gordon One

Are you in any pain? the nurse asked. I wish I could tell you what she looked like, but I am not doing so well without my morning coffee. She, question mark, as I can’t tell by voice or build but sounded pleasant enough.

What? Pain! My first morning in my retirement apartment, I should have three to four months before serious pain management is needed. Then it is time to check out. After a lifetime of working and teaching, my pensions that should have allowed me one last road trip to see everyone is garnished for medical bills from my deceased wife. An old student who remembered that I tried to teach him, and the other ruthless bastards sentenced to the county military reform school, was able to do me the courtesy of being able to die with dignity with a placement in the VA retirement hospice.

Then, the shock of seeing that my beach retirement villa is a prison cell-sized closet. Complete with a single