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First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2017
Copyright © Little Lost Stories 2017
Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2017
Little Lost Stories asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
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Source ISBN: 9780008223359
Ebook Edition © July 2017 ISBN: 9780008223373
Version: 2018-05-09
For everyone working toward a better tomorrow and a more hopeful today. Thank you.
And for Alex: my love, my laughter,
my light in all dark places.
Contents
1. Reggie: A King of Infinite Space
2. Margarita: Inside Taro’s Box
4. I.C.C.: Look Now How the Mortals Blame
5. Reginald: A Tell-Tale Pulse
6. I.C.C.: Because it is Breaking
9. Esper: Return Through the Wardrobe
Epilogue: I.C.C.: Old Salts and New Songs
REGGIE: A KING OF INFINITE SPACE
APRIL 14, T MINUS 37 YEARS TO LAUNCH DAY (LD)
2088 COMMON ERA (CE)
The Planet United Consortium was formed in order to pursue Earth-wide interests in deep space. Each Planet United Mission is designed to further humanity’s joint scientific understanding, its reach beyond the home planet, and to ensure the longevity of planet-wide cooperation …
The hot stage lights made Reggie’s forehead break out in beads of sweat. He could barely hear the professor from Berkeley even though she was only three seats away. She sounded like she was broadcasting from the surface of Mars.
Mars—wouldn’t that be a nice alternative to where he was now? It was quiet on Mars. Deserted. No cameras and no horde of scientists, reporters, and politicians ready to hang on his every word.
“It’s your discovery, you give the presentation,” Professor McCloud had said back in his study. From behind his mahogany desk he’d stared at Reggie like a mad dog, ready to bite if he didn’t get his way.
Of all the professors in the world, Reggie had to get the only one who wasn’t eager to slap his name all over a graduate student’s research. “Sir, defending my thesis is one thing, but this … I don’t know if I can.”
“Of course you can.” McCloud coughed heavily into his handkerchief, his thick white sideburns jumping with his jawline. “They’re just people, for cripes sake. If you can stand a bunch of crusty old intellectuals judging you on every eh, but, and I think that comes out of your mouth you can stand a few colleagues and digital recorders.”
“But—”
“See! Besides, the discovery has been validated. So they’re not going to make fun of