Free Prison Planet (THE RIM CONFEDERACY Book 3) by Jim Rudnick Page A

Lieutenant Hendricks, we don’t wanna cause any issues on arrival,” the XO noted and Tanner nodded in agreement.
    “Aye, XO, Wilco,” Hendricks said, and they slowed noticeably as the line of low-lying islands came more into view. Once volcanoes had risen here from the ocean floor to breach the waters and slowly build landmass, and Tanner could see evidence of that easily. But it had been a long time ago, as the volcanic cones were now all worn down with green vegetation that went right to the summits. One of the islands though still had a taller mountainous peak, and as it came more into view, one could see the power grids coming up and out of the crater that marked the volcano.
    “Power generation is volcanic, XO?” Tanner queried and sipped again at his plas-cup of coffee, sweetened with the one thing he liked more than everything else.
    “Affirmative, Sir, small the AI says, but still enough to power the local residents, uh, 9,000 souls. Plus they have a full fishing fleet, a fish factory cargo ship, and yes, the local jail. ETA in less than twenty minutes, Sir.”
    As the shuttle climbed and slowed at the same time, they could see the lush scenery that lay on the shores below—first the blue of the ocean lightened to azure, then teal, and almost turquoise as the sand and volcanic rock climbed up out of the ocean depths. Beaches that stretched for miles went by as the shuttle climbed up and up and then crested the low-lying hills on the island of Gravity. They flew for a mile or two only at that height until they began to drop away down to the other side of the island.
    Ahead, tucked in a large natural harbor, lay many boats: boats at anchor, boats moving under power, and more boats tendering their catch to the fish factory ship that lay against the big moorings at the edge of the water. Tanner wondered what they had caught today but then figured with the ocean all around them, it mattered not a whit. The town crept up the slope of the island away from the harbor and was laid out in a semi-circular style, with a large central park area about halfway up the slope. From where the shuttle came over the edge of the town, Tanner could see the houses and neighborhoods up top were larger and more posh than the lower town center areas. And from here, he could also not discern what might be called a jail at all. Catching the helmsman’s eye, he pointed to the park as if to say it looked like the spot to try to land.
    “Aye, Captain,” Lieutenant Hendricks said, and the shuttle yawed and swooped down to be near the center of the park and landed slowly, pointed toward the harbor. The Provost Guards stood instantly and moved to the airlock to be the first ones out the opening door. Moments later, the away team had joined them, and they stood in the shadow of the shuttle alone in the park.
    “Um, XO, you did get confirmation about our arrival, yes?” Tanner said as he too looked around and saw not a soul. Park, empty, he thought, and looked down at the harbor and around the few town streets that they could see. No one.
    The away team looked at each other, then looked around again, and then looked back at the captain, who shrugged at them and held up his hands open to the sky.
    “I’ve no idea,” Tanner said, “as to what to do now—“
    Sirens sounded from speakers they could not see, but the volume was so loud they almost all jumped at the sudden shocking sound.
    “What in hell,” the XO said, and they all turned to look around to see if anything was different, and it took a moment to notice.
    “Sir,” one of the Provost Guards said, “it appears that the power has just been turned back on ... as it was off when we landed, Sir.”
    “And you’d know that how?” the XO said dryly.
    “Because we are on the Newton Security channel, Sir. We have to be as a part of the network, and we received word in our earpieces back about the time that the lieutenant was boarding his shuttle seat, Sir. Power went out all