Never Submit (The Kurtherian Gambit Book 15)
CONTENTS
Dedication
Legal
Social Links
Series List
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Author's Notes
DEDICATION
To Family, Friends and
Those Who Love
To Read.
May We All Enjoy Grace
To Live The Life We Are
Called.
Never Submit
The Kurtherian Gambit 15 Team
Beta Editor / Readers
Bree Buras (Aussie Awesomeness)
Tom Dickerson (The man)
Sf Forbes (oh yeah!)
Dorene Johnson (US Navy (Ret) & DD)
Dorothy Lloyd (Teach you to ask…Teacher!)
T S (Scott) Paul (Author)
Diane Velasquez (Chinchilla lady & DD)
JIT Beta Readers
Kimberly Boyer
John Findlay
Trista Collins
Alex Wilson
Bruce Loving
Ginger Sparkman
Jed Moulton
If I missed anyone, please let me know!
Editors
Stephen Russell
Kat Lind
Thank you to the following Special Consultants
for NEVER SUBMIT
Jeff Morris - US Army - Asst Professor Cyber-Warfare, Nuclear Munitions (Active)
NEVER SUBMIT (this book) is a work of fiction.
All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.
Copyright (c) 2016 Michael T. Anderle
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, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
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Michael Anderle - Feb 02, 2017.
Michael Anderle
Kurtherian Gambit Series Titles Include:
First Arc
Death Becomes Her (01) - Queen Bitch (02) - Love Lost (03) - Bite This (04)
Never Forsaken (05) - Under My Heel (06) Kneel Or Die (07)
Second Arc
We Will Build (08) - It’s Hell To Choose (09) - Release The Dogs of War (10)
Sued For Peace (11) - We Have Contact (12) - My Ride is a Bitch (13)
Don’t Cross This Line (14)
Third Arc (Due 2017)
Never Submit (15) - Never Surrender (16) - Forever Defend (17)
Might Makes Right (18) - Ahead Full (19) - Capture Death (20)
Life Goes On (21)
**New Series**
The Second Dark Ages
The Dark Messiah (01)
(Michael’s Return)
12.25.2016
The Boris Chronicles
* With Paul C. Middleton *
Evacuation
Retaliation
Revelation
Restitution 2017
Reclaiming Honor
* With JUSTIN SLOAN *
Justice Is Calling (01)
Claimed By Honor (02)
Judgement Has Fallen (03) Feb 2017
The Etheric Academy
* With TS PAUL *
ALPHA CLASS (01) Dec 2016
ALPHA CLASS (02) Mar 2017
ALPHA CLASS (03) May 2017
Terry Henry “TH” Walton Chronicles
* With CRAIG MARTELLE *
Nomad Found (01)
Nomad Redeemed (02)
Nomad Unleashed Early Feb 2017
Nomad Supreme Late Feb 2017
SHORT STORIES
Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 01 (7.5)
You Don’t Mess with John’s Cousin
Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 02 (9.5)
Bitch’s Night Out
Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 02 (13.25)
With Natalie Grey
Bellatrix
AudioBooks
Available at Audible.com and iTunes
The Kurtherian Gambit
Death Becomes Her - Available Now
Queen Bitch – Coming Soon
Love Lost – Coming Soon
Reclaiming Honor Series
Justice Is Calling – Available Now
Claimed By Honor – Coming Soon
Anthologies
Glimpse
Honor in Death
(Michael’s First Few Days)
Beyond the Stars: At Galaxy's Edge
Tabitha’s Vacation
CHAPTER ONE
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Operations and Observation Area
“Shit.”
“Gesundheit,” Maria Orsitch replied.
Bethany Anne turned to look at the German leader, “I’m sorry?”
“What?” Maria stopped looking at the mesmerizing display of colors from the Yollin Annex Gate and turned to notice Bethany Anne looking back at her, puzzled. Maria thought back to what she had just said and asked. “Didn’t you sneeze?”
Bethany Anne smiled, eyebrows raised. “Noooo, I said shit.”
Maria made a small ‘o’ with her mouth, “Sorry, my mistake. However, while I have you talking,” she pointed out at the gate on the screens, “why aren’t we moving forward?”
Bethany Anne thought about that question for a second and shrugged, a glint of mischievousness in her eyes.
“Shit,” Bethany Anne replied, completely straight-faced.
Now it was Maria’s turn to stare at the young Queen, trying to figure out how, or if, she was joking. In the few weeks since those from New Schwabenland had arrived on the Meredith Reynolds, Maria had been in Bethany Anne’s company quite a bit. Enough to both enjoy and be the target of her, at times, wicked sense of humor.
It was time to play twenty questions, “Is that in English?” Maria tossed out.
Bethany Anne answered, “Yes, English.”
Maria put a finger to her lips before asking, “Pedantic or vulgar?”
This time, it was Bethany Anne who had to pause, “Um, let’s go with a vulgar way to say a proper word.”
“Ok, so waste,” Maria agreed, nodding her head. “So, the reason we aren’t moving forward is either an engineering issue or a convenience problem?”
Bethany Anne nodded her head in agreement this time but didn’t clarify which of the two answe
rs might be right.
“Hmmm,” Maria thought a moment. “Most of the people on this Asteroid are Americans, yes?” Bethany Anne nodded her agreement, “So, most of you have not used a bidet in your lifetimes?”
It was just a bit over half of those on the asteroid were Americans, but Bethany Anne wasn’t trying to split hairs, here. She shook her head in the negative.
“I presume the engineer or team that helped design the restrooms were European?”
“South African, I think,” Bethany Anne clarified then paused a moment after she got that split-second faraway look in her eyes. “I’ve been corrected, they were German.”
Maria Orsitsch nodded her head, “How many rolls are you short?”
Bethany Anne smiled, “It all depends on the number of months or years we decide are sufficient to change over. While we could certainly force the issue, I’ve been told there are a few things where it might be wise to bend a little. Right now, I’m being informed I should bend another eleven days due to the production schedules on Earth. Apparently, that’s being based on how many rolls are presently shipping out across the world.”
“Just how much toilet paper are we discussing?” Maria asked, finally confirming the product that was causing the Etheric Empire from passing through the Annex Gate.
“Assuming a quarter million people, an average of eighteen months, using fifty-seven sheets per person and a double-ply roll of five-hundred sheets we will need approximately seven-point-seven billion sheets or fifteen-point-four million rolls. If Earth’s manufacturing capacity is thirty-four million rolls per day, I’m told we should acquire this paper over a period of time, not to just order that many for a single day delivery.”
Maria blinked a few times, “How much money is that?”
“At least ten million priced in bulk, closer to fifteen million for something pulled off Amazon,” Bethany Anne answered.
There was another pause, “Yes, your new way of selling off the Internet is interesting.” Maria paused a moment, “How does Amazon deliver here?” she asked.
“They don’t,” Bethany Anne chuckled. “ADAM enters a particular address for a building, one not in use. We doctor up the location a couple of hours before delivery to look like a valid business, and we accept delivery by shipping container, or containers. We take the incoming container, leave one or multiples behind and boost the one delivered up to orbit at night. We have a pretty large skeleton ship that we now use to connect all of the containers together. Once we have enough, it becomes a pretty damned rigid craft. It has its own E.I. to navigate and deal with the gravitic engines attached, and gets moving in our direction.” Bethany Anne put up a finger to stop Maria, “Don’t ask me how it works beyond that, my little head,” Bethany Anne made motions with her hands, fingers opening wide, “explodes!”
Maria closed her mouth. She was, in fact, about to ask more technical questions. Each time she turned around, there was something new and exciting happening here in this woman’s Empire.
Now, if Maria could just turn Barnabas’ head in the right direction, life couldn’t possibly get any better.
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, All Guns Blazing - Special Room
The door opened, and the large crowd of people already present in the room looked over to see Bobcat step in, closing the door behind him before he nodded a confirmation to Lance.
The room was large, well over thirty feet by twenty feet and had two entry/exit doors. One door entered a back corridor that went to the All Guns Blazing kitchens, the other was for potential guests.
What it didn’t have was any room number or designation signs on the outside of the door. This room was as close to being secret as the group could make it.
Right now, it had a veritable who’s who of Etheric Empire notables sitting around a table inside of it.
Starting with Lance Reynolds and his wife, Patricia. Frank Kurns and Barbara Nickers, John, Jean, Eric and Darryl (Scott was on duty). Across the table from them were Gabrielle, Stephen, and Jennifer, Barnabas and Tabitha. At the other side were Ecaterina and Nathan, William, Marcus, and now with Bobcat, everyone that Lance had called discreetly had arrived.
Other’s couldn’t come because Lance had to make sure there were enough people to distract Bethany Anne if she came around, looking for some of those missing.
Basically, they needed to lie their asses off if she came around, hoping she didn’t read their minds.
Now, thanks to Bobcat, he knew his daughter was having a discussion with Ashur, Bellatrix, and Yelena and he needed to get this meeting going.
“Thank you for joining me, it has come to my attention that we need to deal with a rather sensitive situation related to my daughter and one of her vices.” A few eyes raised up around the table, not understanding what the Queen’s father was talking about.
Lance looked around and slowly nodded his head, “You guys and gals don’t see it, do you?” He frowned, “Ok, I will lay it out. She is about to have a birthday in a few weeks…”
Lance got interrupted by multiple people talking at once. He put up his hand to quiet everyone down, “No, I don’t mean her human birth date, I’m not that stupid.”
“She loves you and all,” Patricia patted her husband on the arm, “but she would kill you, and I’d have to say I would understand.”
“If I could only be so lucky she would stop at that,” Lance chuckled. “I can only imagine what she could do that would be ever so much more painful.”
“Saint..” Bobcat started, before everyone at the table joined in with him pronouncing the creed, “Payback is a bitch!”
Everyone laughed as Lance just kept his lips pressed together and nodded his head in agreement. “Yes,” he admitted to the slowly quieting group, “Saint Payback WOULD be a bitch, so, I’m going to use the date TOM tells me is the closest to the actual date he would consider her changed. Since even Bethany Anne doesn’t know…”
“Why wouldn’t she know?” Tabitha asked.
“Because she was under for so long,” TOM’s voice came out of a speaker on the wall. A few turned in their seats before realizing that, except to hear better, looking at a speaker was rather futile.
TOM continued, “After the disaster of turning Michael, I felt that I should take my time and do it right. I followed the changes and got lost in time myself. Days and nights mean nothing when you are inside of a spaceship, so I didn’t follow them. I’ve researched the information from inside my ship, and I’m pretty confident that the actual date of her conversion is the fourteenth of June.”
“So, we have a little time,” Gabrielle considered, tapping a finger on her lips.
“Bethany Anne has a vice?” Tabitha asked aloud, a few turning in her direction, “I mean, other than cussing? Hell, she doesn’t even drink liquor that I can ever see.”
“Oh, she drinks it,” Bobcat replied, “It just doesn’t do anything to her nanite body. It will rip through the alcohol in the drinks like nothing. She doesn’t get drunk.” he finished.
John smirked and pointed at the man, “You DID try to drink her under the table,” Darryl and Eric started chuckling.
Bobcat shrugged, his face turning red, “Well, I had beaten so many of the Wechselbalg, I thought why not give her a try?”
“It was,” William agreed, “one of the first times I’ve ever seen him incapable of walking a straight line after a drinking contest.” He put up two fingers and acted like they were walking in the air, his hand swerving all around.
They were, Lance had to admit, a very drunk pair of fingers.
“Which is to say,” Marcus interrupted, “we captured it on video for research purposes of course.”
“If it was for research purposes,” Bobcat jumped back in, “then why the hell do you guys play it on a loop in the lab?”
William shrugged, straight-faced. “We are researching how long it takes for you to make a comment about it each time,” he looked over to Marcus who picked up his tablet and hit a couple of butto
ns on the screen. Turning the tablet towards Bobcat, Marcus had a spreadsheet with a graph on it, “See?” He pointed to the left part of the screen. “Right here you can notice a sharp decrease towards the zero horizontal line. It seems it took you about,” Marcus turned the tablet back to himself to look at it, “four days and twelve hours to get tired of the video.”