The Interstellar Police Force
Book One: The Historic Mission
Raymond F. Klein
Copyright © 2021 Raymond F. Klein
The Interstellar Police Force
Book One:
The Historic Mission
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Cover design by: Jody Taylor
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309
Printed in the United States of America
For Terri
Prologue
Tensions and security were both high when the eight inmates were led to the waiting transfer vehicle, higher than normal, and all due to one particular inmate, Prodor Moffit.
The guards were alert and focused. All their weapons were pointed down, safeties off. Their fingers were on the trigger guards, not the triggers. No one wanted to accidentally discharge their weapon and start a panic. There were rumors that there would be an attempt to break Moffit out, being that this was the most vulnerable part of the prisoner transfer. Out in the open and walking to the transfer vehicle.
As the shackled inmates were marched up the ramp of Interstellar Police Prison Transfer vehicle 964, Prodor Moffit glanced back at the throng of armed guards. He was quite pleased; this heightened security was all for his benefit. He gave them all a knowing grin and continued up the ramp with the other inmates.
After the inmates were secured in their cells on the third deck, the transfer vehicle was readied for departure. Coordinates to the penitentiary on a neighboring planet were loaded into the navigational computer. The crew of IPPT 964 closed and sealed hatches, the invisible magnetic mooring lines were released.
The two pilots in the cockpit engaged the ascent engines and the vehicle gently rose from the ground. As it pointed it’s bow toward the starry night sky for the fifteen day journey, the guards, watching from the ground, relaxed as the vehicle accelerated higher into the night. Their job was done.
But no one knew at that moment that IPPT 964 would never make it to its destination.
Chapter One
The Interstellar Police Force cruiser slipped effortlessly through the great void of space, its long journey nearly complete. The cruiser entered the targeted solar system and maneuvered through the Kuiper Belt. This massive region of debris, remnants left behind from the formation of the solar system, was caught in an infinite orbit around the sun, stretching as far out as Neptune.
The ship continued on, passing the massive gas planet, Jupiter. The large anticyclonic storm resembling a giant red eye watched as the vessel passed.
The cruiser was the standard long range IPF vehicle. It was equipped with everything necessary that the two IPF Agents would need for their extended mission.
The tri-level vehicle was long and sleek. The upper-most section encompassed the bridge. It was not very big, large enough for about five occupants. Located behind the pilot and co-pilot's chairs, toward the back of the bridge, was a metallic stairway descending to the second deck.
The second deck held the living quarters, galley, science lab, medical center, and armory. Toward the far end of the deck was a large hatch, which led to the power plant, life support and propulsion systems.
The lower third deck, which was accessible only by a security code entered into a small touch screen wall-mounted locking mechanism, was where the holding cells and morgue were located.
The two police officers were in the science lab, sitting in front of one of the many computers in the room. The room was fairly large, with built-in computer systems and equipment covering most of the wall space. In the center, mounted to the floor, was a long table filled with handheld devices and stacks of paperwork.
Both were humanoid in appearance, and both had been agents with the Interstellar Police Force for some time. The taller of the two, having more years and higher rank, was in command of this particular mission. He was six feet tall, of medium build, and was dressed in the standard issue IPF uniform. He had short, thin, wispy hair which was barely noticeable. The eyes were large and dark, iris and pupils of the same shade with no sclera. His skin was smooth and pale, his nose and mouth were small.
He was third generation IPF; his grandfather was one of the founding fathers of the agency. His father rose to the rank of Commissioner. It was in his blood. So, the day after he became old enough to join the force, he did not hesitate. And he rose through the ranks. In his third year as a detective he made a name for himself by tracking down and arresting one of the most notorious psychopathic killers of his time. Which was why he volunteered for this mission.
His partner was an up-and-coming agent. He was of the same race as the commander and five years his junior. He kept his head shaved and had a slightly larger nose with higher cheekbones. He had a muscular build and took his physical training very seriously. He graduated top of his class with degrees in criminology and psychology. His mother wanted him to be a doctor. But the allure of law enforcement had intrigued him since he was a young boy. He read all he could about the Interstellar Police Force from its conception, when the Counsels of the three main planets of their solar system realized they needed a unified police force, to how it grew into an elite police agency serving and protecting most of the known worlds in their galaxy and others.
The commander and his partner spoke to each other in a foreign tongue. After a few moments, they stood and walked
