Good morning and welcome to the Saturday Book Diver!
Today I’m pleased and honored to interview Captain Carter
Therres, the man in charge of the military recon vessel called the Coriolis.
At the moment I’m standing in the captain’s cabin, a room
that reflects the personality of its occupant. The lower half of the room has a
large bed and a sitting area with a table, a chair and a small couch. In the
upper half of the room stands a metal desk with a computer terminal and a
chair. The room has a crisp, businesslike atmosphere, but according to rumor in
the fictional world, more than rest and planning military strategy goes on
here.
Although Captain Therres is boy-next-door handsome with
spiky black hair and a lean, muscular build, his steel gray eyes reveal
courage, strength and a stubborn streak that one must possess to make it as a
soldier. The Captain is dressed down at the moment, wearing dark pants and a
T-shirt that says “Local Marines.”
He offers me a handshake, invites me to sit, then waits for
me to get down to business.
SBD: Captain, I know you’re a busy man, so thank you for
taking the time to do this interview. How long have you been Captain of the
Coriolis?
CT: Thank you as well.
As for how long I've had this position...wow. Probably about seven years or so.
This was my first command, though I've been in the Local Marines since I was
twenty.
SBD: Right now you have Dr. Ash Mracek aboard. I’ve heard
you met under dire circumstances. What happened?
CT: Well, as you might
have noticed with the heightened security and the need to meet on such an
out-of-the-way outpost, things back on Earth--namely with the
Syndicate--basically went belly-up. We've discovered some interesting things,
Dr. Mracek being one of them. We were sent to rescue him when his scientific
research vessel, the Maelstrom, was attacked. I don't know if you've seen a
Revenant, but they aren't exactly friendly. Dr. Mracek was the only survivor we
found aboard the Maelstrom.
SBD: What three words best describe Dr. Mracek?
CT: Let's see...
quiet, gorgeous, brilliant.
While the Captain is talking, Dr. Mracek himself steps
into the room. An attractive man with an aristocratic face and light brown hair
that he wears braided down his back, the doctor studies us with discerning
hazel eyes. He appears keenly interested in what his companion is saying.
As a Book Diver, this is an exciting moment for me. I’m
thrilled for the chance to talk to both heroes of Distress Signal during the
same trip to their world.
SBD: Dr. Mracek, I’m happy to meet you. Would you answer a
few questions as well?
AM: I suppose I could,
yes. What would you like to know?
SBD: How do you feel about Captain Therres’ response to the
last question and what three words do you think best describe him?
AM: Oh. [He blushes a little.] I think
Carter--Captain Therres--may be a bit biased. As for my opinion of him? [He smiles over at the Captain.] Strong,
dependable, stunning.
SBD: Captain, do you have anything you’d like to say
regarding the doctor’s choice of words to describe you?
CT: [Laughs] Well, the first two? A soldier
has to be both, for himself and those who need him. The stunning bit? Given
last night, I'm surprised the good Doc didn't come up with something a bit
more...colorful.
Dr. Mracek squirms a
little in his chair, a slight blush coloring his cheeks.
SBD: Gentlemen, how would you describe your first kiss?
CT: A thing of beauty.
The moment I saw Ash drop down out of a maintenance shaft on the Maelstrom, I
had to have him. The first kiss happened once we got onboard the Coriolis. He'd
just stepped out of the shower in nothing but a towel. How could I resist?
AM: Yes, well, at
least it didn't shock you. Do you have any idea how long it had been since I
even touched another human being? Much less another man? Not that I'm
complaining, mind you...
SBD: Even though we seem pretty safe right now, I know that
danger surrounds you. How do you cope?
CT: [Shrugs.] The best we can, really. We
stay focused on keeping ourselves and our allies in one piece, while trying to
sort out the details behind the coup. During downtime, though, I don't think I
could make it without Ash.
AM: I don't know about
that, Captain. You did just fine without me before we met.
CT: Maybe, but now I
have a lot more to live for.
AM: [Smiles] Likewise.
The affection these men have for each other is obvious and beautiful to
see.
SBD: It’s almost time for me to leave, but before I go,
would you share one of your favorite excerpts from Distress Signal?
Excerpt:
“Fuck, what did this doc do to piss off the Revenants?”
“Long story,” Carter said. He stood and surveyed the room.
“Escape pods, though none have been fired. Fan out. We need to find --”
A soft thump high on the wall drew Carter’s attention to a
grated cover. “Maintenance,” he muttered. He motioned for his men to watch the
doorway. Then he approached the maintenance shaft.
“I’m Captain Therres, Local Marines.” When he didn’t get an
answer, Carter continued. “We’re here on behalf of the Syndicate.”
Another bump sounded a little louder, and a face appeared
behind the grate. Carter couldn’t make out the features, though it was
definitely a man. A moment later, the grate wiggled and swung open. A slim man
with a long, light brown braid and wire-rimmed glasses dropped to the floor
with surprising grace.
“We’re looking for Dr. Mracek,” Carter said. “Look, I know
you’re scared --”
“Scared?” The man whirled around, and Carter barely managed to
keep his jaw from hitting the floor. Scientists weren’t supposed to be sexy.
Were they? “Scared? My entire staff is dead! Revenants are tearing apart my
station! Buddy, scared doesn’t begin to touch it!”
“Hey!” Carter grabbed the man’s shoulders, realizing --
belatedly -- that the man was armed. An arc pistol pressed to Carter’s stomach.
He glanced down, then back up into wild hazel eyes behind those glasses. “I’m
not the enemy.”
“I’ve had more than my share of humans as enemies.”
Recognition clicked in Carter’s brain. “Dr. Mracek?”
The man -- the professor -- nodded, the motion jerky.
“We’re here to rescue you. Joren sent us.”
The pistol finally left its place near Carter’s gut. “They’re
all dead.”
“I know. I’ve got men sweeping the docking bay now. We have to
get you out of here.”
“Not without my research.”
Carter bit back a protest. He knew the man’s work was
important, but his job was to keep the professor alive -- at any cost. “Where
is it?”
“Labs are one deck up. Revenants hit the area, but hopefully I
can salvage something.”
Although he didn’t like the idea, Carter grunted and gestured
toward the doorway where his men waited on guard. The professor hooked the
pistol back onto a slender black belt, and Carter led the way out into the
corridor. His men fell into step behind them.
The silence was worse than any noise the Revenants or their
victims could possibly make. Gun drawn, Carter flattened himself against a wall
when they reached a junction. The others behind him did the same. Lights
flickered.
Mracek nodded toward the corridor opposite from where they all
stood. Carter gestured his men to the other wall. Then he motioned for Mracek
to join them. With the professor safely flanked by two burly Marines, Carter
inched closer to the corner. Revenants, while wraith-like, were solid. They could
be killed. They also possessed some kind of telepathic link to one another; if
one got cornered, the others swarmed.
When no sound came, Carter took a quiet, deep breath, and
twisted just enough to glance around the corner. Not a single living soul.
Without looking away, he waved Mracek and the Marines down the other end. As
soon as they ducked into a recess, Carter hurried toward them. Close quarters
had nothing on their current situation. The Marines stood on both sides, and
Carter practically pinned the professor to the steel wall.
Dr. Ash Mracek smelled like fear and adrenaline, and beneath
it all, pure male. Carter peered down at the man crammed between himself and
the wall. Christ, if they’d been anywhere else, he’d have happily given into
the bizarre -- almost overwhelming -- need to taste those lips. The professor’s
eyes narrowed behind the glasses as they stared up at Carter, like the man knew
damn well what Carter was thinking. That glare also made it crystal clear that
any such move on Carter’s part would be met with an arc pistol.
This sure leaves me wanting more! I find myself reluctant
to leave the company of Carter and Ash. They’re fascinating men and I’d like to
get to know them better. If you would like to as well, check out
