Racers of the Night: Science Fiction Stories by Brad R. Torgersen Read online

  Table of Contents

  Introduction 1

  Introduction 2

  Introduction 3

  The Curse of Sally Tincakes

  The Bricks of Eta Cassiopeiae

  Guard Dog

  Counselor: L.E. Modesitt, Jr.

  Recapturing the Dream

  The Flamingo Girl

  Reardon’s Law

  Blood and Mirrors

  Mentors: Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta

  The Shadows of Titan

  The Nechronomator

  The Hideki Line

  Peacekeeper

  Teacher: Dave Wolverton

  Life Flight

  Afterword

  Additional Copyright Information

  Other Books by Brad R. Torgersen

  Science Fiction Stories

  by Brad R. Torgersen

  Racers of the Night

  Brad R. Torgersen

  Flying at the Speed of Night . . . Following in the successful footsteps of his previous short fiction collection (“Lights in the Deep”) award-winning and award-nominated Science Fiction author Brad R. Torgersen is back with twelve new tales. From the edges of explored space, to the depths of the artificial soul. At once breaking the limits of human endurance, while also treading the tender landscapes of the human heart. Originally appearing in the pages of Analog magazine, Orson Scott Card’s InterGalactic Medicine Show magazine, Mike Resnick’s Galaxy’s Edge magazine, and elsewhere, these stories are collected here for the first time; with commentary and anecdotes from the author. Introductions by bestsellers L.E. Modesitt, Jr., Kevin J. Anderson, and Dave Wolverton (Farland.)

  ***

  Smashwords Edition – 2014

  WordFire Press

  wordfirepress.com

  ISBN: 978-1-61475-231-8

  Copyright © 2014 Brad R. Torgersen

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of the copyright holder, except where permitted by law. This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination, or, if real, used fictitiously.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Cover design by Nick Greenwood

  www.nickgreenwood.com

  and

  Art Director Kevin J. Anderson

  Book Design by RuneWright, LLC

  www.RuneWright.com

  Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta, Publishers

  Published by

  WordFire Press, an imprint of

  WordFire, Inc.

  PO Box 1840

  Monument, CO 80132

  Electronic Version by Baen Books

  www.baen.com

  ***

  Introduction 1

  by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.

  When Brad asked me to write an introduction to Racers of the Night, I was certainly surprised, but more than happy to do so. Not only because I appreciate and admire his work, but also because we both share one prominent similarity—each of us came comparatively late to our writing careers. If my calculations are correct, Brad published his first story when he was 28. I was 30 when I published my first story, and 39 when my first novel came out—while Brad will be 40 when his first novel, The Chaplain’s War, is published by Baen. Also, both of us continued working full-time (and more) for others, even after years of regular publication.

  I wouldn’t go quite so far as to say that Brad burst upon the science fiction scene, but over the past five years he’s gone from virtual literary invisibility to being a winner of The Writers of the Future contest, a finalist for the 2012 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, a Nebula award nomination, three Hugo nominations, and two AnLab readers’ choice awards from Analog Science Fiction and Fact magazine. Not only that, but he got all of those awards and nominations for his short fiction. Which is hard to do, and is especially impressive given the short time span in which Brad did it. He’s also known for an even-handed and considerably less-than-inflammatory web blog that discusses not only writing-related issues, but a range of other topics as well.

  What makes Mr. Torgersen so well-rounded?

  Like me, Brad’s had several careers, and still maintains three—as a medical technologist, as a United States Army Reserve Chief Warrant Officer (including a not insignificant amount of time on active duty orders), and as a writer. Brad’s stories are therefore edged in an often gritty, realistic manner; something that’s more than occasionally missing in much contemporary science fiction. What Brad’s learned from occupations (and life) suffuses his stories.

  In “Peacekeepers,” Brad shows you all sides of the life of a professional soldier, including the impact of politics. In “The Flamingo Girl,” there’s the combination of success that only comes from relentless law enforcement-learned routine, and an understanding of all sides of human nature—even when one of those involved isn’t even considered truly human. Another and totally different riff on law enforcement comes via “Blood and Mirrors,” with a twist on what aspects of artificial intelligence become most marketable (and why) and where this leads. As for thrills, how about “The Curse of Sally Tincakes”—racing on the Moon on a track considered fatal for any woman who tries, because of another woman who is long-dead. Or what about “Life Flight,” an interstellar travelogue which explores the impact of unknown genetics on a young crew member bound for the stars?

  Whatever story is your favorite—and you may find several—reading Brad R. Torgersen should not only entertain you, but make you think … and think again.

  — L.E. Modesitt, Jr., May 2014

  ***

  Introduction 2

  by Kevin J. Anderson

  When I was just starting as a writer, I hung out with other newbie authors, exchanging ideas, learning the ropes, sometimes sharing breakthroughs, sometimes sharing ignorance. I also knew a few big name authors who took an interest in me and offered their advice.

  One of my greatest early mentors was Dean Koontz, who was willing to offer suggestions, listen to problems and questions, and lend a helping a hand. I could contact Dean with a contract concern, ask his opinion on a pending deal. He was instrumental in getting me my agent, and he even gave me a cover blurb for a very important book.

  Dean was a huge name in the field and he certainly didn’t need to go out of his way to help one particular aspiring author; in fact, the more I thought about his generosity, the more astonished I was. When I finally asked Dean why he had noticed me in particular, he explained that he had given a lot of advice over the years, “and you were one of the only writers who actually listened.”

  I remembered that, and as I became more and more successful myself, I also spent time teaching writing students: passing along my knowledge and trying to help other newbies avoid making the same mistakes I had made (so that they could make brand new mistakes all on their own).

  Brad R. Torgersen is one of the ones who listened.

  I first met Brad in 2010, when he was part of a group of a dozen new winners at the Writers of the Future gala and workshop. I’ve been a judge and instructor at Writers of the Future since 1996, and I’ve noticed that it’s typical for several writers in each year�
��s group to establish successful writing careers of their own, while most others vanish into obscurity—you never know which will be which.

  I therefore had no reason to notice Brad in particular. He was cheerful about his win and excited for the future. But then, they’re all like that. So you—as the judge—give them your wisdom and you wish them well, and you go back to your professional life where deadlines and projects multiply like kudzu.

  Except, Brad showed up at our Superstars Writing Seminar—an intensive career-building workshop taught by bestselling writers—in Salt Lake City, just a few months later. He had a story in print with Analog magazine by then; his second professional sale. What was more, Analog had taken two more stories on top of that. Later in the same year I met Brad for the third time, at the 2011 Writers of the Future event, where Brad had come back to act as a sort of ambassador to the new winners—showing them what was possible, if you put your mind to it.

  Clearly, this was a new writer determined to be noticed.

  Brad and I struck up a relationship after that. He continued selling stories to Analog magazine, and he went out of his way to ask me for advice online. He also built a group of followers through social networking, and he made additional sales to other short fiction venues, such as Orson Scott Card’s InterGalactic Medicine Show. Brad was also collaborating with fellow Writers of the Future judge and friend of mine, Mike Resnick, and when in 2012 Brad returned to Superstars—this time in Las Vegas, helping me out as one of our Superstars volunteers—he was a triple nominee for three of science fiction’s top awards: the Hugo, the Nebula, and the Campbell. On top of the nominations, he’d also won the Analog AnLab—a readers’ choice award chosen by the magazine’s subscribers.

  This collective swell in notoriety ultimately got him the notice of Toni Weisskopf, chief editor and publisher of Baen Books; to whom Brad sold his first novel in 2013. A transaction I proudly oversaw, as one of Brad’s counselors on the affair. My blurb is on the front of his book, as a matter of fact (hat tip to Dean Koontz.)

  But Brad had a problem. The novel wouldn’t be published until late 2014, and with all his convention appearances there were fans who kept asking Brad for a book now. He therefore got the notion that he wanted to publish a collection of his award-winning and award-nominated short work. A very good idea, I thought. There was clear demand for his stuff, and Brad aimed to satisfy that demand. Simple businessman economics.

  But short fiction collections are a tough sell to traditional publishers. And even if Brad could successfully pitch his project to an editor, it would take years for the book to reach print. Brad wanted something he could put into fans’ hands immediately. So he was openly talking of self-publishing the collection.

  I wasn’t quite sure that self-publishing was the right route for him, since Brad has a full-time job, is also a Chief Warrant Officer in the Army Reserve, had other books to write, and self-publishing the book—correctly, to professional standards—would consume time Brad honestly didn’t have. He also wouldn’t know how to navigate the various distribution channels, nor have access to proofing and formatting and the other necessities of a professional label.

  I therefore offered to publish Brad’s first story collection, Lights in the Deep, at WordFire Press. We had the resources to do it right, and I thought we could find the right readers for it too. Ergo, capitalize on fans Brad had already earned, and get him a flotilla of new readers to boot.

  That turned out to be exactly the case. The book, when done, looked beautiful. Brad got a gorgeous cover painting from award-winning artist Bob Eggleton—the same painting editor Stan Schmidt had previously commissioned for one of Brad’s stories in Analog magazine—and we released the book at the inaugural (and very successful) Salt Lake City Comic Con, in September 2013. Brad did a signing at the WordFire table behind a small mountain of his books—a stack that rapidly diminished over the course of the weekend.

  Brad’s fans rallied on-line too, and the book sold quite well, hitting several Amazon category bestseller lists. Enough so that within thirty days Brad had earned enough royalties from Lights in the Deep to pay his mortgage that month—a terrific performance for a first short story collection from a relatively new author published by an independent press.

  So of course we were interested in doing his second collection, when he floated the idea at Superstars in 2014. A collection which you now hold in your hands.

  Brad is a prolific short story writer with the chops of a pro. I published one of his novellas in my second Five by Five military science fiction anthology, and also invited him to contribute a story for my second Fantastic Holiday Season anthology. (Of course that may be just a devious ploy to get him to write more short stories, so WordFire can put together the contents for yet another volume.)

  Racers of the Night is therefore a strong collection showcasing the work of a rising author on the move. Dip in, read one or two at a time, or devour the whole collection straight through.

  Then? You’ll surely be ready for more. Goodness knows readers are. As of the writing of this introduction, Brad has secured a second AnLab award, and two more Hugo nominations; for stories Brad published in Analog magazine, and which he re-printed in Lights in the Deep.

  Racers of the Night contains more of the same. I think you will enjoy.

  —Kevin J. Anderson, May 2014

  ***

  Introduction 3

  by Dave Wolverton

  If you’re familiar with Brad R. Torgersen’s stories, you’ll probably just want to skip this introduction and get right to the good stuff. That’s what I’d do.

  If you’re not familiar with him, then maybe I can convince you to quit reading this now.

  Brad is an unusual author. Not only is he very popular with other authors, vying for respected awards like the Hugo and Nebula, he’s also hugely popular with fans, consistently winning awards like the Analog AnLabs.

  That isn’t easy to do. There are people that we might call “writer’s writers,” people whose storytelling skills are so stellar that other writers gaze upward in awe, as if at a fireworks display.

  Then there are authors who are more “of the people,” writers whose homespun simplicity charms us and delights us and fills us with warmth.

  Rarely do we see an author who can captivate both audiences.

  So Brad writes the kind of tales that science fiction readers love, with earthy heroes who remind us again and again what it is to be human, all the while writing about tough people facing impossible situations, in worlds that rigorously conform to scientific principles.

  In looking at his stories, he reminds me most strongly of Robert Heinlein, yet in making that comparison, I would be doing a disservice to Brad. Somehow, Brad’s characters are more likeable and human than Heinlein’s. So if you set two stories in front of me, I’d grab the Torgersen.

  In that way, he reminds me of another of my favorite authors, Lois McMaster Bujold, who also writes about ordinary people facing monumental challenges.

  As an editor, I’ve read tens of thousands of stories—or at least the first few pages of tens of thousands of them. Sometimes I feel as if I’ve read too many of them. There aren’t many authors these days that I will pick up and read for my own personal enjoyment, and there are even fewer that I will go search out to read. My weary eyes feel over-worn.

  But Brad has made my short-list. If I see a magazine with his name on it, I want it.

  And an anthology full of stories with his name on them? Ah, now there is a treasure indeed.

  Brad R. Torgersen is quite simply one of the finest science fiction writers alive.

  If you haven’t read Brad R. Torgerson before, I envy you. You’re about to discover something wonderful!

  — Dave Wolverton, June 2014

  ***

  The Curse of Sally Tincakes

  She was brunette, with dark eyes, 100 meters high, and stacked like a pin-up model. The red thermal paint of her bikini had begun to flake after de
cades spent broiling in the lunar sunlight, but her smile never wavered. Both arms stretched above her head into the black sky. The empty first-stage of an ancient Tokawa moon booster rocket sat balanced across her palms. The cylinder of the booster was parallel to the roughly-graded regolith at the statue’s base, where the statue’s silvered platform heels sent anchor spikes deep into the lunar basalt below the surface. Across the cylinder the words CAZETTI RACEWAY were emblazoned in massive, royal blue lettering.

  Jane Jeffords grinned at the sight.

  It had taken years of effort to make it to the top.

  Though her eager mood was not shared by her driver.

  “What’s wrong?” Jane asked Bill. The old man was frowning as he slowly navigated their suborbital moon car over the lumpy, gray infield—patiently waiting for traffic control to clear them for landing. A cloud of other cars, all belonging to competitors, had begun to swarm in the airless space above the track.

  “You racing here is a bad idea,” Bill said. “Sally Tincakes is watching.”

  “Who?”

  “The giant broad down there. Sally Tincakes. That’s what we used to call her, two generations ago; when I was still a racer.”

  Bill’s liver-spotted hands smoothly worked the car’s controls as he talked. Age had taken his hair and his looks, but not his surety with machines. The car moved with precision.

  Jane shook her head, bemused.

  “How in the heck did you come up with that ridiculous name?”

  “The real Sally—Mrs. Frank Cazetti—was the darling of the racing circuit when I was your age. Her billionaire husband made a show of her everywhere he went. Liked to rub it in other guys’ faces—how hot she was.”