Lieutenant Columbus
Read Lieutenant Columbus Online
Authors: Walter Knight
AMERICA
’
S GALACTIC FOREIGN LEGION
Book 1
5
:
Lieutenant Columbus
by Walter Knight
In this fifteenth installment of the whacky military science fiction series, a new
L
egion recruit claims Major Lopez (
General
Lopez in the future!) used
a
time machine to travel from planet New Colorado to bring Christopher Columbus into the United States Galactic Federation Foreign Legion. Lopez of the present, however, doesn
’
t have any knowledge of this, so everyone in the Legion assumes
Lieutenant
Columbus is a crackpot claiming to be the real Christopher Columbus, credited with discovering America on Old Earth.
Colonel Czerinski, with his usual lackadaisical aplomb, manages to mangle the plot to find gold in the legendary lost mine of old Bob Woodard
while pissing off the spiders across the DMZ
. Things get even crazier when old foe and hated Legion deserter, Tony
‘
The Toe
’
Garcia, makes another appearance, claiming vampire commandos from the future are pursuing him. Everyone knows vampires don
’
t exist – right?
Hargundu the humping camel, and an appearance by revered Smokey the Bear, round out the silliness in this perpetually preposterous military science fiction series.
~
TABLE OF CONTENTS
~
AMERICA
’
S GALACTIC FOREIGN LEGION
Book
15
:
Lieutenant Columbus
by
Walter Knight
Licensed and Produced through
Penumbra Publishing
E
LECTRONIC
EDITION
EBOOK
ISBN/EAN-13:
978-1-935563-86-0
Copyright 20
11
Walter Knight
All rights reserved
Also available in PRINT ISBN/EAN-13:
978-1-935563-87-7
This
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, planets, asteroids, alien species, evil empires, galaxies far, far way, or future events and incidents, are the product of the author
’
s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons or aliens, living or dead, events or locales including those on Mars and New Colorado, is entirely coincidental.
Licensing Note: This ebook is licensed and sold for your personal enjoyment. Under copyright law, you may not resell, give away, or share copies of this book. You may purchase additional copies of this book for other individuals or direct them to purchase their own copies. If you are reading this book but did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, out of respect for the author
’
s effort and right to earn income from the work, please contact the publisher or retailer to purchase a legal copy.
~AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT~
God bless our troops, Penumbra
Publishing e
ditor Patricia Morris
on, and especially our snipers.
AMERICA
’
S GALACTIC FOREIGN LEGION
Book 1
5
:
Lieutenant Columbus
by Walter Knight
PART I
Lieutenant Columbus
Prologue
Admiral of the Ocean Seas
As the sun set on the historic city of
Vall
adolid
,
Christoffa Corombo
–
or Cristóbal Colón, as the Spaniards call
ed
him – slowly walked to his residence. S
uffering greatly from arthritis and failing health,
he felt
Death stalk
ing
him
with every painful step. An old man in his fifties,
he judged many
days not worth getting up for.
Ignorant children followed behind, chanting, “Admiral of the Mosquitoes!” They stayed just out of reach of his walking stick. The oldest teen dared to throw a rock.
C
h
ristof
fa
ignored them, stewing in his own
bitter
ness
. He had been cheated out of fortune and titles by an unappreciative
ruler
.
The King of Spain ignored all messages.
Enemies had the
k
ing
’
s ear.
“I
discovered a new world
!” Columbus
continually
reminded
his many critics. So what if he had not found a shortcut to China and the Indies, or gold for all.
His discovery was of much greater importance. “This world has more abundance than the East. But the King of Spain has no interest and rewards me not!” His objections upset them even more.
In the encroaching darkness of twilight, a stranger stepped from the shadows. Columbus drew up short, and the children taunting him scattered.
“Are you Christopher Columbus,
” the oddly dressed man demanded. “
Admiral of the Ocean seas, Viceroy of
the
Indies, Discoverer of America?”
Christoffa paused, taking in the stranger
’
s odd clothing and unusual accent. The way he pronounced his name was a variation he
’
d heard
spoken by
the English.
“
Sì
, I am
Christoffa Corombo
. Who are you?”
“He discovered lands of vanity and delusion, graves and ruin!” interrupted the leader of the pack of youths. “What business do you have with him?”
The man turned on the youth.
“I am a traveler. And you – a nuisance!”
He
sprayed something
in the
youth
’
s
face
,
sending him sprawling to the ground screaming and clutching his eyes. The other youths
who still lingered
fled. The traveler delivered several vicious kicks to the
boy
’
s
ribs
, urging him to get up and stagger away. He returned
his attention back to Christo
ffa and announce
d
,
“I am General Manny Lopez, an emissary from America, sent to bestow upon you a gift from America, to the Discoverer of America. We are in your debt and intend to rescue you from your wretched treatment and impending death.”
“A general?” asked C
hristoffa
, doubting. “You seem too young
.
”
“Like you, I hold many titles. I promoted myself
–
it
’
s faster that way.”
“You dress odd,” commented C
hristoffa
. “But obviously you are a soldier. Did you say you sailed from the New World?”
“From America,” repeated General Lopez, patiently. “Like you, I am a conquistador. I have sailed across the stars and time itself to restore your honor, youth, and titles.”
C
hristoffa
gazed speculatively at the heavens. “I have always suspected that each star was its own world, waiting to be discovered and conquered. Yes, I can see it in your eyes
;
you tell the truth about coming from America. You have the hint of the Arawak people in your features.”
“Not likely,” scoffed General Lopez. “I am from Texas. But, I have sailed across the galaxy and back.”
“I accept that you may have traveled the stars, but you also boast of finding the famed Fountain of Youth?”
“Our technology can extend your life another hundred years and cure your many ailments,” promised General Lopez. “Come with me to new Colorado. A new bountiful life awaits you in a galaxy far
,
far away, where you will have the respect you deserve. You will live long and prosper.”
“What about my family? My dear sons?”
“I cannot risk changing history. A clone corpse will be left in your deathbed, and you will leave this world alone. Please
,
sir, sail the stars. It is your destiny, your birthright.”
Christoffa stared off in silence for a moment, watching the twilight turn to dark. He was in his twilight, with not long to live, he was sure. And the time he did have left would be spent in misery and pain and poverty imposed by the litigation with the King over his supposed failure to deliver what he had been sent to do on his various ocean voyages. He glanced at this peculiar stranger promising him renewed life. Although he
wanted to believe the things this man claimed, he
doubted
they were possible. Yet a man of his situation had little left but hope.
With a heavy sigh, he turned to General Lopez and said,
“I accept your gracious offer. I will need to set my house in order and say
my
goodbyes.”
“Of course. You have until just before dawn.”
Christo
ffa
Co
rombo
walked
the rest of the way
home to say farewell to his sons and a few faithful servants.
He
recorded his newest plans of discovery and adventure his
journal
, leaving the document in a desk drawer. At dawn,
he
blasted off to the stars with General Lopez, to join America
’
s Galactic Foreign Legion.
A
M
illennium later
...
Mystery at the Museum
General Manny Lopez, CIA Special Agent Max Hobbs, and museum curator Bruce Boedecker, all sat facing each other in a soundproof conference room deep in the bowels of the Smithsonian Museum. Despite a deep-rooted interest in the past, General Lopez had never visited the Smithsonian and was unsure why he had been summoned.
“Do you have an interest in Christopher Columbus?” asked Agent Hobbs, abruptly getting to the point.
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“You accusing me of something?” asked General Lopez, angrily rising from his chair. “What is this about?”
Agent Hobbs handed Lopez an ancient Columbus relic, a
journal
, long archived under lock and key. “Read it,” ordered Agent Hobbs.
General Lopez scowled.
This arrogant fool will pay dearly.
“Columbus was a great conquistador,” he said, gently holding the diary. “So, what do I care of the final ramblings of long-dead Euro-trash?”