The daedalus files, p.1
The Daedalus Files, page 1
A strange thing happened to me while reading Robert G. Williscroft’s The Daedalus Files: I felt it hard to believe it was fiction. Earlier, I had read his novel Slingshot about the world’s first Space Launch Loop, and since The Daedalus Files follows it, I should have known it was fiction. Still, this hard science-fiction tale is told with such vivid, realistic, sometimes visceral detail and moment-by-moment suspense that I almost completely lost myself in it.
Daedalus LEO is even more exciting than Daedalus, the first story in this book with more thrills, more near-escapes, more humor, and more spectacular sightseeing of the Earth far below. More romance too, for that matter. This time around the author has upped the ante. It’s the first manned LEO (Low Earth Orbit) drop, and instead of 80 klicks, the Gryphon 10 has to drop 160, or twice as far. Daedalus Squad brilliantly advances the Gryphon missions. This time, a six-man squad in improved wingsuits launches into Low Earth Orbit and travels around the globe before landing. Its purpose is to do it eventually under combat conditions. As you might expect, something is bound to go wrong with this training mission, and it does, leading to a tense conclusion.
The near-future scientific and technological detail here is thoroughly convincing. As in the author’s previous stories, maps show the global paths of the men and make it easy to follow their progress in space. At times, you even feel you’re along for the ride.
Daedalus Combat is a fitting conclusion to and culmination of the other three stories in this action-packed, hard science-fiction book. When Pirates snatch a U.S. Senator and probable next President from a ship and hold him for one hundred million dollars ransom, the Navy SEALS quickly move to rescue him. Once again Derek “Tiger” Baily’s six-man SWIC squad is featured, only this time, the operation is “dramatically different from anything any warrior had ever done before.” Why? Because it’s the first time anyone has ever “dropped from LEO into a combat scenario.”
It’s the full nature of this combat scenario that is the real “Wow” factor here. All the different units of the military machine must work together if the mission is to succeed. The action and suspense are intense, and they kept me turning the pages until the very end.
— Professor John B. Rosenman, Norfolk State University
Former Chairman of the Board, Horror Writers Association
Author of The Inspector of the Cross Series
Afraid of Heights?
Then you won’t make it as a member of SEALS Winged Insertion Command.
For a once in a lifetime thrill, follow the thoughts and actions of Derek “Tiger” Baily, most adept member of Second Platoon, First Squad as he wrings out the details of making a wingsuit jump from a platform eighty kilometers (fifty miles) above Jarvis Island on the Equator in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Tiger Baily reached that platform using the “Slingshot” space portal system described in Robert G. Williscroft’s richly detailed series of hard science fiction novels, The Starchild Trilogy. But rather than launch into space from the Fred Noonan Skyport, Tiger Baily attempts a 236-mile traverse over the ever-threatening and oh-so-deep ocean waters. This is what SEALs do, test new means of surreptitiously inserting themselves into combat zones.
While the beginning and middle of Williscroft’s short story are mesmerizing, the fifty-mile high drop and long-distance transit will have you holding your breath.
Much to Williscroft’s credit, the physics and dynamics of Tiger’s record-breaking flight seem spot on.
Daedalus LEO is about the unimaginable, yet somehow, Robert Williscroft not only imagined it but made it real—and breathtakingly thrilling.
The idea of a human being deliberately placing himself in low earth orbit to carry out a proof of concept mission is an image as fresh, and yet disturbing, as they come. Mind you, Derek “Tiger” Baily is an extraordinary human, and this is no ordinary story. Those of us growing up in the space age know full well that reentry from orbit is terrifyingly dangerous. The fires of reentry consume foolish mortals who make the slightest mistake. And mistakes and problems arise aplenty in Tiger’s trial run.
In Daedalus Squad, a SEALS Winged Insertion Command (SWIC) squad drops from Low Earth Orbit.
The technology for getting there was well explained in Williscroft’s previous novel, Slingshot. The Daedalus Files concern the development of special combat operations with easy access to space.
As with most experimental research, there are challenges—and mishaps galore. In this storyline, with humans hurtling around the Earth at orbital velocities, there is precious little room for error. Controlled re-entry of a human body is even riskier. All of that riskiness translates into an exciting read.
Aside from the thrills inherent in such feats of heroism, this story is educational. If you’ve wondered how orbiting spacecraft maneuver to change orbits, or rendezvous with other orbiting bodies (in this story, literally human bodies), Daedalus Squad will reveal enough of the lingo to help you search online and find out how it’s done. That education alone adds an unexpected dimension to this treasure of a story.
Clandestine military operations depend on the element of surprise: Navy SEALS fast-roping from a helicopter, or exiting a submarine in the middle of the night. But the ultimate surprise would be dropping a combat team on an unsuspecting enemy from low earth orbit (LEO). Not LEO of a spaceship, or spaceplane, but of actual combatants, living, breathing human beings, armed to the teeth, crossing oceans in minutes, and pouncing as a team of flying, fire-breathing dragons.
Who would have thought?
Well, that’s exactly the point. No one would…except Navy SEAL “Tiger” Bailey, Commanding Officer of SEALS Winged Insertion Command Three (SWIC-3).
Robert Williscroft places you inside the action, inside the incredible space launches, the orbital rendezvous, the almost flaming reentry, the on-the-fly change of plans, attack under hellacious conditions, and egress from the combat scene.
Like any combat operation, there are risks at every step of the way, and Williscroft brings you, the reader, along for the ride of a lifetime.
At the end of these three short reads, you’ll breathe a sigh of relief, let out a little cheer for our unsung heroes, and then wonder—could this really happen?
Don’t ask this reviewer. I’m sworn to secrecy.
— Dr. John R. Clarke
Author of The Jason Parker Series
Williscroft’s usual attention to technical detail and firsthand experience with military ops pays off in these wild tales set in the world of his Slingshot, about the first wingsuit jump from a launch loop, then from LEO, followed by a squad of jumpers, and finally, their jump into live combat.
The idea of jumping from orbit using little more than a spacesuit and a re-entry pack goes back at least to Heinlein’s Starship Troopers, and I’ve used it myself, but Williscroft puts a new twist on it as Navy SEAL “Tiger” Baily makes the jump first from 80 km and then LEO. A great tale, with his usual attention to detail.
“Tiger” Baily, the wingsuited, space-jumping hero of Williscroft’s Daedalus Files, has the stakes upped once again as his whole team makes a jump from orbit. This time they’re leaving nothing to chance and have already simulated every possible bad-news scenario they can think of. Too bad nature can come up with something they didn’t think of. Another fun ride, if your idea of fun includes death-defying action.
The test and training runs are over; now it’s time for the SWIC to see real action. Williscroft’s final tale in this book, Daedalus Combat, literally starts with a bang and keeps on going...
— Alastair Mayer
Author of The T-Space Series
The Daedalus Files are four science fiction short stories that blend the boundaries of fact and fiction as seamlessly as the late master, Michael Crichton. They’re the type of story that leaves you asking questions and discussing with your coworkers in the break room. The stories are told by Derek “Tiger” Baily, a member of an elite SEALS team.
In Daedalus, he completes the first jump in an experimental wingsuit from a skyport 80 km above the Earth. Now, if you’ve read Slingshot, a full-length sci-fi thriller published by Williscroft a few years ago (see my review—5 stars for this well-crafted and thought-provoking story) you’ll know all about the skyport, a marvel of engineering that could be close to being realized (really!). And if you haven’t read Slingshot, no worries because an excerpt is thoughtfully included at the end of The Daedalus Files.
Tiger is a self-professed adrenalin junky who doesn’t shy away from a challenge. I won’t share any spoilers here, because it is best to allow yourself to become one with Tiger as he flies his wingsuit to his target landing zone—a tiny atoll in the Pacific Ocean. What begins as a normal drop soon turns into a terrifying descent into Nature’s fury that will leave you in a cold sweat.
Daedalus LEO chronicles Lt. Commander Derek “Tiger” Baily’s flight from low-Earth orbit in a wingsuit. To call the Gryphon-10 a wingsuit is a stretch, but I think it conveys the idea without introducing spoilers. As with all of Williscroft’s work, the writing is tight and realistic. The characters are three-dimensional against a backdrop of excitement, thrills, and cliff-hangers. And the science in this sci-fi is damn accurate. In fact, much of the plot and details are science fact, and part of the fun, as with the work of the late great Michael Crichton, is trying to discern the thin line between truth and fiction.
Daedalus Squad continues the adventures of Lt.Cdr. Derek “Tiger” Baily. Sporting the newest version of the wingsuit (the Gryphon 10 Mk 4 ), Tiger plans to link up with the other members of his squad in Low Earth Orbit and then descend in formation to a landing at the Amargosa Valley. When the plan goes awry, Tiger must think quickly and use his considerable flying skills to avoid certain death.
Daedalus Combat brings “Tiger” Baily into a rescue mission with no margin for error. Sporting the newest version of the fully-armed wingsuit (the Gryphon 10 Mk 4), Tiger and his squad must rescue a U.S. Senator—and presumed future President—who is being held for ransom by pirates. Williscroft demonstrates his knowledge of military tactics and equipment to paint an all-too-realistic picture of what could be tomorrow’s headlines.
Each of The Daedalus Files adventures, told through the voice of Tiger, is a short story, and I’d encourage fans of sci-fi and military thrillers to read them in order since they stitch together smoothly into a comprehensive tale of adventure and suspense. Together, they are an exciting, hard-charging read that is sure to satisfy thriller and sci-fi readers.
— Dr. Dave Edlund
USA Today Bestselling Author –
The Peter Savage Thrillers
THE DAEDALUS FILES
SEALS Winged Insertion Command (SWIC)
Copyright © 2020
by Robert G. Williscroft
All rights reserved
Fresh Ink Group
An Imprint of:
The Fresh Ink Group, LLC
Box 931
Guntersville, AL 35976
info@FreshlnkGroup.com
FreshInkGroup.com
Edition 1.0 2020
Cover art by Anik / FIG
Artwork by Robert G. Williscroft
Book design by Amit Dey / FIG
Covers by Stephen Geez / FIG
Names, characters, and incidents in this story are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, names, and people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author and publisher.
Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976 and except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, no portion of this book’s content may be stored in any medium, transmitted in any form, used in whole or part, or sourced for derivative works such as videos, television, and motion pictures, without prior written permission from the publisher.
BISAC Subject Headings:
F1CO28020 FICTION / Science Fiction / Hard Science Fiction
FIC002000 FICTION / Action & Adventure
F1CO2801 0 FICTION / Science Fiction / Action & Adventure
ISBN-13: 978-1-947867-87-1 Papercover
ISBN-13: 978-1-947867-88-8 Hardcover
ISBN-13: 978-1-947867-89-5 Ebooks
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020903624
These four stories are dedicated to parachute record-holder Alan Eustace, to Wingsuit Flyers Dean Potter and Graham Hunt, and to the World Wingsuit community. They are also dedicated to all of the Teams, all of the U.S. Navy SEALS, who put our safety ahead of theirs world-wide.
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Cast Of Characters
Chapter One—Daedalus
California—Several Years In The Past
Yosemite Park—Two Years Later
Coronado, California—The Gryphon
Coronado, California—Gryphon Drops
Equatorial Pacific—Slingshot
Figure 1—The Slingshot Space Launch Loop
Equatorial Pacific—Howland Island
Equatorial Pacific—Baker Island
Equatorial Pacific—Fred Noonan Skyport (Jarvis Island)
Equatorial Pacific—Gryphon Flight
Figure 2—Howland, Baker, Jarvis & Kiribati Islands— Flight of the Gryphon
Kiritimati Island
Figure 3—Kiritimati Island –Gryphon splashdown
Daedalus—Finale
Chapter Two—Daedalus Leo
Figure 4—Gryphon and pallet with Tiger Baily in leo in an uncontrolled tumble.
Low Earth Orbit
Coronado—San Diego—Several Days Earlier
Coronado—Gryphon-10
Coronado—Max
Slingshot—Equatorial Pacific
LEO—Unmanned Drop
Coronado—Manned Drop Prep
Howland & Baker Islands—Prelaunch
Amelia Earhart Skyport—Prelaunch
Figure 5—Gryphon and pallet on the fred noonanskyport platform ready to receive a rider.
Amelia Earhart Skyport—Launch
Slingshot Rail—Coupled
Figure 6—Gryphon and pallet with tiger baily approaching LEO.
LEO—Manned
LEO—Disaster
LEO—Rendezvous
LEO—Miss
Figure 7—Spare Gryphon on pallet with oxygen tanks and makeshift piping.
LEO—Orbit Shift
Figure 8—Orbital paths as they pass over the u.s. and Mexico of the original orbit, the resulting orbit after the accident, and the final orbit following the correction.
Figure 9—Orbital paths from Kinshasa to Australia of the original orbit, the resulting orbit after the accident, and the final orbit following the correction.
Figure 10—Orbital paths over the Pacific of the original orbit, the resulting orbit after the accident, and the final orbit following the correction over the Pacific.
LEO—Manned Drop
Houston Flight Control—Landing
Figure 11—Gryphon with Tiger Baily about to crash into an unaware bike rider.
Daedalus Leo—Finale
Chapter Three—Daedalus Squad
8,000 Meters Above Death Valley
Coronado—San Diego—Several Days Earlier
Coronado—Gryphon-10, Mk 4
Coronado—Max
Coronado—Squad Drop Prep
Howland & Baker Islands—Prelaunch
Amelia Earhart Skyport—Prelaunch
Amelia Earhart Skyport—Launch
Slingshot Rail
Figure 12—Slingshot Space Launch Loop with the Hohmann Transfer Orbit and the last leg of the final orbit track from Australia to the final landing at Amargosa Valley.
LEO
Figure 13—Hohmann Transfer Orbit to the apogee over Lagos. Final circularized orbit track from apogee.
Figure 14— Tiger Baily’s SWIC team on pallets in LEO with spare oxygen and fuel tanks.
LEO—Squad Drop
Figure 15—Final orbit track over the Indian Ocean to Australia.
Figure 16—Tiger Baily’s SWIC Team in formation in LEO preparing to drop.
Death Valley—Bird Strike
Death Valley Snag
Figure 17—C-130 Hercules aircraft receiving Tiger Baily’s damaged Gryphon with assistance from Jerico.
Daedalus Squad—Finale
Chapter Four—Daedalus Combat
Mozambique Channel—200 Kilometers Northeast of Mayotte Island
Amelia Earhart Skyport—Prelaunch
Amelia Earhart Skyport—Launch
Slingshot Rail
Figure 18—Slingshot Space Launch Loop with the Hohmann Transfer Orbit.
LEO
Figure 19—Tiger Baily’s SWIC team in LEO Preparing For Drop.
LEO—COMBAT DROP
Figure 20—The Hohmann Transfer Orbit and the apogee with the shortened LEO path. the drop point and destination, Mayotte Island.
Figure 21—Rog and his team head to free CS Platypus. Tiger and Jerico on their way to rescue Senator Manfred.
MAYOTTE ISLAND—CS PLATYPUS
Figure 22—Mayotte Island with Port of Longoni and Doujani Reservoir
MAYOTTE ISLAND—DOUJANI RESERVOIR
DOUJANI RESERVOIR SNAG
Figure 23—The Fulton ground-to-air extraction system
MAYOTTE ISLAND—LAGOON
DAEDALUS COMBAT—FINALE
PLEASE POST A REVIEW FOR THE DAEDALUS FILES
Excerpt From The First Chapter Of: SLINGSHOT
WORDS OF PRAISE FOR SLINGSHOT
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
OTHER WORKS BY ROBERT WILLISCROFT
CONNECT WITH ROBERT WILLISCROFT
THE DAEDALUS FILES GLOSSARY
Several people contributed to the creation of this book.
Most significantly, my wonderful wife, Jill, whom I first met when I returned from a year at the South Pole conducting atmospheric research, and who finally consented to marry me nearly thirty years later, pored over these stories with her discerning engineer’s eye. She kept my timeline honest, and made sure that regular readers could understand fully the arcane details of the Launch Loop and the Gryphon.
