Sins of the Father (audio story)

***Sins of the Father*** was an audiobook released on the 22 December 2022. It was written by Mike Tucker, produced by Xanna Eve Chown and was read by Trevor Cooper. It was intended to wrap up the *Star Cops: Mars* series and set up *The High Frontier*.

## Synopsis

*The flickering matrix of lights on Box’s screen changed to a blinking red cursor. Slowly a string of words started to scroll across the screen. As Nathan read them his blood began to chill. "Dear Boss, grand work the last job was. I gave the lady no time to squeal. You will soon hear of me with my funny little games...”*

A series of gruesome killings sends shockwaves through Moonbase as the ambitious new Coordinator announces plans to relax restrictions for the people who live and work there. And whoever is sending the chilling ‘Jack the Ripper’ style messages that accompany them seems to have access to Nathan Spring's personal computer, Box...

Can the Star Cops solve the puzzle before it’s too late?

## Plot

### Chapter Thirteen

Paul is sitting at his desk, worrying about using the EMP rifle with precision, having just spent half an hour practicing in the gun range. Nathan's plan was for him to conseal himself in the comatose ward and await the android. Kenzy would station her team at the entrances to the medical suite to warn of its arrival and provide backup. Nathan and Colin are already on their way to the MacDyne space station, ready to arrest Ryan McGuinness once the robot was deactivated. Larwood's fake newstory had been broadcast as part of the evening news, including the improptu interview given by Spring. While thinking the plan over, Priya appears in the door to the office and tells Paul that it's time.

Upon entering the office to the Medical Centre, he notices Helen Pitcher sitting at the terminal. Paul realises by looking through the window to the ward that the decoy patient had actually been a dummy. Pitcher dissuades him from even trying to use the rifle and show him the forensic report from the last murder. The blood found in the corridors and at the museum is neither Clive Logan's nor Rosalynn Emmett's. Pitcher confirms that the blood is a match for Ryan McGuinness. She tells him that the robot duplicate of Ryan isn't here on Moonbase, rather up there on the MacDyne space station.

Meanwhile, Nathan had lined up the Euro Shuttle to the airlock of the MacDyne space station for docking. Nathan had previously warned Box to tell him if any data breaches were going to occur, and had given him specific instructions should it happen. Nathan warns Devis that they are simply there to take him into custody, and not to cause him any harm. They then make their way onto the space station, where the AI voice instructs them on which route to follow. The lack of personnel worries the both of them. Just before reaching McGuinness' office, Priya messages Nathan to tell him about the blood and its subsequent significance. They all agree that it changes nothing, Nathan and Devis would be the ones to face the robot.

McGuinness welcomes them into his office. He understands that he is more than a "person of interest". McGuinness is less than impressed to find that Devis' bigoted remarks also extend to artificial intelligence. Ryan explains to Colin that the symbosis and learning experience for the robot has taken the entirety of the real Ryan's life. The experiment truly started when Ryan was born. The robot Ryan explains that the MacDyne nanites are currently acting as a surrogate nervous system for the real Ryan, enabling him to walk him an exoskeleton. Ryan then tells them that he knows about their fake news story, and plans to kill Ahmed. Before Nathan could radio through, Ryan tells them that the comms have been cut. He goes onto say that he plans to orchestrate the "tragic deaths" of Nathan Spring and Colin Devis. He then makes them aware that robots don't require an atmosphere, hence the oxygen had been cut long before they entered the station. Colin Devis attempts to fire at the robot but fails to scratch it. With a sudden revelation, Nathan darts to the control panel and places Box onto Ryan's Box. He orders Box to send all information to Priya Basu and to shut down the Ryan system. Gloria Filiorum Patres are revealed by Box to be the shut down command, immediately causes Nathan to shout them out. Both the robot Ryan and the Ryan Box shut down. Nathan then ordered Box to restore oxygen support.

In the Medical Centre, the two of them notice a stealthy figure skulking around, carrying something. When Paul lunges on him, he notices the figure is Daniel Larwood. Larwood explains that he's here to explain that the killer knows this scenario is a trap and tells him that the next victim will be Ashikir Ahmed. Running out of the room, he yells at Pitcher to inform Priya and bring a medical kit. Upon reaching Ahmed's office, he enters his emergency override code and enters the room. Ahmed's arms and hands had been severly damaged in attempt to fight off the attacker but now he's slumped on his desk. McGuinness is holding a knife, ready to slice his neck. Paul points a gun at McGuinness but fails to convince him to drop the knife. As he launches to Ahmed, Paul launches at him, sending them both to the ground. With McGuinness now on Paul, he raised the knife to attack. He grabs McGuinness' arm on the way down. Suddenly, McGuinness starts to spasm and drops the knife. He sees Kenzy and the others in the doorway. Kenzy had used the EMP rifle on McGuinness in an attempt to do some damage. Paul tells her that he may be okay, but he plans on getting very drunk tonight.

### Chapter Fourteen

Rosalynn and Nathan have just finished a meal cooked by Nathan himself, which very much impresses Rosalynn. Nathan laments on how this is their final chance to have a glass of wine with their meal. He tells her that the ESL is making alcohol consumption and possession illegal once more by the end of the week. Rosalynn had managed to change Nathan's music was Vaughn Williams to Ella Fitzgerald, with them both debating what the best kind of music was. Rosalynn noted that her physical injuries were healing quickly but her mental trauma was taking longer. Rosalynn hands Nathan a package, intended as a gift for him - a signed first edition novel of *I, Robot* by Isaac Asimov. It had previously belonged to Rosalynn's grandfather.

She tells him that this can be the start of his collection. Nathan thanks her and places it on his shelf, thinking about how it was time to start *living* in his quarters, rather than just *sleeping* in them. In return, Nathan takes the other Box from his desk and gives it to her. He explains to her that it's Ryan McGuinness' *broken* computer, and that she could probably fix it up. She jokingly states that her gift is a computer that doesn't work, to which he retorts that it's a perfect gift for a Software Archivist. He explains that the computer fried itself four hours after McGuinness was taken into custody, a potential self-destruct. Regardless of this potential setback, Box retrieved enough information from it to convict him of the murders. Nathan explains that McGuinness' lawyers have argued that taking him to Earth for trial would be a death sentence for someone as weak as McGuinness, leading them to speculate that a prison on the Moon or in orbit would be a potential next step.

The official reason for Ahmed's resignation was that the injuries sustained to his hands and arms were too severe for him to continue, but it was clear to Nathan that Ahmed had been severly traumatised by his experience. With this power void, Nathan had been shocked to discover his own name on the list for the next Moonbase Coordinator. Rosalynn tells Nathan that she genuinely thinks he'd be an excellent choice, but Nathan pleads with her to stop, telling her that he has no intention of applying for the position. They both raise a glass to "the future".

### Epilogue

Box awakens on Nathan's bed side cabinet, a strange noise and pattern eminating from it. It abruptly stops. Several miles away in the secure vault of Gauer (?) Robotics, a G27E law enforcement drone enters start-up mode, downloading numerous files into his memory banks. Once completed, the drone shuts down.

## Characters

* Nathan Spring
* Pal Kenzy
* Colin Devis
* Paul Bailey
* Ashikir Ahmed
* Helen Pitcher
* Ryan McGuinness
* Rosalynn Emmett
* Clive Logan
* Daniel Larwood
* Kyle Rogers - moonbase maintenance engineers, red eye shift
* Abby Panton - girlfriend of Kyle, duty officer
* Reagan Prince - construction engineer, first murder victim
* Julia Morelli - Paul's close friend, submarine captain from Venice assignment

## References

* Nathan Spring seems to find a new flame in Rosalynn Emmett, even going as far as to cook her lunch.
* Spring and team's mission on Mars took roughly a year and a half. During that time Chief Superintendent Brian Lincoln took Spring's place as Commander of the ISPF.
* Spring actually likes cooking, but finds that life with the ISPF leaves him without the time to do so.
* Helen Pitcher is the medical cordinator.
* The British police force employs G27E law enforcement drones.
* MacDyne wishes to provide those who are disabled a way to once again walk and live a normal life using nanites.
* When Nathan shouts "Gloria Filiorum Patres", Devis says he thought it was something from Harry Potter.

## Continuity

* Nathan Spring takes his first trip to the Lotus Garden in a very long time. He notes that the decor has changed, and the place doesn't exactly hold fond memories. This was the place where he used to take his ex-partner, Lee Jones, before her brutal murder. (TV: *An Instinct for Murder*, *Conversations with the Dead*)
* Ashikir Ahmed is the current in a long line of Moonbase Commanders. Some of them seemingly left the role, such as Alexander Krivenko, (TV: *Trivial Games and Paranoid Pursuits* et al) and some of which have died, such as Shayla Moss. (AUDIO: *Hostage*)
* Chief Superintendent Brian Lincoln, former police colleague of Spring's, took charge of Moonbase during the year and a half that the group of ISPF officers were on Mars. (TV: *An Instinct for Murder*, et al)

## External links

* Official **Sins of the Father** page at bigfinish.com