Ordinary spaceman

Ordinary Spaceman is a science fiction novel by I.E. Horton, published on August 21, 2009. It is the first book by the author. It follows, in first person, the adventure of an information-thief in a futuristic city. The story, though centrally an adventure story, uses elements of both hard science-fiction and cyberpunk, touching on the concepts of hyperspace, computer technology and nano-technology. It also uses elements of fantasy, though with a technological edge, and a mystery story.
The following article contains some spoilers for the plot. Do not read further unless you are already familiar with the story.
Plot Summary
Ordinary Spaceman follows the adventure of a character introduced only as the Crystal Knight; an information-thief (info-thief) in a futuristic, corporate-city known as Naxillus City.
The story begins with the Knight and a friend named Ricky traveling to a business meeting on behalf of their boss, Maro. When they arrive at the meeting, they soon discover that it's a sting by the Naxillus Corporation. Ricky is captured but the Knight escapes and returns to the lower levels of the city where they meet up with Maro. Maro holds the Knight responsible for half the cost of the operation, leaving them with a debt they will never be able to pay, and only three months to return with the money.
The Knight sets off in search of the money, taking a job as an ordinary spaceman (O.S.) aboard the space-freighter Arquebus. They soon make friends with most of the crew, experiencing happiness and tragedy alongside their newly made family. After a month in space, the Knight decides that this is the life for them and opts to stay, even after they return to Earth and Maro is paid off.
Soon the Knight discovers, with the help of some friends, that one of the accidents which has foreshadowed the journey is nothing of the sort, and that one of the crew aboard is not who they claim to be. When they discover the most likely suspect, the Knight is attacked and survives only by pure luck. The suspect is arrested and the journey continues, until it is revealed that a ship is following them, most likely the pirates attempting to free their mole.
At about the mid-point of their journey, the Arquebus is inexplicably attacked and crippled. This forces the ship to change course, seeking refuge and repair at the nearby hydroponics colony of Stetna. Unbeknown to the crew, however, Stetna is also the colony on which the rest of the pirate team is waiting for them. As the crew loads supplies and repairs the ship, the pirates' real mole is loading the rest of them onto the ship.
As the Arquebus departs Stetna, the pirates strike and take the entire crew hostage. The leader of the pirates, captain Cooper, turns out to be the Knight's long lost cousin; a fact which is the major reason for the pirates choosing this ship. The pirates are also revealed at this point to be renegade psychics, gathering supplies for an upcoming campaign against Earth.
Inexplicably, the Knight joins the pirates, seeking to know more about their own past. The pirates also help the Knight unlock their own psychic potential, passed down from their mother's side of the family. Soon they develop a plan to wipe the minds of the crew and return them, unharmed, to their ship; keeping the cargo for themselves.
During the mind-wipe, something goes wrong and the Knight starts to realize they themselves have been the victim of a psychic mind-lock, causing them to side with the pirates. The mind-lock is broken and the Knight recovers in time to join the crew in regaining control of the ship. The plan to retake the ship, however, relies on a nearby bounty-hunter named Johan Reykjavik, who has been dispatched by the Naxillus Corporation to arrest the Knight.
The pirates take most of the crew hostage, placing them in a dangerous predicament in an attempt to control the Knight. Instead, the Knight makes the bold move of facing the captain of the pirates, their own cousin, one on one. The Knight is eventually victorious, after discovering a way to bypass Cooper's immense power and with a little help from their friends.
Character list
The Crystal Knight
The main character of the novel, and the narrator of the story itself. Throughout the novel, the character is never addressed by any gender-specific term, leaving it open as to whether the character is male or female. All that is known about the character is that they are between 16 and 18 years of age, orphaned, tall and slim with blue eyes and long, brown hair.
Main characters amongst the Arquebus crew
*First Mate Jeremiah Phaelin
*Able Spaceman Porl Phaelin - The Knight's best friend
*Able Spaceman Nellisandra Pease - A close friend of the Knight
*Able Spaceman Jayms Jaris - The ship's carpenter
*Able Spaceman "Sparks" Dannovich - The ship's electrician
*Able Spaceman Campbell - Another member of the Knight's work shift
*Chief Bosun Hale - Leader of the unlicensed crew and the Knight's work shift
* Ordinary Spaceman Robert Stoor
Main characters in Naxillus city
*Ricky - The Knight's friend on Earth. A courier for Maro
*Maro - A major crime-boss in Naxillus city.
*Kessen - Maro's chief enforcer
*Wain - Another enforcer for Maro
The pirates
*Captain Cooper - The Knight's long lost cousin
*Henson
*Foster
*Morse - The pirates' weapon expert
*Penny - A deaf-mute assassin
*Hoyle
*Mitchell
*Admiral Artemis Cooper - The Knight's grandfather. Though never appearing in the story, the admiral is mentioned by name on several occasions.

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See Also

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