Planet Miners (Paperback)

by Geoff O'Callaghan ISBN 9781846930300
Published: 2007
Pages: 183
Description
PLANET MINERS
Minasterco is a gigantic asteroid mining corporation operating outside the law. It uses street kids from impoverished areas to work as asteroid miners. They use less oxygen, food, and water - as well as being unpaid. Solar Patrol is aware of the child slavery racket, and sends Major Ivan Storm to deal with it. "Stormy," as he is known, was genetically modified for space before he was born in a clandestine laboratory. Commander Tom Hutch rescued him from the clutches of authority and reared him as his own son. Stormy is about the size of a twelve year old - an ideal person to work undercover as a boy slave at the asteroid mine. At the remote asteroid mining station, Ivan Storm must get the boys on side and deal with his nemesis, Mogul, the mad scientist who created him. Mogul tries to destroy Earth by pushing a gigantic asteroid into the planet's path. With the help of the young planet minors, Ivan saves the day.
About the Author
Geoff was born in Jersey, then under German occupation, during World War II. Soon after the war, his family moved to Brisbane, Australia. He was educated at All Souls' School, Charters Towers - a rather traditional boarding school after the English style. What knowledge one didn't learn through the ears was well and truly belted in through the rear end, complete with blood blisters. His first contact with the cane was for not running around a sports oval fast enough. He now prides himself on a complete disinterest on sports and knows nothing about cricket. This led to his creative and artistic sides developing. He had a way with words, and was a skilled debater.
After secondary school, he took to teaching, graduated, and then obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Aboriginal Education. For the next thirty years, he lived with remote aborigines in the Great Western Desert, firstly as a primary school teacher, and later as a School Principal and Administrator. During this time, he took up writing, mostly short stories and film scripts. It was a good way to while away lonely hours in the desert evenings.
The development of miniature computers took his interest, and He wrote to the Department suggesting they take a serious look at the use of Computers in Education. Because of the proximity of a U.S. Sigint facility at Alice Springs, many of the students, especially the American kids, were interested in computing. At first they used Tandy Level Ones and Apples. While very primitive compared to today's machines, Many of the I.T. Community cut their teeth on computing under Geoff's tutelage. They even built a 'Dream 8080' and got it working.