Excerpt from the Book

THE ATTACK WAS sudden and vicious, destroying the two other ships sent along to protect this special courier, damaging his ship beyond all hope of traveling to the star system which he called home. In fact, his instruments told him that he would soon have to leave his vessel in order to survive. His sensors located a nearby world which could possibly have the technology he required to repair his ship so he might finally complete his mission. It was a planet just outside the boundaries of the Empire whose fleet had all but destroyed this special courier’s chances of again seeing his home world and the family he missed dearly.

The planet was Earth, a world that had just recently reached for the stars, but was in serious jeopardy of taking a giant step backwards. Their juvenile bickering was a familiar tale known throughout the galaxy, where a world gained the ability to destroy their entire civilization, but were blinded by the “Trinity of Evil”. The trinity was ignorance, arrogance, and apathy. They were ignorant of the consequences of their own greed and quest for power, arrogant enough to believe they were in control of the environmental devastation they had caused through waste and inaction, or the destructive forces that they had created, and too apathetic to act on the glaring signs which were readily evident to their adolescent eyes. Some worlds survived this dangerous time in their societal evolution to become islands of light in the vast spaces within the galaxy, but so many were consumed by the darkness of the cosmos.

The special courier’s name was Sandel. The information that he was delivering could change the balance in the upcoming battle with the Empire, but first things first. It was vitally important that he survive to deliver his information. He hid his vessel on the dark side of Earth’s moon in one of the deeper craters, in hopes of avoiding the Empire’s attention. He was fairly sure that the galactic lord’s forces believed they destroyed Sandel’s ship in their attack, but he could not take a chance and underestimate their need for proof. It would certainly remain invisible to the people of Earth, since the inhabitants lacked the means to travel there routinely, and had yet to discover the technology to detect his ship. But now, he must move quickly. He needed to shut down all nonessential areas of the ship in order to insure it would maintain power during his search for the materials to repair her.

The shuttle was also damaged in the attack, so he would have to use the body shield for his journey to Earth. Since his shield was not designed for this purpose, time was very important. He knew he would have to hibernate for part of the trip in order make it at all. While he calculated his course, he tied his shoulder-length brown hair in the back, and donned the gear that would provide food and air. A few last-minute adjustments to the ship and his gear, and he was off. Just a push against the gravity of this moon and his trip began. After just a few moments, he rounded the dark side of the moon and there it was: Earth. Sandel beheld the blue green planet rotating before him, drinking in the beauty and feeling a little homesick. If he didn’t know where he was, he would swear he was home. Sandel’s speed increased and he would soon be at his optimal acceleration. If all went well, he would intercept Earth in just under three galactic days. It was time to hibernate. His one hope was to reach his destination alive.

As his hibernation began, his body functions slowed to preserve the precious oxygen he would need for the trip. He dreamt of his home world as he travelled silently towards the planet Earth. His computer recorded each second of his trip, and would alert him to any changes or dangers along the way. As he neared the planet, he was brought out of his hibernation. His pulse grew stronger, his lungs pulling in more air, and his mind cleared.

As Sandel awakened, Earth loomed large in front of him. He had to slow his acceleration. It would be disastrous to enter the atmosphere at his present speed. Just a little push against the planet slowed his progress. But, there was something wrong. His breathing was labored, the oxygen was very thin, and Sandel knew this was bad. He could not afford to lose consciousness now. It was imperative that Sandel made subtle adjustments in order to land safely on Earth. Another push slowed him yet again. His body shield would certainly protect him from the atmosphere, but he still needed to stay conscious to make a safe landing. Friction from entering the atmosphere resulted in heat and flames that would certainly incinerate his body, if not for the shield. With concentration and minor adjustments to the shield, the temperature inside was tolerable. Due to the flames, he was momentarily falling blind, but something that was disturbing him was that he was becoming quite lightheaded. He reached the lower atmosphere and looked down upon this beautiful world. With careful pushing he would float safely to the ground, but his concentration was waning.

With just a short distance to go, Sandel blacked out completely. He plummeted the last hundred feet in a freefall. Without controlling his descent, he violently hit the ground. His body shield protected him from most of the affect of impact, but without consciously controlling the shield its protection was limited. His body was broken, his breathing labored, but he was alive. His body shield was damaged; he lay hurt and unconscious, and now he was defenseless as well.