All characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence. Chapter One “Houston, we have a problem.” Captain Sterling’s voice was perfectly level and without any emotional inflection, but there wasn’t a person on the bridge of the U.S.S. Plymouth, including the captain, that looked completely calm, cool, and collected. Reflected in every face turned up to the observation screens along the forward bulkhead on the bridge were shock, anger, resentment, and fear. Somehow it seemed worse because only a few moments before those same faces had projected excitement and joy. The abrupt shift in emotions was almost enough to make one giddy with the sharp drop from euphoria to darkest depression. After more than a decade of nothing but endless space and the echoing of voices and footsteps against metal bulkheads, they had at last reached their destination, the planet in the ninth orbit of a blue star light years from their home galaxy, and everyone was eager to catch their first glimpse of the world that would be their new home.
