Copernicium-296: Powering the Galactic Empire

An orphaned planet

An impossible discovery

The lure of empire ...

Jana Anders, a starship navigator, uses a risky move to return to the 24th century after a wormhole sends her ship centuries into the past, to a new planet. Her passengers elect to stay and colonize the planet which they name Mycenae.

Shawna Tang, a descendant of the original Mycenaean colonists, alone among her people believes there are other inhabited worlds in the galaxy. A long-ago plague had wiped away the Mycenaean's memory of their past. Shawna yearns to go out to the stars to explore their secrets.

Jana's employer, InterStellar, disbelieves her report of a new planet but covertly sends a team to explore it. They discover a new element that will confer almost unlimited political power to whoever controls its source. InterStellar convinces the Galactic Federation to quarantine Mycenae in a plot to plunder its resources.

InterStellar sends Ethan Styrnak, a geophysicist, to Mycenae. He meets Shawna and confirms her beliefs about other worlds. He also learns the truth behind his company's actions. Their romance is cut short when he has to leave but he promises to return for her. They both know it's an empty promise.

Jana, Ethan, and Shawna are drawn together in a struggle to expose the InterStellar conspiracy. Shawna must choose between two paths to achieve freedom for her people but either path could mean abandoning her dream for the stars. Jana and Ethan will each face personal hurdles that challenge their hopes. Even having new technology and abilities unknown to their opponents, victory for the Mycenaean liberators is far from certain.

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"This second book in a series by Steven Eckroad tells about a conceptual future that is different from other science fiction projections. He introduces some novel concepts. Most importantly is the one that telepathy is related to teleportation. The methodology of the Telpher process is nicely woven into a story of politics, greed, and love. The book is an easy read and the story is intriguing." William V. Hassenzahl, PhD, President Advanced Energy Analysis

"A great sequel to Telpher. Steven has a unique way of integrating just enough astrophysics that makes you pay attention to the science while still weaving an engaging tale. I thoroughly enjoyed the transport." Chris Valentino, MSPH, COO of Pacific Inpatient Medical Group (Retired)