Dark Harvest

While Humanity pats itself on the back for cramming technology into every corner of civilization, something is eying the earth like a ripened vineyard. There is a secret history of civilization, Humanity has been hauling ore to the surface for an unknown master. When the black ships arrive, they will take everything from the mighty New York skyline to the humblest paperclip. These won't be the only ships to arrive... Alan forgets to kiss his wife goodbye on the last morning civilization glistened in the sun. He walks out the door a war correspondent embedding with a combat unit; by nightfall, he is a refuge fighting to survive. The black ships start their harvest in the major cities. New arrivals coincide with the chaos: crystal ships appear above the panicked crowds like giant prisms shining down hope. Alan survives a battle between a black ship and the Marines of Tango 5/11. Desperate to find his wife, he wanders a razed cityscape filled with corpses. On the verge of starvation, he finds the escorts-people once scoffed at for claiming to make contact with other beings-that came with the crystal ships. They promise refugees sanctuary on another planet. Alan takes the place of an escort murdered by a survivalist militia and helps bring thousands of people to gathering points.At first, he believes it's a mission of mercy; but he soon suspects an ulterior motive. Ultimately, Alan discovers that he is guilty of a heinous crime. Somewhere in the smoldering landscape redemption awaits.