I’m not rocket scientist, but I do have a general knowledge about science and how the universe works. I also know there are a lot of “stuff” we humans don’t know and will, maybe, some day stumble upon that we thought to be impossible. I truly believe that science fiction authors will be behind these discoveries because they take the time to think about what could be. This book, “Quantum Surge” shows a lot of scientific research in that it goes into great detail in describing how the starships of this era actually work. In theory, the “quantum gravity particle” might actually exist now, but we in the, year 2020 AD, don’t know that for a fact. It does exist as of 2173 C.E. and that is just one concept you’ll have to grasp as you read through this book. It is highly technical, but very entertaining.
You’ll meet a young Lieutenant Tyron Barry, XO of the North American Union (NAU) merchant ship, Regilis. Well, he was until the crew mutinied, which he quickly quelled and then threw the ring leaders out an airlock! As the Captain of the Regilis was killed in the mutiny, young Lt Barry became the new Captain headed back to it’s home port on Earth. He had sent work back to Corporate HQ detailing the mutiny and his actions which were all legal and such, but he had some very powerful enemies awaiting his arrival. He also had one powerful friend who contacted him while enroute home and told him he might not want to return to Earth.
This friend also arranged for a small ship to be available to Lt Barry as the Regilis passed a major asteroid on its way to Earth. His friend strongly suggested that Barry take a shuttle, land on the asteroid, and take that provided ship and to disappear forever! And that’s what Lt Tyron Barry did; he no longer exists in name from that time forward.
About five years later, now Captain Jankin Decatur of the Astral Service Fleet of the Colony World Kraken, had just returned his merchant ship in a very deplorable condition after repelling a hostile boarding action by a ship of the NAU. It seems that the NAU and the China Trans-Asia Coalition (CTAC) were at war with both sides losing valuable spacers and ships. It had become almost common practice for these two warring entities to raid colony ships of their supplies, crews and the ships themselves. It did not matter that Captain Decatur’s ship was from a NAU colony. What did matter was that he fought the attack off successfully and now had to report to his superiors.
When he does arrive back on Kraken, he meets, first with COO Jack Bastian of the Astral Service Fleet. Captain Decatur doesn’t expect to leave the COOs office still a Captain, yet he does, only he’s now directed to report to Commissioner Alexander Hollen. Commissioner Hollen isn’t exactly the President of Kraken since it’s still just a colony of the NAU, but he’s about as close to one as it gets. Why Captain Decatur must see him is something of a puzzle, but he does meet with the Commissioner.
What he finds out in this meeting will once again change his entire life and possible the life of every citizen on Kraken. The Colony Planet Kraken is planning to announce its independence from the NAU. While the Commissioner knows all about Captain Jankin Decatur’s past life as Lt Tyron Barry, he understands that he has a ships Captain that will fight to save his ship and crew. And that’s what he wants Captain Decauter to do, fight with a new ship, the Alfred, under the new flag of the Independent Planet Kraken!
A very entertaining book, although a might detailed in places. I now know how a “slipdrive” works although I’m not sure this knowledge will do me much good, at the moment, anyway!