Emigrants From Earth

Approximately 7 generations after their futuristic minded multi-billionaire founder established the scientific colony in the El-Dora star cluster, the closely integrated technical association had begun to fragment. A subgroup, unsanctioned, implemented their theory of human behavior in a group of colony worlds, precipitating an interstellar war. After the war began, his famous physicist father missing and presumed dead, William K Middleton the third (Will) graduates high school. An unrecognized computer genius, he can't afford university and will soon be drafted. He enlists in the space navy and qualifies for advanced computer training. His genius helps protect the school and planet from an attack. Sent to one base and then another by procurement officers trying to anticipate the need for his skills he is eventually assigned to an asteroid where his genius but low rank precipitates his promoting to high (acting) rank. Assigned to make the computer system so it actually works Will uncovers treason then pushes himself to the breaking point to make the base battle-ready. When 80% of the base's personnel are accidentally poisoned he again proves his command skills and is sent to OTS then Staff College then is put in charge of a factory making the top-secret advanced robot ships he designed. Making this task routine he is abruptly promoted but ordered aboard a Capitol ship in the guise of a junior officer to solve a mystery that suddenly grows deadly, threatening the lives of all onboard the Federation Navy Ship (FNS) Omaha.

Almost 5 years after the last great battle that ended the 28 year long war, when the smaller Mad Scientist Fleet is annihilated, a newly graduated cadet, Olan Duraness, encounters a robot controlled battle cruiser, built by the Mad Scientists and programmed to kill, only surviving by chance. Able to repair his scout enough to limp slowly home he observes the battle cruiser destroy the planet's only city and then hide. It had destroyed all operating advanced technology on the planet of Raynard, an unregistered planet (a ghost planet) settled secretly by a large multi planetary company to avoid taxes levied on interplanetary trade. Being a ghost planet had resulted in enormous profits during the war but with a widespread recession that followed the war conditions were changing and after the attacks on Raynard the majority of the planets inhabitants could starve and being a Ghost Planet the Federation Space Service would not arrive to offer support and aide. Olan, the grandson of a scientist abducted and sent to the planet years ago, successfully hides his knowledge of the hidden battle cruiser and is later able to reach it with a small group who spend almost a year repairing it in secret. Then they leave the system in a bid for freedom. For more information, go to GhostPlanet.com