Errant Contact

A survey crew of the human starship Geoffrey Laird lands on a small, unexplored planet quaintly named Fleece as part of a standard scientific mission. The planet looks benign, but a small mix-up with "hostile life-forms" has the three surviving members of the team on the run. Drik, Max, and Laree seek shelter in a small cave, completely cut off from their ship and communications. But it turns out the cave is anything but small. Kodo, frozen in stasis for almost 1,000 years, awakens to find everything he knew is gone. His fellow crewmembers are dead, his ship is a wreck, and his homeworld is gone. Only one other member of the crew survives - Kalaya, the Aurora's synthetic organism. Now, on top of it all, humans are on his ship! Humans, the universe's newest addition to deep space-faring races and a complete embarrassment to the galactic community, are on his ship. Could this get any worse? Yes, it can. Follow Kodo, Laree, and friends on their mission to escape Fleece and the human military eager to capture their ship. A mission filled with danger, laughter, spiteful hamsters, and sentient BLT sandwiches? Game show hosts? Space crickets? This is a light science fiction novel; if you are looking for discussions on quantum theory, then this is not the book for you.

Leaving the planet Fleece far behind them, the Aurora and her mixed crew have two missions. The first is to return the human research vessel Geoffrey Laird back to Earth safe and unharmed. Afterward, the second task is to return to Quetanae space and search for any pockets of survivors from Kodo and Kalaya's home world. Sounds simple enough. But, of course, unknown sinister forces are gathering. The Mexxak Emperor is still demanding that Terra be reduced to a smoldering charcoal briquette. The wolves on the ship are getting smarter. Laree has to come to terms with 250,000,000 freeloading nanites intent on giving her a full-body makeover of epic proportions. To top it all off, Kalaya is hearing wedding bells. Can Kodo recover from his (ahem) new condition and Kalaya's undivided attentions long enough to keep the Aurora on an even keel? Will Kalaya go all in to save the human race from a sooty end? What was in that mysterious thousand-year-old letter from Kalaya's Mother? Includes space pirates, cosmic elves, comely secret agents, more game shows, and, quite possibly, a hamster or two.