Beyond Cloud Nine (Beyond Saga Book 1)

Ace star fighter pilot Brooke Davis lives for pushing hundreds of gees in orbital combat, but she’d give it all up in a moment to become the first human to fly faster than light. When Brooke stumbles upon a conspiracy involving terrorists, aliens, and the highest levels of government, she finds their goals seductive but their methods abhorrent. With the moral core of human civilization hanging in the balance, she must risk her shot at history, her family, and her life to prevent the schemers from forcing their nefarious brand of salvation upon the solar system. 

When ace star fighter pilot Lieutenant BROOKE DAVIS isn’t pushing  hundreds of gees in Jupiter orbit, she spends her off-duty solitude yearning for one thing. She dreams of being accepted to the Project Luminosity test pilot program and becoming the first human to fly faster than light. But when Brooke fails to prevent a mysterious intruder from blowing up the water distillation plant on Europa—a crime aided by  fellow U.N. officers and sanctioned by her superiors—she’s drawn into a conspiracy threatening not only her shot at history, but the future of  every man, woman, and child in the solar system.

EDWARD COLLINS, President of the UN Security Council, orders Brooke to keep quiet. Much to her chagrin, he also relieves her of active duty and insists she take time off on Earth. There she reunites with her twin  sister, MARIE DAVIS, a small-time reporter who sets her sights on the  biggest stories in the solar system. With a little ingenuity, Marie  gains admittance to a press conference in which separatists attempt to assassinate the U.N. Secretary-General. Territories are seceding and acquiring antimatter weaponry, and if the UN loses its ability to keep  the peace, human civilization may stumble back into the dark ages.

Just as all-out war seems inevitable, alleged extraterrestrials attack colonies throughout the solar system, forcing humankind to work together to combat the invaders. As the conflict escalates, Brooke discovers that the attacks tie back to the incident on Europa. And when she realizes the implications for the future of her niece, MAYA DAVIS, she begins to care about more than her own selfish desires.

As the invaders draw closer to Earth, Brooke must choose whether to disobey Collins’s orders and reveal what she knows to the solar system. Keeping quiet might allow mankind to triumph and usher in a golden age, albeit one based on lies and deception. But revealing the truth could  send the human race down a path toward self-annihilation.

Brooke Davis

This half-American, half-Japanese twenty four year old star fighter pilot dreams of becoming the first person to fly faster than light.

Enhanced cognition and reflexes resulting from a rare genetic disorder give her nearly unparalleled skills in the cockpit. Her addiction to illegal, reflex-enhancing sparks also improves her prowess at the expense of her health.

Brooke's father fostered her love of flying when he took his ten year old daughter soaring above the Rockies in his beloved ion flyer. Guilt from the belief that Brooke killed her father drives her to push herself to the limit. And that guilt, along with her disorder, feeds her tendency to shy away from people.

Brooke rarely smiles or laughs and is easily identified by her violet ocular implants and lavender-streaked black hair.

Marie Davis

Despite working for a small-time Chicago news feed, this savvy reporter sets her sights on the biggest stories in the solar system. Marie is Brooke's twin sister and polar opposite. Marie's wit, instincts, and gall make her an outstanding journalist.

Maya Davis

This bright toddler is Marie's daughter and Brooke's niece.

Caring for Maya helps Brooke to lighten up, which aids her later on in the story.

Maya grows up and embarks on humankind's first voyage beyond the Solar System in Beyond the Horizon, the sequel to Beyond Cloud Nine. 

Edward Collins

The cunning and driven President of the U.N. Security Council serves as commander-in-chief of humanity's armed forces. After infiltrating the Artemis Water Treatment Plant on Europa, Brooke learns that Collins has an agenda that far exceeds the purview of his station.

Kevin Sommerfield

When CERN Professor Kevin Sommerfield announces that manned faster-than-light (FTL) space travel has become a reality, the media quickly labels him a twenty-third-century Einstein. Kevin, of course, rebukes the title. The humble professor chose to become a scientist to avoid social interaction.

Danuwa Ajunwa

Ajunwa is the powerful and well-respected U.N. Secretary-General, leader of the greater part of the human race... unless, of course, the separatists have their way. Her deep Nigerian voice tends to intimidate people.

Bob

This near-sentient artificial intelligence matrix is integrated into Brooke's star fighter. Bob aids her in gathering intelligence, assessing tactical situations, and executing precision maneuvers. As Bob gains more experience, he progresses beyond the limitations of his programming.

Aerostat

A particle collector balloon that drops down into an atmosphere and collects particles commonly used in nuclear fusion and antimatter processes.

Auditory Implants

Technological enhancements to the human ear that enhance hearing. Auditory implants can allow a wide range of abilities, including increases in volume, distortion filtering, and more.

Auto-syringe

An advanced type of syringe that injects medication or medites directly into the bloodstream without the use of a painful needle.

Comm Net

The tactical communications network through which U.N. pilots and other officers exchange information. When U.N. pilots "open a comm net channel," they're typically referring to establishing a duplex (two-way) voice connection with another ally. However, the entire comm net includes all data transfer transfer channels, not just voice channels.

Cormorant

An SF-515 Cormorant star fighter craft is the predecessor to the U.N. SF-522 Starthroat. See the Starthroat section below for details.

E-Slip

A tablet matrix (computer pad) as thin as a sheet of paper.

Eyecam

Shorthand for a small camera with an eyepiece that can be worn on the head like a pair of ear muffs or over one ear.

Gravgel

Shorthand for gravity gelatin. Star fighter cockpits fill with this clear, viscous, lightweight, and non-stick substance in order to protect pilots from the force of extreme acceleration. Scientists have known since the 20th century that water, and more generally liquids, can provide insulation from acceleration. Early experiments showed that a piece of organic material immersed in water could survive roughly ten times the g-force as the same material when unsubmerged. However, filling aircraft or spacecraft with water proved impractical because of the weight/mass. Studies in this area continued until the late 22nd century, when a scientist invented a gelatinous substance that provided more than ten times the protection of water but with a fraction of the mass. This substance became known as gravgel.

Holocube

Shorthand for holographic display cube. Holocubes are three-dimensional display screens, more advanced than their 2D holoscreen predecessors.

Holoscreen

Shorthand for holographic display screen. In the mid 23rd century, most holoscreens are two-dimensional touch screens.

Matrix

An A.I. (artificial intelligence) matrix is an advanced computer which functions on the premise of quantum computing.

Mediquantite

An advanced medite capable of regenerating almost any form of biological tissue by reading DNA. See "medite" below for further details.

Medite

A nanite used for medical applications. See "nanite" below for further details.

Nanite

A microscopic robot or machine so small it's invisible to the naked eye. Nanites are used in everything from commercial products to medical applications to military weapons.

Nanorobotic Narcotics

Drugs administered via nanites, or nanites that affix themselves to human cells and produce similar effects to drugs. Most nanorobotic narcotics are illegal due to their detrimental side effects. Sparks are one type of nanorobotic narcotic. See "nanites" and "sparks" for further details.

Net Specs

Visor-like eyewear which serve the same general purpose as smart phones and did in the 21st century. The first net specs came about in the early 21st century when Google introduced Google Glass. Smart eyewear became big in the mid-to-late 2000's, fell out of style in the 2100's, and came back in style in the 2200's.

Neudar

Shorthand for "neutrino radar." Conventional radar bounces radio waves off targets in order to determine their location. Sonar bounces sound waves off targets in similar fashion. Neutrinos are subatomic particles with almost no mass that pass through anything. Therefore, neudar is radar that bounces neutrinos off targets to determine location. And since nothing blocks neutrinos, signals can be sent through the center of the Earth, the Sun, or any other celestial body without being blocked. Back in the 21st century, this technology was only theoretical. Scientists struggled to make it work because they didn't know how to capture a neutrino signal when neutrinos pass through everything like tiny little ghosts. But by the late 22nd century, scientists figured it out. Simply put, there is no hiding from neudar unless anti-neutrino jamming technology is employed. Many force fields include anti-neutrino jamming.

Neurofeed

A communications signal fed (sent) directly to or from the brain or any signal consisting of brainwave patterns.

Neurotronic

The term "electronic" refers to devices which operate based on the flow of electricity through circuits. Neurotronic devices, then, function through the flow of neural energy, allowing machines to be controlled by thought.

Ocular Implants

Technological enhancements to the lens, cornea, iris, and other parts of the human eye that enhance vision. Ocular implants can allow a wide range of abilities, including magnification, night vision, x-ray vision, thermal imaging, and more.

Phase Drive

The phase drive is an engine capable of opening a wormhole, allowing a spacecraft to pass through that hole into hyperspace, and permitting that same craft to return to normal space in less time than it would take light to travel the same distance. From a practical standpoint, phase drives allow faster-than-light travel even though the spacecraft itself never moves faster than light.

Phase Fighter

A star fighter craft equipped with a phase drive and thus capable of faster-than-light travel. A phase fighter is more maneuverable and more heavily armed than an SF-522A Starthroat (see the Starthroat section for further details). A phase fighter's range is limited to intrasolar distances (it can reach Pluto or the Oort Cloud but not Proxima Centauri).

Phase Shift

A phase shift is the act of traversing a wormhole into or out of hyperspace. An upshift refers to wormhole entry while a downshift refers to wormhole exit.

Phase Technology

Powered by antimatter, phase technology allows the opening of a wormhole, matter to pass through that hole into hyperspace, and matter to return to normal space in less time than it would take light to travel the same distance. From a practical standpoint, phase technology allows faster-than-light travel even though matter itself never moves faster than light.

Plasma Strip

The 23rd century equivalent of a light bulb. Plasma is channeled through a thin strip of material not much thicker than a sheet of paper to produce light. The strips function similar to technology found in a 21st century plasma screen television. Supposedly, plasma strips are more energy efficient and will outlive most people.

Pyramid Carrier

Pyramid carrier, pyramidal carrier, or just pyramid are the terms for the advanced spacecraft carriers operated by an unknown enemy force. The term "pyramid" refers to the spacecraft's shape, which consists of two pyramids stuck together at their bases.

Quasar

The YPF-1 Quasar is the prototype phase fighter. Y is a common designator for prototype aerospace craft (I jokingly think of Y as standing for not Yet ready for mass production because all the bugs haven't been worked out Yet). PF stands for Phase Fighter and the number 1 is the model number, as one might guess. See "phase fighter" above for further details.

R-Seeker

Short for relativistic seeker. An antimatter-powered, heat-seeking warhead the size of an average person's pinky finger. The projectile is capable of accelerating to ninety-nine percent the speed of light in a matter of seconds. The yield of an r-seeker is roughly equivalent to 10,000 of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan during World War II. R-Seekers are carried and fired by more advanced star fighter craft such as the SF-522A Starthroat and YPF-1 Quasar.

Seeker

A microfusion-powered, heat-seeking warhead the size of a 21st century ballpoint pen. The projectile is capable of accelerating to ten percent the speed of light in a matter of seconds. The yield of a seeker is roughly equivalent to 100 of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan during World War II. Seekers are carried and fired by modern star fighter craft such as the Starthroat, Chinese Dragonfly, South American Condor, Russian Foxbat, and patchwork separatist spacecraft among others.

Sim

Shorthand for simulation. In the 23rd century, all images and video are captured in holographic format. Holograms are much truer representations of the original content than old-fashioned static images and video. Thus, holographic images and video are more commonly referred to as sims or vidsims.

A sim or vidsim is also any interactive holographic program. Someone in the 21st century watches soap operas whereas someone in the 23rd century experiences daytime sims or soap sims. Medical sims are 3D holographic representations of internal organs. Advanced sims, such as those generated by the system installed in the office of the U.N. Secretary-General, are capable of producing lifelike environments similar to holodecks on Star Trek. However, the holograms in BC9 have no cohesion. Thus, the term "interactive" means a person can provide feedback in order to alter the sim, but a person cannot pick up or touch a holographic object.

Spacecraft Carrier

The spaceborne equivalent of a 21st century aircraft carrier. U.N. spacecraft carriers are typically a kilometer in length and rotate in order to produce artificial gravity.

Sparks

Sparks are a slang term for a type of nanorobotic narcotic known to enhance reflexes and cognitive abilities at the expense of a person's health. In other words, sparks are an advanced drug.

Spherecam

Shorthand for spherical floating camera. These softball-sized recording devices defy gravity based on the principle of magnetic flux pinning (superconductivity).

SolNet

Shorthand for the Solar Network, the 23rd century version of the Internet.

Starthroat

An SF-522 Starthroat is a hybrid spacecraft and fighter plane--an aerospace craft--commonly referred to as a star fighter. U.N. Aerospace Defense owns and operates these space superiority fighters, which are the most advanced of their kind. SF stands for Space Fighter, as one might guess, and 522 is the vehicle model number.

As the name suggests, a Starthroat is capable of functioning in both atmosphere and outer space. In the mid-to-late 21st century, engineers finally achieved a vastly sought after holy grail: reusable, single stage to orbit (SSTO) spacecraft. In the 22nd century, the design of flight vehicles branched into two categories, those for operation in atmosphere and others that functioned solely in space. Vehicles of the latter type had spherical, cubic, or otherwise non-aerodynamic shapes since atmospheric drag isn't an issue in space. But by the 23rd century, as humankind branched further out into the solar system, vehicle design came full circle. When a single skirmish could begin in Saturn's atmosphere, move into orbit, continue on into Titan's atmosphere, down onto the surface of Titan, and back up into space again, hybrid aerospace craft soon out-performed vehicles limited to only one mode of flight.

Each Starthroat features four fusion afterburners, forward retrorockets, a multitude of tiny thrusters comprising its reaction control system (RCS), a pair of particle cannons, and a complement of several thousand tiny seeker missiles. A Starthroat's top speed is in the range of hundreds of kilometers per second. The improved SF-522A model is more maneuverable, more heavily armed, and twice as fast as the base SF-522 version.

Tri-Fighter

"Tri-fighter" is the term given to the unidentified, triangular-shaped fighter that attacks the U.N. spacecraft carrier Terminus. Not much is known about the origions of this highly advanced spacecraft or who is operating it.

Vidsim

Short for video or visual simulation. See "sim" above for details.

Artemis Water Treatment Plant

A facility on Europa responsible for pumping water up from the moon's underground ocean, purifying the water, and distributing the water to the rest of the Jovian system. 

Callisto

Jupiter's eighth moon in terms of distance from the planet and second larget moon after Ganymede. Callisto is home to multiple colonies, including New Galilei, and Base HOPE, the main U.N. military installation in the Jovian system. Callisto was the first moon settled in the Jovian system. The moon's distance from Jupiter minimized the amount of harmful radiation reaching the surface. As force fields became capable of radiation shielding, moons closer to the gas giant such as Ganymede and Europa were settled. 

Ceres

The largest asteroid in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Ceres is home to multiple human mining settlements. 

Europa

Jupiter's sixth moon in terms of distance from the planet and third larget moon after Ganymede. Europa is home to the Artemis Water Treatment plant as well as multiple other colonies. 

Huygens colony

The sole human settlement on Titan and in the Saturnian system. 

Jovian System

The planet Jupiter, its rings, its moons, and the elements of human civilization found there. The Galilean moons of the Jovian system are home to several million people. Scientifically speaking, the Jovian system extends all the way out until the gas giant's gravity becomes negligible. 

Kuiper Belt

The solar system's second asteroid belt. The Kuiper belt extends from the orbit of Neptune to the edge of the solar system and is less densely packed than the belt between Mars and Jupiter. Pluto is a Kuiper belt object (a very large asteroid) and is thus a dwarf planet, not a regular planet. The Kuiper belt is home to hundreds of dwarf planets, some bigger than Pluto (Eris, for example). Even in the 23rd century, humans have yet to set foot on any of the Kuiper belt worlds because they're so far away. But the phase drive promises to change that. 

Luna

The proper name of Earth's moon. Centuries ago, people referred to Luna as The Moon because it was the only moon that mattered or that humans knew. As humankind branched out into the solar system and settled many different moons, the term "the moon" became ambiguous. Thus, the people of the 23rd century refer to Earth's moon by its actual name, Luna. Relatively speaking, Luna is heavily populated in the 23rd century. 

Nereid

Neptune's eighth moon, the site of an important skirmish. 

Neso

Neptune's thirteenth moon. 

New Galilei

The first and largest colony settled on Callisto and in the Jovian system. Named after the astronomer Galileo Galilei as well as the Galileo probe sent by NASA to study Jupiter and its moons in the late 20th century. 

NISS

The New International Space Station. Built in the early 23rd century, NISS is a rotating commercial space station in Earth orbit. The station is home to over 20,000 people. 

Red Rock City

One of the larger colonies of Mars near Valles Marineris, a canyon bigger and deeper than The Grand Canyon on Earth. 

Themisto

Jupiter's ninth moon. The moon plays an important role when an unknown enemy force attacks Callisto. 

Titan

Saturn's largest moon. The moon is home to Huygens colony, the only human settlement in the Saturnian system. Titan's atmosphere is extremely thick, and its terrain looks similar to Earth's, although the rivers flow with liquid methane and the mountains are made of ice. Titan and the Saturnian system are the farthest humans have explored and settled with the exception of the expedition to Triton that was never heard from again. Don't confuse Titan with Triton. 

Triton

Neptune's largest moon. The U.N. sent an expedition to this moon that was never heard from again. No human has ventured out to the Neptunian system since the expedition was lost. Don't confuse Triton with Titan. 

Trojans / Trojan Asteroids

A group of asteroids that sit within Jupiter's orbit at a lagrange point and orbit the sun along with the planet. The U.N. constructs spacecraft carriers within the Trojans by using the raw materials within the asteroids. 

Bandit

Pilot slang for enemy aerospace craft. 

Blanked

Pilot slang for killed or destroyed. In her last sortie, Brooke blanked four bandits. 

Bogey

Pilot slang for enemy aerospace craft. 

Exo

Slang for exobeing (alien). See "exobeing" for more details. By definition, the prefix "exo" means something outside of or external to something else. For example, an exoplanet is a planet outside of Earth's solar system. 

Exobeing

The 23rd century term for alien or extraterrestrial. Centuries ago, the word "alien" was used to refer to life outside of Earth's solar system. Through overuse of the term "alien" in fiction, and with increased knowledge of other solar systems, the term "alien" gradually took on a different meaning. In the 23rd century, when someone uses the term "alien," they're specifically referring to fictional extraterrestrial life portrayed in books and vidsims (interactive holographic movies). An "exobeing" is a real extraterrestrial life form and typically denotes an intelligent life form in colloquial speech. 

Exoplanet

An exoplanet is a planet outside of Earth's solar system. See "exo" for details. 

Extrasolar

The prefix "extra" means outside of or external to something else. So, an extrasolar threat is a threat from outside of the solar system. 

Feed

The 23rd century term for data channel or stream. A feed is a continuous stream of data. Marie checked the news feeds for her latest scoop. 

Fruity Planets

A delicious breakfast cereal consisting of blinking marshmallows shaped like planets and other celestial objects. The closest 21st century equivalent is Lucky Charms. 

IMP

Acronym for Intrasolar Military Police. 

Jovian

Jovian is an adjective that refers to anything related to the planet Jupiter. The Jovian system consists of Jupiter and its moons, just like the Terran system is comprised of Earth and Luna (The Moon). When someone refers to someone as as "Jovian," they mean that the person in question is from the Jovian system. 

Luminosity, Project

Project Luminosity is the U.N.'s multi-tiered approach to implementing phase (faster-than-light) technology. The tiers are: 

1) Roll out FTL communications systems to key U.N. installations

2) Build, test, and fly unmanned FTL probes

3) Build, test, and fly the first manned FTL spacecraft (the phase shuttle). Train and select qualified pilot candidates.

4) Build, test, and fly the first manned phase fighter (the PF-1 Quasar)

5) Mass produce phase fighters and install phase drives in all U.N. spacecraft

Obaa-chan

Japanese for grandmother. 

Playmate

Pilot slang for a team member, ally, or any friendly force. 

Separatist

A term ascribed to political parties, geographic regions, and entire nations and colonies that have chosen to secede from their parent nations or leave the U.N. More extreme separatist groups seek to acquire antimatter weaponry in order to ensure their independence. Separatist militias acquire patchwork star fighter craft and other weapons on the black market. The number of separatists is increasing exponentially, and the separatist movement threatens to destroy the solar economy and usher in all-out war. As far as the U.N. Secretary-General is concerned, the word separatist is synonymous with terrorist. 

Sortie

An attack from a defensive position. In 23rd century speech, sortie has become synonymous with "mission" or "assignment." After all, U.N. Aerospace Defense is a institution for defense, not offense. 

Terminus

A U.N. spacecraft carrier. Terminus is the Jovian (Jupiter) system flagship. 

Viking

The proper name given to the phase shuttle, the first crewed faster-than-light spacecraft. Viking is named after the 20th century space probe of the same name. The naming of Viking also pays tribute to the Norse Vikings who first discovered the American continents.