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About the Book |
Amidst this bleak setting, Lieutenant Keran Travis of the GUARD military found himself grappling with a profound personal loss. His adopted father, Jon, had been killed by a bomb planted in his quarters, a brutal act that would soon unravel a web of secrets and lies. Keran's investigation led him to the NES (New Earth Society) hideout, where he encountered Org Vladistok, a man convicted of murdering his fiancée and banished from Mariner Station, now leading a group of outcasts in the caverns.
It was here that Keran's world was shattered once more, as he came face-to-face with his real father, Poul Travis, who had been hiding amongst the NES since its inception. Poul revealed a startling truth the GUARD's plan to terraform Mars was a futile endeavor that would take centuries, and he had proposed an alternative: to take the Rigel to a habitable planet in the Rigel system. The GUARD, deeming his ideas treasonous, had attempted to silence him, leaving him and Keran's mother for dead after a mission gone awry.
Torn between his allegiances and the weight of these revelations, Keran found himself reluctantly drawn into a daring raid on Mariner Station, orchestrated by Poul and Vlad. Their goal was to steal shuttles and seize the UES Rigel, leaving the GUARD and the remaining personnel to fend for themselves on Mars. However, Keran's hesitation soon turned to horror as the NES attack claimed dozens of lives, and he resolved to remain on Mars, rejecting the violent methods of his father's cause.
The NES departed with the Rigel, bound for the Rigel system, but a startling revelation emerged – their true destination was Sirius, where an Earth-like planet had been discovered. Desperate for fuel, they returned to the irradiated remains of Earth, encountering terribly mutated humanoids and barely escaping with a few fuel rods and a transformed, violent crew member who had to be jettisoned into space.
