Prologue
When I began writing this book, I fully expected to author a pure science-fiction novel. As it progressed, the story began to live a life of its own, twisting and turning along a path I couldn't have quite predicted. This story is sometimes esoteric, scientific, or emotional, and sometimes just plain fictional. The glue that pulls this novel together is its connection between people. While everyone has baggage and obstacles to overcome, in the end we are not entirely at the mercy of the past to define us.
When reading a new sci-fi work, I am often frustrated when the novel makes huge jumps in logic - principal characters who mysteriously discover faster-than-light travel, or spaceships that inexplicably zip through wormholes that transport them 5000 light years into other galaxies. The challenge for me was to build a foundation that was sufficiently believable – at least to the point where readers weren't completely derailed by those “back of the mind” questions. I've attempted to build a framework that allows the reader to step away from their comfort zone yet not give way to complete fantasy.
There are sections of the novel where a hyperlink will indicate a discussion that is continued in the Appendix. Another hyperlink at the end of the discussion will link back to where the story left off. This mechanism allows those who are interested in scientific details and theories to dive deeper, and for those who are not, a way to sidestep them.
While this is nothing more than a wisp of the complexities of science, I hope you’ll find yourself asking questions that you've not yet considered. Even though I’ve taken creative license, I’ve still endeavored to create a work that keeps you wondering about what goes on beyond our little slice of the universe.