Prologue

“SS Atlas, this is ES1, do you read?”

At only twenty-four, Cassandra Raymond wasn’t only the apple of the space programs eye, she was also the world’s most envied and accomplished woman of her time.

Graduating college at only fourteen. She worked her way from theoretical physics professor to where she was now.

Using her own designs and mathematics she was piloting a multi million dollar space shuttle especially designed with one purpose.

To harness some of spaces natural energy to create a flare which will destroy an approaching giant meteorite.

It was Earth’s last shot they had tried many other things only to fail.

If this worked the meteorite would break up into many pieces, the largest parts missing Earth. A few small fragments were expected to survive but nothing that they couldn’t handle.

When she was first approached, she had insisted on personally piloting the craft. It had to be her because she have to make last second calculations on the spot.

In truth, she could do it from the ground, but it had been a life long dream to go into space.

Naturally beautiful, but with poor social skills. She was more than often ignored because her brains intimidated men.

She was lonely, but science kept her company. Why settle for the first man when she can reach for the stars.

“SS Atlas here, ES1. I am ready and waiting for your order.”

“Atlas, you are good to go,” The order came through the communications console.

“And, Cass,” The voice she recognised as Mr Andrews, the director of Earth station one. “Take care, I want you home in one piece.”

She couldn’t help but smile. He was the closest person she had to family. He was an older man in his fifties. He had immediately taken her under his wing and treated her as his own daughter.

Her own parents hadn’t spoken to her in years. Apparently it wasn’t only men who found her strange.

“I’ll be back for dinner,” She promised as she made the last second coordinate changes, then pressed the correct combination of buttons which would start the flare.

“ES1, we have go!” A bright giant purple bolt of energy came out of nowhere. She held her breath and watched in awe as the bolt hit the meteorite.

A second, then a third bolt hit the rock. She had expected it may happen in a series. But once she was satisfied the meteorite was sufficiently destroyed she moved to reverse the bolts.

“Cass, you did it!” An excited voice came through the speaker. She could hear cheers in the background.

“The scans show the meteorite is now going to miss Earth.”

She sighed in relief. “I’m reversi-” Her words stopped abruptly when she noticed a ball of energy collecting at the nose of her shuttle.

A bolt of energy had become trapped when she closed the gate which she had used to bring it through.

“SS Atlas, please repeat.”

She hadn’t predicted this. But she was certain it would dissipate, she just needed to move away.

But as she tried to move the energy shifted and began to draw the shuttle in fast.