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FlexCare Medical Staffing
Website: FlexcareStaff.com
Location: Roseville, CA
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I hit GOLD when fate placed ASHLEY LAWSON as my recruiter with Flexcare. ASHLEY is proactive and shows great initiative when locating my assignments. She keeps me informed and up to date without being intrusive. We formulate a game plan together and adjust the plan as I need.She utilizes all resources available to her to my advantage. Who doesn't want that?! If you are looking for a recruiter with YOUR best interest look no further than ASHLEY LAWSON at Flexcare!
Kyle Carr has been the best recruiter! I liked him from day one. He asked me my preferences on facilities that I was interested in and looked for them. He only looked at states that I really wanted to go to. He was honest about everything the company had to offer. He walked me through the steps to complete all the requirements and now I'm working at an absolutely fabulous facility! I've received my paychecks on time, as well as insurance.
I love travel nursing! Thanks Kyle!!
I had the opportunity to work with my recruiter Landon Montenegro. This was my first travel assignment as a nurse and Landon made everything possible without any hassle. Landon is very friendly and personable. He treated me with respect and was open to discuss any of my questions or concerns which I often had since this was my first assignment. He was honest and I could tell that he was there for my best interest. He never left me hanging with anything and his response rate was timely. I have had a great time with Flexcare Medical Staffing and I would recommend Landon to anyone!!!
I had a recruiter named Kristin and she seemed very friendly and easy going at first. Answered my questions in a timely manner and seemed really on the ball with everything. However, she became really aggressive and pushy when it came to finding me jobs. To the point she would send me multiple jobs for states I was not licensed in/ had no desire to go to. Or would send my jobs outside my specialty. Then had the audacity to tell me I was not flexible enough. The cherry on the cake was when I finally expressed interest in a job she thought my current contract was up a month earlier than it was (even though I told her multiple times when it was up) and told me that I was so inflexible that I would end up jobless. Safe to say I have since ceased all communication with her and the company. I totally understand as a travel nurse you have to be flexible, but to take a job just to take a job is bs to me. Lost all respect for the agency. I have a friend with Kristin who is going through a similar situation.
I submitted my information to the Flexcare site, and within 24 hours recruiter Quang "Q" Phan contacted me. This was my first Travel Nursing experience, and Q was patient and answered all my questions. He also respected all of my travel preferences and wishes without pushing me into contracts I was not 100% comfortable with. The best part was his timeliness. He would contact me within minutes of a contract being posted, and made sure that I was one of if not the first applicant submitted, which helped due to my lack of travel experience.
I am a first time Travel Nurse so I begin diligently searching for a Travel Companyto sign with. After much research I contacted Flexcare. My recruiter that I spoke with was "Q" Phan. He has been amazing . He has been so responsive in returning my calls and answering questions no matter how how many times I ask them or how insignificant they may seem. I had an unusual travel situation and he has gone above and beyond to help get the job done. I appreciated all of his efforts to help make the situation work out for me so much
Working with this company has been amazing! My recruiter Kyle Carr has been amazing every step of the way. He's always full of great advice, suggestions, and is so supportive! Anytime I've had a question or issue (never company-related, usually regarding certs and things like that), he's ALWAYS there for answers and works hard for quick resolutions. He's extremely genuine, passionate, and personable. I still cannot believe how hard he worked to find me the perfect assignment in my specialty! The pay and benefits were some of the best I could find as well!
I researched companies for months prior to contacting Flexcare. Most recruiters I spoke to made me feel like I was talking to a used car salesman/woman; always a lot of pressure and roundabout answers that made me feel like they were hiding something. From the moment I called Flexcare and first spoke with Kyle, I sensed nothing but honesty and competence. It was extremely important to me to find a company and a recruiter that I could trust. A close friend of mine who has travelled for years gave me the fantastic advice, "find a recruiter who you could see yourself working on the floor with, someone you can trust and click with". That really resonated with me, and really became a large factor in finding the right recruiter! I'm so thankful I found Kyle Carr at Flexcare!
My first time talking with someone about the possibility of me working for them was a wonderful experience. I have had nothing but success with this company so far and my recruiter Kelly Tynes is the ABSOLUTE BEST!!! The way she answers ALL of my questions, is completely straight forward,honest and quick to respond to emails, text or phone calls is unbelievable. My goal is to do the best in my profession and I can tell from the way flexcare staff is they believe in doing the same. Want an excellent recruiter, ask for Kelly Tynes, she will get the job done so you can do your job. Thanks Kelly for all of your hard work.
Kelly Tynes with Flexcare is someone I recommend either to a new traveler or someone that has been at this for years. My wife and I were cancelled for an assignment with another company and Kelly literally care to the rescue, making calls, putting our requests in and Flexcare stepped up to the challenge and got us a wonderful travel assignment. The way this company and the employees work are WONDERFUL. Thanks guys for doing your job so I can literally do mine. Choose this company, you won't regret it.
Just starting an assignment with flexcare. Lindsay Mason worked hard to get me an assignment in the area I wanted, calling me with updates daily. Once I obtained the assignment I had difficulty with the I9 process and Lindsay went out of her way helping me resolve the issue and saving me some money also. Highly recommended Lindsay and flexcare.
I highly recommend FlexCare in general and Geoff Krieger in specific. Geoff is knowledgeable, easy to talk to, and responds quickly. He found me exactly the assignment I was looking for. Pay is straightforward and timely. I have had no issues whatsoever.
I have had nothing but a good experience with Flex Care largely due to my wonderful recruiter JENNIFER WILKINSON. I have found her to be very professional, supportive and readily available should I have a question or concern. Jennifer honesty and caring nature is an assist .... I feel like more than a number and she has my back.... Highly recommend her if you are looking for an above average recruiter!,
Flexcare is a very competive, professional,well paying agency with good benifits. Kristi Zimmerman is one of thier best recruters. She listens to your needs and does her best to make it work. She is professional but also a very easy person to talk to. Love her!
I have been with Flexcare for a year now. I have had the same recruiter, Sammy Aguilar, the entire time. He has been my only point of contact with Flexcare, and I am okay with that because he always answers any questions I have. I don't have to seek out anyone else. If he doesn't know the answer right away, he says, "I'm not sure, but I will find out." And he does! He is honest and genuine - he tells it like it is. Even when I have had some personal things arise that have conflicted with assignments, he has been understanding, helpful, and has always had my back. I have communicated with other recruiters throughout my year with Flexcare, but at the end of the day, I always choose Flexcare and Sammy. Other recruiters are pushy, or don't give you the whole picture up front. But Sammy lays it all out and doesn't hound you after you have made your decision. I am grateful for everything he has done for me. Look forward to many more assignments with him!
I have been with flexcare for over 2 years, working with my awesome recruiter Natalie Serra. She has made this process easy and smooth for me. I had some bad experiences with other companies. But since I have been with flexcare and working with Natalie; I have had nothing but the best. Thank you Natalie for giving me great experiences so far and hope we continue for many more.
Rather unfortunate experience. They promoted my fab recruiter and his replacement didn't seem to have a heart for nurses. On several occasions they messed with my check. Even though I got everything in on time, they did not pay me in a timely manner. They said the hospital (or in my mind more likely the VMS since it was through a VMS ) didn't get their paperwork in on time. They tried to tell me that they didn't have the overhead to pay me until they got paid. I'm not new to travel, so I know this was bogus. It takes weeks or months for the actual money to transfer from hospital too agency via VMS. Companies like FlexCare certainly have money for this. It was almost impossible to get hold of management. Their phones are filtered, it seems. I eventually got paid a week late on all counts, but I should not have to fight for my check.
My recruiter was wonderful. Keighley was honest, supportive and informative. She told me what I needed to have to get the position I wanted, then gave me great options to choose from. I felt supported, she would talk to me anytime, always answered my texts or calls. I look forward to working with her again soon.
Melissa Perez is the most dedicated recruiter I have ever worked with. She goes above and beyond to find me the jobs that I want and updates me every step of the way. I have never once felt the "pushy" vibe that I have experienced with so many other recruiters. She responds to me almost immediately and is always kind and pleasant to work with!
I have been working with Amber Bimson since the very beginning august 2015. I have never had any issues getting a job and she is always super responsive to any of my needs and honest. Flexcare always offers the highest packages of any quotes I receive.
I have never had any issues with pay, and I always have information up front. Very happy with Flexcare. The only fault is i wish they had more jobs in Michigan....I don't want to work with another company!!
I just wanted to take the time to say how much I appreciate my recruiter Shane Young with FlexCare. He has been my only recruiter for about a year now. He has been amazing the entire time from his honesty to how hard working he is when getting me contracts. Every time I have a question I hear back from him quickly and he always goes the extra mile to make sure he gives the most accurate information. I have read many reviews from other travelers and how hard they work just to get ahold of their recruiter. I'm lucky I don't have those problems. Thank you FlexCare and thank you Shane, you guys have changed my life!
Tried them before. They told me to get my recerts. Paid for them, then they said I had been out of work too long and they couldn't place me. 2 years later. Gave them another chance. Paid for everything, again. They told me they had all kinds of jobs. Then they told me they didn't have any ER needs for the state I was licenced in. I could have applied for other licences, but they left me with no job or income for almost 2 months. Maybe there are better recruiters, but mine made no effort to help. She would talk and talk (about how great the company is) but never actually answered my questions. Said she would look into things, then wouldn't get back to me with answers.
As far as recruiters go, Flexcare is by far the best. I started out with Jennifer Schvetsky, who was amazing at getting me in the exact area I wanted and extended my contract four times! I ended up signing on full time at that hospital, but in May of this year, I wanted to start traveling again. Jennifer had been promoted (no surprise), so my file was given to Denae Muraski. We hit it off right away! I feel like she truly does have my best interest at heart. I ended up being in a really chaotic, busy ER, was not welcomed by staff, and was having a really tough time there. Super stressed out. I ended up calling and talking to Denae about it during the final weeks of my contract, and she was so thoughtful, and was even upset that I had waited so long to tell her! I always felt taken care of.
My only problem, which may not be a problem at all for others, is housing. I had always taken the company housing, but Flexcare doesn't offer it to you. They will however, help you try to find something by giving you names/numbers of places that previous travelers have used, sending you craigslist ads, and giving you contact info for local property management companies. I just find it less stressful for the company to set up housing. But, if you are going to handle that yourself anyway, FLEXCARE CANNOT BE BEAT!!
I'm with a different company now (unfortunately) because of the housing issue, but Denae never seemed upset about my switch. And she still keeps in touch, but never in a pushy sort of way, mostly just to check in. It's also great to only have to deal with one person for everything. It really makes a world of difference. If you are thinking about signing with them, don't hesitate!
I can honestly say following 2 travel assignments that flexcare is a great travel company to work for. My recruiter is Amanda. She has been amazing to work with. She is vary trust worthy and prompt on contacting you when needed. Only draw back is the benefits packages are a little costly but you do get good coverage.
Flexcare is my 3rd company. Being a traveler, you must have a recruiter that is trustworthy and has your back. I have been fortunate and found this woth 2 seperate agencies. Annabelle Pomeroy is awesome. I am always fully informed and never surprised. She always returns calls, text, or email. If you are looking for upfront honest recruiter give Annabelle a call, you wont be disappointed.
Amber is the best! Would never switch from Flexcare!
I started with great hopes! My recruiter seemed genuine. But as our interactions increased, I realized all the lies said: lies about my salary, lies about the facility which is a complete nightmare, lies about details that were requested and never happened. Once I signed the contract... no more recruiter available! Travel nursing feels like an agglomeration of salespersons who scam to get their money at any cost... even lying and brake the trust with their travelers. No more travel assignments for me!
FlexCare has great employees and culture . However, their management scams all their employees with their 401k match. It's 5% match of your contribution, not your salary like any other company. You put in $100 a month, they put in $5. Ect.
Flexcare is the 2nd company that I have ever traveled with and I really feel no need to go through anyone else. I have the best recruiter, Denae, who is always available to help me, listens to my needs, does not push anything on me that I dont want to do, and just generally makes the whole entire process smooth and easy. Flexcare always quotes me the best pay packages (compared to up to 3 other companies sometimes) and I dont feel like I have to fight to get it. The smooth process alone is enough for me to stay with Flexcare and Denae. I always get paid on time and my paychecks are always correct. They come through with referral bonuses with no argument (other companies will say anything they can to NOT give you the bonus). I also love that I only have to go through one person, my recruiter, to get all my compliance and insurance and everything done that way everyone is on the same page. Overall, Flexcare (and specifically Denae) has exceeded my expectations as my travel company and will remain my travel company of choice.
Natalie Serra is the best recruiter ever. I used to be a travel nurse with another company and was so unhappy. I then switched over to Flexcare with Natalie and couldn't be happier. She is so helpful and nice and responds fast to all my annoying questions. She has been so helpful and has really made the experience easy for me. I'll definitely be sticking with Flexcare and Natalie!
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
In easy walking distance of the CBD, Bricktown has some great bars, some with hundreds of different beers. I avoided visiting the Banjo Museum there, but there is a movie complex if you need a change from the bars.
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text:
When the Sky Fell
Additional Formats Available:
Book Jacket
The year is 2217, and Commander Frank Yamane is the captain of the stellar cruiser, Corona, stationed at Saturn's moon, Titan. Having been in the military for most of his life, he is a battle-hardened man who has experienced a series of personal tragedies, including the loss of his beloved wife, Liana. The inability to prevent her death has left him feeling guilt-ridden, and plagued with doubts regarding his ability to lead others. It is these same experiences, however, that have also prepared him for when humanity needs him most−when an alien race known as the Deravans attack the Earth without mercy. Knowing he cannot stop them alone, Yamane has no choice but to seek the assistance of an enemy he helped defeat in a war ten years before. The problem is, Commander Yamane knows they have every reason not to come to Earth's rescue.
Book Excerpt
And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great Earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood;and the stars of the sky fell to the Earth ...
-Revelation 6:12-13
"I'm beginning to pick up multiple images on my monitor," the RadAR technician cried out.
Commander Yamane kept his place in the command chair, not moving. The Deravans were out there; that he knew. It was just a matter of time before they arrived. He gave his uniform a quick tug. "What's their speed... and how long before they reach the Lexington?"
The r-tech's hands fumbled for the information on his console. He turned back. "1.01 stellar velocity, Commander. Their ETA is fifteen minutes."
Yamane glanced at the display on his right. To his horror, dozens of blips had already filled the screen. He turned away, his mind reflexively avoiding what it did not want to acknowledge. The confidence he had in his plan a few short hours before ebbed at the sight so many enemy warships.
Another feeling, almost as powerful as the first, hit him with near perfection. Fear? Panic? No. Irony. Yes, that was it. How else could he describe the very best the enemy had to offer, pitted against a wreck of a ship? He looked up at the main screen. His former command, the Lexington, glistened in the distance. Sorrow tugged at Yamane. Images of abandoning ship came crashing into his mind. Both he and his crew had just managed to get to the escape pods before the Deravans closed in for the kill, all but blasting the stellar cruiser out of existence. Now he, however, had turned the tables on them and worked his ship's demise into his advantage. All the hope in the world, however, meant nothing if those power cells hidden in the Lexington's bowels didn't charge up at the precise moment required. Otherwise, the fleet under his command would find itself in a very bad situation. "Come on, girl," he said under his breath. "Don't let me down."
"The Deravans will be in range of the Lexington in ten minutes."
Yamane verified their position again. The blips were there, but in even greater numbers than before. "Have all sub-cruisers assume an attack posture. Standby on my mark!"
"Defensive computer protocols have been engaged," C-tech Landis said to Yamane. "All targeting monitors are online. Pulse cannons are at full power."
The commander leaned back in his seat and surveyed the bridge. He tried to gauge the status of his crew. Will they remember their training when both sides meet in battle? For that question, Yamane did not have an answer. "Distance to enemy ships?" he asked after glancing at the main screen.
Sitting to the left of the RadAR station, the nav-tech replied, "Sixteen thousand kilometers."
"The Deravans are redeploying their fleet," the r-tech yelled over the sounds of computer systems buzzing around him.
Their overall formation, once a solid and unbroken mass of metal and machines, reorganized itself into three lesser-sized squadrons in a matter of seconds. The efficient manner in which the Deravans executed the maneuver chilled Yamane. "Speed and heading?" he asked.
"Unchanged," the r-tech replied. "They are maintaining their heading toward Mars."
Yamane's ship, the Corona, sat behind and a little above the Antaren dreadnoughts. They were laid out in front of her like twelve breech-loaded shells, ready for use at a moment's notice. Located at the highest point of the stellar cruiser was the bridge. And in the middle of the bridge Commander Yamane waited...and worried. The overwhelming numbers at the Deravan's disposal rattled him—and he had good reason to feel as he did. If they tried to take on the enemy one ship at a time, the fighters, dreadnoughts, and destroyers under his command would be sitting ducks against the Deravans' superior guns. But he had learned from past mistakes. They didn't have the firepower to outfight them, but he hoped to outthink them. On this his whole plan rested.
Optimism wrestled against Yamane's fears. Perhaps we can win this fight with little difficulty after all. A nice sentiment, but it was a lie. Who was he kidding? A single fear had been haunting him from the beginning—that the Deravans could alter their course at any moment and fly beyond the range of the Lexington. And if they did, Yamane would be right back to where he started—taking them on from a position of weakness. On the other hand, the Deravans might also hold their present heading, right into the trap he laid. The odds seemed fifty-fifty, either way.
Doubts crept in. What if—? Yamane could not finish so terrible a thought. Shifting uncomfortably in his chair, he stared at their trajectory marked on the r-tech's targeting grid. The enemy armada held firm; they had not changed course. He should have been pleased, but something deep within told him they were taking too much for granted. "Time to intercept?"
"Six minutes, twenty seconds."
Every tick of the clock forced his hand into a direction he didn't want to go. Placing his frontline ships in the line of fire was taking a terrible risk, but keeping the enemy fleet on course had to outweigh all other considerations. Ruthless thinking to be sure, but with the survival of humanity at stake, he felt he had no other alternative.
"Signal Commander Moran," Yamane said to c-tech Landis. "Tell him to prepare for an assault on the Deravan fleet."
Landis spun around. "Sir?" he gasped, his eyes wide. "You want him to do what?"
"You heard me, Lieutenant," the commander barked back. "When the enemy armada flies within ten thousand kilometers of the sub-cruisers' position, they will fire their thrusters and make their course right for them. Then when Moran's fleet is ten kilometers away from the Deravans, they will fire a five-second salvo before circling back, past the Lexington. We must ensure the enemy maintains its heading, even if it means risking some of our ships."
Landis shook his head in a knowing way. "Understood, Commander," he smirked. "I'll send the message now."
In less than a millisecond, decoding algorithms incorporated into the Drummond's transceiver unscrambled Yamane's orders, flashing them across her communication console. "Sir," the c-tech called out, "I am receiving a transmission from the Corona. Commander Yamane is giving us the go signal for a direct assault against the Deravan fleet."
Moran brought up his data pad and scrolled down the text. "What are the two distances?"
"Ten and ten."
"Tell him we'll make ourselves big fat targets," he said with a broad grin.
The c-tech offered a weak smile in response and then sent Moran's answer.
Repositioning himself in the command chair, he assessed their tactical situation. There, ahead of him, were hundreds of ships, all positioned equidistant from one another. Moran leaned to his right. "What is the distance between the two fleets?" he asked the r-tech.
Beads of sweat glistened on the tech's forehead. "Twelve thousand kilometers, Commander."
"And their heading?"
The r-tech inputted a set of commands into his console. "Unchanged. They are coming right at us, course—zero-zero-seven."
"Not long now," Moran said, almost in the form of a prayer. "Just a little bit more."
"Deravan ships are now eleven thousand kilometers away."
"Almost there," he whispered.
The distinctive sound of the proximity alarm went off. "Ten thousand kilometers."
Moran stood upright. "Now!" he yelled. "Fire up the main engines."
The c-tech signaled all seven ships waiting in line; their guns poised on those enemy vessels in the line of fire. In an act of unanticipated choreography, the thrusters of every sub-cruiser ignited at the same instant. A flash of brilliant white light demonstrated to the dreadnoughts and cargo barges behind them just how exact their timing had been.
Moran's vessel took the point. Coming up about a thousand meters back, three ships on his starboard side and three on his port, the six other sub-cruisers fanned out like sharpened talons, readying themselves for a quick strike.
The r-tech's attention remained fixed and resolute. Nothing existed for him except the targeting display a few centimeters away. He tracked the enemy's movements, until the proximity alarm just to his left rang out a second time. "We've reached the ten kilometer mark," he said to the commander after turning back.
Moran's face became tight. "All batteries...commence firing!"
A blaze of red and blue plasma bursts shot across the bows of all seven sub-cruisers. Multiple numbers of flashes registered in the distance several moments later, and then—nothing.
"What is their course and speed?" Moran shouted out.
The r-tech verified the results. "Unchanged, sir. Pulse blasts have had no effect."
Moran glanced at the astro-clock. They hadjust enough time. "Give them a second volley."
"I'm inputting the command now."
Every gunner homed in on his prey, locked on, and then fired. Dozens of energy bolts coursed through the cannon chambers, discharging a fraction of a second later. In a mirror-like repeat of the first salvo, the lethal bursts slammed into the hulls of those ships ten kilometers away, detonating into dazzling fireballs. When the massive bombardment dissipated, the truth became all too evident. Deravan shields had absorbed the full fury of what the sub-cruisers could throw at them. Without exception, every one of their vessels flew through the barrage, undeterred.
"Hard about!" Moran ordered. "One hundred and eighty degrees."
After he entered the command codes into his console, the nav-tech grabbed a hold of two support struts and held on tight. The sub-cruiser's directional thrusters fired on cue. Fighting the forces throwing her forward, the million-ton warship traveling at 0.35 stellar velocity began to buckle. Bulkheads let out deep moans as they contorted under increasing pressure, while deck plates started to pop out of their brackets.
"Commander, we're coming around too fast," the navigator yelled. "She's not going to make it."
"Hang on!" The Drummond suddenly lurched over. Everyone on the bridge took hold of whatever was within reach when the sub-cruiser banked hard on her port side.
"Come on, baby," Moran whispered to himself, "don't let me down."
Responding in an almost cognizant way, his ship swung around in a parabolic arc, back towards the Lexington.
Moran clutched his data pad tight. "Are the Deravans still pursuing us?"
The r-tech wiped the perspiration from his forehead. "Affirmative, sir. They're holding steady. Course—zero-zero-seven."
Commander Yamane's ship waited before the crimson disk of Mars. Despite being outgunned by a factor of fifty, he knew they had to be the victors. If not, the enemy armada would snuff out the human race without a second thought. The Deravan's unprovoked attack against Earth had been brutal, savage. Their bombardment of death since that terrible day had brought humanity to the brink of extermination. "Twenty to one," Yamane whispered to himself. Too low. More like a hundred to one. He sighed deeply.
"The Deravans will be in range of the Lexington in thirty seconds."
Yamane checked the r-tech's monitor for a third time. To his horror, enemy ships encompassed the left side of the display, while shattered remnants of their once proud fleet dotted the right. His attention remained fixed on those barely recognizable derelicts floating in the distance. Would they be joining them? He lifted his eyes. We'll all know soon enough.
"The Deravans will be in range in twenty seconds."
Yamane swiveled around in his command chair. His face became hard. "Don't press that button until I give the word," he said to the r-tech, his voice deep.
"Aye, sir," he replied. "Ten more seconds."
Every pair of eyes settled on the main screen. "Five...four...three," the crew mouthed in unison, "two...one...zero." High-pitched alarms rang out from every corner of the bridge.
"The Deravans are now in range!" Yamane exhaled, paused for a second and then said, "Charge up the cells." The c-tech's finger came down on that most important of buttons, the one sequencing the final command directive. All three transceivers scrambled the compressed data streams before sending them to the omega band receivers on board the Lexington.
A penetrating silence filled the bridge.
"Power signal sent, Commander. They should charge up right about now."
The Deravan fleet, positioned at its closest proximity to the Lexington, flew past the stellar cruiser. Every gauge and display tied into the power cells, however, remained at zero. The electro-magnetic field had not formed. Yamane waited for several moments. A feeling of dread crept up on him. Seconds passed, but still no change. Something had gone wrong.
"The signal isn't going out," Landis stammered.
Now dread and fear gripped Yamane. "Re-initiate the program and send out the signal again."
Landis inputted the sequence a second time. He looked back, his face pale and glistening. One second turned into two, then four, and then eight. The c-tech's eyes darted back and forth. "I don't understand," he said in a shaky voice. "Power levels are still at zero."
Yamane rushed over to the communication console and singled out the flashing red button amidst a sea of knobs and switches—the one signifying the difference between life and death. Giving it a firm press with the heel of his hand, he forced his attention back up to the main screen. Hope buoyed his expectations. Disaster met him there. They had not stopped the Deravans. Terrible images of what they would soon unleash against Earth flashed before his eyes.
"I've tried everything," Landis complained, "but the signal still isn't reaching the cells."
"Try again!" Yamane snapped back with a distant, almost trancelike stare.
Hesitation filled the c-tech's eyes. He started to speak, but re-inputted the directive instead.
Shrill noises came from every speaker on the bridge, providing the dim answer. "The transmitters are working perfectly, but something is blocking the outgoing signal."
Walls, ceiling tiles, deck plates—they all pressed in on Yamane. He responded with slow, deliberate steps away from the main screen. In that one instant, everything seemed lost. There was no backup plan for him or for Moran. The Deravans would hit his ships first, and then attack the rest of the fleet without hesitation. Confusion reigned in his mind. He needed a solution, any solution. None came.
Yamane closed his eyes tight. He hoped it would shake him out of his stupor. It didn't work. He opened them again. The frantic sound of Landis yelling into his headset trailed off into a deep silence. Turning the other way, Yamane became acutely aware that the characteristic noises put out by the ship's instruments were also absent. An undeniable feeling of timelessness seeped over him.
Amidst the darkness and confusion, however, something began to show itself. People and places long since past became clearer as each moment trickled by. Commander Yamane tried to fight the pull back in time, but his desire to return there grew in intensity. Further back he went. Further and further, before the arrival of the Deravans, before the losses they had suffered at Mars, and before the future of humanity hung in the balance.
Then, like a flash of light overwhelming all of his senses, a new reality finally overtook him, too strong to resist...
Chapter 1
Lt. Commander Yamane hustled down the walkway, his pace brisk. Major Stan Kershaw kept up with him, stride for stride. They were running late...again. As a person who prided himself on precision and timing in every area in his life, Yamane hated the idea that someone else, even a close friend like Kershaw, could affect his duties in so profound a way. But here he was, late for his third patrol in as many weeks. If things didn't change soon, he would put himself on report.
Yamane caught himself. Despite all his efforts otherwise, he was becoming too rigid, too by-the-book. It bothered him when this happened. It was just another patrol, one of a dozen scheduled to go up that day. If he and Kershaw took off a little past their scheduled departure time, the heavens would not come crashing down on top of them.
Needing a distraction, Yamane found himself staring at a beautiful, darkening amber sky. A middle-aged yellow star hovered a little above the horizon, diminished in size and intensity, given the distance between itself and Titan. The day had almost ended, and many other nighttime stars were already flickering in the distance. Even when the Sun hung high in the mid-afternoon sky, the relative brightness was equivalent to an overcast day on Earth. If it were not for hundreds of light-enhancing satellites ionizing the upper atmosphere, people living in the capital city of Kalmedia would experience almost perpetual twilight.
"You don't know what you're talking about, Frank," Kershaw objected.
The accusatory statement pulled Yamane out of his refuge of drifting thoughts. He stopped dead in his tracks. "Uh," was all he could get out, followed by a feeble: "I guess—"
"No, you don't guess," Kershaw fired back. His black, wavy hair fluttered back and forth in the wind. "We havejust as much right being here as anyone else." He rammed his index finger into Yamane's shoulder patch to better emphasize his point. "Think about it. For over one hundred years, Star Force Command has maintained a consistent policy of outward expansion.
And the planets we've colonized have been nothing more than miserable heaps of dust and rock."
Yamane took in the distant jagged mountains shooting up from the valley floor. Up above them, a shiny object reflected the last bit of light from the waning Sun. He couldn't tell if the ship was coming or going.
Trying a different tactic, Yamane approached their old argument from a new angle. "That's not at all what I'm trying to say. The right to colonize a planet isn't based on whether or not life exists there already. My concern is with the question of Man having a right of to be here in the first place. Who are we that we should claim any planet for ourselves?"
A confident grin broke Kershaw's thoughtful gaze. "But you aren't asking a valid question," he replied, as though a pawn had been moved in a game of chess. "When you go back in history, many of our earliest tribes wondered what was beyond the next hill; and then went on over—often with a large contingent of hunters I might add. If there happened to be another tribe on the other side, they resolved their differences, one way or the other. Not many people along the way asked if it should be done. Rather, they fought for what they believed was theirs."
"Again, who's to say either tribe could say this or that piece of land belonged to them. Land is land. It's still going to be here long after we're gone."
"I'll give you that," Kershaw agreed, "but think about what we've been through these past ten years. You remember those planetary leaders who believed Kalmedia could have posed a threat to Earth's security; given the right circumstances. But those fears evaporated overnight when war broke out against the Antaren Empire. After that, no one dared question a need for maintaining a first line of defense here on Titan. Would you just say, 'Hey, this moon belongs to everyone, so go ahead—take it for yourselves?'"
Yamane looked up at the stars again. A stiff breeze from the north had been blowing all day, making the sky particularly clear of dust and clouds. He found the small blue orb circling the middle-aged sun just below the constellation of Cassiopeia. He almost thought he could reach out and touch the planet he called home. "That's my point exactly. You have two groups of people wanting the same thing—territory. Does one side have the right to take it by force?"
"History would say yes. How many peoples and nations have been subjugated by others because they opted not to fight? Again, I go back to Titan. If this base were not here, we would all be speaking Antaren."
Yamane wasn't so convinced. He always believed their fleet of stellar cruisers patrolling the fringes of known space provided a far better defense than a stationary base just outside Kalmedia. "We defeated the Antarens because of you and me, and millions of others who were committed to the fight; not real estate. And now that the war is over, we've managed a peace of sorts between our two peoples. An uneasy peace, to be sure, with suspicions running high on both sides, but they respect our borders, as we do theirs. Your point of view is based on how history has sometimes worked out, not on—"
The sounds of an A-96 Min fighter blasted by them. Haunting in nature, the piercing shrill was unmistakable, rattling a person down to the bones. Even after years of flying, most Star Force ground crews never really got used to the noise a ship's engine could put out.
The pilot angled his ship down, until all three wheels hit the runway hard, filling the air with a multitude of screeching sounds.
"I guess we'll have to settle this matter another day," Yamane concluded. "Duty calls."
A look of disappointment crossed Kershaw's face. Yamane recognized that sulky expression, but winning a philosophical debate paled in comparison to being up there, with the stars. His whole week had been planned around this patrol, and he wasn't about to miss his chance just to appease his friend. Rather than argue, Yamane just spun around and hurried off to the hangar bay.
"Hey, wait up," Kershaw surrendered, and then ran after him.
Upon entering the hangar bay, Yamane noted all fourteen single-seat fighters, seven on one side and seven on the other, parked in their assigned stalls with military precision. Near the front of the bay, Yamane's ship waited for him. His initial inclination had been to climb into the cockpit and roll right onto the tarmac, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, not yet. A ritual needed attending to first, one he had observed since his earliest days in the academy. He wasn't certain if the informal ceremony had been followed out of superstition or habit. Probably a little of both. But he always made it a point of checking over his ship before departing. The mechanics had certainly gone over it with a fine-tooth comb during pre-flight checks, but a trip into space didn't have the same feel if he didn't work the flaps or inspect his fighter himself.
Coming up from behind, Yamane stood before the tail section. Every line and angle came together for him in a significant and profound way. His attention ambled down somewhat. A careful examination of both sets of small, blunted wings, directional thrusters, and the single engine capable of pushing his craft past stellar velocity gave him a sense of limitless freedom. Any chance to go back up there did—every time.
Moving towards the front, Yamane stopped when he faced his ship head on. Two additional fighters parked towards the rear of the hangar caught his eye. Based on their disassembled appearances, they weren't going anywhere. Someone had removed all six turbines from both ships, while parts and tools littered the floor in a haphazard fashion.
"Are you two arguing again?" a mechanic joked after he came from behind a thruster nozzle. Swipes of grease covered his coveralls from top to bottom. "Only reason I know why you'd be this late for another patrol."
Yamane gave the starboard wing a good shake. "I assume she's ready to go up?" he asked.
Kershaw walked up from behind. "Oh, don't worry about him, Sergeant," he said, sarcasm peppering each word. "The lieutenant commander can't wait to get out there and answer the secrets of the universe."
The mechanic let out a restrained laugh before bringing his attention back to the half-repaired nozzle. Finding himself drawn to the same cone-shaped apparatus, Kershaw started rolling up his sleeves, exposing two muscular forearms. "Those crossover valves there need replacing," he offered after a brief examination. "Do you have a modifier wrench handy?"
He had just gotten the housing assembly off when Yamane grabbed his collar and pulled from behind. "You should leave the repairs to the professionals. They know what they're doing."
Kershaw rose to his feet. "But Frank, this will just take a minute."
"We're scheduled for the next patrol, not to put fighters back together."
"I don't know why you always want me flying with you," he replied with that same disappointed look as before. "You know I'm a much better engineer than I am a pilot."
"You don't have to tell me that," Yamane agreed, "but people should find ways of broadening themselves so they aren't stuck in a rut."
Kershaw placed his hands on his hips. "Look who's talking. You've logged in more flying time in the last two months than half the squadron combined."
"Maybe you're right," Yamane countered, "but this will all be a moot point if we don't get out there in the next two minutes. The control tower is waiting for us."
"All right," the major conceded, "but if that fighter is here when we get back, she's all mine."
The mechanic just shook his head, and then resumed his work.
Monitor 1 came up negative again. Monitor 2, negative. Ten seconds later, monitor 3 confirmed the results. The tracking computer moved array number 7 to its next pre-programmed position. Once scanned, a single column of numbers popped onto the screen. Monitor 1 came up negative, again. Monitor 2, negative. Ten seconds later, monitor 3 confirmed the results. And on and on the same mind-numbing activity had taken place throughout the night.
Sergeant Morris stared at all nine screens across from him, a blank look on his face, trying his best to remain awake. It had been his tenth double-duty shift in as many days, and he was exhausted. This fact was driven home with the realization that monitoring those same planets in the Rovina system for hours on end had long become a tiresome sight. Most people would feel this way, he reasoned to himself, if they had to do the same monotonous activity for two weeks straight: check an area of space, usually one with little strategic significance, and then move on. The whole thing seemed pointless.
Array number 7 moved over again. Even though the targeted areas were light-years away, the transceiver relayed multiple streams of data in an instant. Morris smiled. In fact, he considered the operational system something of an amusing diversion. Dr. Fredrick Henkle, who had developed the Radial Amplification Resonator fifty years before, created more confusion than anyone he knew. He must have had a warped sense of humor, Morris thought. Why else would he call his creation RadAR? Confusing name or not, Henkle's invention had revolutionized space travel. At just about any point in the galaxy, an operator could send and receive a signal in a matter of seconds, as though the distance between the two had melted away. From then on, the business of space travel had become a much more practical endeavor. For Morris, however, reaching out to the stars did not give him the personal freedom he thought would be a part of his work. Instead, his duties in the military had become a kind of jail sentence—just him and his keepers, the machines.
Resigned to a purgatory-like existence for the remainder of his shift, Morris picked up another cup of coffee. He couldn't remember if it was his fourth or fifth. As he put in a third packet of sugar, a high-pitched chirp registered on the speaker. He swiveled his chair around. The small, angled display revealed what it had an hour before, a class-M star cluster. Thinking he must be hearing things, Morris reached over and picked up the cream. A beep sounded a second time. He put the cream down and checked the screen again. The same stars appeared, nothing else.
"Those stupid birds are nesting at the arrays again." He picked up his data pad and typed in a memo, "Note to self: Shoo birds away at end of shift."
A high-pitched chirp sounded a third time. The mobile tracker stopped, indicating it had locked onto something. He stared at the screen. Nothing seemed to be different. He rubbed his chin. "Let's see if this works," Morris mumbled to himself. He typed in a series of commands into his console. The booster array signal doubled in strength, increasing picture resolution by almost fifty percent. There, ever so faintly, a hazy image appeared.
"What are you doing all the way out there?" he said under his breath. "Maybe if I tighten the bandwidth." Morris inputted the new directive into his tracking computer. That star cluster, filling just about every square centimeter of the display, moved inward, as though it had collapsed upon itself. Morris' idea was working. There, right before his eyes, the ghost changed itself into a small, fuzzy blip. "Gotcha!" he declared in triumph.
Two rows of analytical computers began to click and whirr as they processed a flurry of incoming data. Morris scooted his chair over and studied the numbers. Though broken in spots, the telemetry indicated the object was traveling in a linear direction. "Must be a deep space patrol I forgot about," he concluded. But after accessing flight schedules for that region of space, he found nothing had been scheduled out there for the next two months. Something's not right about this, he thought. Maybe I should contact the duty officer. Morris switched on the intercom.
"This had better be good," a groggy-sounding voice replied after a lengthy delay.
"Captain Gollanski, this is Sergeant Morris in tracking tower two. I just picked up something unusual on my monitor. I think you should come down here and double-check these findings."
A heavy sigh came through the speaker. "Can it wait until morning?"
"I don't believe so, Captain. Something tells me this might be important."
"You don't believe? That's not much of a—" Gollanski stopped. "I'll be there in a minute," he sighed again. Just as he promised, the duty officer arrived sixty seconds later, on the dot. Draped in a blue flannel robe, he went right up to Morris. "All right, Sergeant," the captain said in a conspicuously gruff manner, "what's so important that couldn't wait until morning?"
Morris swallowed hard. "I've been tracking an unidentified object for the last ten minutes. Telemetry indicates the unknown is coming from sector seven, but we don't have anything scheduled out there until October. I was hoping you might know something about this." The captain, in the midst of a yawn, just shrugged. "Maybe if you see what I'm talking about." He switched the transmission from his console to the one nearest the Captain.
Gollanski rubbed his still-tired eyes. He then bent over and scrutinized the intermittent contact from a closer vantage point. "Preliminary analysis indicates the unknown is traveling in a linear direction," he mumbled to himself. "Are you sure these readings are correct?"
"No doubt about it. I've checked them over three times."
"Sector seven is right at the edge of known space," the captain affirmed. "A transport would need a couple of weeks just to get out there. Has the telemetry indicated what this could be?"
"The object is still too far away. Maybe in an hour or two we can get more accurate data."
"I don't have a good feeling about this." He stood up and stared at the nine screens above. "I think Star Force Command should be informed. Make contact with them right away."
Tom Stafford sat on a hill overlooking the desert setting of the Monfort Plains, which had in effect, became his new home. There, down below, he observed twenty temporary shelters set up in two rows of ten, side-by-side. Set inside the shelters, the RadAR shack stood near the middle of the compound. Seven cargo bins placed around it formed a loose circle, and scattered about the camp, various all-terrain vehicles. Except for his fellow settlers, he had not observed any evidence of life elsewhere on the planet, save a seemingly infinite supply of scrub brush growing all over the northern continent.
In his mind's eye, however, their far-flung outpost had already become much more. New Roanoke represented the dreams and aspirations of people who envisioned a better life for themselves and their children. Though the colonists numberedjust over a hundred now, perhaps in a few short years the outpost could be the site of a major metropolitan community, with fifty-story buildings lining downtown boulevards, hover ports dotting the landscape, and new cities popping up elsewhere on Beta Centauri.
The collection of shelters below didn't quite measure up to the vision in his mind. And while he would be the first to agree they had a long way to go, the "wild west" aspect of the New Frontier only bolstered his determination. He believed that whatever goals Man set for himself he could fulfill, no matter what the obstacles.
A branch snapped in the distance. Stafford froze. His senses heightened. Unseen rocks tumbled down the darkened embankment. Darting his eyes about, he heard another snap. After crouching down low, he picked up a flashlight lying nearby and grasped it tightly. With his heart thumping, he turned on the light and pointed it into the darkness. His fears subsided when the beam caught a large man with glasses and white beard approaching from below. That description could only fit one person—Jerry Ashby.
"I didn't…mean to…scare you," he gasped between each winded breath. Feeling more at ease, Stafford set the flashlight by his feet again. "I came to tell you the grid will be powered up in five minutes," Ashby said, still breathing hard from his one hundred-meter trek up the steep grade.
"I know," Stafford replied, distance shading his voice. "I just needed a little time alone."
Ashby took in the colony. "Sure is impressive, isn't it?"
Stafford nodded in agreement. "I think New Roanoke is well named. Just as with the colony those English settlers established seven hundred years ago, a whole new future awaits us."
"After the Antares War, I never thought we would see any new settlements in my lifetime. All the ones we had were lost, and no one was so eager to reach out into the unknown again."
A stiff breeze brought a chill to them both. The day had been unusually warm and they were likewise dressed for the weather. But when the blue super giant twelve billion kilometers away crept below the horizon, temperatures dropped fast.
"I think we should get indoors," Stafford suggested.
After feeling the goose bumps on his arms, Ashby quickly agreed.
Because of the sheer drop, the loose, sun-baked clay and dirt made their trip a tricky one. Stafford took a couple of hesitant steps, clomping as he did, and then slid a meter or two before catching his balance. Ashby, slowed by his age and size, approached the descent more cautiously. He tried taking a smaller step before shifting his weight onto the other foot.
Arriving in a cloud of dust and countless small boulders, both men congratulated themselves when they reached the bottom in one piece. Javen Chang, whose turn it was to stand guard that night, powered up the protective grid the instant they stumbled past him. A gentle buzzing noise went from power relay to power relay.
"I've got the next shift in the RadAR shack," Ashby waved. "I'll see you in a few hours."
The name 'RadAR shack' struck Stafford as ironic. Shack was the last name he would give to a building that stretched twenty meters into the sky. The reinforced structure, built out of concrete and steel, easily dwarfed both sets of temporary shelters on either side. But the name somehow stuck, and no one referred to it otherwise.
"Goodnight, Jerry," he waved back and then stopped. Stafford looked at the stars flickering above, and listened. A strong breeze blew past him. A couple of cast iron frying pans hanging on a wire strung between two poles brushed up against each another. The semi-rhythmic dissonant notes drowned out the noise that had first caught his attention. His suspicions eased. Probably nothing, he thought, and then continued on his way. Stafford stopped again after taking another half-dozen steps. "Do you hear that?"
Ashby, who had reached the shack doors, also stopped and listened. He scanned the sky above. "Hear what?" he asked after several moments passed.
"Sounds like a low hum...coming from the north end of the canyon."
Ashby looked around. "You must be hearing those energy transformers by the grid."
"No...this sound is different...and it's getting louder."
"I'll go check the scopes inside. Maybe they can tell us if something's out there."
Just as he opened the door, a far-off explosion lit up the night sky. A second or two later, shock waves created by the detonation flew past them, followed by a mild rumbling.
Stafford took a hesitant step forward. "What was that?" he demanded.
Before Ashby could answer, another explosion hit closer to camp. A brilliant yellow and orange plume transformed the night into day for a brief instant, and then faded into darkness. Several families, woken by the noise, came out to see what had happened. Acrid smoke and burning embers met them at their doors. Seconds later, additional explosions detonated all over the compound.
"Get back inside!" Stafford screamed, waving his arms back and forth to get their attention.
A ship of unknown configuration flew overhead in a blink of an eye. The unfamiliar craft targeted a cluster of cargo bins and then fired. Stafford stepped back just as they erupted into crimson balls of light. A blast of superheated air knocked him back a couple of steps. When a second blast landed nearby, he turned and ran in the opposite direction. Trying to keep low, Stafford searched for anything that might provide minimal cover. He caught sight of a person staring at the sky. The person just stood there, frozen.
Three shuttle-sized vessels flew over them both, fired on a pair of temporary shelters, and then disappeared behind a nearby mountain ridge. Stafford took advantage of the opportunity and dashed towards the person standing like a statue in the darkness. "Ashby!" he shouted after recognizing him. "We have to get a message out—before it's too late."
Ashby didn't respond. He just kept his attention fixed on the sky above.
Stafford, realizing his pleas were useless, turned and ran for the RadAR shack. Before he had gone no more than a handful of steps, however, a powerful explosion went off directly behind him. The force of the blast hurled his limp body twenty meters. He struck the ground hard with a thud, and had the wind knocked out of him.
Shaking off the effects of the explosion, Stafford eyed the shackjust a stone's throw away. With a force of will almost beyond belief, he scampered to his feet again. The sudden action, accompanied by a terrible ringing in his ears, almost caused him to lose consciousness. No, I can't be injured, he willed himself to believe, and then scurried to the other side of the compound. A quick jerk on the outer doors revealed a dimly lit RadAR shack interior. Once inside, Stafford took a split-second to orient himself, and then bolted down a long white corridor. Flying into the control room with almost reckless abandon, he zeroed in on three operators hovering over a pair of consoles. "Have you gotten a message out yet?"
One of them threw down a cipher book in anger. "Neither transmitter is working," he scowled, his voice sharp.
Stafford shot a quick look at both stations. "Not working—why not?"
"The first hit took out our antennas. We did transmit a partial message, but only that we detected some ships on our scopes. The signal went dead after that."
A high-pitched whistle sounded above them. Before Stafford could respond, a massive explosion rocked the RadAR shack. Support beams from above came crashing down, knocking out all but a handful of lights.
Dust and debris filled the control room, followed by an extended period of silence. When he felt it safe enough, Stafford peered out from beneath the computer console he had ducked under. His eyes caught sight of a multiton support beam resting on the workstation right above him. The mangled piece of equipment groaned under a weight it had never been designed to support. Thinking quickly, he moved his hand out like a probe, careful to avoid jagged pieces of glass and metal littering the floor. When his index finger bushed past the bent leg of a nearby console, he wrapped his hand around it. Stafford drew in a deep breath and then pulled himself out. Under the flickering of emergency lights, he saw the RadAR console buried under tons of twisted debris. His heart sank. Now there was absolutely no way of getting a message out.
Two more explosions detonated near the building. A wall behind him collapsed into a heap of broken concrete and twisted rebar, filling the control room with even more dust and debris. Stafford wanted to run, to get out while the chance was there, but he couldn't just leave his friends behind. He at least had to try and find them.
As he took a couple of tentative steps forward, a violent coughing fit stopped him in his tracks. Stafford put his sleeve to his mouth, using it to filter out a heavy layer of particulates floating in the air. Then something caught his attention. There, buried underneath tons of concrete and metal, were the men he had spoken with only moments before—all dead. He ground his teeth together. "At least they had a quick end," he thought.
Another hit brought down two smaller girders, slamming them into the concrete foundation below. Stafford realized the RadAR shack was coming undone. If he didn't get out now, the next hit would most likely finish them both off at the same time.
The few surviving emergency lights guided him to a small hole near the south wall. Stafford set his fears aside and scurried through a tangle of wreckage. He found himself outside again. The stars were out now, a pair of moons casting their shadows on the devastation around him. Flames engulfed every building in the camp, both large and small, while thick columns of black smoke billowed up into the heavens. The crackling of multiple fires burned in his ears. He suddenly felt alone.
Two more ships passed by overhead. Stafford took note of their silhouettes against scores of raging fires licking the night sky. He found himself drawn toward the polished, strangely shaped vehicles. They formed a rounded triangle, with appendages flowing out from behind them. It wasn't so much their configuration, but an ominous quality each one possessed. In fact, the very existence of those vessels exuded a frightening darkness—as though some kind of malevolent force was leading Stafford to the edge of an abyss.
Through the fire, a lone figure appeared. His gait remained slow and regulated, unconcerned about what was taking place all around him. "Ashby," Stafford called out.
He stopped. "Is that you, Tom?" he asked in an odd tone, before falling to his knees. Stafford caught him just as he landed on the ground. "Looks like we were wrong. This colony is going to end up like all the others."
Stafford cradled Ashby's head in his arms, rocking him back and forth. "Don't say that...nothing is over until we say it is. We can rebuild ..."
Ashby looked up at his friend, smiled, and then closed his eyes. Stafford felt Ashby's pulse slowing, the last beat dragging out to a standstill. He was gone.
Pain and anger exploded in Stafford. He embraced his dead companion, and began to weep. Another bolt came from the sky and landed near him, but he didn't care. Nothing mattered.
One last blast detonated a short distance away. There was a flash of light and then darkness.
Book Reviews
Review by: T.W. Ambrose, Digital Dragon
Mike and Brandon Struck Gold
with When the Sky Fell
When the Sky Fell is the first published novel of co-writers Mike Lynch and Brandon Barr, published just a couple months ago by Silver Leaf Books. It is the story of Commander Frank Yamane as he struggles against the Deravan Armada for earth's very existence. Through this mix, we get space battles, political intrigue, alien races, and a cast of characters you won't soon forget.
Now to be upfront with everyone before I go any further, I have been excited about reading this book. When I saw this book was being released, I knew Brandon Barr should be one of our featured writers (June 09), and after reading just a few pages, I asked Mike Lynch to write a feature as well (August 09). What this made me realize is I, like many of our readers, am starved for epic Christian Sci-Fi. Perhaps I am missing something, but I just haven't seen a lot of it out there; there are great short stories, some amazing serials being written, but there just isn't much in the way of Space Sci/Fi. I hope with Sky Chronicles leading the way, that's about to change.
As the book gets started you realize it's definitely got more of a Battle Star Galaticia feel then that of Star Trek. The Humans are basically on their own. No warp drives, no deflector shields, no missions of exploration. Star Force builds ships for protection and they feel they are secure in their power. In comes the Deravan's: cold, calculating, heartless, with superior numbers and destruction on their mind. From there though the story takes a spiritual turn, from references to Jonah to the story of the High Son, and the salvation he brings.
This brings us into what makes the story Christian Sci/Fi. Like many of the great works of Christian fiction, this book doesn't just come out and smack you upside with a message, but it will deliver one to any reader. Yet those with a greater understanding of the Bible will find deeper meaning in several of the events and may find some paralleling the lives of heroes of the church.
On the downside, several of the main characters aren't developed as much as I wished they would be. Outside of Yamane and his first officer, we really don't get to know the other members of the Corona's crew very well. We also seem to lose a number of characters just as we get into their heads. Finally, at one point in the story we seemed to rush at a romance between Frank Yamane and the ship's doctor; however, it ends as quickly as it starts and we are left wondering what happened to the Doc as the book comes to a close.
That being said, I believe Mike and Brandon struck gold with When the Sky Fell, and from the sounds of it, a sequel is already in the works. Although I can't say what the future holds, I do think this series has a chance to get big if people will give a couple of authors they haven't heard much about and a publishing company they haven't read much from a chance. It is honestly one of the better Space Epic's I've read in a while. I only hope these guys are able to keep writing in this world they created, and aren't hired off to write more Star Trek TNG novels.
Review by: KM Wilsher, Blog Days of Summer
Faithful Sci-Fi Fans will love this Space Opera
My synopsis: A couple hundred years in the future, Earth is on the brink of destruction at the hands of an evil alien race like you have never seen. The only man brave enough to stop the annihilation, is Commander Frank Yamane. And Yamane's only hope lies in an enemy he defeated a few years prior. Can he trust his old rival to aid him in Earth's salvation?
After a heart pounding prologue I connected with THE SKY CHRONICLES: WHEN THE SKY FELL characters right away. The two main characters Yamane and Kershaw were the kind of men I like to think hold high ranks in our very own US Military. They are reflective men with a strong sense of patriotism and a great love of duty, their country, and their crew. Whereas most characters I've encountered in these roles are driven by dark revenge, these two are light characters driven by purpose, duty and the greater good. Refreshing.
I could really relate with Yamane's adoration for the planets and stars and all of creation. I could also relate to his adoration of ships and star fighters – I have been a somewhat muscle-car junkie my whole life and I love to put the pedal to the metal.
I liked how the authors explored what I called the character's "alien/space theology". I mean the age old questions of: What is over the next rise? Who is on the other side of the mountain? And who can lay claim to territory?
Mike Lynch and Brandon Barr are brilliant minds. I am fascinated by their technical jargon that reminded me of algebra and geometry. I trusted them with every parabolic curve, and longitude and latitude. Mike and Brandon can give you a space battle – for sure!
Faith is evident through the whole book. In fact, in the later middle, When the Sky Fell's spiritual elements blossom, pulling from the New Testament of the bible. The authors took a few unexpected, entertaining turns that truly did make me smile.
The only negative thing I would have to say is that I couldn't get a handle on the big battle plan. I know there was a big picture (battle plan) in the mind of the characters as they moved toward the climax, but I couldn't follow it. Meaning some of the skirmishes were reduced to fireworks, blasters, and questions about how much power does the ship have. To be fair, this could have just been my reading skills.
I hope lots of science fiction fans get a hold of this book. I think faithful sci-fi fans will love this space opera. Lots of Skyjackets, unique aliens, and great spaceships! I know I did. And, though I've said it before, I say it again, "You got to buy this book." (I know Mike and Brandon have more novels on the way! Keep an eye out!)
Thank you Mike Lynch and Brandon Barr for such a wonderful ride.
Review by: Josiah Wright, The Old Schoolhouse
An Apocalyptic
Military / Science Fiction Thriller
If you're like most people, you enjoy stories about the end of the world. Come on, admit it! I'm not a psychologist (only the son of two shrinks!), so I won't pretend to know why, but there seems to be something in the human mind that is utterly fascinated with the circumstances of our demise! Most of the time, apocalyptic stories are nothing more than excuses for gratuitous destruction on-screen (or on-the-page). Imagine my surprise and delight to find When the Sky Fell, an apocalyptic military/science-fiction thriller written (by two Christians) as an allegory of the life of Paul! The book begins in the year 2217, when Earth has just fought and won a long and costly war against the extraterrestrial Antarens. The book opens to the discovery of an unknown object controlled by a mysterious race of beings who call themselves the Deravans. As the story progresses, the Deravans are revealed to be a demonic species that destroys other civilizations coldly and methodically. And guess what? Earth is next on the hit list.
The hero of the story, Commander Frank Yamane, is one of only a handful of survivors from the first devastating assault upon humanity, an assault that culminated in the near-total destruction of Earth and the decimation of the Star Force armada. The obvious solution? Go beg a couple of starships from the aliens Earth just defeated! What makes it worse? Those same aliens were responsible for the death of Yamane's wife. If this book sounds like it tangles with some weighty philosophical dilemmas, it does. Throughout the book, Yamane and his close friend Stan Kershaw debate each other on issues like conquest versus survival, and ultimately Yamane is asked to make a decision to place his faith in the Antarens' "High Son." Sound familiar? But not to worry--this book is definitely NOT an excuse-for-a-moral. (If that's what interests you, read Plato's Republic.) The story, while at times slightly difficult to follow, is extremely interesting. And oddly enough, the fact that the ending is practically given away in the opening pages of the book doesn't detract from the "edge-of-your-seat" element throughout. While the descriptions of space battles are very well written (such that even the sci-fi "uninitiated" can visualize what's going on), the descriptions of some technological and military procedures might fly like a starship right over most mortals' heads--like mine. However, the story has elements of many other genres, and there should be enough here to keep most anyone reading for a long time.
Without giving away too much of the plot, I can safely say that the Antarens are (in general) quasi-allegorical representations of the early Christian church. Why then do some Antarens do some very un-Christian things? This is one major flaw in the allegorical structure, but it is easily overcome by noting that the allegory (so far) is very loose. In fact, it's difficult to find anything specifically symbolic until about halfway through the book, when there's one of those great "a-HA!" moments. I say "so far" in order to point out the other major con to this book: WHERE'S THE SEQUEL?!? This book ends on a very undecided note that will leave readers hanging. Fortunately, this appears to be only the first book in the series.
On the whole, I feel that When the Sky Fell would be best suited for high-schoolers or adults. A very confident reader of, say, middle-school age might also enjoy this book but will likely need some assistance. I can therefore wholeheartedly recommend this excellent faith-building book to you with only one complaint--Where's the sequel?!?
Miscellaneous Review Quotes:
"An engaging sci-fi blend of military and politics ... Fast-paced novel for fans of military science fiction."
– Mike Resnick Hugo & Nebula Award Winning Author
"What a promising first novel from Mike Lynch and Brandon Barr — exciting space battles, convincing characters we can care about, sense of wonder and real heart. If only the space opera I grew up on had been this human."
– Bruce McAllister 2007 Hugo Award nominee
"When The Sky Fell's greatest strength is its believable and foreseeable science — you can easily see how our society could evolve into that presented in the book. Fans of military science fiction, with an emphasis on space battles, will enjoy this book immensely."
– Joshua Palmatier author of The Vacant Throne
"In war, things can go wrong, and people will react well, or badly. Such is the case in this action-filled, page-turning, epic space battle for the survival of planet Earth. Hang on to your seats!"
– James C. Glass author of the Shanji trilogy www.sff.net/people/jglass
"Compelling heroes, interesting allies, dastardly villains, wonderful pacing, and lovely descriptions of night skies glimpsed on distant planets. If you love 23rd-century space adventures, When the Sky Fell is for you."
– Kris Stoever co-author,
For Spacious Skies: The Uncommon Journey of a Mercury Astronaut,
and daughter of Mercury Astronaut, Scott Carpenter
"Exuberant space opera in the style of the Golden Age of Sci-Fi."
– Michael Z. Williamson author of Freehold
Review by: Sam Leonardi, Sammygadgetreviewblog.wordpress.com
Can't Put it Down!
I just got this novel and it's so hard to just put it down. Sci-Fi is my thing and this book just draws you into it! If you like Sci-Fi, you need to read this one soon!
Review by: Normand Corbeil, Realmeneatquiche.com
A Wonderful Universe
you could get Lost in for Days!
Hello everyone, I just read the greatest book that I wanted to share with you. Now, up front, I did receive this book for a fair review, just so you know, but this book was awesome! I really liked the fresh take on the space opera, it was new and exciting. Usually this is not my favorite area of science fiction books because of the long windedness and endless pages. This book was tight and lean, but created a wonderful universe that you could get lost in for days. Quick action and great plot twists kept me firing through those pages like laser blasts (which there were a whole bunch of). There was a strong religious under tone that was surprising these days, as most authors stray away from what can be a contentious area. But this was dealt with the subject with respect and didn't beat the reader over the head with it. But this book really had a unique point of view and brought the reader through quite a ride.
Set in the distant future where the Earth faces an unstoppable enemy we're confronted with a protagonist that is facing not only the loss of his crew but the extinction of the human race. Along side him, is a great line of minor characters we are introduced to at an impossible moment where the fate of this universe hangs in the balance. When the Sky Fell was totally worth the read and I was crunched into a little ball as I read the last few chapters. I would totally recommend you check this book out.
Review by Rachel Spooner, Triniricanttc
These books are not just for teenagers, I am a full blown adult, lol, whatever that is, I'm 31 today, so yea. This book was written by Mike Lynch and Brandon Barr and they did a great job if I do say so myself.
It has everything you need if you have a good imagination. This is a little similar to some scifi shows I've seen, but reading and watching it in a show is different. I love me some future earth, dystopian books, and this is just that but with more fire power. More fantastic ships and the stories are fun when it's mean to be and sad when it is. It is a deep story that dwells deep inside your soul, not overly religious, and it keeps you entertained. Very different type of books than I am used to, but I will be interested in reading more of this type. I do recommend this book to everyone that is looking for a good read.
Reviewer: Nicole Kaukinen, Mommakauk
When the Sky Fell, by Mike Lynch and Brandon Barr, is a well-written science fiction novel centered around the hero, Commander Frank Yamane. The novel involves three races: Humans, the Antarans, and the Deravan armada.
A short synopsis of When the Sky Fell – the Deravan armada invades the galaxy and is intent on destroying all of Humanity. Commander Yamane must find a way to save Humanity from its fate. After a disastrous first encounter with the Deravans, Yamane must ask the help of the Antarans who are an alien race split into classes. Their culture is directed byprophecies that are centuries old and is guided by the religious order and the teachings of the High Son. Their religion has many parallels with Christianity and the teachings of Jesus Christ, but in a much more evolved form. The Deravans are a race of aliens bent on genocide and are the darkness to the Antarans light. The Antarans agree to help Humanity, and the interested reader will have to read the novel to find out how the conflict ends!
Humanity is a Type 0 Kardashev civilization on the brink of becoming a Type 1 civilization or is in the infancy of being a Type 1 civilization. This means they have explored the solar system, started to settle other planets are starting to explore and settle the rest of the Galaxy. This can give the interested reader a reference point to other Sci-Fi series.
When the Sky Fell is written with a lexicon that a younger reader can easily follow, such as a person entering into high school. However, it is written in a style that an older audience can enjoy. I am 35 years old and have spent a lot of time reading Sci-Fi and fantasy. The Star Wars Expanded Universe, Peter Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy, and Steven Erikson/Ian Esslemont's Malazan Empire are amongst my favorite series. When the Sky Fell is a fairly simple story-line following, for the most part, the hero's adventures, although this doesn't detract from the story. My one beef with the novel is the use of the Antaran's time scale. For example, "Dek Par, Daieth time plus four". There is no reference point or units of time that can be compared to Humanity's time reference or to place it in progression of the story line.
I really enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading the rest of the series. I have put aside four other series I am engrossed in to finish reading Sky Chronicles. Unfortunately, this may take a while as Little Man, takes up a lot of my little free time and most of the rest of it is dedicated to my loving wife, Momma Kauk. I am going on vacation, starting tomorrow (YAY) and hope to read the rest of this series and start on some of the Mike Lynch and Brandon Barr's other works.
Check out Sky Chronicles: When the Sky Fell and other books published by Silver Leaf.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review – but I am sure you have already guessed that I was not the one who read this novel, PoppaKauk has always loved novels about the stars, so I asked him to read and review this one, and the next in the series for me :D His written "vernacular" kinda puts mine to shame… but I am okay with that!
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