Bill Parker

In the Beginning Bill Parker

We were told that only the finest of mankind ventured forth from Earth. But if you ask any of the other intelligent species, they will tell you fast and quick that mankind was cast into the outer darkness because of the evil in his heart. Four millennia later, Earth had become a distant memory. Mankind had surely been cast into the outer darkness for a reason. So, once more, mankind was tested in the crucible of time to separate the iron from the slag.


As if life in the outworlds wasn't already dangerous enough, the Corporate War ended in total chaos. By then, even Union Fleet Command itself had been infiltrated by the Syndicate. All that John Araans wanted to do was to start his life over after the war. He only wanted to be a peaceful outworld trader and work on his starships, but Fate had other plans for him. It all began with silence.


Silence is not something that occurs naturally in a modern starship. Silence is more defined by the sudden absence of someone. It is even more strongly defined by the sudden absence of someone who you depend on for everything, someone who runs the whole ship, someone who does the navigating, someone who has been your copilot, at your side in the worst of times. It took John a few seconds to notice the silence. That was the beginning of his woes.


Rosie, his girlfriend on Aurora had other plans for John. She had already done her best to sabotage Eve, his artificial companion, just to keep him coming back to her. And then there was Karl, his partner. It was a total surprise when Karl tried to kill him, but it didn't end there. Karl was only the tip of that spear. Evil forces sent out their assassins to finish the job that Karl did not and steal his ships. The same evil forces used their corrupt power at every turn to do John in, one way or another.


Even the Zenobians had other plans for John and Eve, but John was determined to live the life of an outworld trader. Every day was an adventure, but with Eve watching his back, he surprised them all. It seemed as though everyone had other plans for John, but it was Fate that set him on the path. It was Fate that set him on the path to find Lilly. It was Fate that set him on the path to save Koryn. Then Fate set him on the path to find Kolahn. In the end, Fate sent John on an impossible mission against impossible odds. But, as John would say, "Who am I to question Fate?