Science-Fiction / Fantasy
Date Published: 06/29/23
On launch day of NASA's long-awaited expedition to explore Jupiter's moon Europa, neuropsychiatrist Amanda wakes up from a coma after months battling acute meningitis. Along with two patients, they discover they are part of a growing puzzle involving an underground geopolitical corporation called The Firm, which plans to sabotage the mission, taking advantage of a new technology to hijack the ship and set a course to a habitable planet located seventeen light-years away from Earth.
EXCERPT
“Consider the odds. If you multiply the number of
stars in our galaxy by the number of galaxies in the Universe, you get
approximately a gazillion stars. That’s a 1 followed by twenty-four zeros. And
there could be even more than that! The chances that we are the only living
organism in the universe... To me, thinking we’re unique is pretentious. It’s a
matter of days. I’m sure anyone who discredits this is in for a rude awakening
soon. Even though we’ve just started the fourth decade of the 21st century, there
are still many people who are oblivious to these truths.”
“These are probably the same ones
that still believe in the supernatural.” said Stryker, laughing ironically.
“I figured of all people you would
believe in most of these things? In the paranormal, in the spirit world, I
mean.” asked Ripley.
“Oh, please” answered Stryker. “With
all the technology available today, millions of digital cameras and video
cameras, billions of photos and millions of hours of recorded footage, yet not
one real image of a being or anything remotely paranormal has ever been
confirmed. Nothing, zilch.” he looked down, shaking his head slightly in
disbelief. “But some people want to hold onto the belief in the paranormal as
though it’s any different to say goblins, angels or wizards...none exist, but
people still believe this tripe. We have simple people wandering around
abandoned facilities at night with EMF and digital recorders trying to convince
themselves that a tapping sound is a lost soul back from the dead, or the
scratchy inaudible sound recorded is a voice from beyond the grave” he laughed.
“If you believe in ghosts and spirits you truly have a child’s view of the
world.” Ripley seemed thrown off by Stryker’s skeptic speech and immediately
stood up, talking back at him:
“How can you say that, Stryker? After
what you witnessed Amanda go through?” she asked, looking at him incredulously.
“Oh, Stryker.” sighed Amanda. She
then looked at him squeezing her eyes, as if she could see through him. “You’re
attempting to approach a nonsensical subject with strict rationality. The world
isn’t so black and white. Your clinical view of everything is your downfall.
For as much as science has advanced, we’re still in the dark about most of
life’s mysteries and not one human soul on this planet can tell you what
actually happens after you die.” she said. Amanda then stood up and started
prancing around the room, talking to all:
“Once you accept that you’re an
insignificant, inconsequential blip on the radar of time--one of billions of
people to have come and gone in a few million years--and humble yourself with
the idea that all you truthfully know about the universe is what other, greater
men have told you from their own observations, then maybe you won’t act so
pompous as to declare you know all there is to know about a subject that has
managed to stay in the forefront of society since time immemorial.” she paused
for a moment and went on. “It isn’t just country kooks and attention-seeking
nutters that believe they’ve seen a ghost or had a paranormal experience. There
are many learned men who would stand up to your scrutiny as upright characters,
such as presidents, who have claimed to have seen spirits. Trying to lock down
such a persistent, widespread phenomenon into this ”This is this, therefore that is that“ rationality is just silly. We
exist in a world where we have no idea why we're even here, and things in your
daily life operate on a scale of normality that you’ve grown accustomed to,
never mind the fact that several centuries ago many things you do would be
considered ”magic“ or ”abnormal.“ The torchbearers who brought us electricity,
telephones, and computers have managed to push the darkness of ignorance back
only so much, but you’re making the mistake of thinking you can see the entire
cave beyond the small circle of light.”
said Amanda.
About the Author
A love for space operas with controversial and adult themes along with a hint of lovecraftian horror are F. P. Trotta's specialty - born in Rio de Janeiro in the Early 90s, Intergalactica was originally published in Brazil in 2016. The Intergalactica book series went on to move tens of thousands of physical copies in Portuguese and is currently the only ongoing space opera franchise published in Brazil.
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