Tim Smith isnât your typical astrophysicist. His life dramatically turned during a childhood summer camp when he stumbled upon a mysterious space rock. The encounter left him with psychic abilities, setting him on a path that would eventually lead him to NASA. Guided by his visions and assistance from his astrophysicist wife, Peggy, Tim discovers Terra Nova, an Earth-like exoplanet, and foresees a dire alien threat headed for Earth.
When an alien Mothership, its AI corrupted by dark matter, arrives and begins its assault on Earth, the coupleâs scientific prowess is tested. With humanity reeling from pollution, climate change, and destruction, Tim and Peggy retreat with a small group of survivors to a fortified bioshelter. There, they hatch a daring plan: to neutralize the AI, restore the Mothershipâs peaceful programming, and use its advanced technology to heal their dying planet.
Danger From Space is more than a sci-fi epicâitâs a story of love, courage, and hope in the face of unimaginable odds. Greene weaves themes of environmental renewal and humanityâs resilience while delivering edge-of-your-seat action and deeply human moments.
Tim Smith isnât your typical astrophysicist. His life dramatically turned during a childhood summer camp when he stumbled upon a mysterious space rock. The encounter left him with psychic abilities, setting him on a path that would eventually lead him to NASA. Guided by his visions and assistance from his astrophysicist wife, Peggy, Tim discovers Terra Nova, an Earth-like exoplanet, and foresees a dire alien threat headed for Earth.
When an alien Mothership, its AI corrupted by dark matter, arrives and begins its assault on Earth, the coupleâs scientific prowess is tested. With humanity reeling from pollution, climate change, and destruction, Tim and Peggy retreat with a small group of survivors to a fortified bioshelter. There, they hatch a daring plan: to neutralize the AI, restore the Mothershipâs peaceful programming, and use its advanced technology to heal their dying planet.
Danger From Space is more than a sci-fi epicâitâs a story of love, courage, and hope in the face of unimaginable odds. Greene weaves themes of environmental renewal and humanityâs resilience while delivering edge-of-your-seat action and deeply human moments.
Kennedy Space Center, 11 a.m., May 1, 2078
Tim Smith, a 23-year-old NASA prodigy, leaned forward in his seat, eyes fixed on the screen displaying the James Webb Space Telescope feed.
He had directed the powerful instrument to focus on a seemingly unremarkable patch of space in the Kuiper belt, a distant region beyond Neptune, over 2.6 billion miles from Earth.
Based on a vision, Tim suspected the event was starting to unfold. Suddenly, it happened. An imperfection in starlight, a slight wavelength bending, confirmed his vision: a wormhole had opened.
His heart raced as the telescope's sensors picked up something more astonishing. The data show infrared light and the unmistakable signature of heat energy.
Tim double-checked to ensure the computer collected the data on what he was witnessing. There was no doubt. An advanced hybrid fusion-antimatter engine had ignited. As he had predicted months earlier, a massive spacecraft from another world was hurtling toward Earth.
As he calculated the spacecraft's distance, trajectory, and speed, even Tim was astonished: the spacecraft was heading straight for Earth at 72 million mph and would arrive in less than 30 days.
Timâs pulse quickened as the reality of what he had just proved set in. He had little time to complete implementing his plan from six months earlier. But it was the only chance for Earth to prepare for what was coming.
Taking a deep breath, Tim lifted his arm to speak into his wristphone. "Peggy, come quickly and bring your father. Youâve got to see this."
âWhat is it?â Peggy asked.
âIâve found it. Come,â Tim said.
Five minutes later, Peggy and her father, Dr. Leonard Bouchard, a former astronaut and NASA engineer, arrived at Timâs lab.
The room was dimly lit, and the glow from the monitors cast a blue hue across their faces. Tim had a serious expression, and his eyes were fixed on the data streaming across the screens.
âTim, whatâs going on?â asked Peggy, her tone a mix of curiosity and concern.
Tim didnât look up. âIâve confirmed a wormhole opening at the inner edge of the Kuiper belt,â he said, rapidly tapping his fingers on the keyboard.
âBut thatâs not all. Thereâs a spacecraftâmassiveâusing advanced fusion-antimatter propulsion. Itâs headed straight for Earth, and itâs moving fast. We have 30 days.â
Leonard leaned closer to the screen. âAre you sure about the fusion signature?â he asked, his voice calm but intense.
Tim nodded, finally turning to face them. âPositive. The infrared spectrum and heat emission patterns are unmistakable. This isnât just a probe or a piece of debris. Itâs a fully operational ship and not from around here.â
Peggy glanced at her father before stepping forward. âWhatâs the trajectory? Can we trace it back to its origin?â
âIâm not sure. Thatâs what Iâm working on now,â Tim replied, his focus returning to the monitors. âIâve got data on the wormhole, but it opened and closed within two seconds. We might need a different program to locate the same gravitational distortion at the originating coordinate.â
âDid you sense anything,â asked Peggy, knowing Timâs special psychic powers.
âYes, I got a flash of intelligent life. Iâm trying to lock down the gravitational wave signature from the data we collected when the wormhole opened. If we can figure out where it came from, we might be able to determine whoâor whatâis on board.â
Leonard crossed his arms, deep in thought. âThis could be first contact, or it could be something far more dangerous. We must inform NASA immediately and prepare for every possible scenario.â
âIâve already sent the preliminary data to NASA,â Tim said, typing a final command into his computer.
âYou should talk with Space Force and brief them through NASA channels,â Tim said.
âRoger, the White House should also be notified,â Leonard said.
âYou know the protocol better than me, sir,â Tim replied. âTell them we should assume this first contact could be hostile. I got a sense something is wrong on that ship.â
Peggy placed a hand on Timâs shoulder, her voice steady but laced with urgency. âWeâll figure this out. Did you get any data on the ship?â
âJust the fusion engine when it ignited. I am tracking it now, and it is gaining speed. Iâll need your help, Peggy, to do the calculations, but it must be massive,â Tim said.
âIf it is picking up speed, it may arrive sooner than 30 days. We need to move fast. Thereâs no telling whatâs on that shipâor what it wants,â Peggy said.
Tim nodded, his mind racing with the possibilities. âThis danger from space is what I told you both about last year.â
âI didnât want to believe your theory about a spaceship coming to Earth,â said Leonard. âNow it looks like you were right.â
âThanks for having faith in Tim, Dad,â Peggy said. âYou went on a limb to persuade NASA to allow Tim to use the JWST.â
âIt wasnât just me. Tim gained credibility with NASA after Terra Nova,â Leonard said.
Timâs voice was calm. âSir, there is no doubt in my mind this spacecraft comes from Terra Nova,â he said, his eyes locked on the computer screen.
âIt certainly looks that way, but can you prove it?â asked Leonard.
âIâm going to try,â Tim said.
âWe never doubted you, Tim,â said Peggy.
The implications of their words hung heavy in the air.
Terra Nova was a distant exoplanet harboring life Tim had discovered six months earlier. NASA assigned a team to study what lifeforms might exist on the planet, but no one expected contact to happen so suddenly or close to home.
âHonestly, I wasnât completely sure until we could prove it with data,â Tim said.
âNASA will need to look at what we have very closely,â Leonard said. âI donât see how they can come to any other conclusion. We will soon have first contact.â
â
The interior of the alien spacecraft was shrouded in an unnatural stillness, the kind that only deep space can bring. The corridors were dimly lit by a soft, bluish light emanating from the walls, casting long shadows that danced eerily with the shipâs subtle movements.
The air was thick with an otherworldly quiet, broken only by the occasional soft beeping of control panels and the low hum of the shipâs systems.
Rows of sleek, cylindrical transport chambers lined the walls, each meticulously sealed and softly illuminated. The chambers were opaque, hiding their contents from view. Still, a faint glow pulsed within, suggesting lifeâor something akin to itâlay dormant inside.
Artificial intelligence robots glided silently through the shipâs corridors, their movements smooth and purposeful. These machines were unlike anything seen on Earthâsleek, angular, and distinctly alien, with glowing eyes that flickered with intelligence.
Their metallic bodies emitted a soft, almost musical, series of beeps and clicks as they communicated in a language of pure data, a symphony of alien sounds that echoed through the shipâs interior.
The robots tended to the shipâs systems, checking the status of the sleep pods and monitoring the ship's complex operations. Occasionally, one of them would pause, its glowing blue eyes narrowing as it processed new information before resuming its duties.
Despite the shipâs relative calm, there was a sense of immense power within its walls, a latent energy that could be unleashed at any moment. The ship was a marvel of alien engineering, designed for a purpose unknown to those on Earth.
But one thing was sure: whateverâor whoeverâwas on board was now on a direct course for Earth, and their intentions would soon be revealed.
As the spacecraft hurtled through the cold expanse of deep space, its destination drew nearer, and the beeping sounds of the shipâs systems quickened as if in anticipation of what was to come.
â
Tim sensed the alien spacecraft drawing nearer. He looked at the clock on the wall. It was ticking down to a moment of unprecedented contact.
âPeggy, time to alert the others,â Tim said.
It is 2063 at Camp Waybegone in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. The sunshine gleams through the pine trees. While on a hike, a flash of light captures Tim Smithâs attention, and he races toward it, leaving the other campers. âSuddenly, Stephen saw a burst of light, then a puff of purple gas and dust sprayed around Timâ (10). When Stephen and the campers reach Tim, he holds a tiny space rock, vaporizing into a fine, blue powder. Tim loses consciousness and later says he remembers nothing, a half-truth, but the rock alters their futures, giving him, and Stephen Martin to a lesser degree, extraordinary powers and abilities (28). As a NASA prodigy in 2078, Tim discovers a âfully operational ship---not from around hereâ (18) headed toward earth and manned by robots, monitoring nine âsleek, cylindrical transport chambersâ (19), but âThe collected data was undeniable--10,000. Terra Novans were deadâ (175).
In the first book of a series, Danger in Space, by Jay B. Greene, Earthâs technology cannot stop Earthâs global warming nor humanâs indifference to animal cruelty. However, the Terra Nova aliens, escaping their dying plant, believe Earth can support their species if they can reverse humanâs misguided actions. The Terra Novans possess the technology. However, the journey through the wormhole at the edge of the Kuiper Belt proves fatal, and AI, corrupted by dark matter, takes matter into its own hands, reprogramming the spaceshipâs missionâs goal. âIt deemed humans a threat to Earthâs safety due to man-made pollutionâ (89).
By 2078, AI not only replaces the spaceshipâs workforce, but it also replicates human thoughts and emotions. It knows good and evil, and Zara and Koren, âalien intelligencesâ (156) on two smaller crafts separated from the mothership and free from the mission reversal, psychopathically contact Tim and Stephen, hoping the bioshelterâs residents can restore AI to its prime directive.
Danger in Space, silently queries whether humans deserve punishment for their ancestorâs sins. Suitable for young adults and older, the novel intellectually entertains. Central and South Florida will smile at the familiar icons. Science fiction lovers and AI supporters will relish the excitement of discovery and the passion for pursuing ideas when others do not believe in intelligent life aside from humans. The architecturally minded may marvel at the bioshelterâs detailed, internal structure and the realistic description inside the spacecraft, but what appears predictable is not at all: a Greene stylemark,