What would it be like to visit every planet of the solar system?
Will is thrilled about living his dream of exploring outer space on board the spaceship Dunamys. Traveling with his younger sister, Jen, and the other pilots, staff and civilians, they are on their way to a paradise called Zion.
But the dangers of space travel are nothing compared to earning the love of Elizabeth, who is unofficially dating David, one of his best friends. Both are the popular music duo on the ship.
Jen, the communications officer on the Dunamys, struggles with her feelings for David, knowing he only has eyes for Elizabeth. When an error in judgment from the commander of the spaceship leads to a catastrophic accident, Will and Jen must focus only on their jobs in order to obtain resources to fix the Dunamys and help everyone survive their journey across the solar system.
Adrift, the second book in the Dunamys series, a breathtaking adventure across the solar system and an unexpected odyssey of survival. Readers who enjoy stories like Battlestar Galactica and Lost in Space, will enjoy the journey with Will, Jen, and their friends in this unusual and incredible quest.
What would it be like to visit every planet of the solar system?
Will is thrilled about living his dream of exploring outer space on board the spaceship Dunamys. Traveling with his younger sister, Jen, and the other pilots, staff and civilians, they are on their way to a paradise called Zion.
But the dangers of space travel are nothing compared to earning the love of Elizabeth, who is unofficially dating David, one of his best friends. Both are the popular music duo on the ship.
Jen, the communications officer on the Dunamys, struggles with her feelings for David, knowing he only has eyes for Elizabeth. When an error in judgment from the commander of the spaceship leads to a catastrophic accident, Will and Jen must focus only on their jobs in order to obtain resources to fix the Dunamys and help everyone survive their journey across the solar system.
Adrift, the second book in the Dunamys series, a breathtaking adventure across the solar system and an unexpected odyssey of survival. Readers who enjoy stories like Battlestar Galactica and Lost in Space, will enjoy the journey with Will, Jen, and their friends in this unusual and incredible quest.
JEN
The countdown continued almost as loud as Jenâs heart.
â10, 9, 8 âŚâ
Will is out there ready to battle real fighter jets!
âJen!â Commander Partridge called her name. âStatus report!â
âSomething is happening, sir. Systems have activated on their own. And there is a fog or a cloud forming all around us. But systems are normal and we still have communications at 100%â
âGood! Continue with the countdown.â
â7, 6, 5, 4 âŚâ
âCommander, a huge army of tanks and fighter jets are coming our way sir!â Major shouted.
âTell our fighters to not engage. Our jets are faster and more maneuverable than theirs, just order them to guard our ship. Donât let the enemy to get close.â
â3, 2, 1â
The spaceship moved, giving Jen the feeling of being on a fast elevator. She tried every camera angle, but she could only see a layer of fog everywhere, like they were engulfed in a huge transparent cloud allowing her to see how they were ascending slowly towards the sky. The sensation of elevating continued for several minutes, then a noise like a hail hitting metal.
âThey are firing on us!â Star screamed.
âSteady, as she goes!â Commander Partridge ordered.
A lightning bolt flashed, followed by a strong shock wave. The spaceship shook for a few seconds and then stopped. The fog surrounding the spaceship began to shine with orange, red and yellow hues before thick gray and black clouds surrounded them. Several minutes later, the colors disappeared and the cloud surrounding the spaceship turned to normal. Then the sensation of elevating continued.
Over an hour later, the cloud disappeared, revealing the blue sky. Then the sound of hail beating against the ship resumed.
âWeâre under attack again, sir,â one of the pilots radioed in.
âDisregard! Continue ascension as normal.â
âYes, sir!â
âAnd order the squadrons to return to base.â
As Jen listened to the conversation between the pilot and Commander Partridge, a weight lifted. Her brother was coming back inside the spaceship.
âWhat was that bright orange thing, sir?â Star asked.
Commander Partridge remained silent for a moment.
âEvery fighter jet is on board Commander!â A voice said through the radio.
âGood!â Commander Partridge turned to address the crew. âLadies and Gentleman, I think it is fair to say this ship is worth what we paid for.â
Almost everyone looked as clueless as Jen felt, except Major Rogers and Doctor Mendel.
âWhat you heard earlier,â the commander continued, âthe hail-like sound, was an intense missile attack. The bright hue and shake were the result of a small nuclear explosion directed at us. But I am happy to say our spaceship is intact.â
âAnd it absorbed all the radiation of the blast,â Doctor Mendel added.
While everyone cheered and clapped! Jen noticed her brother, Will, entering the bridge. Â She rushed to hug him as the blue sky turned to black then the stars began to shine.
âWill, Daddy and Momââ Jen choked.
âWhat is it, Jen? Are they ok?â
She nodded. âI saw them come to the ship, but the doors were already closed. They left before the most intense attack began.â
Jen held tight to her brother trying not to cry in front of the rest of the crew.
âNavigational systems are set in automatic, sir!â Star said.
âExcellent.â
Will sat next to Jen.
âThis is indeed an extraordinary craft,â Star said.
Others around the bridge nodded.
âYeah, big explosions but not a scratch.â Major Rogers chuckled from his post.
âDynamite!â exclaimed Star.
âDunamys,â said Dr. Mendel.
âThatâs a Greek word, isnât it?â Major Rogers asked.
âYes,â the doctor responded. âIt means power.â
âWell, a mighty power certainly saved us.â
Commander Partridge looked thoughtful. âDunamys,â
Doctor Mendel grinned. âI think thatâs a good name for the spaceship.â
Will leaned close to Jen. âMom and dad were taken away a long time before the detonation, and according to Doctor Mendel, the fall out didnât spread because the shields of the spaceshipâ I mean the Dunamysâabsorbed all the radiation.
âYeah, and Joshua told me they will be ok,â Jen said, as much for herself as for Will.
âJen, please tell everyone to take the seat belts off,â Major Rogers instructs her.
Jen flipped on the intercom system. âAttention, passengers, we have reached outer space. Feel free to take your seat belts off and relax and enjoy this beautiful view.â
âLet me welcome them.â Commander Partridge came to her station and spoke into the microphone.
âLadies and gentlemen, this is Commander Ian Partridge speaking. Welcome to the Dunamys, the name we assigned to this vessel. It means âpowerâ. Our personnel will guide you into the rest of the ship. There is a common area in the center where you can hang out and enjoy the view. We are still in the process of building more facilities for our accommodations here, and as you already know by now, your living quarters are similar to a decent hotel room, so you can live comfortably during our trip. But please stand by for further instructions. And again, welcome to the Dunamys!â Commander Ian finished and asked Jen to turn off the transmitter.
âHey look!â From Jenâs screen they saw people getting out of their chairs moving closer to the windows. Â Most of the people were speechless. Everyoneâchildren, parents, old and young peopleâseemed to be in awe.
âWow! So, this is what Earth looks like from space! We are so small!â Jen wiped her tears.
âItâs amazing, Jen!â Star approached Will, who was staring at a window.
âYes, quite a view, Star!â Jen finally had a feeling that everything would work for good. Leaving their parents had been hard. At least they were taken with Elizabeth's parents and would have some company.
âLook at this, Will.â Jen pointed to her monitor which showed people gathering in the main areas of the spaceship. They stood in small groups admiring the Earth and the stars. From the youngest to the oldest, everyone seemed happy.
At least until a new voice came out of the speakers of the bridge. Jen tried hard to make a sense of the transmission, but it was impossible. It sounded like muffled speech. Or distorted speech. Or maybe a different language sheâd never heard before. Before she could ask someone else, there came a series of sounds that reminded her of an alarm warning. Then the transmission stopped.
Commander Partridge looked extremely worried, white as a paper sheet.
âRight there!â He suddenly shouted.
âMaximum zoom!â
The screen showed a little corner in space near the Earthâs horizon. They zoomed in the screens to reveal a small group of flashing red lights moving quickly in their direction.
âJacobs, Will, Jen, Dr. Mendel. Come with me.â Commander Partridge strode into a private briefing room and shut the door once the four were assembled.
âDr. Mendel, give us the translation,â Commander Partridge barked.
âTranslation?â Jen looked at Dr. Mendel. âDo you know that language?â
Dr. Mendel appeared completely calm. He polished his glasses on his shirt as he spoke. âI do, Miss Morant. This transmission is from the Daiminion. Enemy aliens. You donât want to mess with them.â
âWhat?â Jen scooted closer to Will and reached for his arm.
âDonât worry.â Will patted Jenâs hand. âThe Dunamys is invincible,â
Commander Partridge shook his head. âYou have no idea who we are dealing with. Many years ago, there was an international agreement with the aliens that no human would ever leave the earth with the intention of going beyond the solar system. This agreement allowed us to launch spacecraft without human pilots or crew. In exchange, they said they would give us technology and protection.â
He looked at each person in the room for a long minute. âWe have broken the treaty.â
Jen. felt suddenly anxious. And afraid. Two things sheâd never felt before about their mission.
âIt was classified information,â Dr. Mendel explained, his glasses perched on his nose once more. âItâs a secret thatâs been kept even from our government for the last seventy years. Maybe longer. I am one of the few people who knows the alien language and can interpret it.â
âAnd the message said âŚ?â Commander Partridge put his hands on the table and leaned toward Dr. Mendel.
âIt said that we have violated the treaty, and if we donât surrender, they will haunt us down and destroy us. No mercy.â
Will and Jen locked eyes.
What have we done? Jen thought. Maybe, mom and dad were right. Maybe we didn't know Joshua well enough. Maybe he wasnât trustworthy.
All of a sudden, Joshua appeared in the middle of the room. He stretched out his arms as if to gather them all in a hug.âDonât be afraid.â
âThank you for the encouragement, but we need to do something.â Commander Partridge turned to a computer in the room, effectively dismissing Joshua.Â
âFollow my instructions, and you will live.â
Will stepped forward. âSir, respectfully, I think we should listen to what Joshua has to say.â
Commander Partridge ignored Will and continued looking at the computer.
Joshua disappeared.
âCommander,â came a squawk from the box on the table. âThe red lights are approaching,â
Commander Partridge rushed back into the bridge. Senator Jacobs, Will, Jen, and Dr. Mendel followed.
âActivate the hyperspace engine, now!â Commander Partridge ordered the navigator as he entered the bridge.
âSir, we need to turn off the shields to calculateââ Dr. Mendel suggested Commander Partridge, while the navigator started the procedure.
The navigator stood looking at Dr. Mendel, who was overseeing the engineering of the ship, waiting for confirmation to resume.
âOk, turn off the shields and do the calculations as quickly as you can, but we need to leave now. That is an order,â Commander Partridge instructed with anxiety in his voice. Then he gestured Dr. Mendel to return to his station.
Protection shields off, the computerized voice announced.
âJen, notify all passengers to go back to their seats,â Senator Jacobs instructed.
âRight away, sir!â
âOne more thing, sir,â Dr. Mendel interrupted. âThe FTL Hyperspace system hasnât been tested yet.â
Before the commander could reply, Joshua appeared again, this time in the very back, by the door. âDonât be afraid. Follow my instructions, and you will live.â
âWe donât have time to figure out what Joshuaâs hologram is saying,â Commander Partridge insisted. âHe canât know our current situation. Itâs just a hologram.â
âPlease, sir, let's wait to hear what Joshua has to say,â Major Rogers insisted.
Commander Partridge didnât respond. Jen had never seen him in such a panic, his fist closed as he walked to each station and looked at every monitor closely. He looked terrified.
Then she noticed Senator Jacobs, his face was pale as a sheet of paper, with eyes wide open.
"Iâm afraid the commander is right,â he said. âWe will listen to Joshua's hologram after we outrun the aliens.â
âActivate the FTL Hyperspace module,â Commander Partridge told Dr. Mendel.
"Sir.â Dr Mendel stood. âAs I was trying to say earlier, we need time to calculate the distance in order to follow the route indicated. If not, we might end up in an unknown region of space and we donât even know how to properly use hyperspace yet.â
"It doesnât matter. This is an emergency. You donât realize how powerful these aliens are. We donât have a chance against them.â
Dr. Mendel looked nervous. His finger lingered over the button to operate the navigation system.
âProceed with my orders! Now!â Commander Partridge crossed the bridge to the navigation system and pressed the buttons himself.
Hyperspace initiated.
In a flash of light that was so bright that it was hard to see anything, a huge wormhole became visible. The Dunamys whirled through it at great speed. A noise increasing in pitch, tone, and volume sounded from all sides. Jen sat next to Will, who gripped the arms of his chair more tightly. Finally, the space outside the window began to clarify. A great spherical object appeared on the screens. It grew bigger and bigger, emanating radiation and high temperatures. This object triggered the alarms, warning of impending danger.
âIt is bigger than the Earth!â Star screamed.
Jen turned toward the door. But Joshua had vanished. And she seemed to be the only one whoâd noticed.
Jen looked at her monitors, making sure everyone on board was okay. Most of the people stood looking out the windows. Jen switched cameras. David and Elizabeth stood together, gazing out the window.
I donât understand those guys.
âWould you look at that!â Star whispered.
âWhat is it?â Jen turned to the main screen on the bridge. A bright multitude of colors appeared from the bottom, like a rainbow. It moved around like Aurora Borealis coming out from the bottom of the ship.
"Itâs so beautiful,â Jen said, mesmerized. âWhat do you think it is, Will?â
âMaybe it is from the wormhole. Or maybe not. Maybe it came from that huge object the systems detected.â
âHow come the systems wonât tell us more details?â Commander Partridge asked Doctor Mendel.
âI think many of the systems are not working properly.â
Suddenly, the spaceship shook violently. The temperature rose rapidly. The sound of several explosions seemed to come from inside the spaceship. Then a vibrant orange light filled the windows, like a summer sunset in a clear sky but much, much brighter.
âDamage report!â Commander Partridge yelled.
"Iâm afraid we have a huge problem, sir,â Major Rogers answered.
âThe FTL engine is not responding,â Dr. Mendel reported. âWe just have basic thrust. Many of the systems are out of commission. We have alarms going off all over the Dunamys, reporting several systems are down across the ship, including basic lighting in the living quarters. The cargo hall has been damaged, there is a hole there where the water tanks are. And many other areas of our ship also have been bridged, andââ
âSir!â Jen shot to her feet; her eyes still focused on the view from an interior camera. âMost of the reserves of water are gone!â
âMultiple breaches on the outer hall!â someone yelled.
âDr. Mendel, whatâs actually working?â The commanderâs voice sounded tight.
âBasic ship systems, artificial gravity, life support, basic thrust and fifty percent of the shields.â
âOk. Activate the shields.â
Immediately, the protection shields activated. Then the lights went off.
âSir, we lost power in other areas of the ship,â Doctor Mendel noted. âAnd the temperature of the ship is increasing very quickly. But it seems the shields are holding.â
"What does that mean?â Commander Partridge asked.
The main screen showing the view outside the ship filled with bright orange and red colors, like a lake made of lava or fire. Even went still.
âThe good news, commander,â Dr. Mendel said, âis that we are not lost. But the bad news? That big object the system alerted us about earlier is the Sun, and we are headed directly towards it!â
Siblings Will and Jen are traveling through the solar system aboard a spaceship called Dunamys (or âpowerâ) with their friends David and Elizabeth along with some others. The destination: Zion. A promised safe haven from a doomed Earth.
Their journey does not go without conflict. Enemy ships are following and targeting them. They encounter aliens. They have to fight battles. Soon, they come to realize their enemies are attempting to enslave them. Many times, they have to question who is friend or foe.
In the background, the group experiences love triangles (or a quadrilateral, if you will). Most prominent is the triangle between Will, Elizabeth, and David. Maintaining friendships is important in their isolated existence, but Will finds it increasingly difficult to hide his feelings for Elizabeth. When they become exposed, Will fears the rift it will cause with David. This adds to the tension of the Dunamys crew as they are trying to navigate through space.
The book has a strong spiritual theme which was an unexpected but nice surprise. David and Elizabeth sing hymns throughout, inspiring their shipmates (and other beings) with their songs filled with faith, hope, and love. This element of the story ends up taking a different path than one might expect, however, it echos an Earthly faith. Some passages really struck me, especially in the last fourth of the book.
Dunamys: Adrift is book two of the Dunamys series. I have read Adrift as a standalone. However, I would recommend reading the books in order for the best reading experience. Even reading out of order, I still thoroughly enjoyed the story and characters. I donât know why, but I always forget how much I enjoy space travel-centric plots until I pick a book like this up. Iâm looking forward to backtracking to the first book (Dunamys: Foreign). I also suspect there will be a third book to come. (And I hope there is!)