Das Geheimnis

Search the stars for planets. Search the planets for life.

That was Earth's mission, as it made its painful way back from the dark days of chaos at the end of the 20th century. So simple in concept, so incredible in execution. One civilization had been found, there must be others. Whole lifetimes were spent combing the universe for another spark of intelligent response.

Merritt Thackery knew from boyhood that his only dream was to be part of the Unified Space Survey. He prepared himself with five years of training on an exquisitely boring space tug, and with a specialty in alien linguistics. When his chance finally came, he was more than ready. On board the Descartes he could not help but believe that he would see colonies on far worlds and speak to alien beings in their own tongues.

His was to be a life of exploration and wonder, in the most exciting years of Earth's history. But even Thackery's boyhood dreams could not have prepared him for his final mission, beyond the borders of known space; to seek out an unknown enemy and win Earth's freedom at last!