Higher Mission
Larry Hammersley
Burst, Canada, October, 2013
Kindle only $4.95
About the Book:
To widower Joe Cramer, his only mission is to provide care
and a cure for his ill daughter, Cindy. Paired with Mona Watson, they mine
Saturn’s rings for radioactive boulders, plunge into the ocean beneath Europa’s
crust in search of blind fish and dive into Jupiter’s atmosphere to learn the
secret of The Great Red Spot.
While Witherspoon, the solar system’s tycoon, pays them
well, he has his own agenda. He plans to send Cramer and Mona on the most
dangerous mission of all: a trip to the star, Sirius.
Cramer wants to refuse. Exceeding the speed of light isn’t
possible, so the trip will take several years. To complicate things he
discovers he has feelings for Mona that need to be ignored to complete the
mission and return home. Will Cramer ever see his daughter again?
My Review:
Hammersley's sweet sci fi story with elements of romance and speculative fiction is fun to read and think about our solar system and near neighbors. The author takes us to a place and time where humans still think bottom line financially, but are able to put risk over compassion and use resources in a positive way. It's naive but very sweet. Aging heroes and heroines are cast in the starring roles in what is in effect three short stories of exploration and revelation at the whim of an extremely wealthy, influential, but desperately ill man. He has the means to search for the answers to several of humanity's most puzzling questions, such as what is the nature of Jupiter's red spot, are we alone in the universe, and what kind of people are we, anyway? He's kept the biggest secret known to mankind for years, waiting for the right opportunity, and the right people to aid his quest--the people who take the high road on their higher mission.
About the Author:
Larry Hammersley was born May 6, 1938 in Alexandria, IN. He has a B.S. degree in chemistry from Purdue University, January 1961 and a M.S. degree in chemistry from Indiana University, January 1975. He is a retired civil service chemist with 40 years in the work place. He writes science fiction and sweet romance. He has several short romance stories on the internet and has written several novels for which he is seeking representation. He is married, has two children and five grandchildren. His interests besides writing is amateur radio, astronomy, jogging and a little woodworking.
