As their protection fades, supporters of the fractured Mars mission endure direct attacks with disastrous consequences. Data engineer Kate Gunn pursues answers about a high-profile aircraft explosion, only to be drawn into a dangerous new alliance that could reshape humanity’s future. Assisted by a furry friend, David infiltrates the enemy’s organization, walking a razor’s edge between discovery and betrayal as he undermines their plans from within.
Far from home, survivors on Mars struggle with isolation, dwindling resources, and billion-year-old threats beyond their worst nightmares. As their situation grows increasingly desperate, unexpected help begins to arrive from an unlikely source… help that carries both promise and new risks. One thing is certain: the future is not what it used to be.
Tetrahedron shifts the series back toward its core characters as they fight to protect what remains of the exploration mission. In the face of overwhelming opposition, will they choose safety? Or will they embark on a dangerous new path forward?
EXCERPT
Hawaii, January 28, 11:35 a.m. (MarsDay 0/422, 3:57 p.m.)
** Kate **
As they examine the robot on the deck of the New Horizons, Kate notices a new mystery. The sphere has grown in diameter, from about two centimeters to three.
“Allow me to open it, please.” Brother Matthew approaches the back of the robotic craft and nervously swipes his hand up and down the front of his habit, then side to side, completing the religious gesture.
She moves to join him, but he waves her off. “Stand back, please. If that triangle object is inside this sphere, it could be dangerous. Not only are you our leader on this expedition, but you’re the only one of us with a family.”
“But…”
Her first reaction is to pull rank and order the monk to step aside. But she can’t order Brother Matthew to do anything. Oddly enough, Captain Richardson is the only person on this ship who is strictly required to follow her orders. Everyone else chooses to assist or takes their directions from the captain.
And, he’s right. She needs to think about her kids. She promised to return home to them next week. Come hell or high water, she will.
So Kate backs away and hovers behind the others.
“Further.” Brother Matthew gives her a stern look. “This thing could have a kick, so go find something else to do. We’ll let you know when we think it’s safe.”
“Fine. Just don’t touch it until you’ve thoroughly disinfected it. And I mean thoroughly.” She pivots and storms off, passing Skye and her ever-present video camera. The reporter has captured terabytes of expedition footage ‘for posterity’ – or for an award-winning documentary – whichever comes first.
“Men,” Kate comments under her breath, drawing a smile and a wink from Fontaine.
“Don’t fight it, sister. He cares about you and wants you to be safe. We all do. Treat it as a good thing.”
Shaking her head, Kate trudges to the command deck and updates Captain Richardson on their findings. As they examine a holographic tactical map built into a large central table, the captain orders an armed crewman, the same one who searched the ship for intruders yesterday, to ‘guard the passengers’ and report back if they need anything.
< Spoilers removed> …
They have a long history, spanning several journeys and tense situations. After sharing a laugh, she turns and looks at the locked door. A cloud passes over the sun, reducing the light coming through the nearby windows and darkening more than the weathered deck outside.
“I wonder what’s happening down there. Things have been quiet.”
Drew nods. “No screams or other loud noises. I like running a quiet, safe ship.”
This shifts their conversation toward security concerns. This morning, Kate noticed several crew members carrying handguns and other weapons.
Richardson gestures to the tactical map and admits to watching several nearby boats for signs of straying from the usual fishing and tourist routes. It’s his military background. He’s always preparing for trouble.
So far, the other boats in the area have kept their distance. However, they must assume someone has the New Horizons under close surveillance – or several someones.
Since they might remain at sea for several more weeks, Drew suggests topping off their food, water, and fuel reserves. Raytronics has worked with several military suppliers at the Pearl Harbor Naval Base on Oahu. Several discreet suppliers, who ask few questions.
Then, they discuss more ‘extreme’ contingency plans. What should they do if the situation on the ocean floor becomes dangerous? Those plans, involving different contacts at Pearl Harbor, would gain Skye’s approval.
As they explore the worst-case scenarios more closely, the crewman ‘guarding the passengers’ returns from below. They unlock the door to let him into the control room.
“Sir? Ma’am? You’re needed on deck.”
Kate nearly bowls the man over as she speeds past. After hitting three steps on the flight of stairs leading down to the main deck, she races over to Brother Matthew and the others.
She didn’t need to rush. Looking bored, Skye records a distinct lack of action with her camera. Brother Matthew reclines on a deck chair, wearing thick gloves and holding a pair of pliers. He studies a small tetrahedron-shaped object resting on a neighboring chair. Several plastic cups and bottles near the object prove their efforts to disinfect it. Raising a bandaged finger, Iggs sits off to the side and talks to a sailor wearing a medical armband.
Brother Matthew gestures toward the tetrahedron. “It’s much heavier than it looks, and it’s cold to the touch. No reaction to swabbing it with iodine or dunking it in peroxide. We haven’t learned much. All it has done is sit there and look harmless.”
“Except for this, Padre.” Iggs waves his bandaged pinky.
“Right. Don’t stick your finger inside. There must be a sharp edge, though I don’t see one.”
Kate gives Iggs her best ‘Mom’ look, the one she uses when her kids have done something foolish but have somehow survived. Why in the world would he stick his finger inside the tetrahedron? Now, she will be forced to file injury paperwork, post workplace safety notices, and host endless employee safety training sessions – if they tell anyone about it.
She sighs. “If you cavemen are done here, I’ll take it downstairs and study it properly. Unless you’d like to poke it with a spear first.”
Hearing no objections, she borrows Brother Matthew’s oversized gloves and picks up the topmost sphere, lifting the tetrahedron into her palm. Its weight surprises her. The object must be made from a dense material like lead, iridium, or osmium. Despite the thin black spokes holding each of the four triangular faces together, it feels sturdy and unbreakable.
< Spoilers removed> …
While this obvious, rational answer eases her nerves, her intuition remains unsatisfied. Something else is happening, something that can’t be dismissed as a ‘magic trick.’ She needs to uncover the truth. That’s her job.
With the others close behind, she carries the object to her science workshop and sets it on her cluttered desk in the corner. Then, she activates a multifield spectrum analyzer to check it for radiation and radio-frequency emissions.
Nothing. The tetrahedron doesn’t emit any visible signs of energy. It’s as dead as a paperweight.
Glaring at the object, she plans her next move. Since the lack of energy emissions offers no clues about the object’s structure or function, she will proceed cautiously, starting with some notes and pictures to document its appearance. Armed with a voice-to-text dictation app on her phone and a wooden metric ruler for passive measurements, she narrates a running log.
”Physical object O-1.
Its shape resembles a hollow tetrahedron.
Six metallic spokes connect four small, equidistant spheres.
Emissions: none. No broad-spectrum emissions at all.
All spheres and spokes are a dark black color.
Every sphere is approximately 2 millimeters in diameter.
Each spoke is about 1 millimeter in diameter and 1.5 centimeters long.”
After rummaging through a corner cabinet for it, she brings a Zeta 3D optical microscope to her desk. Grabbing a cup of coffee, she settles into her chair, a swiveling teak heirloom that Steve gave her as a birthday present because she complained about the uncomfortable lab furniture after her first ocean research voyage years ago. He claimed the chair was once owned by a sea pirate, but it’s probably a cheap replica he bought online. Sea pirates would have used sturdier, heavier chairs.
Using the Zeta microscope, she examines the tetrahedron’s surface more closely. However, even at the highest resolution, the microscope reveals no details, contaminants, or etchings.
“Distinguishing features: none. Each sphere and spoke looks perfect and unmarked.
Composition… unknown.”