In galactic terms, the Earth lives in a dangerous neighborhood. Seven times in the past humanity has reached for the stars, only to have their civilization destroyed by an extinction event. The scattered surviving pockets of humanity returned to a meager agrarian existence, with little or no retention of their prior technology and knowledge base. As fuel and food stocks were depleted, those survivors without the ability to acquire more, perished.
This Novella is set 60 years after the Coastal Event. The first generation decedents of the Event survivors are preparing to embark on an around the world Voyage Of Discovery. They are seeking to find other pockets of humanity, establish trade relationships, and consolidate the knowledge base that humanity has retained.
Their forefathers came through the event due to a combination of fate, tenacity, and a will to live that helped these individuals survive when millions perished.
After years of design and construction, on the eve of the Enterprise departure, a group, led by a psychopath takes control of the ship, cripples the Captain, kidnaps his daughter, burns the shipyard, and escapes.