Book Description

It's 2159, and mankind has only recently developed a space drive system that allows for traveling light year distances within the galaxy. In fact, that's the maximum single trip distance that they can travel: Humans must hop and skip, in and around near-space, by a series of single light year jumps. At this time in mankind's history, two distinct classes of humans are emerging: the class who lives in space aboard spacecraft, on asteroids, low-g habitats, or Pony Station satellites, and resemble hairless orangutans. The other class being those who live on planetary surfaces, and who still retain the familiar shape of surface-dwelling humans. Both classes have enjoyed a genetic modification that grants a longer life span. Humans live for more than 250 years. Exploration beyond the limits of the solar system has recently begun. At a distance of six light years from Earth, a planet had been discovered, sixty-seven degrees from the plane of the ecliptic, in the system the space explorers have named Brandio. They've named the planet Chon, because of the availability and correct percentages of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen suitable for supporting human life and development. humans have been living on its surface for five years. Mankind hopes this effort is the first of many far-flung colonies that will eventually follow more discoveries of habitable planets. A very dangerous and lethal form of circumscribed intelligence has recently been discovered in a large valley on the other side of the planet from the first human colony. The intelligence exists in the form of alien shadows who, for some reason, collapse, explode, and die at the end of each day when the sun disappears. Possessing considerable weight, the crashing shadows have killed six humans from the colony, who were exploring the valley, and completely destroyed all other forms of life within their area. The area of destruction is increasing in size on a daily basis, and if not stopped, will eventually inundate the entire planet. The mysteries of how this particular nemesis, the shadows, came to be and why they live such short and devastating lives, must be solved. They must stop the encroachment of the shadows over the surface of the planet if the human population on the planet is to survive. The crew of the spacecraft The Eighteenth of Darkness II has been called to help solve the mystery behind the deadly shadows. Five generations of space humans are on board and include three siblings who, with the help of a 250-year-old great-great-great-grandfather, and a ten-thousand-year-old friendly snail-like alien, travel to the planet and assist in solving the problem. What they find is an interesting and perplexing situation: an alien experiment gone awry. The adventure includes a disclosure of the past history of Earth's space travel discoveries and breakthroughs. The team manages to solve the shadow problem, but only after receiving some much-needed assistance from a highly unlikely source: thirteen great-great-great-grandchildren, who possess a single-minded mentality, and powers that are going to lead mankind into a new realm for its future.