Web of Life Paul J. Joseph

Sally has only just arrived home, but now she is needed again.  She has no idea what to expect when the U.N. Space Commissioner calls her into his office for a hushed meeting, but when she hears that a Japanese ship may be on its way to New Ontario, she knows her homecoming will be short-lived.  This time she will be commanding a military ship, which apparently includes a mysterious and possibly problematic second in command.  With a short deadline, she must begin to assemble her crew and return to service.

With only six days to prepare for a mission that will take her away for two years, Sally has her work cut out for her.  One of her most significant trips takes her to England where she meets with Ian Merryfield, an excellent pilot and her best friend, though the decission to take the mission may well depend on his wife Angela.  Once in space, they prepare to depart from Stepping Stone Station, but notice trouble already.  A mysterious structure has been added to the Roanoke with no explanation and the tight lipped Lt. Colonel Felx, sent to greet them, will not discuss it.  Finally, Jackie senses a great sadness in the dark of night beyond the station.

Sally and her crew have an uneasy welcome to the Roanoke, as it is clear that there are two very different command structures on board.  Finally meeting the mysterious Colonel Maxwell, Sally must take the upper hand right away to ensure that she will have control of the weapon installed on the ship.  And, in the darkness of the outbound journey, Jackie's strange sadness begins to errupt into nightmares.

Sally's uneasy relationship with Col. Maxwell grows worse as they prepare to enter the fold.  Waiting on the other side could be a dangerous enemy or nothing at all.  But more questions arise as Dr. Poole seems to know more about the Japanese ship than she should.  And Jackie's new dark art takes on a grotesque extreme.  Is this cabin fever or does she really see something out there in the dark ahead of them?

Following the confrontation with Maxwell, Sally devotes herself to ship's business.  The Kyoto is nowhere in sight and the mysterious trail appears to be growing colder.  But, while she is in the process of seeking answers from Rachel Poole, the impossible happens!  The ship strikes a wall of air and all but breaks up.  When the dust settles, they find themselves in a realm that makes no sense.  They see no stars, but rather a blue sky lit by a sun.  And some of the crew do not react well to the mystery.

The ship and crew are stabilized, but the mystery is no closer to being solved.  It also does not help that, as Jackie awakens after her injuries, she recognizes that one of the faces in her tortured dreams belongs to Rachel Poole.  What can that mean?  Although, as the investigation continues, it is Poole's assertion that the environment they find themselves in is artificial.  But they are not alone.  The Japanese ship is soon spotted, and Sally intends to finally get some answers.