
As an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner, Menrva Books earns from qualifying purchases. Learn more
In the year 2204, tragedy and terror forced a scientific team to prematurely evacuate Maleiva Ill. Twenty-one years later, the opportunity for scientists to study this galactic rarity—a life-supporting planet—is about to vanish forever as a rogue gas giant has invaded the planetary system on a deadly collision course with the world they are now calling Deepsix.A superluminal pilot for the Academy of Science and Technology, Priscilla “Hutch” Hutchins is the only even remotely qualified professional within lightyears of Deepsix. With less than three weeks left before the disaster, she and a small scientific team—including Randall Nightingale a survivor of the original expedition who was made the scapegoat for its failure—must descend to the surface, and glean whatever they can about the doomed planet’s lifeforms and lost civilizations.There is more to this strange and complex world, however, than anyone could have hidden predators; stone cities under the ice; remnants of a warlike primitive society, yet with inexplicable hints of an impossible technology buried in the rubble... and in orbit around the soon to be demolished planet. The deeper Hutch and her team delve, the more puzzles are revealed within puzzles and startling discoveries lead only to greater and more perplexing questionsBut then the unthinkable occurs An earthquake destroys the explorers only means of escape As scientists and sightseers who have come to witness the spectacular end of Deepsix watch helplessly from miles above Hutch and her people must survive somehow on a hostile planet going rapidly mad. And with the clock ticking relentlessly toward an unavoidable apocalypse, they must find some way, any way to get off before Deepsix plunges like a pebble into the limitless depths of the rampaging gas giant.
When a rogue gas giant threatens to destroy the life-supporting planet Deepsix, pilot Priscilla "Hutch" Hutchins leads a desperate mission to salvage scientific data before the world is obliterated. Tasked with exploring the surface of a planet that previously forced a traumatic evacuation, Hutch and her team face the dual pressures of a ticking clock and a hostile, shifting environment. The narrative follows their descent into the planet's mysteries, where they encounter remnants of lost civilizations and inexplicable technology. When a catastrophic earthquake destroys their primary extraction vessel, the team must navigate the collapsing biosphere to find an alternative path to survival before the planet is consumed.
This novel is recognized for its adherence to the conventions of hard science fiction, prioritizing technical detail and the mechanics of space exploration. Readers often note the author's ability to balance the grand scale of a planetary disaster with the intimate, claustrophobic struggle of the stranded team. The narrative structure is frequently praised for its methodical pacing, which builds tension through the accumulation of scientific puzzles rather than relying solely on action sequences. The character of Priscilla Hutchins serves as a stable anchor, providing a consistent perspective as the plot shifts from a standard research mission to a desperate fight for survival.
Page Count:
448
Publication Date:
2001-01-01
Publisher:
Voyager
ISBN-10:
0007108796
ISBN-13:
9780007108794
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!