Space 1989

By Giovanni Ricco

In the depths of space, a group of brave individuals find themselves on an asteroid, surrounded by the menacing presence of a black hole. Led by the determined and resourceful Commander Josh, they face the daunting challenge of survival as they encounter a relentless onslaught of deadly viruses.

As the threat intensifies, Josh and his team must make difficult decisions to protect themselves and secure their future. They devise a plan to use their spacecraft as bait, drawing the viruses away from their base and buying precious time. However, the situation becomes increasingly dire, and they realize that their resources are dwindling rapidly.

Amidst the uncertainty and impending doom, Josh's unwavering leadership shines through. He remains focused on finding a solution, refusing to succumb to despair. Together with his trusted Vice Commander, Dasha, they make a critical decision to stay behind while others evacuate on the remaining shuttle, determined to save their base from certain destruction.

As they confront the overwhelming power of the black hole, they witness the unfathomable effects of its gravity on time and space. The concept of relativity becomes a tangible reality, as they experience time slowing down and the universe transforming around them. Their journey into the unknown becomes a profound exploration of the mysteries of the cosmos.

In the face of inevitable loss and the disintegration of their physical forms, a remarkable connection emerges between Josh and Dasha. Their souls intertwine, defying the boundaries of existence, and they merge into a transcendent union. Love blossoms amidst the darkness, creating a bond that is eternal and unbreakable.

As their atoms disperse into nothingness, their love becomes a radiant light that illuminates the void. Their unity becomes a testament to the power of love and connection in the face of the vast and incomprehensible universe. Their story transcends time and space, leaving an indelible mark on the cosmic tapestry.

Ultimately, their sacrifice and unwavering commitment to each other and their mission become a beacon of hope and inspiration. Their love story echoes throughout the cosmos, reminding us that even in the face of unimaginable challenges, love and unity have the power to conquer all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Giovanni Ricco
• Release date: Aug 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215341582

Giovanni Ricco

Giovanni is an instructor at the Culham Historical Fencing and Mixed Martial Arts Club (CSSA) in the UK with a diverse martial arts background. He began his martial arts training in 1991 with Japanese Karate (kumite) and later moved on to Kickboxing for six years and then Muay Thai for four years, participating in amateur competitions. In 1999, he was introduced to Medieval and Renaissance fencing by his master of Italian historical fencing and started training in the manual of Fiore de Liberi and Marozzo. He also joined a group that trained in ancient Olympic boxing (Pygmachia), wrestling (Pale), the ancient mixed martial art of Pankration, and gladiatura in an experimental archaeology style (Arsdimicandi).In 2000, Giovanni received his first qualification as an Instructor of Medieval Fencing, followed by a second one in Renaissance Fencing (IRSAST). He taught his first class in southern Italy before receiving his qualification. He also received a qualification as an instructor of modern Pankration (Athlima) and taught his first class of bare-hand fighting in northern Italy (Venice). Along with his students in both northern and southern Italy, Giovanni participated in historical tournaments and battles. He later moved to South Milan and opened two classes in bare-hand fighting and fencing. In 2013, he received a qualification as a mixed martial arts instructor (FIGMMA).Giovanni further broadened his skills by joining a local club of defensive and dynamic shooting with firearms, participating in competitions. In 2018, he moved to China for work and continued to have students in all of his disciplines, including boxing. After moving to England, he joined a local historical fencing school in Wiltshire and then the Hema Fencing school in Oxford (OSS) and a Brazilian Ju Jitsu school to improve his wrestling skills. In 2022, Giovanni had his martial arts qualifications validated by the British Martial Arts and Boxing Association (BMABA).

Book preview

Chapter One

Gradually, he awoke. He struggled mightily, attempting to comprehend who he was, where he was. He felt a powerful tingling sensation originating from the back of his neck, as if he had been in a deep slumber for a long time. His vision was blurry at first, dominated by an intense yellow color. After a moment, he recognized the familiar controls of the command room of his shuttle. He felt oddly alone, lost, abandoned. He rested his head against the backrest and closed his eyes once more, drifting into a state of semi-consciousness. There were only shadows in his mind, occasionally shaken by something that disturbed this darkness, creating ripples like a leaf on black water. It gave him chills, as if something was approaching, perhaps closer than he could imagine.

He woke up once more, gradually, but this time it took him less time to adjust. He couldn't remember anything, except the fact that his name was Josh and he was the commander. His exact function, why he was there on that spaceship wearing a suit, missing only the helmet which was next to him, he could not recall. Undoubtedly, he had arrived alone, his safety belts were fastened. He did the most logical thing, he tried to understand where he was. The radar indicated nothing but a strong interference from something nearby. Without needing to look, he could clearly see the radar was heavily disturbed by some kind of radiation. He activated the radio and tried to contact the place from where he had started, but here too, he received a great deal of noise, disturbances, and no answer.

His frustration began to become more and more apparent. How was it possible that there was nothing in his mind? He could not remember anything at all. How was it possible that there was no one beside him? There were no signs of the presence of anyone else in the command room of the spacecraft. The sense of isolation, of being utterly alone in the vastness of the unknown, gnawed at him, amplifying his confusion and amplifying the loneliness that echoed around the empty walls of the spacecraft.

Chapter Two

He remained at his spot for quite some time, dismayed at finding no reference on the star map. The radar detected no planets, artificial satellites, or spacecraft within a megaparsec radius. He should have checked the reserves of air, water, and food, and if there were any damages to the fuselage of the spacecraft, but he was unable to rise for quite some time. Deep within himself, he knew something was already organizing the next steps to take. For now, he could simply laze around in his station. The onboard computer wasn't much, based on a computer developed in the early '70s, it was very basic and limited to navigation and some flight details in case it was intercepted by an enemy ship. He asked the onboard computer for the data from the recordings of the last trips but received nothing in response. The memory seemed more than empty - it seemed erased, too many data were missing, and the spaceship would not have been able to take off without the departure data.

A thought occurred to him. If the data had been deleted, it could also be incorrect that the spaceship was empty. So he unbuckled his belts, put his feet on the seat as per procedure, and massaged his knees. He wondered how long he had been sitting in that position... not too long, since his legs were not stiff, and a sarcastic smile crossed his face. He opened the first door of the cockpit to access the rear module and a certain amount of dust fell on his face. In a low voice he said, This is really strange, dust on the spaceship shouldn't gather unless there's been a very long period of lack of maintenance. Distractedly, he put his hand on the button to open the second door of the interstitial space and while dust was still falling on his face, he saw a terrible scene.

An alien being stood out in the background of the module with its tentacles and its large central eye illuminated in white. Immediately, the tentacles came near him. Holding onto a handle, he moved aside to avoid one and closed the door. Luckily, the creature retracted its tentacle and the door was able to close. He quickly closed the second door and returned to his station, buckled his belts, and instinctively was about to press the quick release button, but he stopped himself.

Such an action would have significant consequences and as always happened to him in situations of grave danger, as if he were in a dream, his brain became hyperactive, concrete, immersed in reality, coldly evaluating all the pros and cons of the situation, extremely vigilant and measured in his actions. This characteristic had already saved him several times in the past, not only not getting carried away by emotions but actually repressing them below a level of safety because they would not have been useful.

He held his finger on the button and thought that perhaps at least for this time he should let go, it is not always positive to be lucid, sometimes it is necessary to take risks, but this was an action that could not be reversed. He waited in silence until he heard the thumping of the monster's tentacles trying to find a way in. But then he calmed down. It was evident that it was a beast without great intellectual capacity, it did not know how to open the door except with brute force, but