Star Trails Tetralogy Series

The Star Trails Tetralogy, i.e. "Beyond the Hidden Sky;" "A Dark of Endless Days;" "A Psilent Place Below;" and "Refractions of Frozen Time," takes place in a fictitious universe which includes unfamiliar vocabulary, aliens races, and numerous planets. This compendium was compiled for readers who requested more detail, such as a glossary of terms as well as descriptions of the political structure, weather patterns, and Cyraria's indigenous race, the bnolar. Topical discussion guides at the chapter level are included as well for those who want to delve even deeper, including educators who could use the stories to stimulate interest in numerous scientific or sociological topics.

Moving to another planet is never easy. It’s even harder when you never arrive... Laren Brightstar knows refusing to work for Augustus Troy makes him a target. Accepting the chief terralogist position on a primitive planet on the other side of the galaxy seemed like the simplest solution. Getting there, however, isn’t. When the affluent family leaves fog-shrouded and predictable Mira III for Cyraria, they have no idea their luxurious lifestyle is about to end forever. His wife, Sharra denies it, trusting their fate to her indomitable bondling. Teenage daughter, Creena, welcomes it as a desirable change from Mira III's annoying restrictions. Teenage son, Dirck, resists it, unhappy to leave his friends and ordered existence, while young Deven accepts it, anticipating new and exciting adventures. Only Laren understands the risks that lie ahead, but even he is shaken when, long before the starcruiser arrives, shocking events transpire that comprise a parent's worst nightmare. Not only is Creena missing, but it's clear that Troy, his ruthless and power-hungry nemesis, plans to exploit their situation to promote his own selfish ambitions, with it possible that he actually is behind the unfortunate event that changes their lives forever. Formidable and lethal challenges await as increasingly suspicious circumstances scatter the family across the galaxy, each wondering if they'll survive long enough to be reunited ever again.

This Box Set includes all four volumes of the Star Trails Tetralogy as well as the Star Trails Compendium which includes a glossary of terms and definitions, and detailed information about the Cyrarian planetary system, its weather, political structure and indigenous people. As a bonus, it also includes a section with discussion ideas and lesson plan suggestions specifically for educators who may want to use this hard science fiction series to stimulate interest in physics and engineering. Beyond the Hidden Sky (Volume I) Laren Brightstar knew refusing to work for Augustus Troy would make him a target. Being reassigned to the chief terralogist position for Cyraria, a planet on the other side of the galaxy, seemed the perfect solution. Getting there, however, isn’t. Not with a teenage daughter like Creena. She’s intelligent. She’s a rebel. And now she’s missing. In deep space. Was it an accident? Or abduction? Either way, he has to find her. Before Troy does. And somehow he knows life will never be simple again as increasingly suspicious circumstances scatter his family across the galaxy, each wondering if they'll survive long enough to be reunited ever again. A Dark of Endless Days (Volume II) Cyraria's lethal weather extremes challenge Laren's engineering skills to the max, but his family will perish unless he can build a heat exchanger (air conditioner) to keep their meager ballome at livable temperatures during Opposition. Before its completion, however, old debts come due, leaving his son, Dirck, to complete the task. But how can he possibly do so with no money and limited engineering know-how? Meanwhile, Creena's situation isn't much better. Her attempt to return to Mira III for help as directed by her father is foiled when the planet on which they expect to find starship passage not only can't help but confiscates their ship. Will she remain trapped forever on a backward and alien world called Earth where she's being pursued by mysterious and hostile forces? A Psilent Place Below (Volume III) Taking refuge in Cyraria's network of caverns to survive Opposition, Dirck and his mother share a cryptic dream that promises death or worse for his imprisoned father unless immediate action is taken. Will the daring and potentially lethal rescue Dirck and his friend, Win, fabricate succeed or will Laren be lost forever? The planet's political turmoil increases as the Integrator pursues planetary domination through devious and aggressive means. The formation of an opposition group to fight these hostile actions delivers heavy consequences while additional threats to the Brightstar family at a more personal level arise in the form of cultural clashes between Mira III and Esheron. Creena's return partially reunites the family at last, but ongoing disagreements with her brother distract them from issues that have even more dire consequences. Refractions of Frozen Time (Volume IV) Creena and her little brother, Deven, believe the cavern's crystals can reunite their family at last, including bringing back their father who's on a prison ship heading for permanent exile. Before she can unlock their secrets, however, Integrator forces find their underground hideout, forcing a harrowing escape loaded with unexpected consequences. The lonely days that follow change Dirck forever while also revealing what drives the crystals' ability to manipulate time. Meanwhile, Laren has discovered the ship's dirty little secret which he hopes to exploit while back on Cyraria, his long-time nemesis, Augustus Troy, not only gains more power than ever before but acquires a weapon capable of wiping out anyone opposed to his despotic goals. Do the Brightstars have what it takes to survive their final confrontation with the Integrator and his evil proponents? Or will the family’s longed-for reunion take place in another dimension of time and space? Find out in this suspense-laden co

This short story is a prequel to "The Star Trails Tetralogy" which features Thyron, a flora peda telepathis from the planet, Sapphira. His naterra, or home world, is occupied by his species of telepathic walking plants as well as a race of cannibalistic pygmies who recognize their botanical intelligence as superior to their own and thus worship them as gods. The two diverse species have a synergistic relationship in which Thyron and others of his kind provide technical assistance to the natives in their interstellar forays for food in return for protection, albeit primitive. Encounters with humans generally don't end well. Face it, humans are omnivorous and plants a popular source of nourishment. Attempt this on Sapphira, however, and the food chain is likely to change rather quickly. If you've read "Beyond the Hidden Sky" you've already met the Sapphirans as well as Thyron and experienced his botanical wisdom. This short story comprises his adventures prior to his appearance in "The Star Trails Tetralogy."

Accepting the hospitality of an indigenous race known as the bnolar, Dirck Brightstar, his mother and young brother go underground to escape Cyraria’s lethal heat season. At first the mysterious caverns feel strangely like home, but shortly after their arrival prophetic visions in the form of veridical dreams alert them to upcoming danger. Incarcerated in a territorial prison, Laren Brightstar is about to receive the final offer from his nemesis, Augustus Troy, after which he’ll be exiled permanently to a place from which there is no return. This leaves Dirck and his friend, Win, no choice but to stage a daring and highly risky rescue with failure not an option. The planet's political turmoil increases as the Integrator pursues planetary domination through aggressive means. The formation of an opposition group to fight against these hostile actions has heavy consequences as well. Additional threats to the Brightstar family's well-being arise as cultural clashes between Mira III and Esheron surface as well. Creena's return partially reunites the family at last but her ongoing disagreements with her brother distract them from issues that have dire consequences. This is the third volume of the Star Trails Tetralogy and sequel to "A Dark of Endless Days."

"Refractions of Frozen Time" finds the Brightstars, your favorite space-faring family, more separated than ever before. Laren is in the process of being exiled to the galaxy's ultimate security prison onboard an automated spacecraft. Creena, her little brother, Deven, and her mother, Sharra, remain in the Caverns, while Dirck and Win report to the Clique base at Apoca Canyon. Deven discovers a new crystal which, combined with cristobalite, unlocks the portal between Local and Universal time, offering the potential Creena has been looking for to reunite the family at last. There's one problem, however. Teleporting results in the correct location but the arrival time seems to be random, which has risky implications. Before she can unravel the mystery, however, Integrator commandos find their underground hideout, forcing a harrowing escape loaded with unexpected consequences. Believing they're permanently lost, the dark and lonely days that follow change Dirck forever as fate plays out a hand dealt on Earth years before, ultimately revealing the crystals' incredible secret. Onboard the Bezarna Express, Laren's efforts to exploit the ship's dirty little secret backfire, putting him more at risk than ever before, his survival dependent on ground intervention. Little does he know that the solution has been with him all along, quietly lurking in a device that operates strictly on the principle "If you don't ask, you don't get." Meanwhile, Augustus Troy, Laren's long-time nemesis, gains more power than ever before coupled with being armed with a weapon capable of wiping out anyone opposed to his despotic goals. Do the Brightstars have what it takes to survive much less prevail at their final confrontation with the Integrator and his evil proponents? Or will the family’s longed-for reunion take place in another dimension of time and space? Find out in this suspense-laden conclusion to the Star Trails Tetralogy.

It's May 1978 and a normal night at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah--until a bogey shows up in their air space. It gets even stranger when the UFO requests permission to land. It changes its mind, but by then F-16s escort it to the ground. A human girl in her early teens and a robot exit the craft, a strange botanical lifeform found onboard later that night by a USAF landing party. The vehicle, robot, and the strange plant are impounded and subsequently sent to Area 51. NASA astrobiologist, Gabriel Greenley, is called in to study this new lifeform that at first appears similar to a botanical species known as oxalis. As a psi-sensitive, Greenley quickly learns the specimen is highly intelligent and potentially dangerous when he attempts to take a leaf sample. He backs off, frustrated, desperate to investigate the scientific details of this new botanical species that combines intelligence with a metabolism based on photosynthesis. Meanwhile, the specimen, a flora peda telepathis named Thyron from the planet Sapphira, is investigating his new environment through all frequencies of the electro-magnetic spectrum as well as his suite of psychic abilities that includes remote viewing. Greenley eventually gets his leaf sample and makes a ground-breaking discovery that he can never share, due to his security oaths and research agreement at this Top Secret facility. Eventually, however, he's confronted by an ethical dilemma that forces him to make a treasonous and potentially deadly decision. A unique combination of hard science fiction, suspense, intrigue, and a touch of humor, this story has been described as a "dark version of ET: The Extraterrestrial." Strong characterizations, a mysterious setting loaded with intrigue, and unexpected plot twists make this an unforgettable tale whether you're a science fiction fan, botanist, UFO aficionado, or simply enjoy a good story.

On hostile planets like Cyraria, terralogists are in high demand and Laren Brightstar is one of the best. Regional governors compete for positions at the territorial level, based on their economic achievements, allowing those with terraforming skills to demand a high price. Refusing to work for those with devious intent, however, has an even higher price. Thus, the Brightstar family discovers when they’re plunged into a web of political intrigue on a planet cursed with lethal weather extremes where survival can never be taken for granted. The thermal limits of their only shelter, a primitive ballome, preclude protection from Opposition's extreme heat which is on the rise, necessitating the construction of a heat exchanger. Besides the engineering challenges, other events complicate the process, ultimately leaving Laren's teenage son, Dirck, to complete the project. Meanwhile, will Laren's missing daughter, Creena, return with help, or will she remain trapped forever on a backward and alien world pursued by hostile forces? This is the second action-filled episode of the Star Trails Tetralogy and sequel to "Beyond the Hidden Sky."