![\"Empire's](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.everywritersresource.com\/selfpublished\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/empirepassing.jpg?resize=376%2C582\" "\\"Empire's")
Author<\/h2>\nJ.W. Morris<\/p>\n
As an aerospace engineer with a passion for space travel and military history, science fiction is an extension of who Joe Morris is. He was introduced to science fiction through Tom Swift by his third grade teacher in New York City more than fifty years ago. From that point he knew he wanted to be an engineer and an astronaut.
\nHe had a forty year career as an aerospace engineer in which he earned six patents and technical achievement awards for innovation and new technology. He also had a number of other successes including taking part in the early development of propulsion systems currently flying in the U.S. missile defense. Recently, he led a team delivering rocket thrusters for NOAA\u2019s (U.S. Weather Service) next weather satellite. His interests are diverse, ranging from history to quantum physics to management of small businesses (he cofounded a successful web-based business).<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, Joe never quite lived up to his childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut and working on a fusion drive that would take humanity to the stars. But dreams don\u2019t die, so now he uses his imagination and writing to take us to the stars, instead.<\/p>\n
Empire\u2019s Passing is the first book in the Imperium Succession Saga, a series chronicling the struggles of the Landsman noble family of the planet New Meyer to come to terms with a new reality where, in order to survive, the very freedoms they\u2019re fighting for have become a hindrance. How much freedom and privacy do you give up for security?<\/p>\n
In Empire\u2019s Passing, the Imperium, the interstellar empire that has kept peace for more than six hundred years, is under siege by the Goth Alliance. The Imperium\u2019s capital, Earth, is bombarded with asteroids from space. The Goths are led by the High Priestess of Nearyahn, a being whose mind merged with an alien Neary, giving her the power to control Humans\u2019 emotions and thoughts. Her tentacles of influence have spread across the dying Imperium. While New Meyer has developed new weapons technologies to withstand the military might of the Goth Alliance, it stands helpless to resist the nefarious Neary mind altering abilities. Duke Michael Landsman takes a desperate gamble to save New Meyer. He\u2019s faced with the choice of trying to defend his world or a long shot attempt to save the Imperium that makes New Meyer an even bigger target.<\/p>\n
New Meyer is befriended by a billion-year-old race not willing to lose its investment in the expectation that someday Humans may join them in their discorporate existence. These Passimians give the Landsmans and a small number of allies Neary-like abilities to read and influence other people\u2019s thoughts, enabling them to detect and defeat Neary infiltrators who seek to undermine the Landsman family. However, sometimes the benefits of a new technology to solve a crisis may open a whole new set of issues, particularly when no instruction manual is provided. With the power to influence other people\u2019s thoughts comes the temptation to use it for one\u2019s own gain. As they struggle with the implications of their new abilities, the New Meyerians face the ultimate question: \u201cWhat does it mean to be Human?\u201d Empire\u2019s Passing sets the stage for the struggle to come in the Imperium Succession Saga, one of survival, not only of a race, but its identity.<\/p>\n
Suddenly he found himself staring into his father\u2019s hard, steel gray eyes. It was like looking in a mirror with an older version of the same square chin and slightly oversized nose. Duke Alexander\u2019s features were the grimmest Michael had ever seen.
\n\u201cSon, by the time you receive this I\u2019ll be dead. Our worst fears will have come to pass, only decades earlier than expected. Earth will have been sacked and the Imperium will be on the verge of collapse. I\u2019m linking now. See for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
The image switched and Michael was looking out of his father\u2019s eyes at the busy flag conn of battleship Duke of New Meyer. There were a couple of open e-windows connecting to the TacNet floating in front of him. One immediately caught his attention. It contained no data, only the image of a blue and brown sphere shining against the black canvas of the universe. Earth. Something about those colors merged deep down inside him creating an emotional tie that was almost irresistible.<\/p>\n
\u201cCatches you, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d his father asked softly.<\/p>\n
Michael had to stop himself from answering out loud, remembering it was only a recording. Yes, it\u2019s true. A beautiful world. Something kept drawing his gaze back. He let the sounds of the battleship\u2019s flag conn flow around him. The implant could not and did not catch his father\u2019s thoughts, only the sensory inputs streaming in through sight, sound, and smell. Still, Michael couldn\u2019t shake the feeling of actually being on the battleship and inside his father\u2019s mind.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur idiot Emperor has really done it this time.\u201d His father continued with the clipped speech of subvocal communication. \u201cDo you believe his stupidity? He sent Admiral Kamarov off with half the fleet on some show the flag tour. You can see the tactical realities as well as I can. We\u2019re outnumbered three to one. The longer range of our blast cannon to their kinetic projectiles won\u2019t make that up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael tensed as the two fleets sped toward each other. Why hasn\u2019t the Home Fleet opened fire yet to take advantage of their blast cannon\u2019s longer range?<\/p>\n
He almost had to smile as his father\u2019s recording seemingly answered his question. \u201cOur glorious Emperor has ordered holding fire until we can be sure of a higher chance of hits. Geez, son, maybe the Imperium deserves to die,\u201d Alexander muttered subvocally, his voice only slightly muffled and distorted. \u201cDuty, Honor, Imperium. Maybe we should add stupidity to that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Goth cruisers on the open sensor windows moved in and launched their kinetic projectiles. At a predetermined distance from the Imperium fleet the projectiles exploded and released hundreds of baseball-sized submunitions in rapidly expanding waves. They covered an area that would prevent the target ships from dodging them. The Imperium fleet\u2019s point defense rapid discharge lasers opened fire. Hull mounted countermeasure tubes launched a dust cloud of nanocrystalline materials designed to damage or destroy the incoming submunitions.<\/p>\n
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