Last Flight of the Ark

   

Last Flight of the Ark available HERE

By D.L. Jackson

   Today I am re-releasing my popular novel, Last Flight of the Ark.

   When Earth outgrows its resources, mankind looks to other worlds to sustain them. In Last Flight of the Ark, Colonel Kaleb Titan flies to a new world, to colonize the planet with plants and animals from Earth. But what he doesn’t expect is to face an alien enemy that has already laid claim to the planet he’s been sent to make habitable for mankind.

   What would you do to save the lives of two thousand, when the enemy who stands against you is faster, stronger and more intelligent? Would you break the law and face execution? Would you employ biological warfare against your own, condemning them to exile, not knowing if what you do can ever be reversed? What is the cost of living, and does one species have any more right to exist than another in the universe? Is there a price you wouldn’t pay? These are the questions Kaleb Titan, my hero in Last Flight of the Ark, faces.

   Now, throw in a wolf-human mutation and all the emotional and physical complications that come along with it, add an enemy that is higher on the food-chain and desperate to save their dying species, and you have the premise behind this story of love, human grit and mortal choices.

   When I first wrote Last Flight of the Ark, I wanted a hero that had to make some possibly immoral choices—if you will, decide between the worst of two evils. But can he do it? Can he choose to wipe out an entire alien civilization to save two thousand of his own?

   Blurb: 

Evolution never happened so fast.  

   Twelve hours outside of Terra II, Colonel Kaleb Titan, a molecular geneticist and commander of the Ark faces a life or death choice that could change the fate of mankind.

   The Genesis I, aka the Ark, travels with a hold full of wildlife and three crew members. When a wolf bite and genetically-altering gamma radiation transform Kaleb, he notices his senses have been heightened, his libido has gone haywire and he can’t keep his hands off his crew. Worse yet, they don't seem inclined to stop him.

   When their sister ship, the Genesis II arrives early, Kaleb’s problems compound. As soon as the command crew of the Genesis II boards, one whiff tells Kaleb they’re not from Earth or who they appear to be.

   When he discovers that they’ve kept the Genesis II’s crew of over two thousand alive, he begins to believe their reasons may be far more ominous than anyone could have imagined. However, he also discovers what’s holding them back. The hijackers seem to be allergic to canines.

   Now they're forced to employ biological warfare against their own, but will it be enough to save humanity?

   History is about to repeat and only one species will survive.

Excerpt:

“Barometric pressure?” 

“Stable.” Jessica’s voice crackled back through the com. 

“Radiation?” 

“Within normal parameters.” 

“Surface temperature in sector three?” 

“A balmy eighty-seven. Terra II is primed and ready. We should arrive within twelve hours. All the readings from the meteorological remote say it’s stable. No surprises.” 

There should be no surprises; they’d been through the numbers four times. 

“Good. That should do it. Why don’t you call it a night?” 

Melissa would relieve him soon, until then…. Colonel Kaleb Titan stretched and reclined. He threw his feet up on the instrument panel and yawned. Melissa would have a fit if she saw them on her baby’s console, but he really didn’t care. He wouldn’t be on this bucket of rust much longer. 

All he wanted to do was sit back and take it all in from the best seat in the house. They were close enough he should be able to see Terra II with the naked eye and he’d been waiting all night for the chance. She’d look more like a star from the distance, but that didn’t matter. Novae, the equivalent of Earth’s sun, would be illuminating the sector on the surface that contained their home—right about now. He had to see it. To date, he’d only viewed pictures of Terra II, sent by a satellite that monitored the world. 

Eight months. He’d worked so hard for this moment, and all his dreams were about to materialize. It couldn’t get any better than this. Well, maybe. He could use a cold beer and a slice of pizza. He flipped a switch and opened the visor, ready to soak in the view of his new home. 

Kaleb’s eyes widened. “Ah, shit.” His feet hit the deck with a thump. He’d been too busy going over the damned reports from the surface of Terra II to notice. He punched his com and paged Jessica, hoping she hadn’t left the lab yet. 

“Sir?” 

No, she’d lingered, perhaps feeling as restless and unable to sleep as he had. 

“What the fuck is that?” He leaned forward. A purple cloud spread before them. Electrical sparks danced like fireflies through the mass. “You got a reading on that?” 

“A reading on what, sir?” Jessica said.

So I hope you’ll join me in celebrating the re-release of one of my favorite novels, and discover what choice Kaleb Titan makes. For buy links, please stop by my website http://www.authordljackson.com. I’ll be updating it as the novel releases.

Thanks for visiting,

D. L. Jackson