The year is 2219. A routine mission to a Neutron star that will disrupt a nearby solar system in about seventeen thousand years is interrupted when a strange transmission is intercepted. It was a tight beam transmission, and despite much searching, the ship personnel are unable to find a transmitter. They deploy a satellite array and leave the area.
Priscilla Hutchings, the pilot for the Academy, from the two previous books has been asked to fly to a protostar in case the crew of a monitoring station needs rescuing. Unfortunately nobody thought of dependants at this station, so Hutch's ship is too small. With help and luck she is able to carry put the evacuation. But others get the credit.
Hutch has had enough. She is determined to retire when she is asked to undertake one last mission. Five years ago there were reports of a strange signal at a neutron star. They have been picked up again and a group called The Contact Society, who are wealthy enthusiasts, want to go and have a look and hopefully find the first living, extra terrestrial space going race.
What they actually find is something that they did not bargain for.
What you have here is a story that follows a trail across the stars to a very large alien star ship. In something rather like the Rama series as there is no contact, an internal exploration must be undertaken. Nothing ever goes according to plan, so there is drama. arguments and death as the explorers attempt to make contact.
The characters of the people and the institutions are all very well drawn. You can understand the relationships and the politics. again this book is written in the third person style. The story follows the previously set logical rules. Situations and technology are understandable from the Human aspect. As with real life some of the characters do not survive. Even likeable characters may not survive as space itself is dangerous, and we have no ideas of any other life forms, large or small. These stories are never over sentimental. Not every alien life form is a cuddly E.T. Those that are encountered fit into their environment.
Alien technology is alien and is not always understandable. The wonders found in the trek to trace the signal are wonders. Much more could have been written of the things and planets found on the trail of this signal. It might have been fun to explore in more details some of the things found, but this could have been writing extra just to write extra. It does not detract from the story not to do so.
Once again you have a good gripping book. If anything they are getting better as they go along. This is the third book set in the same universe, with the character of Hutch playing a prominent role. These stories do not overwhelm with science or technology. When presented with a problem the characters have to think their way through and come up with an answer that will work given the limited resources at their disposal. What this is not is wish fulfilment in the old style.
Mass Market Paperback 511 pages (November 1, 2003) Publisher: Ace Books ISBN: 0441011020 Copies should be available at major bookshops priced £7.99 Amazon.co.uk price £4.27
Just in case you were wondering A Chindi is a Navajo spirit of the night.
