It's finally happening: the world is running out of oil. As major nations jockey and feud for the last carbon resources on the planet, one oil company sets its sights on the vast energy reserves of Europa, one of the largest of Jupiter's moons.
Thought to have twice as much water as Earth, Europa offers humanity the best chance of finding microorganic life within the solar system-life that would prohibit harvesting the moon's resources under international space laws. To confirm the presence or absence of life, Earth's leaders plan a manned mission to Europa.
Jamie Caldicott, husband, father, and hero of a botched Mars mission, grudgingly accepts a position on the crew. His main concern is providing for his family. The presence or absence of Europan life doesn't much interest him.
As the mission progresses, however, it becomes evident that powerful interests plan to harvest Europa whether or not life exists. As they journey farther from Earth than any manned craft before them, Caldicott discovers that some of his crewmates aren't who they claim to be.
The fates of two worlds depend on Jamie Caldicott. If he makes the wrong choice, he'll never return from Europa's icy surface.
About the Author: J. J. Co holds degrees in law and arts, as well as a postgraduate diploma in legal studies. He has also earned a number of vocational certificates, including a certificate in adult education.
While Co works mostly as a lawyer and an adult educator, he has also worked in production engineering, building construction, and agriculture. He has been writing for thirty years, publishing both globally and in local literary journals.
Co lives with his wife and two dogs on a two-acre property on the edges of a large city in low mountains. His writing reflects his interest in how people balance their everyday lives with their need to understand their purpose in life.
