A Dubious Hope

<p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(36 34 38 1)>Fear is a self-fulfilling prophecy.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(36 34 38 1)>Seven hundred years after the generation ship New Hope launched toward New Terra the planet was fried lifeless by a pulsar. To avoid panic researchers swear to keep the event secret but an alien hiding aboard finds out. </span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(36 34 38 1)> </span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(36 34 38 1)>In her miserable thirteenth year Opal awakes from an epileptic-like seizure with a presence in her head that convinces her it is an alien being. When she tells her community that she has been chosen as Voice for the telepathic Semqu who offer the New Hopians a new planet her sister is certain she's lost her mind. But there are suddenly alien ships a massive shift in velocity and a planet outside the ship's windows. Almost immediately neighbors from three planets come knocking: egotistical toothy dinosaurs grizzly-sized burrowing tardigrades and a space-faring marine species in robotic spacesuits with emotive bioshields. All seem to lack any real history yet have faster-than-light travel.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(36 34 38 1)>Her Spacer community is bewildered but grateful; her family is angry. Opal takes refuge in a deepening friendship with the telepathic alien as she steps into a busy service-filled life.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(36 34 38 1)>Among the hibernating Earthborn aboard the ship is Danielle a U.S. army soldier tasked with ensuring the mission succeeds. She wakes to discover a gorgeous new world predators she understands better than this new naive anti-military culture and a snarl of questions nobody can answer including the one that keeps her awake at night: what do these aliens want? </span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(36 34 38 1)>Danielle doesn't believe Opal's answers. Opal who trusts the Semqu tries to befriend Danielle. Suspicion then a mutually incompatible course of duty keep the two young women apart. But they'll need to work together soon. </span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(36 34 38 1)>Someone else wants this planet. And a few Spacers will do anything to get off it.</span></p><p><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(36 34 38 1)> </em></p><p><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(36 34 38 1)>Book One of the Implacable Peace series. </em></p><p><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(36 34 38 1)> Found family cooperative communal culture multi-lingual population dysfunctional family trust issues sister issues small-town culture tardigrades sentient fungi sentient dinosaurs cuttlefish in space: for fans of Arkady Martine Becky Chambers Martha Wells and C.J. Cherryh and Jane Fancher.</em></p>