New Release -- ACROSS A SEA OF STARS (The Unborn Galaxy Book 3) by Michael E. Gonzales -- #firestarpress

Astronaut Cris Salazar is assigned to the Moon colony, JILL, for the study of an enigmatic singularity on the lunar surface. During an experiment within the crater Hohmann, Cris is captured in a peculiar gravitational field and is transported halfway across the universe.

His craft is wrecked in a strange world, and though he survives, he learns that his rough landing has accidently killed the son of the tyrannical ruler—and now, Cris must pay…or escape. But how can he leave innocents to face the chaos he’s inadvertently caused?

The inhabitants of this alien civilization come to Cris’s aid, and a wizard sets him on a quest that seems impossible to accomplish alone. But as he sets out on this dangerous mission, Cris is joined by a mystical and beautiful huntress, a near-giant, and a robotic intelligence.

Bloody battle and gut-wrenching loss in his own past have left Cris heartsore and reckless, but a journey that begins as a desperate bid for his own survival takes on new meaning as he finds something—and someone—to care about once more.

With billions of lives at stake—including those who have joined him in the deadly fight against advancing evil forces, Cris embraces a destiny he could never have anticipated from light years away ACROSS A SEA OF STARS...

EXCERPT:

     Cris dismounted his Eagle and had reached the side of the LPC, his internal coms set to the emergency freq. "Charlie, this is Eagle, I'm right outside—can you hear me?" There came no response. "Charlie, can you open the hatch? I'm right outside your hatch!"

     Cris saw the hatch quiver, and then it popped open a few centimeters at the top. This hatch was hinged at the bottom. Undamaged, this door would have come down and become a set of stairs allowing access to the interior, but the hull was now warped, jamming the hatch. Cris grabbed the door along the top and pulled with all his might. Inside, the one uninjured man and the wounded man with the still-intact suit were pushing with all their strength. The door held up well, but at last gave in and came crashing down to a surface now level with the bottom of the LPC.

     Cris looked up to see one of the men collapse and the other bend down to aid him. Cris rushed in and grabbed the standing man. He looked up into Cris's face, fear written in his expression. "Can you hear me?" Cris asked, mouthing the words as he spoke aloud. The other man shook his head.

     Cris rushed in beyond these two in order to locate the man with the damaged suit. There he was, unconscious on the floor, an emergency suit repair applied to his right leg. There was also a good amount of blood frozen to the deck. Cris again grabbed the uninjured man, pointed at the unconscious man and the floor, held up one finger, and mouthed, "First." 

     The other man nodded. They both grabbed the injured man and headed for the Eagle. Once there, Cris opened the airlock, and together they got the unconscious fellow inside. He indicated to the other man to get into the airlock with the injured man in order to operate the mechanism. As the man started climbing aboard, Cris went back to gather the man on the floor who showed no obvious wound, but was nonetheless dazed. He put his arm around him and aided him back toward the Eagle.

     As the Eagle's airlock door was opening, a familiar and aggravated voice came over his coms. "Hatchling Three, this is Mother Bird, what's your status? Over." 

     "Mother Bird, I am engaged in a rescue operation, I have three survivors, two are wounded, one severely, please notify medical, I will be inbound to Hotel Sierra in five mikes with an ETA of forty mikes. Over."

     The tone of the voice changed dramatically. "Roger, Hatchling Three, wilco. Keep us advised. Out."