Blister

The Technicians have discovered that their ancestors were fugitives from a space war, stranded on a planetoid consisting almost entirely of water shrouded by incessant storms. Their machines inherited from long ago are beginning to run down and they are unable to find enough resources to maintain them.Having rediscovered the technologies of space flight, they realize they are surrounded by abundance if only they invest in the infrastructure necessary for obtaining it. And they are poised to take another leap into the unknown in search of more clues to their origins.Then they receive a mysterious message from beyond their planetary system. Something out there is interested in who they are and what they know. And at least one critical crewmember may be falling in love with whoever is on the other end of the line! Could it be a friend or is it a sinister siren call to their doom?

A. Scott Howe is a senior engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He is on the NASA development team building long-duration human habitats for deep space, and permanent outposts for the moon and Mars.