David K. Scholes

A collection of action packed, fast paced and entertaining science fiction and science fantasy short stories. In the lead story, Contingency Nine, a very dangerous and unpredictable prisoner is brought back up from a down time penal colony by the Urban Pacifiers. Earth's only remaining vestige of law and order. Fighting to maintain control in Earth's remaining megalopolises the Pacifiers are faced with a threat of such enormity that they must resort to a previously unthinkable course of action implementing Contingency Nine. In Grand Master a mere human chess player defeats a Grand Master from Earth's dominant Artificial Intelligences with consequences. In Disposable World everything is disposable while in Qantas Flight 2134 a passenger plane finally lands years after it took off with some alien assistance. In Reality Rider an entity surfs between alternate realities risking the wrath of the Coordinator of Realities while in Mesozoic Overcrowding a small slice of the Mesozoic period becomes a dumping ground for all sorts of things. In Future View Function a new Face Book function is tested out by an elite while in Ancestral Home some of the descendants of the human race return to Earth to investigate the cessation of all communication from the home world. And much more.

The book comprises a collection of some 14 science fiction and science fantasy short stories. In "Task Force to Earth XXX" heli-carrier forces from an Earth dominated by Greater Britain are able to re-enter a parallel Earth for the first time in the 30 years since that alternate reality was subjected to alien invasion. "Trathh - Return to Empire" continues the Trathh story arc as the mighty Trathh returns to his part of the Universe to find the oppressive Empire in the midst of a life and death struggle against an even more malevolent enemy. "Daughter of the High Lords", pits the High Lord race and the Brell super power empire against the Coordinator of All Realities as Garthhe an enigmatic entity from an equally enigmatic race seeks to rescue, Raechelle, daughter of the High Lords. In "The Search for Humanity" the far flung human race disappears without explanation from the upper reaches of time. By law the fearsome Xelk in "Human Hunter" should not be plying their trade on Earth. Should they? In Broolt the Universe's most formidable star trooper is confronted with an Asgard gutted and somehow transported to the other side of the Universe. While in "Grief Counselors" a new firm has something quite different to offer. Also in "Reality Check" alternate reality travelers coming home must make sure they are returning to the right reality. In "Past his used by Date" older people who have passed their actuarial expectation of life are reported to authorities by watchful neighbors. In "Search Mission" the survivors of an ancient starship crash are a bit coy about being found. And much more.