Summertide ; Book One of The Heritage Universe

In Summertide, twin planets Opal and Quake will burst into tidal chaos as their orbit carries them close to the sun. Artifact researcher Darya Lang hopes to unearth clues to the Builders' existence It was just before Summertide, the time when the twin planets, Opal and Quake, would orbit closest to their sun, subjecting both — but Quake in particular — to vast tidal forces. And it was to be the most violent Summertide ever, due to the Grand Conjunction of the systemвЂTMs stars and planets, something that happened only every 350,000 years. Access to the unstable Quake was supposed to be prohibited, but some very insistent travelers were determined to make the trip. Professor Darya Lang, who had made a career studying artifacts left by the long-vanished aliens called the Builders, had a hunch that during this unusal Summertide she might find the Builders themselves. Louis Nenda and the Cecropian Atvar HвЂTMsial had their own interests in Quake, and would do anything to get there. And Councilor Julius Graves was hunting murderers — if they were hiding on Quake, he needed no oneвЂTMs permission to search for them. Planetary Administrators Hans Rebka and Max Perry had no choice but to go to Quake themselves — risking their lives to protect the others — and to learn, just maybe, the secret of Summertide and the Builders… It was just before Summertide, the time when the twin planets, Opal and Quake, would orbit closest to their sun, subjecting both—but Quake in particular— to vast tidal forces. And it was to be the most violent Summertide ever, due to the Grand Conjunction of the system's stars and planets, something that happened only every 350,000 years.Access to the unstable Quake was supposed to be prohibited, but some very insistent travelers were determined to make the trip. Professor Darya Lang, who had made a career studying artifacts left by the long-vanished aliens called the Builders, had a hunch that during this unusual Summertide she might find the Builders themselves. Louis Nenda and the Cecropian Atvar H'sial had their own interests in Quake, and would do anything to get there. And Councilor Julius Graves was hunting murderers—if they were hiding on Quake, he needed no one's permission to search for them.Planetary Administrators Hans Rebka and Max Perry had no choice but to go to Quake themselves—risking their lives to protect the others—and to learn, just maybe, the secret of Summertide and the Builders... In Transcendence, the facts of the universe are twisted beyond recognition. The Alliance Council is unable to accept the scientific findings and does not believe they are all in danger Divergence plunges the seekers into further peril following the upheaval of Summertide. A research mission is launched only to fall prey to Builder traps