Temporal Destiny by Robert Schulman

Temporal Destiny

With a nod to the styles of science fiction greats such as Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, and Larry Niven, Temporal Destiny is the gripping third and final installment of Robert Schulman’s science fiction trilogy, .99999. This exciting science fiction adventure delivers pandemic, time travel, wormhole technology, an advanced alien race, and an Earth 10,000 years in the future. Since Wyoming where Jack and Jen discovered a transportive alien artifact, the paleontologist and his rising-star astrophysicist girlfriend-ish, along with their fellow six crewmen, have discovered that they were pre-selected by the future residents of Earth to solve a myriad of problems threatening a human population decimated by pandemic. Their exploration of the inner-ring of the galaxy reveals the existence of the Balocks, a super-advanced race of DNA manipulators who abandoned the galaxy—leaving inorganic beings bent on their destruction locked away behind them. In the final book of the .99999 series, set ten years after the ‘arrival’ of the team, things really heat up. Through a confluence of unlikely events, the crew has an opportunity to save one race and help another. In doing so, they instigate a galaxy-encompassing war. The time-traveling team must learn a hard lesson—the universe always collects a toll on the unintended consequences of time displacements.

Reviews

Schulman concludes his epic galaxy-spanning trilogy (after .99999 and Folding Time) with a far-future return to Earth and a threat to all humanity. Previously, eight people from Earth were chosen to travel 10,000 light years to the Inner Ring of the galaxy, returning to Earth 10,000 years later. They brought with them medicine and technology to aid in the recovery of our plague-ridden planet and established wormhole travel to other worlds. It’s now ten years after their return, in the year 12,340, and Earth feels vulnerable now that the rest of the galaxy knows it exists. Especially dangerous are the ancient Balock race, who possess faster-than-light travel, and the Inorganics, mechanical life forms the Balock imprisoned in an enormous Dome orbiting the planet Flotom after they threatened to destroy all sentient organic life in the galaxy.

Classic elements of head-spinning SF adventures—including a character who declares, “I’m an astrophysicist, not a geologist”—blend with fresh complications, innovations, paradoxes, and jolts as two of the “Old Earthers,” computer expert Marie and archaeologist Jack, seek vital information on matter/antimatter interaction, folding space, and weapons technology that is known only to the Inorganics. After the risk-averse High Council grants permission, Marie accesses the information but installs a self-destruct program in case the Inorganics get rowdy. Meanwhile, a missing unmanned research ship disappears, leaving Earth fearful that an alien race might access the ship’s information about Earth, opening our “backwater” planet up to invasion.

The various returned travelers set off on other adventures throughout the galaxy as the heroes explore, strive to “outwit two ancient civilizations,” keep a host of Earth’s starships throughout the galaxy from joining the Inorganics, and remind each other in space battles, “this is not a video game. Real people are dying!” Pacing is uncertain, but Schulman springs some smart surprises involving time displacement and the motivations of planets in the galaxy’s Inner Ring, and this finale will please lovers of old-school but still forward-looking SF.

Takeaway: Muddled, galaxy-spanning adventure of scientists protecting a far-future Earth.

Comparable Titles: Stephen baxter’s Xeelee Sequence, Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Time.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B+

Find out the latest indie author news. For FREE.

Password Reset