Europa Strike

Europa Strike
Ian Douglas

It’s time for humanity to claim its rightful heritage…2040: Ruins of ancient civilization uncovered on Mars reveal startling truths about the creation of humankind.2042: In the grey dust of the Earth's Moon, an extinct enslaving race left behind more answers, more questions…and a grim warning.2067: As Earth's warring factions clash in space for scraps of alien technology, a strange artifact lies trapped beneath the ice-locked oceans of Europa: a machine that holds the key to the final human destiny.It is called "The Singer" for the eerie tone it emits. An artificial intelligence built aeons ago, it may ultimately solve the mystery of the vanished alien races responsible for the birth and development of humanity. But after decades of war, the hostile nations of Earth care more for power than for knowledge.And now all that stands between the coveted Al and an all-out Chinese assault is a vastly outnumbered contingent of U.S. marines, dug in beneath the baleful red eye of Jupiter. As terrifying events light years distant begin to converge –- with confrontation imminent and annihilation inevitable –- a secret history of creation and doom must at long last be contended with… if humankind is to finally claim its glorious heritage among the stars.

Europa Strike:

Book Three of

the Heritage Trilogy

Ian Douglas

For Dave Plottel, who helped with the numbers; for

Heather Foutz, research assistant and first editor, par

excellence; and, as always, for Nina.

Contents

Prologue

The sounds of celebration—the bang and snap of firecrackers,…

One

“Incredible,” Major Jeffrey Warhurst said, his face pressed against the…

Two

The sign above the place on Highway One, just outside…

Three

Why, Colonel Kaitlin Garroway asked herself, do I come to…

Four

Major Jeff Warhurst made his way along the narrow access…

Five

Captain Jeremy Mitchell entered the officer’s wardroom with his tray…

Six

Rena Moore came down the stairs to the e-room and…

Seven

By the second half of the twenty-first century, there was…

Eight

Major Jack Ramsey stared into the monitor, shock transforming into…

Nine

Major Jeff Warhurst looked up from his desk as the…

Ten

General Xiang Qiman sat strapped into his couch, watching the…

Eleven

The refueling was almost complete.

Twelve

Descending Thunder No. 4 bucked and kicked as the pilot…

Thirteen

Jeff Warhurst was linked in.

Fourteen

Jeff had designated a small room off of the compartment…

Fifteen

Jeff shook his head sadly. “What the hell were you…

Sixteen

“So,” Jeff said with a wry grin. “Is this wonder…

Seventeen

“Please, God,” Kaitlin said with a rush of emotion that…

Eighteen

The steady, rattling vibration of the Tommy J’s A-M drives…

Nineteen

“Gentlemen, it’s about damned time we took this fight to…