Mark J. Curtis 
Ai Athena 

After a couple days working on the drive, the AI and I got it back online but couldn’t find out why we had jumped to where we were. It didn’t matter anyway; the drive would be useless until we could see the stars. I was just sitting there staring at the monitor when I noticed a red bracket at the center of the screen flashing. The scanners were locking onto something, but I couldn’t tell what…

An artificial intelligence named Athena is placed into an experimental ship with a middle-aged scientist at the helm. The captain has developed a special jump engine with the ability to fold space. After a few travel attempts, the captain and Athena end up inside a nebula in another part of the galaxy and discover the outer barrier of the nebula is deadly and disrupts energy patterns.

They aren’t alone inside this dangerous nebula, however. Thousands of ships from other civilizations are similarly trapped. With the help of Athena, the captain makes contact and fear gives way to curiosity and camaraderie. Athena soon grows so advanced, it’s hard to tell if she is real or artificial. She and the captain must now devise a way to escape the nebula, and through this journey, Athena finds life and the captain finds immortality.

About the author

Mark J. Curtis was raised in the Midwest, the oldest son of a truck driver. After graduating from high school, Curtis joined the Air Force and served twenty years as a jet engine mechanic. Post-Air Force, he worked twelve years on heavy equipment and eventually became disabled. He retired, went back to school, and now writes.