When contact is lost with Mission Control, Commander John Dennington isn’t overly concerned. Such hiccups in communication are common. The first inkling of the larger problem occurs when he sees the very shape of the world change before his eyes.<br><br>John must ease his crew into a new mission and keep the Station together by any means necessary. The crew jeopardizes their chances by fighting his orders, but Jason Weiss, his mission specialist and the light of his life, makes John’s situation more bearable.<br><br>The smallest malfunction to Station or crew would spell the end for six astronauts trapped high above a ruined Earth. It’s their mission to carry on. Random chance of the universe hasn’t operated in their favor so far, but John is determined to see them all safely home.

Expedition 63 Book 1: Dusk

“Excuse me,” he gasped and bolted out the other hatchway.


Eli and John couldn’t hold it. John broke first, bent in half as the cackle made its way from deep in his stomach. It hurt, the rapid clench and release of air in his chest, but it felt so good.


“Oh, oh, oh!” Eli wiped tears from his eyes and flapped his hand at John. “Stop that,” he gasped. “I can’t breathe.”


John couldn’t either, so he started to take deep breaths. A few seconds passed until he was calmed downenough to stop. One look at both Saito and Yakecen, their bemused smiles directed at him, and another giggle escaped.


“Don’t ask,” Eli finally told them. “You don’t want to know.”


“You just don’t want to get yelled at,” John admonished with a gleeful little smirk. “Since you started it.”


“You’re the one who said that to ‘Lach!” Eli stuck his tongue out at John.


Chapter 22