Above, us, in the dark shadows of the outer solar system, there is the shape of something unknown, something unspeakable. It waits, it bides its time, and as the days of summer grow longer, so does its voice grow louder.<br><br>On the quiet island of Sarah Ann in the Pacific Ocean, home of the renowned Firmament Foundation, awkward teenager Eirian Calohan has come in search of the mystery of their father's recent demise. Instead, they are confronted with the stark contrast between languid life on the tiny island and an unspeakable cosmic horror.<br><br>Together with their new friends, they set out to unravel the truth surrounding the death of their father and to also uncover just what it is that the Foundation has reached out to in the dark eternal night of the distant void.

All Cats Are Beautiful

“Dad,” she said softly, gently, hoping to ease what surely he must have known was coming next, “do you have any idea how much that will cost?”


On the other side of the desk, her father glowered back at her with contempt.


“The cost be damned!” he proclaimed, raising his voice in the way he often did when worried that he was going to lose an argument. “This is the very reason I created the Foundation! If we don’t act on this information then we are as good as obscuring it from history, brushing it under the carpet, pretending that we are alone in the cosmos, acknowledging that our understanding of the universe has limits! Leave the cost to the bean counters, what the world needs now is to know that there is moreout there, more than we could ever possibly have imagined!”


“Dad,” Luna answered with frustration, “Iam the bean counter. That’s why you hired me. If you do this, you’re going to be going against the wishes of the board.”


Chapter 6