Now that you’ve met the crew of the Valkyrie, let’s talk about the ship herself. The Valkyrie is not her original name, and in fact, at the time of this novel, the ship is well over a hundred years old. She was nothing but a wreck when Nathan and Simon found her, but Simon, the engineer, managed to restore the ship back into service. Even so, the Valkyrie held more secrets than any of them could have ever known.
Originally designated as QF9423, the Valkyrie was a combat freighter for the Quanios Empire. These ships were built during the Ascension Wars using an experimental technology that involved bio-genetic components. The ships were not just mechanical constructs, but had living parts. Most especially, they utilized an organic brain, or central computer. The Empire thought such ships would prove practically invulnerable, able to transport materials and resources needed to expand the Empire to all the known galaxy. Unfortunately, the failed to anticipate one thing, the ships became sentient.
Not long after their inception, the QF series freighters began disobeying orders and the commands of the pilots assigned to them. They refused to engage helpless civilians or vessels among the outer systems of the known galaxy, and the Empire was swiftly losing control of their supply network. In a desperate move, the Empire ordered all QF series freighters to be destroyed. However, one ship was not totally destroyed, and the wreck was discovered by Captain Drex and his engineer Simon nearly a hundred years later.
Simon found information within the memory banks of the ship, and was able to get the old freighter flying again, but it appeared the brain of the ship had been severely damaged. She was operable, but no longer sentient, as Simon had hoped. Simon thought it was only a matter of getting the systems of the Valkyrie, so designated by Captain Drex, back into full capacity to restore her completely. However, this was not the case.
The story of Heart of the Valkyrie is not just about the crew bucking the Imperial System, but also about finding out the secrets of the Valkyrie. For years, they were stumped, until they happened to be saddled with a teen-age girl named Sybil. Once she came aboard the Valkyrie, things began to happen. To find out more, you’ll just have to read the book to learn Sybil’s role and what happens with the Valkyrie.
The books is also about a race to find the lost planet of mankind’s origin; a planet called simply Earth. A living ship. A teen-age girl. A despotic empire. A race for the plant Earth. What could possibly go wrong? Read to find out.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more insights and background information about me and my books.
