by David Stever
Oh no. If I was sober I would immediately press Delete. But I was not sober and the thought of her was inviting. Would it be a one-night thing and be over, or would she be the type to latch on and never let go? There it was: the call of the siren. The song that makes men lose all control of any rational thought and it now called me. I put the car in gear and headed in her general direction, unsure of my decision.
I went a few blocks when a crowd of people standing on a corner caught my eye. I slowed down and could not believe my eyes. They were all gathered in front of a club, the Pig Hole, a grunge bar that featured live bands. I drove around the block and stopped across the street from the club for a better view.
A banner hung above the entrance:
YEAST INFECTION
TONIGHT! ONE NIGHT ONLY!
GET INFECTED!
A smile shot across my face and suddenly everything was right with the world. I picked up my phone and looked at the picture of me and Katie. My heart was full.
I listened to Brynne’s message again, and then pressed Delete.
I called Leah and she answered on the first ring. “Johnny, I’m at the beach house.”
“I’m on my way.”
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Space-based solar power is the ultimate in clean energy, and even though the technology has been around for decades, it is still in its infancy. Satellites can be launched into Earth’s orbit with self-assembling solar panels that capture the sun’s rays, convert it to electricity, and transmit the energy back to Earth via microwave or laser beam.
The obstacles? Funding a space-based energy program and transmitting the energy back to earth efficiently and safely. One satellite can supply enough electricity to power a city the size of Atlanta. But, unlike the scientists in our story, the ability to receive the power being sent back to Earth has not yet been perfected. Large receiving stations, called rectifying antennas, up to three kilometers in size, are needed to receive the space-power transmission, complete the conversion to electricity, and then upload it to the power grid. Much work needs to be done to reduce the size of the rectifying antennas and to safeguard the transmission of the space-power.
Governments are actively pursuing space-based solar power, notably, the United States, China, and Japan, along with many privately-held companies who hope to be at the forefront of a space-based clean energy revolution, all courtesy of our sun.
The technological information and research used in this novel has been collected from many sources, including government agencies, private companies, and scientific journals.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book is dedicated to my parents, Evelyn and George Stever, two wonderful people who forever provided a warm and loving home, rich with tradition and wholesome values, and who continue to teach us with the greatest of example of how to lead a full and rewarding life with humility, grace, and unconditional love.
Thank you to Faith Williams and her expert editing of this book and for adapting to my ever-moving deadline! Brandie McCann again did a great job with the cover for the book. Much thanks! I am grateful to my brothers, Mark and Matt, for their nonstop promotion of my books. Thanks guys!
As always, thank you to my children, Brian, Kevin, and Cassidy, and to my wife Helene, for their never-ending love, encouragement, and support.
And a special thanks to my two new assistants, Lucy and Kent.
Johnny Delarosa
returns in:
Raven Rain
For more information, please visit
www.davidstever.com
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