by Summer Lee
HARVEST MOON
A novel by
Summer Lee
The Stargazers Trilogy #2
Other Books by Summer Lee
Standalone Novels
The Witch of Endor
Standing Strong
Comes the Pale Horse
Warrior Woman
The Babylonian Queen
Beach Angel
The Biblical Adventure Series
The Staff of Moses
The Sword of Peter
The Fleece of Gideon
The Crown of Christ
The Ark of Noah
The Coins of Judas
The Sling of David
The Commandments of God
The Glorious Companions Series
Angel Heart
Kindred Spirits
Royal Family
Awaken the Passion
Forgotten Tales
The Maid from Moab
A Love for Solomon
A Home for Hava
The Reluctant Hero Trilogy
The Shroud of Turin
The Jewels of Jezebel
The Sons of Destiny
The Stargazing Trilogy
Under the Blood Moon
Harvest Moon
Sign in the Stars
Harvest Moon
Published by Summer Lee
Copyright © 2016 by Summer Lee
All rights reserved.
Ebook Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Dedication
To Manny.
Harvest Moon
Chapter One
The rain fell hard for the third straight day. It felt eerie.
Christians knew that God wouldn’t flood the earth again. He made a promise to Noah and they believed He would keep His word. Non-Christians weren’t so confident.
The bitter wind only succeeded in making the rain feel like ice shards. Most people in the area stayed indoors. The only ones who had ventured out were the ones that absolutely had to.
The meteorologists seemed confused at the strange weather patterns. All of their expensive equipment could not accurately predict what would happen next. So, they blatantly lied. Everyone knew they were lying.
The streets were vacant with the exception of the few who had to get to work, the police, and an occasional homeless person.
There was one exception. The graves of Sybil and Eric Tania and Isabella had a visitor.
The cemetery was practically flooded, which made it almost impossible to those who wished to pay their respects to the dead. The caretakers had hired more people to keep up with the maintenance and care of each plot. Of course, the more expensive the grave, the better and more frequent care was administered.
Solomon had bought a family plot and had all his friends’ caskets moved to be together. The graves of Sybil and Eric Tania and Isabella sat side by side as a grim reminder to anyone knowledgeable of the events that transpired because of the crazy Blood Moons several months ago. Some of the dirt had washed away and Eric’s headstone was tilted to one side. That was odd, because of the foundation being more mud than anything else.
The two other headstones were just as straight as the day when they were first placed there. Solomon had made sure of that.
The lone figure stood glaring at the three plots. No movement. No tears. Just a whispered prayer for mercy. It was the first time that anyone other than Solomon Dance had visited the graves, and he made it a point to visit at least once a month. Solomon was not there now. It was someone else.
A year had passed since Isabella’s and Eric’s headstones were placed. A year since the world almost ended. There were a few who remembered the events that transpired that almost brought about Armageddon. The rest of the world forgot about it within days, as they went on living as if nothing unusual ever happened. Solomon did not forget. If only it was as simple as Solomon keeping an eye open for signs that Armageddon was close. Then he could have warned people. But nothing was ever that simple. To leave something as significant as the final battle on earth up to chance was not good.
The lone figure remained standing by the grave as the wind howled around him, making his black trench coat flap helplessly, until each button came unbuttoned slowly. If the weather bothered the figure, it was not noticeable.
He placed his hand gently on top of each gravestone of Sybil and Eric Tania. Then he sighed, turned and walked away. With the sigh came the knowledge that something was going to happen. Something big and astronomical! It was starting all over again. He could feel it in his bones.
***
A familiar figure walked through the glass double doors of the multi-leveled building. The title, Project Interstellar was prominent in bold sky blue letters over the portal. He smiled at everyone who greeted him and walked on toward the elevators.
There were several construction crews finishing up the last touches on the outside of the granite building. The building sat on several acres of land on the outskirts of Seattle, Washington. The funding for Project Interstellar came from several prominent private citizens, as well as some government assistance. Opening day was a big deal.
Those who were involved kept a low profile for reasons of their own. The governmental funding came through an annual federal budget. The same one that funded NASA and various other agencies.
Most US space efforts had been led by NASA. The agency was also responsible for the Launch Services Program, which provided oversight of launch operations and countdown management for unmanned NASA launches. Project Interstellar was in that category.
There were several NASA employees among the staff, which led credibility to everything associated with the project. The most notable among the NASA representatives was Colonel Andrea Sanderson.
The 5’ 3”, 35-year-old NASA veteran had been married to Major Jonathan Sanderson, who had died on one of the last shuttle missions. Despite the rumor mill, the blue-eyed, Brazilian beauty, who had long, curly, chestnut hair, was the one who paved the way for her husband to join NASA’s ranks. Not the other way around.
Even though she was respected as an accomplished Aeronautical Engineer and the best in her field, Andrea was told by many people that she should have been a model. That gave her concern. She was paranoid that she wouldn’t be taken seriously because she was not only a woman but was also of Portuguese descent.
Her paranoia was nothing more than that. It was her insecurity. Everyone showed her the utmost respect. When she went to work, she would put her long curly hair up in a bun and she didn’t wear any makeup at all. She even lowered her voice to try to keep everyone’s attention when she talked. They had to keep their minds on what she was saying.
Her ego was the only thing talked about among her peers. She was credited with naming the new project. She proved that even though their goals were mixed between the stars and earth, hers were not. Anytime she would mention space, it would garner more attention and more funding. Her ideas were right on.
***
Professor Jeremy Ingram was named the project lead.
Professor Ingram was the head of the School of Environmental and Forest Services at the University of Washington for the past 20 years.
In spite of his 54 years, he kept himself in amazing shape. He didn’t believe in getting surgery or dyeing his hair, so his salt and pepper hair and Van Dyke beard complemented his facial features. His hazel eyes and dimples showed every time he flashed his smile. Those favorites got him attention among the ladies.
He had been divorced for
several years before deciding to take better care of himself. His last three wives left him because of his controlling nature. Everything had to go exactly as he deemed it should. Any way, other than his, was wrong.
Ingram was personable when he had to be. Like when he was vying for more money for the university or meeting new colleagues who could benefit his career at some point. One colleague stated that his charm was downright contagious.
Although it was not his charm that won him the job of project lead. Instead, it was his knowledge and experience of not only the environment but also his love of space.
Ingram had degrees in forestry, astrophysics, and agriculture, as well as many decades of experience working with local environmental groups for protecting the planet.
He came up with several theories concerning the stars and planets having a direct effect on Mother Earth. He studied the moon and stars for years and the outcome they had on the earth, given the distance. He then logged information pertinent to proving his theories by running the idea by Colonel Sanderson. Several other astrophysicists at The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) were on his team. They worked the surrounding areas.
NASA was the agency of the United States Federal Government responsible for aeronautics and aerospace research as well as civilian space programs. It focused on a better understanding of the earth through the observation system. It was established in 1978 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Most US space explorations are now led by NASA, which are exploring bodies throughout the solar system with robotic spacecraft missions. To work for both systems was an honor.
Ingram would never state his hypotheses unless he believed beyond the shadow of a doubt that it could not be disproven. If it wasn’t a fact, he did not even want to hear about it. For example, after researching astrophysics, he thought that the Big Bang theory made sense. So he believed it.
He was fascinated with the size of the universe. There were so many celestial bodies in the sky that it made one’s head swim. It almost made him want to believe that there was a God. Both the colonel and the professor did not believe in God. They shared the idea that the concept was developed by people who couldn’t explain things in a scientific way. Their shared beliefs and opinions were what brought them together.
Ingram handpicked his entire staff for the project and was given full control. Being a complete control freak, he would not have settled for anything less.
Once he was made the lead of Project Interstellar, he said he had to have the colonel by his side. He chuckled when he said that it didn’t hurt that she was pleasant to look at as well. He obviously had a thing going on in his heart for Andrea.
There was only one God-fearing individual that Professor Ingram put on his staff. He was the man who made his way up to the top floor while whistling “Amazing Grace.”
Solomon Dancer.
Chapter Two
Solomon had an ear-to-ear smile as he reported for duty on his first day.
He was not much for dressing in a suit and tie, but he knew how important the job was, so he compromised. He wore a gray pin-striped suit with a blue tie to match the sign out front. On the tie was a cross.
Taking the elevator up to the top floor, he walked out with a spring in his step. Passing several office doors, he looked into a large meeting room separated from the rest of the level with bay windows. That was all there was to the top floor. All of the labs and research areas were located on the floors below.
Solomon walked with a purpose, as he strode over to the office assigned to him. He looked at the name on the door and read aloud, “Solomon Dancer.” He didn’t really have a title, but that didn’t matter for the moment. He never dreamed he would be working for anyone with connections to NASA. He smiled, let out a breath of air and opened the door.
He stopped in surprise when he saw Professor Jeremy Ingram sitting in the huge black leather office chair, behind the oak desk with a laptop on top of it.
“Professor Ingram!” Solomon exclaimed in relief with his strong Jamaican accent. “I didn’t know you would be here t’day. Well, here meaning in my chair! Ha ha!”
Ingram smiled and calmly stood up. “I am sorry for the scare.” His words were always carefully chosen, so he spoke slowly and succinctly. “I always welcome new staff with a one-on-one hello. I hope I’m not keeping you from anything, Mr. Dancer.”
Solomon shook his head and then the hand of Ingram. “No! Not at all. I was merely surprised because you were so quiet. Please continue to sit! I’ll take one of these other chairs here.”
Solomon sat down in one of the stationary black leather chairs in front of his desk. He did notice the name plate with his name spelled correctly on his desk. He breathed another sigh of relief.
“Please, call me Solomon. I don’t believe in dos kinds of formalities.”
“Alright, Solomon,” Ingram replied with a smile. “That means that you may call me Jeremy.”
“I don’t know if I can do dat, sir. You are de man in charge and deserving of respect.”
“I appreciate that, Solomon, but I expect nothing less or in this case, nothing more. We’re a team here. In spite of the fact that I am in charge, I want everyone to feel that I’m approachable. Please call me Jeremy. It’s what I would like. Everyone else does.”
Solomon held his hands up, almost as if he was surrendering. “Alright. You win. I will do as you ask. Was there anyting’ else you would like to talk to me about?”
Ingram stood. With his hands folded behind his back, Ingram walked to the window overlooking the grounds. “It’s funny you should say that. I do have something to talk about.” He then turned back to face Solomon. “I’m afraid I have some news that might be rather upsetting to you.”
Solomon tried to keep his smile, but he remained nervous. The new job and all. It was all so overwhelming to him. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it will be fine.”
Ingram forced a smile. “I have tried to come up with some personnel to assist you in your endeavors, but since we are a new organization, I don’t have anyone to spare.”
“Dat’s okay,” he said. “I know my business. Stars are just giant, luminous spheres of plasma.”
Ingram grinned and nodded. “That is interesting.”
“There are billions of dem in our Milky Way Galaxy. And den billions of galaxies in da’ universe.”
Ingram put his hand over his mouth to smother laughter. “Sounds like the space is covered.”
Solomon breathed another sigh of relief. He tried not to expect the worst, but the situation was new. He kept his faith in God, that everything would turn out alright. “That’s not a problem, Profess… Jeremy. I had a small work area in my basement back in Portland dat I worked by myself. I had papers everywhere, but that’s how I stayed organized. I’m used to working alone.”
“You’ll be surrounded by people who can drop what they’re doing and assist you at a moment’s notice, Solomon. You mustn’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it. I just don’t have anyone available in your… specific area of skillfulness. I do apologize for this.”
“Not at all,” Solomon said, with a chuckle. “You have given me an incredible opportunity and I am glad dat I have something dat I can contribute to de project. Tank you very much for dis chance to show you what I can do for you.”
There was a slight sparkle in Ingram’s eyes, as his smiled widened. “It is definitely I who must thank you. You just might be the only person on staff who can understand what I’m trying to accomplish. It’s your research into the Harvest Moon that drew us to you. The moon’s connection to earth, along with making certain connections with astrology, that I find fascinating. Since I’m exploring a bold new world of finding the connection between our planet’s environment and the alignment of the stars, your addition is invaluable.”
“Tank you for your vote of confidence,” Solomon replied, with a questioning look. “I’m not trying to be difficult, but I’m sure when you spoke of acc
omplishments, you meant all of us because I really appreciate being a part of a team.”
Ingram glared at the tall Jamaican and lost his smile. “Yes, of course. You are correct, Solomon. It will be the goal of all of us. Not just mine.” He showed anger on his face, and acted as if he wanted to yell at his new staff member. Solomon now knew that Ingram did not like being corrected. Something Solomon had better remember.
“I will let you get accustomed to your new surroundings, Solomon,” Ingram said coldly. “I do have other pressing concerns that command my attention, so I will leave you to your duties. I suppose you have the new employee manual with all of the numbers you might need?”
All Solomon could do was nod. He felt embarrassed.
“Good then,” Ingram continued. “I will be in the research lab on the second level. There is one secretary for this floor. Her name is Tracey. Please feel free to introduce yourself. She is at the large round desk in the middle of the floor. She can help you out. I would introduce you, but duty calls.”
As he talked, he spoke faster until the words almost ran together. Solomon assumed it was because his new boss was angry about being corrected. Solomon would have to remember that.
***
Solomon was not as good a judge of character as he had been before. He accredited that to his new outlook on life. Thanks to God.
As he saw everything through new eyes, he wondered why it took him so long to devote his life to the Lord. He had always known that God was out there someplace, but he didn’t find Him to be a friend until he was at the graves of Sybil and Eric Tania, and Isabella. He then took the next step and started talking to God.
He stood in his now empty office and remembered all of the events that transpired back then. It was just a little over a year ago when he lost his friends. He shook his head, thinking how close the world had come to the battle of Armageddon.
Solomon really believed that if it wasn’t for Eric’s prophetic dreams and sacrifice in the Middle East, the world would not still be in existence as they now knew it. It was a miracle.
He thanked God every day that he and his mother, Calista were still alive. It was the Lord who saved them. He enjoyed time in prayer with his Savior and studying the Bible more and more. It was how he learned more of His ways, so that he might better serve Him.