Spacecapades (long-standing working title) is a five-book science fiction series that has yet to be written in any real cohesive manner. Originating from an end-of-class writing prompt, it has grown far more complex than it has any right to be, and is simultaneously the pride and joy and the bane of the author's existence.
Set in the very distant future, the series centers primarily around two teams within the Bureau of Inter-Planetary Law Enforcement, and their efforts in dealing both with the day-to-day cases that come with the job, as well as the growing issues that begin to affect the entire system. Spanning everything from organized crime to bio-terrorism to deep-rooted government corruption, it is sure to be written...eventually.
Spacecapades contains examples of:
- Conveniently Close Planet: All of Aradin's colonized planets orbit very close to their sun and/or each other.
- Cool Gate: The wormholes that connect the Aradin system to Dynum, and Dynum to Zakon
- Faster-Than-Light Travel: Inverted - FTL ships are still a far-off dream. Just not to Zakon.
- Handicapped Badass: Emma Monroe; confined to a wheelchair or heavy-duty braces, but never a Damsel in Distress
- Playful Hacker: Marcus Manlick; though computer science is his job, he tends to go a little deeper than necessary sometimes
- Switching P.O.V.: Each book has multiple points of view
- Team Pet: DJ Chicky-Chick remains an integral part of the team
Book 1
- Accidental Murder: The Iabos bombing aftermath; it was only supposed to damage the water storage, not the habitation dome.
- Bomb-Throwing Anarchists: The main focus of Murphy's team is bombings spread across the system.
- Pair the Smart Ones: Jarek and Marcus; both giant nerds, if in very different fields.
Book 2
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Donny is not usually the type to go around assassinating people.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Radiation poisoning is a hell of a way to go.
- Race Against the Clock: Radiation is survivable...if treated in time.
- Revenge by Proxy: The people killed really didn't do anything to this kid.
Book 3
- Ascended Extra: Marcus gets his own POV chapters and stumbles across information that proves to be invaluable...later on.
- Biological Weapons Solve Everything: Though the motives aren't known at first, it's clear that this is a Synthetic Plague.
- Deprogram: Required to get Donny to stop attacking people.
- The Plague: The disease spreading across the system can be classified as one.
- Therapy Is for the Weak: Inverted. Donny is in intensive treatment for a long time, and continues to see his therapist even after being cleared for duty.
Book 4
- Brainwash Residue: Donny discovers he has this upon meeting Isobel.
- The Conqueror: Commander Admiral Robert believes himself to be one.
- Day of the Jackboot: Charuta is occupied very quickly and relatively easily.
- Great Escape: Marcus gets a lot of help with this.
- I Will Find You: Even with no idea what Zakon does with their prisoners, Jarek is dead-set on getting Marcus back.
