Visions of Eden

Visions of Eden opens with David C. Johnson waking up on his eighteenth birthday.  Earth of 2564 is a dying planet, its fate sealed by the excesses of her past inhabitants.  Thirty million souls endure chronic ailments caused by their wretched living conditions while descendants of Earth' s great tycoons and magnates reside in luxury on Mars, David's aunt among them.  His birthday present is a small spaceship; he and his sister Eva attempt the Earth to Mars voyage.  There is an accident, and they wake up aboard an alien vessel; they are now in the New Federation of Worlds, fifteen thousand planets populated by fourteen Sentient species.  Unable to return to Earth, they settle in the capitol, Xenon City.  The robot Quardir guides their assimilation into their new home and rapidly becomes a trusted friend.

Seizing the chance to truly make something of himself, David earns an officer's commission in the Stellar Fleet and begins flight training on the desert planet Bjun.  His outstanding performance earns him a billet at the elite Tactical Fighter Operations Center (TFOC) where he falls for one Lieutenant Alyya Puquoo.  She unsuccessfully uses their liaison to thwart him from becoming his class' Honor Graduate.  Following TFOC, David's next billet is Tactical Officer aboard the cruiser Munvya.  One patrol takes David to an Independent planet that reminds him of Earth and starts him thinking: Could New Federation technologies restore his home planet?  Transferred, he serves admirably aboard the caravel Xrych as her Executive Officer before returning to Bjun to test the new Fang fighter.  It is too good; David fears that pilots might become overly dependent on the machine.  To his shock, he learns that Alyya, now a Fleet Fighter School instructor, is teaching her students the exact opposite.  Angered, he proves her wrong by winning a very mismatched mock duel and goes on to become the Air Wing Chief aboard the cruiser Defender while Alyya returns to her home plant in disgrace.

Despite his successes, David has yet to see actual combat and yearns to prove himself.  Opportunity knocks when pirates overrun a distant New Federation base.  David proves the Fang's combat worthiness by attacking them single-handedly.  His wish granted, David realizes too late the true nature of warfare as he looks back at the conflagration he caused.  Three thousand Sentients are dead.  Shaken, David returns to Xenon City on extended leave.  He meets and falls in love with Maradei before returning to space as Commanding Officer of the frigate Ventuaqar patrolling the Fringe between the New Federation of Worlds and the evil Dimenoan Empire.  A large Dimenoan vessel attacks and David returns fire against impossible odds.  Immediately following the confrontation, Ventuaqar is summoned to Fleet Base One.  David is promoted to Captain and receives command of Dawnstar, the Fleet's newest, largest, and finest combatant.  David is stunned; this is the ship he has seen in recurring dreams since childhood!  Following a surprise message from an eccentric astronomer and the Herculean rescue of the Truvip IV colony, David finally seizes on the idea of returning to undo Earth's damage.  Visions of Eden ends with David pondering the possibilities.