Chasing Infinity — E. Robert Dunn

Book 5, Chasing Infinity. The Pioneer Pod 4 is spaceborne, once again plunging into uncharted Space. Commander Capel Perezsire is temporarily taken over by an alien cerebral program to help restart a decimated planet. From the frying pain into the fire as the podship crew escape to be re-captured by the regenerated world's descendants to be used as genetic resource material for a cloned population. Free to navigate in Space, the podship enters into the Bedrosian Testing Range and must outwit dimensional munitions bent on their destruction for trespassing. Landing on a verdant planet for refit and recharge, the podship crew enjoy all that the virgin planet has to offer as they restock and repair the Pioneer 4, only to be caught separated as a forest fire consumes the landing site's Base Camp.