Nebula Express — John T. Cullen

CLASSIC SUMMER MOVIE IN A NOVEL (SMN) SERIES - Read a classic Summer Movie in a Novel Today. Get out the popcorn, curl up, and keep the light on. It's chilling, thrilling, creepy, old-fashioned fun like a dark, air-conditioned movie theater on hot summer day. Get ready to hug your date (or pillow) and scream. NEBULA EXPRESS - Never before has a ship so far from home been in so much trouble. In the tradition of Ridley Scott's Alien - but much more terrifying - the six engineers aboard the Express awaken to a normal morning in the crew quarters. They enjoy breakfast, banter, and email home across the vast emptiness of space. But Earth isn't answering. And the captain is nowhere to be found. When Ridge, Brenna, and the other four specialists open the hatch to enter the huge ship, they discover to their horror that nothing is what they thought it would be. “Nothing seems right near the speed of light.” Mystery upon terrifying mystery compounds as they find themselves inside an ancient, wrecked starship that is far beyond anyone's ability to repair. Then bodies begin turning up, along with zombie-like Mudmen or Cleaners who hunt both the living and the dead, seeking body parts and food. Then the dying begins. One by one, the engineers fall prey to a strange illness. Not only is everything wrong, but they themselves learn the most horrific truth of all: they are not who they thought they were. Ridge, a strong, handsome Lead Engineer, and lovely red-headed Brenna, Senior Engineer, have families back on Earth whom they love very much. And yet, they find themselves drawn into a passionate, overwhelming love that neither sought, but they cannot resist or understand. Soon, pursued by the zombie Cleaners, Ridge and Brenna are on a desperate search for truth, for help, for salvation where there can be none. Or can there? Somewhere in the rusting, dripping, hollow, ghost-ridden bowels of this enormous city flying through the galaxy is a magical place called Largo, where all the answers and maybe help can be found. If they can find Largo before it's too late for them, as the clock ticks… The fate of mankind itself rests in their search for help, for answers, for themselves…and, after fate splits them up, for each other. The location and the nature of Largo remain a tantalizing secret amid the scary, flute-like noises of the pursuing Unmen…but Largo itself is only a keyhole leading to either extinction…or a New Earth that is humankind's only shred of hope.