The Discovery
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...The wind was picking up and the boat came alive to meet the challenge. Seeing she was concentrating on getting every knot of speed out of the catamaran, he crawled forward to lie on the webbing stretched between the pontoons. There was some chop and the twin pontoons knifed through it, throwing up spray. He clung to the webbing, spreadeagled, as the boat heeled and the starboard pontoon lifted off the water with every strong gust and then smacked down when the gust abated. He looked back at Maile, with her hair flying and wearing a determined smile. She was a good sailor and enjoying herself. Turning forward again, he watched the waves so he could brace himself for big ones. The wind continued increasing, tearing down the slopes of Mauna Kea Volcano and across the sea surface. Atop the volcano he could see the white domes of the telescopes against the clear sky, tiny at this distance. Dr. Akani said he could go up to the observatory tomorrow and he was looking forward to working with Jon Dubois, trying out the new detector system. The starboard pontoon again lifted high and he shifted his weight in that direction to compensate. The danger with a catamaran was if the windward pontoon got too high the leeward pontoon could bury itself deep in a wave and the boat cartwheel. Sailors called it 'pole-axing.' So far Maile was doing great and he knew he shouldn't be concerned, when it occurred to him she might be so angry with him it could affect her judgment. He glanced at the starboard pontoon again just as it disintegrated in fire and smoke and a blast of heat washed over him. Miraculously, the boat kept on, the shattered pontoon a grotesque sight, the front blown off, jagged and blackened, flames erupting and disappearing. The wind slackened, the pontoon descended, and he braced for disaster. His hands ripped from the webbing and he flew from the boat and hit the water hard. When the pontoon exploded the boat shuddered and Maile felt the shock through the tiller and up her arm, but she was able to maintain control. She fought to keep the pontoon in the air but knew the best she could do was go for a softer landing by reducing speed and making the pontoon descend slowly. She pointed the boat off the wind and let out some sail, but the catamaran had a mind of its own, and when the pontoon hit the water the boat pole-axed, throwing her forward, her shoulder and head smashing into the mast. Stunned, she grasped the stump of the mast with all her might as the boat settled bow down, the broken mast and sail flat on the water. She knew the catamaran wouldn't stay afloat long and felt consciousness slipping away. Experience told her there were things to do. Her brothers had been in dangerous situations and said the most important thing was not panicking ...
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About the Book
Alone at his observatory atop Mauna Kea Volcano in Hawai’i, Dusty McCrae makes the discovery of his life ... another universe. Altitude plays tricks on the brain, and many nights of observing lie ahead before he can confirm the observations that will make his name the equal of Galileo and Hubble. But word leaks and trouble begins. He’s bombarded with inquiries by media, the public and scientists, many of them ridiculing him. Harassed by a reporter from a supermarket tabloid, he replies: "Sure there could be aliens ... and a god no one has ever imagined." A media-savvy televangelist jumps on the comments and McCrae becomes embroiled in religious controversy. Complications multiply when he’s invited to participate in a television debate. Naively, he accepts, thinking it an opportunity to calmly and logically quell the uproar, but his life is threatened and his boat firebombed with him and a companion aboard. Desperate about what’s happening to his life and career, he agonizes over a way out of his predicament. He knows when he presents his discovery during the debate that emotions, not logic, will run rampant, but there will be an opportunity to vindicate his discovery and expose his pursuers.
About the Author
Harry R. Albers has had a successful career as an executive with educational and scientific organizations, including the Smithsonian Institution, the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Barnard College, San Diego State University Foundation, and the Fred J. Hansen Institute for World Peace. His career has taken him to many countries and involved him in many cultures. His experiences and expertise define the character and personality of his main character, Dusty McCrae. Harry resides in San Diego and the Big Island of Hawaii, where he wrestles with the challenges confronting Dr. McCrae, and the challenges of five grandchildren.