A small mining colony, along with a science expedition, are embedded on a planet (the early earth) from a powerful empirical world light years away. The means of traversing great distances is through harmonising powerful plasma fields around the space-craft to strange frequencies and mysterious Ripples (quantum fluctuations) across the fabric of Space-Time; the latter familiarly called--the Rift, thus: RIPPLES IN THE RIFT!
But this term has a secondary meaning.
When a larger deposit of precious ore is discovered, a huge ship is dispatched to recover the prize, protected by a mighty armed force led by one ruthless and predatory male: Catanda. His intentions do not serve just the political leaders of the empire: but his own. The science colony is led by a female, Beth, who Catanda knows, as his sexual advances were rejected by her when they were both at college years before. To enable the science team to manage more physical tasks, the science team genetically modify a species of Apes they discover in the Jungle to enlighten them so that they can be like willing servants.
Catanda and his forces destroy the small mining camp and he takes the ore as his own, but the leader, Garth, escapes and stands as a threat to him as he can reveal his misdeed to the empire's rulers. Catanda must hunt Garth down, but he flees and seeks refuge with the science project people. Catanda tries to destroy the science camp, fearing they now know his selfish desire and illegal action and could testify as witnesses.
The camp is attacked and the survivors seek refuge among the apes in a valley which is their home.
What ensues is a war between the technologically advanced Empirical forces led by Catanda against the primitive apes and the peace-loving science people. Beth has discovered the apes are intelligent and she falls in love with their leader, Bud: an ape who seems able to see the future and constantly tells Beth they have always loved each other in many lives. A huge battle culminates at the end of the book.
The story attempts to carry through a hopeful idea about life and the meaning of our existence; an idea woven into the more physical and literal events of the conflict; namely that our lives are like Ripples in a Pond, where life is an opportunity for our real beings to interact and discover emotions; and forever since the
dawn of time, Bud and Beth have been entwined as RIPPLES IN THE RIFT--an immortal love affair which transcends death.
A second book to follow this one is planned as a sequel, with hooks established in the plot of this first (stand-alone) novel.
END.
