In this most incredible adventure explorers battle alongside the navy, in deep space, in the path of a devastating cosmic disturbance. OutTack, FarTack, HomeTack - novels by GS Boughton, in the DeepStorm trilogy, in which the characters: Jude Nade who is with the Georama news channel reports on a growing spate of weather and climate related disasters on Earth as the DeepStorm phenomenon develops across the Solar System, Cdr Connell Althorpe is commanding officer of the Questor mission's navy escort and is mostly engrossed in battles with the enemy Admiral Nodus, Chief Scientist Tara Tachel who heads reconneer scientific research into the phenomenon and any light that might be shed there with what happened in prehistory to the dinosaurs, and FayWell is the Questor mission's unfathomably brainy Artificial Intelligence (AI); though it is the new breed of genetically modified (genecrafted) fimans that apply their research knowledge as reconeers whilst the task force combats the pirate enemy - Sashia Duchek in paleaontology and weightless mobility in space, Steve Nord in earth sciences, geology and vulcanology, with a protestor's interest in oil exploration and production operations, Mei Sai Ling in biology and is also an ecologist specialised in the Cretaceous period though with tragegy in her past, Carla Drew in biospheres and terra-engineering, and medical staff in spiritual healing.

Dr. Kaitlyn O'Malley

Irish, and a highly qualified medical physician and practitioner of spiritual healing, O'Malley is frail-looking with a strange aura about her. Although a fiman, she is not trained in combat -- her strength lying elsewhere.

FayWell

An omnipresent image throughout all ships, FayWell is a timelessly young and unfathomably brainy Artificial Intelligence (AI) with an Aussie twang. Totally discreet as the hub of communications, she is understandably frank, supportive and cheerful. She is also surprisingly sympathetic, almost in a godmother-like way, and the only one on board that never loses her cool. But then, she never lets anyone look into her eyes either.

Reconneer Dr. Mei Sai Ling

From Shanghai, Mei Sai Ling is qualified in biology and is an ecologist as well as a veterinarian. Though meticulous and untiringly ambitious her efforts are marred by tragedy that dogs her from the very start, leaving her emotionally drained and apt to be inattentive at the most crucial of moments. She is a constant worry to her new-found friend Sashia Dubchek. Unfortunately, she is also devastated at seemingly having to leave her research into the Cretaceous period.

Reconneer Dr. Steven Nord

A Londoner, Steve Nord is qualified in earth sciences, climatology and geology, with vulcanology a specialty. Though a capable and steady influence he is pretty laid back -- and to Sashia Dubchek's own amazement he often follows her hare-brained lead. He is distraught at having to leave his protest work, aimed at oil exploration and production operations that has earned him some notoriety on Earth.

Reconneer Sashia Dubchek

From Siberia, a generalist with basic knowledge of palaeontology and in weightless mobility in space, Sashia is somewhat overshadowed by so many highly qualified peers, yet sensitive and supportive to all -- and strangely, often finds herself leading the way. Though emotionally stable she is a little young for her years, a capriciously wicked daredevil delighting in taking others by surprise.

Reconneer Engineer
Guillermo Sanchez

Spanish, Guille Sanchez is a trusted assistant to Carla Drew. Quiet and unassuming he is a rock in all situations and, though nothing develops between them, he is always on the look out for Mei Sai Ling.

Professor Tara Tachel

Highly intellectual, an acclaimed authoritative figure, yet feeling the weighty responsibility for Questor succeeding, the Chief Scientist from Britain has full charge of the mission's operations. Middle-aged, she needs all of her mature wiles to bond with and lead strenuously trained young reconneers. From every angle it's a daunting task to pull them together in the race to score some direly needed scientific wins. Frustrating her efforts is confrontation with her chiefs over her hunch that global disaster in prehistory, when the dinosaurs perished, might hold some clues.

Cdr. Connell Althorpe

Questor commanding officer, Althorpe is a stalwart American whose principle responsibility is the security of the mission, and is much of the time engrossed in battles with the enemy. Staying pretty much to himself, he keeps relationships strictly professional, refusing to be drawn into chat. And though he empathises with Tachel's frustrations, scientific matters are simply not his responsibility. He does, however, maintain a watching brief, ultimately surprising everyone with a highly controversial action he takes.

CHARACTERS

OutTack, FarTack, HomeTack -- novels by GS Boughton in the DeepStorm trilogy

Reporter Jude Nade

A weather girl at the start of OutTack, Jude Nade follows changes that are taking place in the world's climate and convinces bosses to let her report on a spate of weather related disasters that soon ensue. Her features quickly attain prominence in the media scene, becoming the public's eyes and ears on the DeepStorm phenomenon within the Solar System.

RECONNEERS -- The scientific task group is made up of reconneers, reconnoitring scientists, top ranked in a range of disciplines and selected for their capacity to operate autonomously in space.

CHARACTERS

GEORAMA CHANNEL

MISSION BOARD

Reconneer Terra Systems Engineer Carla Drew

A New Englander, Carla Drew is specialised in horticultural environments as well as biospheres and terra-engineering. Tending to be self-centered and quick to draw conclusions, she is a thorn in Tachel's side. And when she sees how close Sashia Dubchek and her partner Steve Nord are getting, the tiger in her takes her in the opposite direction, straight into Mort Lane's arms.

Captain Mort Lane

From West Point, Mort Lane is executive officer of one of the Questor cruise liners. Not quite as senior as the Commander, he has grown swarthily attractive over the years since being commissioned, and represents an exciting dalliance for Carla Drew. Though a terrible awakening lies ahead of her.

Senior Nurse Tixa Gomez

From Mexico, Tixa is broadly qualified, along with other medical staff in spiritual healing techniques as well. She is extremely sensitive and caring in her duties, and though sensual in nature is almost too sweet in her manner. It is such a pity her careless observations worsen matters between Steve Nord and Carla Drew.

OPERATIONS

QUESTOR TASK FORCE

TASK FORCE AI

THE ENEMY

Admiral Nodus

Admiral Nodus and his crew are all that remain of a failed experiment in space endurance, exofimans, many of whom died early on. Those that survived -- horribly deranged and disfigured -- were abandoned by society and rapidly went from psychopathic outcasts to predatory pirates. Nodus is noted for taking no prisoners, save when he and his crew wish to amuse themselves by torturing captives.

FIMANS -- Apart from a few senior members of the task force all personnel aboard the vessels are fimans, a new breed of young professionals specially genecrafted (genetically modified) for life in space. With skeletons of carbon-kevlar-fibre and synthetic plasma they have no difficulty spending long periods weightless in the vacuum of space -- and, for fully independent operation, all are trained in survival as well as combat skills.
Although strangers to each other, they are unified by the knowledge that their research has to save the world they know and loved ones they have been torn from.