3792 NC. Earth’s burgeoning populations are approaching social critical mass. Earth, in the fourth millennium, is the center of the Congress of Planets, a vast collection of star systems, casually referred to as Earth’s Empire. An alien being appears in Earth space with a gigantic ship humans have never seen before. The ship is checked for weapons and other dangers at Periphery Security outside of Jupiter and finally allowed to land on Earth. 

Cliff Robles, Starport Manager, de facto Earth Ambassador for all star systems, meets with Drognelf, self-proclaimed Ambassador to Cowgres. He looks like a perfectly formed human, except that he is three feet tall. Drognelf persuades Robles that he has come from the area of the Dark Nebula in Ophiuchus, over 900 light years distant, well beyond the sphere of influence of the Congress of Planets. Drognelf says he has made the journey in two months, galactic time. Earths starships would have taken years to make the same journey.

The alien invites a delegation of humans to accompany him back to his home planet to meet with Inverness, its ruler and to agree on separation of territories before the two empire’s clash. He offers to make the science of his world’s perfected hyperdrive available to Earth, if Earth is willing to deal with Inverness on her ground.

Enticed by the vision of a super hyperdrive and with the blessing of the all-powerful Earth Regent, Robles sends Dutch Thorson, an elite member Earthforce, the Security arm of the Congress of Planets, with twelve humans and three cyborgs to Cowgres.

After the so-called “diplomatic delegation” leaves Earth it is discovered that the alien’s starship has somehow tampered with the world computer system, causing subtle changes in its ability to produce accurate information, especially in the sciences.

Wickham Gray, Chief of Intelligence, is put on temporary assignment under the aegis of Starport Manager Robles. He discovers the corruption and informs Robles that the benevolence of the alien is a sham. In concert with Robles and Manfred Rufert, Chief of Science, they begin an initiative to find the starship’s secrets for themselves. Gray is sent to Titan, largest satellite of Saturn and home to the largest spaceship constructions facilities Earth possesses, to oversee construction of a starship to mirror the oddly shaped one in which the alien arrived. If successful, they will attempt to rescue the sixteen extremely valuable humans Robles has sent to Cowgres.

Science under Rufert is mandated to look for answers and starship construction begins. Gray meets Thorga Rue, Facilities Manager of Titan City. In the beautiful brunette he finds a kindred spirit. Their interaction works a change in the hard driving Intelligence man.

The Regent is conducting his own agenda, using models he has created that project the most probable futures for the Congress of Planets. He becomes aware of a new depth in Gray he’s never seen before. He makes sure that at the right moment, Gray will be ordered to the Regent’s Palace for the next step in his all-encompassing future plans.

The Regent knows two things that no other human in Earth’s empire knows. They are secrets that could bring down the Regency and throw the entire empire into chaos. One is that the inviolate games program for choosing a Regent has been corrupted by his predecessor. The other models a probable future in which a divisive and destructive element accedes to the Regency, causing the Empire to rot from within and crumble. The Empire is his reason for existence. He can’t let that happen.

Science finds its answers and the starship is built. With much fanfare, the new starship takes off for Cowgres for its showdown with Inverness. Science under Rufert had also discovered a hitherto unknown principle while learning answers to the hyperdrive problem and a new weapon is developed which makes its journey in the Earth’s duplicate of Inverness Starship.

The Earthforce delegation arrives at Cowgres, meets with Inverness and tours the planet with her blessing. On their return to a village created by Inverness for their use they find an angry alien. She has discovered through her hypersight that a duplicate of her ship has been created by Earth science in a mere two galactic months and that it’s on its way to Cowgres armed with weapons of destruction. She then shows her true self as a ravenous beast whose real purpose was to learn about humanity so that she could use it as food, a concentrated energy source she desperately needs for her growth.

She attacks the delegation and kills and feeds on all but Dutch, who uses his Sensitives shield to ward off the awesome power of Inverness. At that moment the Earth starship is only light days from her star system. Inverness senses it and plans to destroy the ship as soon as it is in her range. It arrives, unaware that a murderous Inverness is waiting. A tremendous battle ensues and Earth’s starship is crippled. Earth’s Captain Buff Forgion uses the new weapon in the last instant of his ship’s life and Inverness near triumph is turned to victory for Earth.

Within I Wish I May you will find terror, love, adventure, intrigue, goodness and evil, along with lessons in life. The tale is built on plausible science. It is a hopeful and glorious tale in which humanity does indeed slip the surly bonds of Earth and spread its seed into the waiting heavens.

The outline of a story is only that, an outline. It is a place to come to, to be certain a story is going in the right direction. Much within a novel does not find its way into an outline, so little is given away by reading it. Yet, an outline gives a glimpse into the working mind of the author, and may entice you to want more. Much more awaits you within “I Wish I May.” I hope you like it.