Terran Incognito: Mission 2

by J.S. Morin

Sometimes you want to go where NOBODY knows your name.Space station Echo Niner remained neutral in the Earth/Mars civil war. For a pair of fugitives on the run from both sides, it sounded like the perfect place to regroup.

But Eric and Jessie Ramsey barely set foot aboard Echo Niner before getting embroiled in local disputes. Rival warlords divide the station into four zones, each under its own version of martial law. Separated by the teeming masses who call the station home, the siblings need to navigate the treacherous social landscape, discover allies, and reunite.

It doesn’t help that their cover gets blown.

Or that Earth Navy blockaded the station.

Or that Eric appears to be the backup plan.

The galaxy has it in for the Ramseys, and even neutral territory offers no solace. With factions clawing and scratching just for the privilege of turning them over for a reward, there’s only one way Eric and Jessie are going to get out of this together.

Terran Incognito is the second mission of Black Passage of Time, a science fantasy series set in the late 26th century. What if Futurama jumped 5 years ahead instead of 1000? What if Doc and Marty lost the car keys? What if Bonnie and Clyde were siblings instead of lovers? Passage of Time jolts the Black Ocean universe forward into new adventures and new perils with a new cast of zany misfits trying to outsmart the galaxy just to get by.

Strap in and hold on tight. Passage of Time is the latest series in the Black Ocean universe, and it’s going to be an action-packed, mystery-filled, madcap ride across the galaxy!

170 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 23, 2023

About the author

I am a creator of worlds and a destroyer of words. As a fantasy writer, my works range from traditional epics to futuristic fantasy with starships. I have worked as an unpaid Little League pitcher, a cashier, a student library aide, a factory grunt, a cubicle drone, and an engineer--there is some overlap in the last two.

Through it all, though, I was always a storyteller. Eventually I started writing books based on the stray stories in my head, and people kept telling me to write more of them. Now, that's all I do for a living.

I enjoy strategy, worldbuilding, and the fantasy author's privilege to make up words. I am a gamer, a joker, and a thinker of sideways thoughts. But I don't dance, can't sing, and my best artistic efforts fall short of your average notebook doodle. When you read my books, you are seeing me at my best.

My ultimate goal is to be both clever and right at the same time. I have it on good authority that I have yet to achieve it.

Reviews

[Kelly Peasgood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jessie and Eric Ramsey just want to fade into the safety of obscurity, but the universe has other plans for them.

While Jessie still sees herself as protector to her little brother, she has also come to the conclusion that without a minder, Eric has a very dangerous streak, although she doesn't truly understand his capabilities. Eric, on the other hand, recognizes Jessie's skills even if he doesn't understand how her mind works.

Both characters have a tendency to act without considering consequences (and show little remorse for past actions, including killing) that gives them an air of uncaring toward other people, in a way stressing that they only look out for themselves and each other, though Eric does have a certain empathy in his otherwise sociopathic understanding of the world. Eric's naivete toward the actions and thoughts of 'normal' humans (including prostitutes and drug pushers) is amusing, and while Jessie mistakes it for a careless attitude that might get him hurt, it actually outlines how truly safe Eric is in a world of petty thieves and ne'er-do-wells.

We see a glimpse of some of the various outside agencies and agendas at play in the background of the Black Ocean Universe that will try to control Jessie and Eric as they move forward in this new future that will evolve into further episodes of the adventures of the Ramsey offspring.

[Frank Carver · Rating 5 out of 5]

The action steps up, and so does the mystery

Eric and Jessie Ramsey managed to escape the clutches of the Martian authorities, and the Wizardly hands of Eric’s parole officers, at the end of Book 1, but they are a long way from being safe. Dumped on a supposedly-neutral space station, they try to blend in, but soon find that they are on everyone’s most-wanted list. Local warlords and station residents fight for the bounty on Jessie and Eric’s heads, while Earth’s navy blockades the station. Wizards from both Earth and Mars gather to attack, and behind it all, we see the machinations of the mysterious new emperor, who rules the terrified population of Earth.

This is a fast-paced book.and the action never lets up. The advantage swings wildly with fights, captures, escapes, bluffs and schemes in every direction. Where some of the other Black Ocean series are more speculative and character-driven, this one is turning into a great sci-fi thriller.

[Brett Wickersham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siblings Eric and Jessie Ramsey, hunted by wizards and military alike, have fled to space station Echo Niner, a neutral site in the Earth/Mars civil war. The station is split into zones and warlord factions based on the service the zone provides. The Ramseys start to fit in, and find their place, until an earth Navy Cruiser shows up, broadcasting a reward for their capture, and an intent to blockade the station. Now the Ramseys have to figure out a way off Echo Niner, all the while trying to evade capture.
I feel like with this installment, I really started to get a better feel for the characters, and the new world they have found themselves in. The first book in the series was an introduction to the characters and the situation. This installment, it truly felt like we got to know our protagonists. I'm excited to see where the ride takes us

[Faith Hakimian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all the Black Ocean stories so far, the scope of this one is rivalled only by the Astral Prime series. But unlike the huge ensemble cast of that series, the Passage of Time stories are so far very focused on Jessie and Eric, and that's one of its greatest strengths. Terran Incognito was a whirlwind of ceaseless action, set against a backdrop of a galaxy that is very familiar to Morin's long time readers, yet also eerily different. The result is a story that already has the potential to be my favorite of any of his stories. The characters are very well written, and there's a whole lot of moving pieces that have not yet come together, but that I have no doubt will do so in a couple of books in a truly wild way. And I look forward to reading it.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chaos at Echo Niner

With a bounty on their heads Eric and Jessie Ramsey thought they could hide out at the neutral space station Echo Niner. But a more than tempting amount of money to turn them over and orders from Earth Navy have other ideas.

This episode steps up the action and gives us more insight into the main characters and a hint of what is to come.

This was also fairly short and a quick, fun read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to the next installment.

[Karl Hakimian · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a good thing Eric's magic is at least a bit tempered by his not wanting to hurt anyone. Otherwise, he would outdo Mort in the scary department.

Lots of action in this one. Some enjoyable character growth and some interesting promises of things to come.

[Kevin Huff · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kids get to a neutral station. Trying to get settled in a future they don't belong. Sorting though the new balance of power in the galaxy.