THE HODMANDOD EFFECT

Lt. Austin Rooney is certain his latest mission involves suicide, but the only choice he has is to take it; or die on Earth with everyone else. Will he find life on a new earth? Or a new war to fight? In the 22nd century, global warming has finally won, and Earth is dying. A small crew of scientists, protected by an even smaller detachment of Federal Guard Soldiers led by Lt.. Austin Rooney, embark on the first mission to another solar system, hoping to find a planet suitable for human colonization. Their target is Ajax Strata Prime, a planet orbiting the star dubbed, Beta Comae Berenices. The crew discover a rival faction is in a race to the same planet, bent on claiming it as their own. Upon their arrival, Rooney and his team discover their enemies have vanished, without a trace, leaving only their ship and supplies in place and abandoned. The only creatures on the planet that seem to be carnivorous or extremely slow. They are so slow that a quick walk would outpace them. Yet, they seem to be too plenteous for only being able to eat animals that are dying or dead. Soon, the crew begins to experience phases of dementia, and start to disappear. To add to Rooney's troubles is the news another ship from the rival faction would be arriving with many soldiers to eliminate them all. Time is short to win the fight against the planet, and those who are coming to destroy them.