I’m Posting the First Chapters of a Story I Didn’t Expect to Write: I didn’t set out to write a science-fiction story about fleets, first contact, or the fate of civilizations.
I set out to write about two people meeting at a turning point in their lives—and choosing each other anyway.
The story starts small. Almost unremarkably so.
A man comes home after service, unsure what to do with the quiet.
A woman who seems grounded, kind, and far more perceptive than she lets on.
Family dinners. Awkward humor. Coffee. Choices that feel ordinary until you realize they aren’t.
Only later does the story widen.
And when it does, it asks questions I didn’t expect to be writing about:
What does power cost when it’s used carefully?
What happens when restraint fails—not morally, but situationally?
Can protection exist without domination?
And what does it mean to lead when the stakes are no longer theoretical?
This is not a story that rushes to spectacle.
It’s a story that believes character comes first, even when the universe gets involved.
I’m going to start sharing the opening chapters here—slowly, intentionally.
If you’re looking for instant explosions and easy answers, this may not be for you.
But if you’re interested in a story about love, family, choice, and what happens when humanity is forced to grow up without losing itself—I think you’ll want to keep reading.
The first arc is small by design.
The rest of the story… isn’t.