Challenger's Hope
Encyclopedia
Challenger's Hope is a 1995 science fiction
novel
by David Feintuch
and is the second book in the Seafort Saga
. It is the sequel to Midshipman's Hope
and is followed by Prisoner's Hope
.
decides to make Challenger his flagship, under the command of Captain
Hasselbrad. Seafort is given command of the Admiral
's far smaller original flagship
, UNS Portia. Tremaine's task force has the task of reaching Hope Nation, and eliminating any aliens
found on the way.
Portia is given the task of transporting a group of Lower New York 'transpops' - uneducated and often violent street children - to the colony
of Detour beyond Hope Nation. Seafort initially sees the transpops as simply a danger to his ship (drugging or imprisoning them were considered as solutions). The squadron is attacked by Fish that board Portia, releasing their lethal virus
into the ship and killing dozens of her crew and passengers, including Seafort's baby son. Shortly after this Amanda Seafort, driven insane by grief, commits suicide
, and Nicholas suffers a temporary breakdown as a result.
After his recovery, Portia encounters Tremaine's flagship Challenger, crippled by a Fish attack. Seafort is transferred to the ship and is left alone, save for passengers and crew that Tremaine hates, including the transpops, and abandoned in space. After overcoming a mutiny
, Seafort sets about preparing Challenger for an eighty-year voyage back to Earth, conscripting passengers into the Naval Service and scavenging what is possible from the wreaked sections of the ship. Barely weeks into the trip radiation
from the ship's damaged propulsion
systems attracts the aliens, leading to a series of desperate battles in which Challenger is further damaged, and more of her already tiny crew killed. Ultimately Seafort uses his dying ship to ram an alien, only for it to Fuse (accelerate to faster than light speed) taking Challenger with it. For sixty days Challenger remains lodged in the alien, her crew dying of malnutrition until, almost miraculously the Fish Defuses in the solar system itself.
In the aftermath of the voyage, Seafort meets his father in a naval base on the moon, and is given command of his old ship, Hibernia, to return to Hope Nation.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by David Feintuch
David Feintuch
David Feintuch was a science fiction and fantasy author and attorney. He was the 1996 winner of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in Science Fiction...
and is the second book in the Seafort Saga
Seafort Saga
The Seafort Saga is a series of science fiction novels written by American author David Feintuch. The novels are set from the late-22nd century to the mid-23rd century and relate the adventures of Nicholas Seafort, an officer in the United Nations Naval Service...
. It is the sequel to Midshipman's Hope
Midshipman's Hope
Midshipman's Hope is a 1994 science fiction novel by David Feintuch, and the first book in the Seafort Saga. It depicts the first voyage of UNNS officer Nicholas Seafort, and is followed by Challenger's Hope.-Plot:...
and is followed by Prisoner's Hope
Prisoner's Hope
Prisoner's Hope is a 1995 science fiction novel by David Feintuch and is the third book in the Seafort Saga. It is the sequel to Challenger's Hope and is followed by Fisherman's Hope....
.
Plot
Nicholas Seafort, newly assigned commander of UNS. Challenger and part of Admiral Geoffrey Tremaine's task force, has his ship taken from him when the AdmiralAdmiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
decides to make Challenger his flagship, under the command of Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
Hasselbrad. Seafort is given command of the Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
's far smaller original flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
, UNS Portia. Tremaine's task force has the task of reaching Hope Nation, and eliminating any aliens
Extraterrestrial life in popular culture
In popular cultures, "extraterrestrials" are life forms — especially intelligent life forms— that are of extraterrestrial origin .-Historical ideas:-Pre-modern:...
found on the way.
Portia is given the task of transporting a group of Lower New York 'transpops' - uneducated and often violent street children - to the colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
of Detour beyond Hope Nation. Seafort initially sees the transpops as simply a danger to his ship (drugging or imprisoning them were considered as solutions). The squadron is attacked by Fish that board Portia, releasing their lethal virus
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
into the ship and killing dozens of her crew and passengers, including Seafort's baby son. Shortly after this Amanda Seafort, driven insane by grief, commits suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, and Nicholas suffers a temporary breakdown as a result.
After his recovery, Portia encounters Tremaine's flagship Challenger, crippled by a Fish attack. Seafort is transferred to the ship and is left alone, save for passengers and crew that Tremaine hates, including the transpops, and abandoned in space. After overcoming a mutiny
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
, Seafort sets about preparing Challenger for an eighty-year voyage back to Earth, conscripting passengers into the Naval Service and scavenging what is possible from the wreaked sections of the ship. Barely weeks into the trip radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
from the ship's damaged propulsion
Spacecraft propulsion
Spacecraft propulsion is any method used to accelerate spacecraft and artificial satellites. There are many different methods. Each method has drawbacks and advantages, and spacecraft propulsion is an active area of research. However, most spacecraft today are propelled by forcing a gas from the...
systems attracts the aliens, leading to a series of desperate battles in which Challenger is further damaged, and more of her already tiny crew killed. Ultimately Seafort uses his dying ship to ram an alien, only for it to Fuse (accelerate to faster than light speed) taking Challenger with it. For sixty days Challenger remains lodged in the alien, her crew dying of malnutrition until, almost miraculously the Fish Defuses in the solar system itself.
In the aftermath of the voyage, Seafort meets his father in a naval base on the moon, and is given command of his old ship, Hibernia, to return to Hope Nation.