The Eternal Strain

In the vast reaches of the galaxy, immortality is no longer a dream—it’s a curse.

When Rylan Kael and his team of rogue adventurers uncover a cryptic lead on an alien artifact rumored to grant eternal youth, their search takes them into the darkest corners of the universe. From black-market archives guarded by the ruthless General Zara Nix to a biohazardous quarantined planet teeming with sentient parasites, every step brings them closer to the truth—and the deadly cost of the artifact’s power.

The team faces relentless dangers: parasitic organisms with a sinister intelligence, enigmatic codes embedded in DNA strands, and ancient alien messages hinting at humanity’s engineered origins. As they unravel the mysteries, they learn the artifact is more than a miracle—it’s a Pandora’s box. It rewrites DNA to restore youth but permanently binds its users to a parasitic network, turning them into hosts for eternity.

Beneath the danger, personal stakes ignite. Sparks, the team’s wisecracking engineer, races to outsmart the artifact’s deadly traps. Mei Takahashi, a fierce scout with neural implants, discovers a pattern in the parasites’ behavior that could change everything. Elias Toren, a linguist haunted by questions of legacy, deciphers messages from an alien civilization that shaped life across the galaxy. And Rylan, the team’s leader with a cybernetic past, must face impossible choices as the artifact’s power tempts those he trusts most—including their mysterious benefactor, Sebastian Lorne.

But as rival forces close in and betrayals loom, the team must confront the ultimate question: What price are they willing to pay for the gift of eternity?

Blending hard science, razor-sharp humor, and the pulse-pounding thrill of interstellar adventure, The Eternal Strain is a journey into the unknown—where the quest for immortality collides with the cost of humanity.

Will they escape with their lives, or will the price of eternal youth consume them all?

Hard Science Fiction