Einstein's Question

"Welcome. Welcome, Edward Sedgley, to the Holy Planet!" This greeting marks the start of a mission that snatches one theoretical physicist from the relative comfort of academic life to be trained as one of the Guardians, extra-terrestrial beings responsible for the stability of the universe. He and his fellow student, Rabyd, metamorphose into a single entity, Tresargus, which is instrumental in preventing the invasion of earth by the Zetoids, an alien life form bent on universal expansion and domination. His former friends and colleagues are caught up in the conflict, each with a major role to play, and even after the Zetoids are defeated, a greater battle awaits them. Their universe is but one of many and now the entire Multiverse is threatened with destruction by a rogue universe. Together with Borel and Perigon, the last two surviving Zetoids, Ruth and Paul follow a similar journey to Edward's. The Guardians send them to the Philia, higher beings responsible for the Multiverse. What they learn challenges everything they believe and understand and they each respond in different ways - Borel is destroyed and Ruth escapes to follow her own path leaving Tresargus, Paul and Perigon to infiltrate and attack the rogue universe. Andy and Mary remain on Earth trying to rebuild their shattered civilisation aware that humans must atone for the destruction they have wrought on their world. A new civilisation will evolve but only if the Multiverse itself can be saved...
About the Author: Steve & Deja Whitehouse met when they were working together in central London and they now live in Laleham in Middlesex. They share a passion for books and music, although their individual tastes vary considerably. Steve moved into IT consultancy after studying physics at Leicester University, culminating in a PhD in Theoretical Physics. He has been able to combine business consultancy with his part time post-doctoral studies at Royal Holloway College. He has published numerous papers on a variety of subjects including a ground breaking paper on Dark Energy that resulted in a featured article in the New Scientist in 1999. Deja s parents and older brother were avid readers and her father wrote prodigious amounts of poetry as well as several novels. Unlike Steve, Deja dropped science at the earliest possible opportunity, concentrating on history and the arts. She graduated from Hull University with a respectable degree in Classical Studies and progressed from administration to IT support and training. She now works as a consultant, developing high quality business documentation. Although Deja had tried her hand at women s short fiction and started a novel, it was only when Steve invited her to work with him on his book that she really focused her efforts. This was an opportunity to combine their individual fields of interest and develop their shared enthusiasm for history and philosophy. Completing the book and preparing for publication has been an incredible experience for them both - definitely hard work, but worth every minute."