Hi! This chapter is pure housekeeping, so feel free to skip if you’d like.
This is just some extra information about the story, what to expect, how to read it, and about me (the author).
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What is The Europa Station Chronicles?
The Europa Station Chronicles is a near-future sci-fi epic featuring all the suspense and intrigue of Tom Clancy's cold war-era political thrillers, but with a contemporary, space-based reimagining. It follows the stories of members of the Space Corps, a fictional paramilitary agency created to stand at the forefront of humanity's first steps into the cosmos. Each book has its own main characters and its own unique storyline, although there's significant overlap between them. All of the characters are in all of the books, but the protagonist in one may be just a background character in another.
This series focuses just as much on the politics of space exploration as it does on the actual science. Since it takes place a mere few decades in the future, there's no interstellar travel, space battles, or anything that can't be explained by our current understanding of science. They aren't fighting galactic monsters - they've barely figured out how to mine an asteroid. That being said, this doesn't mean there won't be room for the dark and mysterious. In fact, unexplained natural phenomena may just be a central plot point.
Oh, and remember - the biggest threat to humans has always been other people. Just putting that out there.
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Synopsis
Volume I: The Things We Fear (Ongoing): A Space Corps scouting vessel vanishes from the outer reaches of the solar system without a trace. Meanwhile, back at the Europa Station, General Moore, director of the Space Corps’ Intelligence wing, follows rumors of an espionage plot – a saboteur within their own ranks seeking to overthrow the Corps’ leadership. General Minerva Gray quietly investigates both of these incidents, but the closer she gets to answers, the more she fears for her safety.
Volume 0: Delights of Eden (Complete): This standalone prequel follows the story of Chief Commander Harlow during the war and includes flashbacks to his time as a cadet, with the past providing further context to the action unfolding in the present. This volume takes place 10-20 years before the main series and is light on worldbuilding and sci-fi elements, instead focusing on plot development and character-specific lore. This is not an action-packed, gritty war story, but rather an introspective look at an officer’s deepest internal struggles with authority, morality, and himself. While the rest of the series should probably be read in chronological order, this volume is a true standalone with its own self-contained storyline that can be understood without any additional context. Delights of Eden has been collected into a separate volume. You can find it here.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
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A few things to know before you get started:
* I've been writing this story since around 2020-ish, although I've had the idea for over a decade.
* All of my work is pre-written so I can maintain a consistent upload schedule and keep putting out content regularly. I pre-schedule the chapter releases, and while that’s going I'm working on the next volume.
* My current upload schedule is 2X per week. Right now I've got a chapters going up on Tuesdays and Fridays. I may also take a hiatus in between volumes to work on developmental edits, but I've got plans for additional content in the meantime such as bonus chapters and character art. I usually take a break during the summer and again at the end of the year due to holidays, work, and family commitments, and also to give myself time to refresh my creativity. Writers are human, after all.
* Everything I post here has been thoroughly proofread and professionally edited. Is that a bit overkill? Yes. Am I still going to do it because I’m a perfectionist? Absolutely. I have a very high commitment to quality.
* I’m not a professional writer, and I don’t do this for a living. For me, writing is a hobby. While I try to maintain a consistent schedule, there may be unforeseen delays.
* The Royal Road version of this story is subject to change. While it's as complete as I can make it, some parts might be revised, rearranged, or adapted to suit another medium. This is also the SFW version – there are some parts that have been censored to make it PG-13. The full text is available elsewhere. These changes are minor, and about 98% of the text is unaffected.
* If you'd like more updates and further info, please consider following me on Instagram (@chris.writes.books). That’s my primary form of outreach. You can listen to me ramble ad nauseum!
* Finished volumes are available in both paperback and eBook formats. These will be published under the name on my profile (which is my pen name) in select online stores. Please report any pirated or suspicious versions of this story if you see them elsewhere. The online stores I've chosen to use (including Amazon) can be found through the link in my bio.
* This story is not stubbing and never will. I have no plans to put it on KU, ever. There will always be a free version of my work available, and I plan to keep it that way for the indefinite future.
* This story is entirely AI-free. It was written by a human, edited by a human, and any art or illustrations you see were drawn by a human. No part of this work may be used to train generative AI models.
* I have a Patreon! If you'd like to support my work, feel free to follow me there. I have multiple tiers at different price points offering rewards such as bonus content, early access to chapters before they go live on Royal Road, access to the Discord server, and even signed physical copies. And if subscription-based models aren't your cup of tea, I also have a "Buy me a Coffee" account if you'd like to make a one-time donation (link in bio). All of this goes directly to funding my work so I can continue creating stories. Donations are never expected, but always appreciated.
This is my own original, copyrighted work. The first chapter of this volume was uploaded on Royal Road in October of 2024.
Now, without further ado, on to the story.