J.S. Morin

The escape pods are long gone. A distress beacon is still active. Chase off the pirates and the wreck is all theirs. What was a crime scene moments before just became legitimate salvage, fair game for an opportunistic starship captain. Carl Ramsey is that opportunist. His crew of misfits includes his ex-wife as pilot, a drunken mechanic, a predatory bodyguard, and an outcast wizard from the Convocation. On their best days, they’re a well-oiled machine, capable of taking on any challenge. In theory. If that ever happened, Carl would be as shocked as anyone. In the meantime, they're a crew in need of terras, and the galaxy doesn't give those out for free. Jobs come and go, but the cost of fuel is always chasing a ship like its own ion trail. A good captain just keeps his crew from killing one another, getting dusted by pirates, and earning however they can. Nobody pays for easy work, and every job comes with its own surprises—never the good kind. Welcome to life out in the Black Ocean. ...where you can’t always get what you want. But if you try, sometimes... You’ll get what you need. Salvage Trouble is the first mission of Black Ocean, a science fantasy series set in the 26th century. Do you wish there had been a second season of Firefly? Do you love the irreverent fun of Guardians of the Galaxy? Have you ever wondered how Star Wars would have turned out if Luke and Obi-wan had ditched the rebellion to become smugglers with Han and Chewie? Then Black Ocean is the series for you! Pick up your copy of Salvage Trouble, and aim to misbehave with the crew of the Mobius.

Mission 1

Salvage Trouble

Galaxy Outlaws

The job: a delivery, no questions asked. The problem: curiosity is a deadly sin. A simple pickup and delivery. No questions asked; no looking inside the cargo. All it requires is a fast, stealthy ship and a crew who can keep their imaginations and consciences in check until the drop-off. The Mobius is up to the task, but when the crew can't control their curiosity, they're faced with a moral dilemma. Do they cut their losses? Contact the authorities? Take the money and run? Or do they get talked into the stupidest, most reckless, and least profitable course of action they could possibly take? Doing the right thing. A Smuggler’s Conscience is the second mission of Black Ocean, a science fantasy series set in the 26th century. Do you wish there had been a second season of Firefly? Do you love the irreverent fun of Guardians of the Galaxy? Have you ever wondered how Star Wars would have turned out if Luke and Obi-wan had ditched the rebellion to become smugglers with Han and Chewie? Then Black Ocean is the series for you! I’ll just leave this copy of A Smuggler’s Conscience right here. And hey, it’s not your fault if you can’t help looking.

Mission 2

A Smuggler's Conscience

Bryce Anderson

Karpov Kinrade

Becca Mills

Richard Levesque

Misha Burnett

Russ Linton

Van Allen Plexico

Jefferson Smith

Dave Higgins

Christopher Ruz

Brett Adams

Regina Richards

Graham Storrs

Belinda Mellor

The 2016 ImmerseOrDie Anthology. What do you get when you ask 34 of today's top indie authors to each submit a story and then ask a team of ruthless judges to scour that ore and pick out the gems? You get All These Shiny Worlds: A world of today, divided, black from white, good from evil, and held apart by the taste of a cookie. A world of griffons and glimmer bunnies, wise old mothers, sassy llamas, and the magic of beer. A world of contemplation and serenity, of service and devotion, ruled by a jewel and guarded by children. Plus 12 more, for a total of 15 worlds to explore. From the brutal curators at ImmerseOrDie.com comes this collection of indie short stories, each a distinct jewel forged in the fires of judgment, and all carrying one simple promise: Guaranteed not to suck.

The 2016 ImmerseOrDie Anthology

All These Shiny Worlds

In a crime family, there’s a thin line between the Christmas list and the hit list. When the crew of the Mobius takes on passenger Bryce Brisson to make some easy money, they find themselves caught up in his business dealings with Tanny’s estranged family: the Rucker Syndicate. On top of that, Tanny has exhausted her supply of the drugs she needs to keep up her enhanced marine physiology. But will Carl double-cross family to make his payday, or dive headlong into a trap that wasn’t meant for him? If he plays this wrong, he risks making enemies of the most ruthless gangsters on Mars. Poets and Piracy is the third mission of Black Ocean, a science fantasy series set in the 26thcentury. Do you wish there had been a second season of Firefly? Do you love the irreverent fun of Guardians of the Galaxy? Have you ever wondered how Star Wars would have turned out if Luke and Obi-wan had ditched the rebellion to become smugglers with Han and Chewie? Then Black Ocean is the series for you! Pick up your copy of Poets and Piracy, and remember whose side you’re on.

Mission 3

Poets and Piracy

These days, even the humans are built by robots. Charlie7 is the progenitor of a mechanical race he built from the ashes of a dead world—Earth. He is a robot of leisure and idle political meddling—a retirement well-earned. Or he was, until a human girl named Eve was dropped in his lap. Geneticists have restored Earth’s biome and begun repopulation. But primate cloning is in its infancy; human cloning is banned. Far from a failed genetics experiment, Eve is brilliant, curious, and heartbreakingly naïve about her species’ history. But Eve’s creator wants her back and has a gruesome fate planned for her. There is only one robot qualified to protect her. For the first time in a thousand years, Charlie7 has a human race to protect. A.I. didn’t destroy humanity. It didn’t save us, either. The robots we built in our final days preserved human minds. They survived the end of life on Earth and embarked on the greatest single project in all recorded history. They rebuilt. The result of 1,000 years of genetic engineering, terraforming, and painstaking toxic cleanup has resulted in the ultimate achievement of the Post-Invasion Age: a healthy human. Her name is Eve14. Don’t ask about the 13 Eves before her. Or do, because that’s the reason why she’s in danger, and why one brave robot puts his millennium-long life on the line to save her. Welcome back to the Golden Age of science fiction, when scientists had planet-sized dreams and robots were robots. Grab your copy while there’s still an Earth left to read it on.

Extinction Reversed

War-Bringer

She killed her brother. She saved his son. Can one good deed repay a blood debt? When a foiled bounty job results in the Mobius rescuing Mriy’s nephew, they divert course for Meyang to deliver him home. Upon her return, Mriy finds that gratitude and resentment don’t cancel out. Instead of the welcome she hoped to earn, she finds herself challenged to a ritual hunt to earn back her rightful place in the family. But with the whole clan turned against her, where can Mriy turn for allies? …yeah, she’s not too happy about being stuck with them, either. To Err is Azrin is the fourth mission of Black Ocean, a science fantasy series set in the 26thcentury. Do you wish there had been a second season of Firefly? Do you love the irreverent fun of Guardians of the Galaxy? Have you ever wondered how Star Wars would have turned out if Luke and Obi-wan had ditched the rebellion to become smugglers with Han and Chewie? Then Black Ocean is the series for you! Pick up your copy of To Err is Azrin, and learn who your friends really are.

Mission 4

To Err is Azrin

The need for speed meets the need for greed. Ex-starfighter pilot Carl Ramsey, now captain of the Mobius, can't watch race pilots without scoffing that they've never faced hostile fire. When the ship's mechanic and warp drive wizard can't take it anymore, they goad Carl into entering a racing contest to prove it. Carl packs his bags, and his ego, and enters the Silde Slims Cadet Racer Challenge. With 250,000 terras prize money, it would be the biggest score yet for the crew of the Mobius. Of course, Carl's not satisfied just racing to win. He hatches a plot for an even bigger score, dragging in an eliminated racer, an old squadron mate, and an unwitting corporate accomplice. With so many moving parts and Carl's seat-of-the-pants planning, what could possibly go...right? Can the Mobius crew keep it together long enough to finally put together a big payday? Or will their plan, and Carl's ship, crash and burn? Alien Racer is the fifth mission of Black Ocean, a science fantasy series set in the 26th century. Do you wish there had been a second season of Firefly? Do you love the irreverent fun of Guardians of the Galaxy? Have you ever wondered how Star Wars would have turned out if Luke and Obi-wan had ditched the rebellion to become smugglers with Han and Chewie? Then Black Ocean is the series for you! Pick up your copy of Alien Racer, crank up the engines, and race for the cash!

Mission 5

Alien Racer

Guardian of the Plundered Tomes

The Rodek Less Traveled

Technically Flawed

There's a new crime lord in this galaxy. Time to make crime actually pay. Carl Ramsey had a derelict battleship and a hundred stranded navy veterans fall into his lap. With Earth Navy happier pretending none of them existed, it only seemed logical to turn them into a criminal empire. Of course, when 95% of your employees have clean criminal records and by-the-book instincts, there are bound to be some bumps along the way. Never one to take failure lying down, Carl enlists the help of some old squadron mates to show the newcomers how to make a living on the wrong side of the law. Unfortunately, Carl has a blind spot for his fellow Half-Devils. Will one rogue take building a dangerous reputation too far, and get them all killed in the process? Adventure Capital is the 9th mission of Black Ocean, a science fantasy series set in the 26th century. Do you wish there had been a second season of Firefly? Do you love the irreverent fun of Guardians of the Galaxy? Have you ever wondered how Star Wars would have turned out if Luke and Obi-wan had ditched the rebellion to become smugglers with Han and Chewie? Then Black Ocean is the series for you! Pick up your copy of Adventure Capital, and aim to misbehave with the crew of the Mobius.

Mission 9

Adventure Capital

One man’s crash is another man’s treasure. “Blackjack, this is Scarecrow. I finally found it. We’re going to be rich.” Carl Ramsey gets a comm from an old squadron mate with a lead on the salvage of a lifetime: an ARGO battleship. The ENV Odysseus doesn’t just represent more money than the Mobius crew has ever seen, it could provide answers on what became of the last ship Carl ever served aboard during his time in the navy. But experimental battleships don’t just fall from the sky, and the Mobius will have to overcome whatever caused the Odysseus to crash in the first place. On an uncharted moon outside ARGO controlled space, Carl and the crew will have to contend not only with local wildlife and warring factions among the survivors, but a mysterious magical effect that renders technology inert. With the Mobius unable to fly and more potential peril than profit, can Carl bring himself to pull the plug on the salvage plan and just find a way to escape? Of course not. It’s time to double down, double cross, and find a way to still get rich. Because some treasures just might be worth dying for. Moon of Odysseus is the eighth mission of Black Ocean, a science fantasy series set in the 26th century. Do you wish there had been a second season of Firefly? Do you love the irreverent fun of Guardians of the Galaxy? Have you ever wondered how Star Wars would have turned out if Luke and Obi-wan had ditched the rebellion to become smugglers with Han and Chewie? Then Black Ocean is the series for you! Pick up your copy of Moon of Odysseus, and join the hunt for the biggest score the Mobius has ever made!

Mission 8

Moon of Odysseus

Never look a strange wizard in the eye. The problem: all wizards are strange. Mort has been on the run from the Convocation for decades. Time and again, they've tried—and failed—to capture him. But a new adversary is taking a crack at claiming the bounty on Mort. Someone has done extensive homework, and found the weakness in Mort's armor. Now the Mobius will become a battleground, putting Mort in a double bind: to save himself, he just might have to kill the entire crew; if he wants to save them, the only way out might be surrender. Will Mort go quietly, or gamble that he can win a showdown with a wizard who has devoted years of study to defeating him? Siege of Mortania is the seventh mission of Black Ocean, a science fantasy series set in the 26thcentury. Do you wish there had been a second season of Firefly? Do you love the irreverent fun of Guardians of the Galaxy? Have you ever wondered how Star Wars would have turned out if Luke and Obi-wan had ditched the rebellion to become smugglers with Han and Chewie? Then Black Ocean is the series for you! Pick up your copy of Siege of Mortania, and find out what goes on in a wizard’s head!

Mission 7

Siege of Mortania

If you can't beat 'em, hijack 'em. Push a man hard enough and long enough and he's going to push back. Carl Ramsey finally has a plan to deal with transgalactic megacorp Harmony Bay. With the aid of a new ace up his sleeve, the Mobius crew finally have a heist that can put an end to the company's harassment. They're going to steal the ship responsible for Harmony Bay's black ops. Of course, this is no pleasure cruiser they're planning to steal. Armed like a naval ship and with a complement of wizards all its own, the Harmony Bay ship Bradbury is no easy mark. This time, Carl might have picked a foe that's too much for his crew to handle. Stowaway to Heaven is the 12th mission of Black Ocean, a science fantasy series set in the 26th century. Do you wish there had been a second season of Firefly? Do you love the irreverent fun of Guardians of the Galaxy? Have you ever wondered how Star Wars would have turned out if Luke and Obi-wan had ditched the rebellion to become smugglers with Han and Chewie? Then Black Ocean is the series for you! Pick up your copy of Stowaway to Heaven, and aim to misbehave with the crew of the Mobius.

Mission 12

Stowaway to Heaven

No good life goes unpunished. It seemed like a safe enough gig. A week aboard a One Church missionary ship. Bland entertainment for respectable money. A place where the family could relax and let their guard down. Until the pirates attacked. Alone in alien space, the missionaries are sitting ducks. When the hijackers commandeer the vessel, Mort and the Ramseys get split up. Each has to handle their own problems, whether that's telling jokes to keep murderous aliens amused, trying to collect all the kids with at least one parent, or refraining from wrecking an entire starship with magic. If you take over a ship with enough people aboard, a few are bound to slip through the cracks. And one of those just might be a teenager with little respect for authority and none for the pirates who've taken his family hostage. The Good Die Young is the third mission of Black Ocean: Mirth & Mayhem. It follows a mismatched duo of itinerant comedian and outlaw wizard as they roam the galaxy trying to eke out a living and stay ahead of the consequences of their actions. Black Ocean: Mirth & Mayhem looks back at an earlier era in the Black Ocean universe, and returning readers will get to see how some of their favorite characters came to be. Fans of morally gray heroes and slick talking conmen will love this series. Grab your copy before someone else does.

The Good Die Young

It's time to fight dark with dark. Tiffany knows what happened. Esper has fallen to the darkness within her. Rather than fleeing to safety, she escapes the presence of Dark Esper to find a way to bring back the woman she thinks of as a mother. But before she can drag Esper down the road to redemption, she'll first have to wade into hell to find her. Meanwhile, Esper is being hunted by the latest in a long string of bounty hunters and assassins looking to collect the astronomical price on her head. What makes this one think she's got any better chance than all the rest that have tried and failed? This one looks like an old friend. Mortanian Rhapsody is the twelfth mission of Black Ocean: Mercy for Hire. Set in the Black Ocean Universe, it continues the saga of the galaxy's sweetest bounty hunter and her loyal sidekick (who is NOT a dog!) and introduces a colorful cast for new and returning readers alike. Fans of vigilante justice and heroes who exemplify the word will love this series.

Mortanian Rhapsody

The galaxy isn't ready for Mort and Chuck. A traveling con man poses as a vintage comedian, touring the galaxy with his wife and kids in tow. When he picks up a hitchhiking wizard desperate to flee Earth, they become a hilarious mixed family. Crime, comedy, and magical mayhem are in store. Mission 1: Know When to Run A prominent wizard makes a deadly mistake and runs out his welcome on Earth. A shady comedian with a family and his own starship decides that a wizard hitchhiker is a risk worth taking. Despite bounty hunters, crime syndicates, and magical law enforcement on their trail, he just may be right. Mission 2: Low Flyer Sometimes lying low means flying low. Chuck and Mort head to a dusty colony in border space, hoping to let their pursuers lose their trail. But old debts and the hijinks of Chuck's son Brad make sure this is anything but rest and relaxation. Mission 3: The Good Die Young Chuck books a gig on a missionary ship operating outside ARGO space. Surely they have to be beyond the reach of the Convocation here, right? As it turns out, wizards aren't the only threat in the galaxy, and beyond ARGO's smothering law and order, pirates operate with impunity. ...and missionary ships are unarmed. Mission 4: Lyin' Guys The missionary ship incident caught the attention of the Convocation all the way back on Earth. Now, suspecting they have Mort cornered, a hand-picked team of wizard-killers is sent to collect his skull. Brute force won't save them. There's nowhere to run. There's only one way out: lying like their lives depend on it. Bonus Short Story: Unfamiliar Customs Chuck Ramsey has never been able to say no to easy money. What could be easier than transporting a family of ratatoret to their new home? Black Ocean: Mirth & Mayhem follows a mismatched duo of itinerant comedian and outlaw wizard as they roam the galaxy trying to eke out a living and stay ahead of the consequences of their actions. Black Ocean: Mirth & Mayhem looks back at an earlier era in the Black Ocean universe, and returning readers will get to see how some of their favorite characters came to be. Fans of morally gray heroes and slick talking conmen will love this series. Grab your copy before someone else does.</p>

Mirth & Mayhem Mission Pack 1

It's not the crime, it's the coverup. A missionary ship hijacked by pirates. Legion of armed aliens burnt to a crisp. At the Convocation, something doesn't add up, and when the Grand Council gets word, they launch an investigation. Now, anyone who was aboard the missionary vessel is a suspect. There was a wizard aboard, and until the Convocation inquisitors are satisfied, anyone on that ship might be the most wanted wizard in the galaxy in disguise. Lyin' Guys is the fourth mission of Black Ocean: Mirth & Mayhem. It follows a mismatched duo of itinerant comedian and outlaw wizard as they roam the galaxy trying to eke out a living and stay ahead of the consequences of their actions. Black Ocean: Mirth & Mayhem looks back at an earlier era in the Black Ocean universe, and returning readers will get to see how some of their favorite characters came to be. Fans of morally gray heroes and slick talking conmen will love this series. Grab your copy before someone else does.

J.S. Morin

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