In this second blog post dedicated to introducing the diverse cast inhabiting THE GOLDEN ELLIPSE, meet Ping – the PTB’s alien adviser.

Ping

A member of an extraterrestrial cabal known as The Advisers, Ping’s first interactions with humans, begin at the nascency of the American Revolution. The pro-humanity aliens witnessed the epochal struggle to cast off tyranny and embrace the novel concept of individual liberty for the first time in our existence. Realizing the fragility of the revolutionary experiment, the small band of aliens seized the moment, revealing themselves and offering their advanced intellects and support to a whose-who of figures enshrined in history—from politics, military, science, and industry.

As for Ping, his advisory role entailed the formation of an extra-governmental entity designed to facilitate a deliberate and calculated rollout of advancements while ameliorating the inevitable backstabbing, squabbles, and skirmishes that go hand in glove with freedom of thoughts and deeds. The nebulous organization evolved into The Powers That Be. For the centuries to follow, Ping’s involvement through a host of world leaders leads to his ageless friendship and partnership with Artemus Pennywell, the PTB CEO.

Author’s Note: THE LOST SHIP, Book Two in the Powers That Be trilogy, details the initial meeting between Ping and Pennywell, providing the foundation for their extensive backstory.

Along with his alien cohorts, Ping’s contributions are relegated to an advisory role, akin to the non-interference directives throughout science fiction. Shying from accolades and attention, they prefer to stay behind the scenes purveying philosophical ideas and suggestions for paths forward while the ultimate decisions are left to human judgment. Their only reward is our advancement, should we decide to accept it. In the meantime, our weaknesses and foibles lead to wars and strife, imperiling our march to a transformative destiny. At the same time, malicious alien civilizations from throughout the universe descend on our tiny blue planet.

In THE GOLDEN ELLIPSE, the sage advice Ping offers to Artemus Pennywell sets the stage for the book’s cataclysmic end. At the same time, he is offered a chance to decipher the timeless gold relic, but even his keen extraterrestrial Gray intellect proves no match for the enigmatic gold ellipse.

That concludes the second installment in the Meet the Characters blog post series. Stay tuned for more introductions, including a top agent in the PTB.

The Powers That Be Trilogy

Starting with the just-released The Golden Ellipse, The Powers That Be Trilogy takes a cinematic approach in depicting the human condition through the prism of a brave couple pulled from obscurity to join forces with the PTB and save a world teetering between transcendence and extinction. As the trilogy moves into Books Two and Three, a sinister alliance of governments and moguls hellbent on supplanting the PTB at the top of the food chain grows more powerful and pernicious. Meanwhile, new threats from a marauding universe loom within our solar system.