Heaven's Reach


Heaven's Reach is a science fiction novel by American writer David Brin, the third book in the Uplift Storm series. Like its two predecessors, it follows the adventures of the Terran scout ship, Streaker. This novel, though, features more alternate storylines than its predecessors, tracking not only the humans, but the Jijoan exiles as they re-enter mainstream Galactic society, the chimpanzee hyperspace scout Harry Harms, the Jophur as they chase the humans, and the humans hiding on the Jophur ship Polkjhy.

Synopsis

The book takes the Streakers off the planet Jijo and back in space. The ship attempts to escape capture by one of the ships still chasing after it, confiding in the protection of hydrogen life to do so. After returning to the Fractal World, where the Retired reside, a galaxy-shattering event occurs which shatters the hyperspace tunnels that connect the Five Galaxies as one of the Galaxies breaks free.
After they are chosen as candidates for transcendence, they meet the Transcendents around a white dwarf and learn of the history and motivations of their actions; their apprehension on the 'Embrace of Tides'; and a master plan executed at the moments of fracture, one which may just happen to fling a bottle into the expanses between galaxies for ancient friends to find. Flung out just before destruction, the Streaker returns to Earth with one trick left to play and end both Earth's siege and their journey in the void.