Nucleation

Helen Vectorovich holds the unique distinction of failing at first contact—and she did it in both virtual reality and outer space. Only the most elite teams of operators and navigators get to pilot in remote space-mining operations. And no one was better than Helen and her navigator. Together they secured a multibillion contract for establishing an interstellar gate to a distant star. But during a routine mission, what should have been an easy success turned deadly. Helen, grounded in a desk job, has overeager junior pilots jockeying to take her place, jealous corporate rivals, and nasty rumors blaming her for the botched mission. Meanwhile, Helen's new discovery in space—the Scale—seems to be... evolving. When someone—or something—wants to terminate her project, Helen must race to find out why before it is far too late.