Hyperkill (Paperback or Softback)

In the darkest corners of the galaxy, the deadliest weapon is a child's mind.
Hyperkill delivers a gripping space opera across the lawless fringes of the Galactic Syndicate.  This high-stakes sci-fi adventure plunges you into a universe of cutthroat pirates, shadowy assassins, and cosmic betrayal.  Perfect for fans of Ender's Game who crave a gritty, espionage-fueled thrill ride.  But infiltrating a pirate crew is only the first step into a much more dangerous trap.
Covert operative Pavan Khadorov thrives on secrets and clean escapes.  Shanghaied onto the pirate ship Ravager, his mission skews into locating a rumored super-weapon capable of destroying hyperspace travel.  He expects cold steel and advanced technology.  Instead, he finds sixteen kidnapped children.  These captive youths form a collective consciousness that shapes the very fabric of space and time.  They create miraculous energy shields and bend reality with a simple thought.  Pavan suddenly faces an agonizing choice between his strict mission protocols and his dormant humanity.  Can a hardened spy risk his own life to save innocent souls from his own government?
The Syndicate decides to annihilate the children to protect their empire.  The mysterious pirate captain weaponizes them for galactic looting.  Pavan must forge an uneasy alliance with an alluring pirate to orchestrate an impossible mutiny.  But everything Pavan tries just drains the children of their precious energy.  Their vibrant minds face extreme exhaustion and permanent burnout.  Time is running out rapidly as the enemy tightens the noose around the rebel ship.  And Pavan's brilliant but jealous wife, on the run from the Syndicate she can no longer tolerate, needs his help as well. Will Pavan pull off these ultimate rescue missions before the children break under the immense pressure or his wife dies under torture?
The galaxy teeters on the brink of total collapse.  Pavan has one desperate gambit left to play: pushing the young collective mind to pierce an entirely unknown, volatile dimension.  Opening that forbidden doorway might save them all or tear the entire universe apart.  When the hypershield drops and the lethal ion cannons start firing, who will survive the final jump?

Robert J. Muller is the author of several novels in the Menmenet series of alternate history mysteries and the historical mystery Murder at Mount Vernon. Bob lives in San Francisco. Find his biography and other novels on his website or on his Amazon Author page.