Celestial Horizons - Richard Lloyd

When brilliant but restless hacker Timothy Thomas intercepts a strange signal in the California desert, his life is upended. The cryptic data, marked only by the word Merath, draws him into a hidden world of alien alliances, interstellar trade, and conspiracies that stretch across planets.

Guided by Jeffrey Osier, an eccentric trucker with a knack for finding trouble, Tim ventures beyond Area 51 and through the mysterious bores connecting Earth to distant worlds. On Merath, a breathtaking planet under twin suns, Tim meets Axia, a native torn between loyalty to her people and her growing connection to him. Together they uncover Mark Zimmer's treacherous plot to seize the galaxy's most powerful secret: a mythical trade route known as El Dorado.

From the neon glow of Las Vegas to glass-domed alien cities and prehistoric worlds, Celestial Horizons is a thrilling odyssey of betrayal, discovery, and love across worlds. As Tim races to outwit enemies both human and alien, he must decide where his loyalties lie and what he's willing to sacrifice to protect the people and the secrets he's come to care for.