Damn the Plasma - Let's Take This Nice and Slow After a year on Mars, flying a shuttle from the surface to orbital cargo pods as part of a questionable terraforming experiment, Emma is reluctant to separate from her three closest friends, Niko, Abby, and Naomi. She has three days at home with Anay and her family before she reports aboard Galileo, three uncomfortable days when the attention of all will be directed at her alone. As difficult as it may seem, one day, she will look back on this visit with fond memories of a simple time. Following a perilous visit to Proxima Centauri, Emma jumps from one star system to another, from one difficulty to another. As an inquisitive child, she was admonished for opening every proverbial door she encountered. It was a piece of advice she never forgot, or followed. Years later and many light years away, she wonders if her teacher's advice may have been wiser than she realized. Heartwarming and humorous, Damn the Plasma is a blend of hard science, close friendships, and occasional satire, building a literary world around four young naval officers and all they encounter. It is the first of four in a thoughtful, military science fiction series.