Pilot X is a member of the time-traveling species of Alendans, but all he wants to do is fly his ship, the Verity. His people throw him in the middle of a time war anyway, so he makes peace. When he realizes too late that peace is not what the Alendans want, Pilot X must make a choice, and both options have implications for the entire universe.
First, let’s get this out of the way. A lone man, the last of his own race of time travelers, traverses time and space in his spaceship (that’s bigger on the inside) with wit and charm. Sound familiar? Yeah, bowties are cool.
Pilot X finds himself wrapped up in a plot of secrecy and betrayal, uncovering the motivations of his own hive-mind people and of the Progons (a race of electricity that lives in machines) and Sensurians (a unified megaorganism that can exist independently as a single-celled organism) in which they are conflicted. The timey-whimey time-travel plot is the heart of this novel, complete with time paradoxes and the complications thereof. And the humor is spot-on, as Pilot X receives a one-year mission and is instructed to meet back in twenty minutes.
Unfortunately, the character development is lacking. Pilot X has no personal life, no desires, and no relationships except with his ship Verity. His own timeline is long, and he rises in ranks from pilot, to ambassador, to instructor. Alas, not Professor X though. Despite some good ideas, I don’tot connect with the protagonist or antagonists or the world-building. The Progons and Sensurians do not live up to their potential.
Recommended as a fast-paced adventure for fans of Dr. Who!