BLACK TABLE

Jon and Gus, science fiction fans from Finland with a penchant for fist bumping and pop culture references, travel to the Portland Rose City Comic-Con to see their hero, Dr Wells, the founding father of sci-fi, give one of his rare public appearances. At the convention, tragedy strikes during the book signing when the elderly doctor has a heart attack, managing to scrawl three enigmatic words into Jon’s copy of his book as he says with his dying breath—“Jon, find the …”

They now must solve the puzzle of the three words that sees them taking a road trip to Vancouver Island, Canada, where they discover a Black Table. In trying to work out the technology, they accidentally activate it, jumping them to another Black Table on a planet inhabited by some massive lifeforms. Jumping away, on the next planet Gus (the brains of the pair) works to understand how to navigate home and Jon goes exploring. Jon befriends some locals, Thathonians, a father (Bartho) and his son (Kentho) whose mother disappeared after an Azon attack three years prior.

Bartho and Kentho have a little knowledge about the table. While sharing information, the water-dwelling Azons, apparently attack. The four jump to escape. When they return to the planet, Kentho is reunited with his mother, and Gus realises that ‘time’ is a missing factor in how Black Tables operates. During the reunion, Azons again attack. The five travellers jump to escape.

The planet Azonia is populated by Azons and Thathonians living in harmony. On greeting the leaders, Jon performs the first interstellar first contact greeting with a fist bump.

In their past in Finland, the newly arrived Gus, with his strange accent, was bullied at school. Sporty Jon befriends him and helps Gus to survive through school. In return, Gus introduces Jon to the world of science and science-fiction. Together, they grow up spending their free time immersed in the genre and imagining what it would be like to be out there, to meet other races and to explore the unknown.

On Azon, Jon and Gus learn the true enemy is Swarm—a mindless growth that is destroying the galaxy, leaving it void of all organic life. Two-thirds of the galaxy has already succumbed, and it is heading towards Earth. The Azons have been using the Black Table to network to fight the enemy—and they are losing.

To help themselves and their new friends, Jon and Gus find their vast knowledge of fiction useful in the fight against Swarm. Gus deduces that Swarm is attracted to the power source used by Black Tables. The network used to fight the menace is causing the problem!

A plan is devised to travel to the Tear in space where Swarm originates, close the Tear and draw Swarm to the gravity well of a black hole.

A spaceship with a Black Table is built. The ship is coated with gold to shield the power source, making them invisible to Swarm. Gus adds an extra feature, the internal doors swoosh like those in Star Trek. Leaving Kentho (who grows up to be Dr Wells) and his family behind, Jon and Gus travel on with Nova (love interest for Jon) and Uzano.

The plan is a success, although they barely escape with their lives. Their ship is damaged, and its Black Table in need of repair. They are lost in space, but they are optimistic they will find their way home to their respective planets and times.

Black Table is a fun account of the adventures of two likeable, wise-cracking friends who like nothing better than pranking each other. That is, except when they are not doing something more serious, like saving the universe.