Pirate's Moon

Synopsis

In the tradition of Dead Calm and Alien, Pirates' Moon is a thriller set in the near future just outside Jupiter's moon Callisto. Zoe and Ty, a young married couple, have just concluded a botanical expedition. As their small craft, the Penelope, heads back to Earth, it's clear that the months of extended isolation have strained their relationship. Zoe, a scientist, is pressuring her husband to have a child. Terrified by the very idea, Ty, a gifted pilot, has secretly made plans to join a long-term deep space expedition that leaves shortly after they return. When Zoe learns that her husband has taken the assignment behind her back, she fears their marriage has come completely unraveled.

Just outside the Jovian system, Ty picks up a faint distress signal. After scanning the area, he locates a battered escape pod hurtling toward them. He locks and docks the pod. Inside the little craft, they find a bloody, unconscious cop named Barton. Hours later, Barton regains consciousness. Agitated and frightened, he sputters that he and his partner work the piracy beat. They got ambushed boarding a hijacked freighter. Blasting their way to the escape pod, his partner got shot by one of the hijackers. Yet Barton is certain his partner is still alive. He begs them to return to the freighter to rescue his wounded partner. In private, Zoe says no way, too risky. Ty counters that they can't just leave the poor guy to die.

Despite his wife's objections, Ty takes Barton to his ship in the Penelope's small rover. But once on board, Ty and Barton discover the bodies of the hijackers. Someone got to them before they could. Unfortunately, someone has also sabotaged the ship's engines that are now in the process of shutting down. After searching the area, they stumble upon Barton's wounded partner. He's still alive. The two men split up so Barton can get his partner back to the rover while Ty makes a quick stop to retrieve some stolen contraband. Unfortunately, Barton loses contact with Ty, abandons him on the freighter and heads back to the Penelope alone. Zoe is shocked when Barton returns alone. He tells her that Ty is already dead. Grief-stricken, she believes Barton until she stumbles upon evidence that proves he isn't who he says he is. Now the clock is ticking as Zoe plays a dangerous game of cat and mouse with Barton as she attempts to seize back control of the Penelope and return to the freighter to look for her husband. Meanwhile, Ty remains alive and well on the dying freighter, but he has also discovered that someone, or something, is also on the huge ship with him.

Written by Lisa Dalesandro
Art by Sarah Musi