Call of Destiny (One Small Step Out of the Garden of Eden)

Call of Destiny is a coming-of-age story about four college-age students struggling to find themselves in a very traditional-almost conformist-culture. To high school senior Michael Gillen, living on Earth in the late twenty-fifth century is a miserable existence. His parents always ride him for lacking discipline and ambition, certainly a result of the long shadow cast over him by his older brother. Even worse, the Gillen family's well-known and jaded history makes him an easy target for every bully that comes along. No, Michael can't wait until graduation so that he can finally flee his wretched life! That's when the young man seizes the opportunity to realize his lifelong dream of exploring the stars. Just one problem: the prestigious university offering that chance is a military academy and he is anything but military-minded. Meanwhile, an evil tyrant has come to power far across the solar system, quickly threatening the peace of Terrae Solaris. Will the stubborn, free-spirited, and idealistic young man wash out before realizing his dream? Will his family's past get the best of him? Can he keep his mind off other, more enticing distractions? Will he get his chance to set off into the stars before a terrible war breaks out?