Heritage Universe Series by Charles Sheffield

It was just before Summertide, the time when the twin planets, Opal and Quake, would orbit closest to their sun, subjecting both—but Quake in particular— to vast tidal forces. And it was to be the most violent Summertide ever, due to the Grand Conjunction of the system's stars and planets, something that happened only every 350,000 years.Access to the unstable Quake was supposed to be prohibited, but some very insistent travelers were determined to make the trip... moreIt was just before Summertide, the time when the twin planets, Opal and Quake, would orbit closest to their sun, subjecting both—but Quake in particular— to vast tidal forces. And it was to be the most violent Summertide ever, due to the Grand Conjunction of the system's stars and planets, something that happened only every 350,000 years.Access to the unstable Quake was supposed to be prohibited, but some very insistent travelers were determined to make the trip. Professor Darya Lang, who had made a career studying artifacts left by the long-vanished aliens called the Builders, had a hunch that during this unusual Summertide she might find the Builders themselves. Louis Nenda and the Cecropian Atvar H'sial had their own interests in Quake, and would do anything to get there. And Councilor Julius Graves was hunting murderers—if they were hiding on Quake, he needed no one's permission to search for them.Planetary Administrators Hans Rebka and Max Perry had no choice but to go to Quake themselves—risking their lives to protect the others—and to learn, just maybe, the secret of Summertide and the Builders... less

For millennia, humankind and the other intelligent races have studied the bizarre and unfathomable constructs of the legendary beings known as the Builders. But for all that study, they are still no closer to figuring out who—or what—the Builders have been, or where they have gone... moreFor millennia, humankind and the other intelligent races have studied the bizarre and unfathomable constructs of the legendary beings known as the Builders. But for all that study, they are still no closer to figuring out who—or what—the Builders have been, or where they have gone. Then, on the world called Quake, in the midst of the violent planetary upheaval that is Summertide, a small group of humans and aliens witness the culmination of all those years of watching and waiting: the planet Quake opens up, and something comes out—and it looks as if, at long last, the discovery of the Builders themselves is at hand. All her life, Darya Lang has dreamed of finding the Builders, whose artifacts she has single-handedly cataloged for the rest of the universe. Troubleshooter and adventurer Hans Rebka has his own dreams of unraveling the mystery of those artifacts. To Louis Nenda and the Cecropian Atvar H’sial, the Builder artifacts represent a once-in-a-lifetime shot at untold wealth. And close behind them comes the others: Councilor Julius Graves, who does not trust anyone else to make first contact unassisted; the slaves J’merlia and Kallik, who crave only a reunion with their masters; and the embodied computer E.C. Tally, charged with finding out just what the rest are up to. less

Hans Rebka had been everywhere and done everything. Now he was going to try to solve the galaxy's most persistent mystery -- not realizing that he will loose on the galaxy a menace from the depths of time.

Set loose after millions of years trapped in stasis, a handful of Zardalu are transported to galactic parts unknown, free to ravage any world and any race within their grasp. Reprint.

Collects three novels: "Summertide" (0-345-36937-8); "Divergence" (0-345-36039-7); and "Transcendence" (0-345-36981-5). The ISBNs are present on the copyright page.Contents:p. 1 • Summertide • [Heritage Universe] • (1990)p. 229 • Divergence • [Heritage Universe] • (1991)p. 481 • Transcendence • [Heritage Universe] • (1992)

The discovery of an ancient alien technology known as the Artifacts enables the human race to jump from galaxy to galaxy, but when a strange new Artifact emerges and changes all the other Artifacts, chaos ensues.

The Zardalu had been the greatest menace in the galaxy until they became extinct. But a Zardalu horde has just awakened from suspended animation, ready and able to resume conquering and destroying. . . .

Hans Rebka, interstellar trouble-shooter, had solved the mystery of the gigantic Artefacts and defeated the warlike Zardala - but that was only the warm-up for the main event. In one arm of the galaxy, something is destroying whole stellar systems, Rebka and his motley crew discover a battle beginning.