The Black Hole

For five years the crew of the Palomino had ranged through deep space, searching for evidence of alien life—with no result. Then, their mission almost at an end, they discovered a giant collapsar—the largest black hole ever encountered—and, drifting perilously near it, was the long-lost legendary starship Cygnus.Incredibly, the ship was not a lifeless hulk. Its commander, the genius who had designed the Cygnus and planned its epic voyage, still survived, served by a horde of mechanical slaves. But Commander Reinhardt had no desire to be rescued. He had a rendezvous with the incredibly hellish forces of the collapsar—and he planned to take the Palomino's crew along on his doomed adventure.