In my new best-selling science fiction novel, STAR CRUISE: MAROONED, the passengers of a chartered luxury yacht stop for a lazy afternoon on a fabled beach by a waterfall on the planet Dantaralon. But things don't go as expected to say the least. Here's a new excerpt:
Finishing the lunch service, Meg had a bit of free time before the mid afternoon snack. Mingling with the
passengers held no appeal for her. She wasn’t working charters to try and snag
a generational billionaire or intergalactic businessman. Meg sent as many of
her credits as she could to her family, on their home world, to buy more land
for the Antille spice farms. Scanning the beach for a moment, she considered
the primary guest and the men he’d brought along on this cruise. A mix of
businessmen like himself and faded celebrities to fawn over him and impress the
men he wanted to do deals with. Shaking her head, she couldn’t wait to see the
last of this bunch.
Taking a glass of the
refreshing faquilada fruit drink, she wandered toward the TDJ pavilion, hoping
she knew a few of the cruise staff or crew. A woman in the other line’s uniform
came to meet her, waving cordially. Delighted, Meg recognized Sallira, a casual
acquaintance in the Guild. Their circle of mutual friends was wide, so catching
up on gossip took a few minutes. Then Meg said, “Hey, what’s the deal with the
ranger station? My guy said it was closed. Did you see anyone official when you
landed?”
Sallira shook her head. “No, he’s
right, the staff is all gone.” Making a funny face of regret, lips scrunched,
she sighed. “Too bad, I had a flirtation going with the senior ranger last time
I was here.” One eyebrow raised suggestively, she sipped her drink. “I was anticipating
more fun and games this trip, if you know what I mean.” She nudged Meg in the
ribs with her elbow. “Harmless fun, but he sure was cute.”
Meg stared at the Falls and
then the lake. The park gave the appearance of order, serene and beautiful as
always. Maybe the Sector Thirty government had decided to cut costs by
eliminating the rangers? But then why hadn’t she seen a bulletin to that
effect? The captain gave her the permit token before the shuttle left the Far Horizon this morning, so he must not
have known the permanent staff was gone either.
There was a shout from the TDJ
pavilion. One of the crew was hustling their obviously bewildered passengers
toward Meg and Sallira, while a second man ran ahead, sprinting for the landing
field as if he had a major predator on his heels. The other cruise staff member
was matching him stride for stride, but skidded to a stop in the sand next to
Sallira, breathing hard. “We gotta go, right now.”
Eyes wide, the woman’s jaw
dropped. “What are you talking about?”
“Captain called, emergency
channel, said get our butts up to the ship immediately.”
Sallira twisted her hair into a
knot as she prepared to return to work. “I guess gossip time is over, sorry,
Meg. I’ll go pack the gear—”
But the other TDJ woman was
shaking her head, pulling her by the elbow. “No, the captain said leave
everything. Run before the pilot leaves us.”
“Is there something I should
know?” Meg asked. No one ever abandoned the expensive robots and gear. Unease
stirred in her gut.
“I
don’t know, captain didn’t give any details. We’re out of here.” The staffer
grabbed a dawdling child who was digging a hole in the sand, and hurried to the
incline leading to the shuttles.
“Guess
I better go,” Sallira said. “Maybe you should check with your captain, might be
a solar flare or something.”
Her
crewmates were yelling and gesturing for Sallira to hurry so she didn’t linger
for any more chitchat, taking off at a fast pace, leaving Meg alone on the
beach. Moments later, the TDJ shuttle lifted straight from the pad and shot
into the azure sky. Meg rubbed her elbow, suddenly feeling goose bumps. The
beach wasn’t as welcoming anymore, despite the bright sun and the ethereal
music from the Falls. The forlorn pavilion and humming equipment bothered her.
“What’s
with them?”
She
jumped, turning to find Red standing behind her. This time it was a bit comforting
to have him by her side. “I don’t know.”
“Is
the other crew coming back later for their stuff?” His face was set in serious
lines.
“I-I
don’t know.” Meg walked toward their own set up. “The TDJ staff member in
charge said their captain got on the com from orbit about some emergency and
recalled them.”
“Did
we get any bulletins?” Red asked. “Storms? Warn offs?”
The Story:
Meg Antille works long hours on the charter cruise ship Far Horizon so she can send credits home to her family. Working hard to earn a promotion to a better post (and better pay), Meg has no time for romance.
Former Special Forces soldier Red Thomsill only took the berth on the Far Horizon in hopes of getting to know Meg better, but so far she’s kept him at a polite distance. A scheduled stopover on the idyllic beach of a nature preserve planet may be his last chance to impress the girl.
But when one of the passengers is attacked by a wild animal it becomes clear that conditions on the lushly forested Dantaralon aren’t as advertised – the ranger station is deserted, the defensive perimeter is down…and then the Far Horizon’s shuttle abruptly leaves without any of them.
Marooned on the dangerous outback world, romance is the least of their concerns, and yet Meg and Red cannot help being drawn to each other once they see how well they work together. But can they survive long enough to see their romance through? Or will the wild alien planet defeat them, ending their romance and their lives before anything can really begin?
This sounds like a book I could dive right into. Cruising, beaching and danger, oh yeah. :-)
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
Thanks Sherry! I hope you'll enjoy the adventure if you do try the book :-)
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