The Price She had to Pay #Snippet

I'm off on a junket!

Check back next Monday, October 1st, for a photo blog about my adventures.

Meanwhile, here's a snippet from The Outer Planets, where Lissa Bruce isn't so sure about the voyage she's about to make or the price she had to pay to be included in the crew of the planetary research vessel, NSS Robert Bradley.

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Lissa’s mouth ticked down in a hard frown when she caught her reflection on the port surface. This stranger looking back at her was their doing, too. The doctors had made surgical alterations to her appearance, disguising the facial landmarks a human brain correlates to recognition. They’d permanently changed the color of her hair and irises. Platinum to honey blonde. Cornflower blue to aquamarine. She resented the medical slight-of-hand, but bowing to their demands had validated her ticket aboard the Bradley.

The shuttle yawed and rolled in a sharp arc toward the mother ship. Lissa braced and glanced at the pilot.

“Beginning approach,” he said. “You’ll need to strap in, Ms. Bruce. Standard docking procedures.”

Lissa snapped and tightened the crash harness, grateful the sudden maneuver and pilot’s instructions took her mind off her memories. She was still adjusting to her new identity and answering to a different name.

“You’re the last of the crew to arrive?” the pilot asked as he awaited instructions from the Bradley’s instructions.

“Yes. Number seventy-two.” Lissa fought a grimace. "I had an unavoidable delay." She’d pay for her late entrance. Tardiness was a sin Daniel—Captain Storing—didn’t tolerate.

“You’ll be one of the first people to see Jupiter up close and personal. I envy you. Opportunity of a lifetime.” The pilot turned his wistful gaze on the huge ship. “So better late than left behind.”

Lissa wondered if he was one of the thousands who’d applied and been rejected by the program. “Right.” She tried to keep the bite out of her tone. “Never could’ve forgiven myself.”

He glanced back, one eyebrow quirked. “Cold feet?”

“More like hot feet.” The left side of her mouth spasmed when she attempted a smile. “From running into the burning barn.”


Thanks for stopping by Spacefreighters Lounge. Hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my upcoming novel.

I'll be back next week to tell you about my adventure.