“Welcome to Venus Ascendant, a Public Grade space station in the Andromedan Galaxy. With our open-to-all policy, any being in the universe can find their perfect R & R, romantic getaway or dangerous liaison at our purpose built resort. The on-board empathic AI Ganesa ensures that anyone coming to Venus Ascendant will find their heart’s desire, with suites that transform from luxurious boudoirs to sunset-lit beaches to dark BDSM dungeons. So come to Venus Ascendant and find exactly what you’re looking for!”
It was meant to be a romantic getaway for Marie and the love of her life Jaisen; a chance for him to get to know her better after months of her denying him more than a few stolen kisses. Instead, Marie finds herself dumped and alone on Venus Ascendant with no credit for a transmat and the next starship home not due for another hour.
But the all-seeing AI isn’t going to leave anyone aboard the space station with their dreams unfulfilled. Marie's boyfriend might not have made it to the station, but there are others willing and able to take on the role - even if they aren’t entirely human.
Excerpt
The door glided open and Marie stepped through, to find herself in the heart of the nebula. She squeaked and Soren grasped her arm in reassurance. The floor of the room was a burnished silver disk beneath the heavens. Crimson and gold light, woven in twisted strands of fire and strung with stars, formed a gauzy canopy overhead. As the door closed, the illusion was complete. They hovered in the fiery remnants of a long dead star. In a shroud of scarlet flames between them and a void full of shadows and distant pinprick suns. Marie forced herself to take a long breath, then another. Her heart fluttered. “I told Jaisen that if I ever had the credit, I’d do a tour of the nebula,” she murmured, as she drank in the beauty of it. “You can barely see it from the surface of the planet. Too much light pollution and atmospheric distortion.” She knew she was rambling but couldn’t seem to stop herself.
Beneath the glowing astral web, in the center of the silver
disc, stood the bed. It was huge and circular, draped in midnight blue satin—a
luxury beyond her means. A dozen people would have fitted in it comfortably. In
fact, if they’d been able to squeeze it into one of the subsistence apartments
in her block, double that number would have fought for the privilege of doing
so.
Marie took a tentative step forward, her legs unsteady under
the illusion of deep space. Her companion kept hold of her elbow until she
found her balance again. She ran her hands over the silken fabric, savoring the
soft chill of it against her fingers. Something else wove its way into her
awareness. She held very still, hardly daring to draw a breath. Music filled
the silence. “That’s Darkangel!”
“Of course.” Soren’s voice startled her from her wonder. She
closed her eyes and let the ballad drift over her. Tears squeezed into her
eyes. “It’s ‘Eternal Love,’” she murmured. “My favorite track.” She drew in a
long, slow breath then let it back out. “This is heaven. I’ve died and gone to
heaven.”
A hand touched her back. “Is this what you wished for?”
Awesome, right?
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2 comments:
Aww, thanks Cate!
Any time, Pippa!
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