First Awakenings
Project Gliese 581g Book 2
S.E. Smith
Contents
Acknowledgments
Synopsis
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Epilogue
Additional Books and Information
About the Author
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my husband Steve for believing in me and being proud enough of me to give me the courage to follow my dream. I would also like to give a special thank you to my sister and best friend, Linda, who not only encouraged me to write, but who also read the manuscript. Also to my other friends who believe in me: Julie, Jackie, Christel, Sally, Jolanda, Lisa, Laurelle, and Narelle. The girls that keep me going!
—S.E. Smith
Science Fiction Romance
First Awakenings: Project Gliese Book 2
Copyright © 2017 by S.E. Smith
First E-Bookprint Published March 2017
Cover Design by Melody Simmons
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission from the author.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events, or organizations are strictly coincidental and not intended by the author.
Summary: A Navy Commander on an exploratory mission into space wakes on an alien world and must accept help from the assassin sent to kill the survivors of the Gliese 581 while being thrust into an intergalactic Civil War.
ISBN (paperback) 978-1-942562-73-3
ISBN (eBook) 978-1-942562-74-0
Published in the United States by Montana Publishing.
{1. Science Fiction Romance – Fiction. 2. Space Opera – Fiction. 3. Action/Adventure – Fiction. 4. Suspense – Fiction. 5. Romance – Fiction.}
www.montanapublishinghouse.com
ISBN: 978-1-942562-74-0
Synopsis
Lieutenant Commander Ashton “Ash” Haze has always embraced two things in his life: adventure and women, but when he awakens on an alien planet, there’s no time for anything other than survival – or so he thinks.
Kella Ta’Qui is a Turbinta – a guild that discards their genetic identities in favor of what they train to become: assassins. Her first mission is to find and kill whatever was inside the unusual capsule that landed on Tesla Terra, but predator becomes prey when she is wounded by her target. Dazed and confused, she stumbles into a group who plan to sell her to the highest bidder – until a rescuer appears.
Can an easy-going Navy pilot and an alien assassin work together to reach the location of one of the other capsules on the cutthroat Turbintan planet, or will Ash find himself served up to the Legion for the highest number of credits? Whatever happens, the war has begun with the first awakening of the resistance – and Ash is right in the middle of it.
1
“Warning… Oxygen level is currently at two percent,” a soft, feminine voice announced.
“Speak to me, baby,” Ash said in a sexy murmur, his eyes closed and his mind preoccupied with an amazing dream. He was hearing his current lady love’s voice while they were entwined on a beach in Hawaii.
“Commander Haze, oxygen levels are critically low. External environmental readings show atmospheric conditions suitable for human life. I hope they are, otherwise you are toast. Please prepare for capsule opening in one minute… fifty-nine seconds… fifty-eight seconds… fifty-seven seconds….”
Ashton Haze’s eyes popped open. His breathing sped up, loud in the claustrophobic space. He struggled to control it. A cold, clammy sweat coated his dark mocha skin and his left temple ached. Of course a damn good dream like that would turn into a nightmare like this. Almost worse than the words ‘I do’ and ‘I’m pregnant’! …Well… yeah, not quite as bad as that.
The continuing countdown had him frantically searching both his foggy brain and the pod for some way to halt the capsule from opening. He was dead either way, because unless he had miraculously returned to Earth, there was no way the sarcastic nerd from MIT, Erin Wise’s, calculations could be right. He knew everyone had to die sometime, it was just being ejected into space was not the way he would have chosen to go.
“Shit! I’ll take ‘I do’ or ‘I’m… preg…’ – aw hell, just give me a way to stop the top from opening, Erin,” Ash muttered, running his hands along the inside of the capsule. “Think, Haze!! Where in the hell is the control panel switch?”
“Oxygen level is currently at point five. This is Erin Wise from your MIT experiment team. It’s been a pleasure working with you on Project Gliese 581. Aloha, the top is about to open,” Erin’s voice cheerfully quipped.
“No! Cancel! Stop! Don’t pop the top,” Ash ordered, trying to think of a vocal command that would stop his impending death.
His hands shot up, abandoning his attempt to activate the control panel. His fingers splayed across the clear glass of the escape capsule as if attempting to hold it in place. All he could see beyond his hands was an inky blackness dotted with stars.
Ash drew in the last deep breath of air in the capsule. He desperately held onto the life-giving mixture inside his lungs. He wanted to prolong every nano-second of his life. The sound of the locks disengaging along the sides of the capsule echoed around him, sending an uncontrollable shudder through him as if the devil was running his bony fingers across a chalkboard. A second later, the top popped open and rose. Frigid air poured into the climate controlled capsule, wrapping its icy fingers around him. His eyes bulged as he fought the need to release the breath he was holding and draw in more.
Ash’s hands reached up and released the straps holding him down. If he was going to die, he would damn well enjoy the feeling of floating weightless in outer space while he did so. In all honesty, he was surprised that his blood had not already frozen in his veins and that his lungs had not ruptured.
Pulling up into a sitting position, Ash released his death grip on the edges of the capsule… then frowned. He wasn’t floating. It was freezing, but… he experienced worse while skiing in Colorado.
The overly loud sound of his breathing echoed around him. The stream of warm air he exhaled formed a long vapor trail in the cold air around him. Ash drew in a tentative breath, and was surprised at the clean, freshness of it. He shook his head in amazement.
“I’ll be damned! Thank you, MIT and NASA! Erin, my beautiful college nerd, you were right! I swear if you were here now, I’d kiss you,” Ash choked out on a laugh.
He blinked and took a long, assessing look around him. The capsule had landed in a desert about a mile or so from a mountain range. The landscape looked like part of Arizona or West Texas. A shiver ran through him when a stiff breeze swept across the capsule.
“How the hell did I get back to Earth? I didn’t think these things could last that long,” he muttered, twisting to gaze around the other side.
/> He raised a hand to touch the lump on his temple. It was still there and very tender. His fingers grazed the edge of a long, thin cut. There was no way he could have been unconscious for over a year. These things weren’t designed to function more than a few weeks, if that long. He lifted his gaze to the sky again, and froze. As he drew in a deep, shuddering breath, his stomach clenched in dismay. There were two moons.
“Aw shit, so much for Texas,” he muttered, running a trembling hand down his face.
An hour later, Ash folded the rest of the parachute into the capsule. It was too bulky and heavy for him to carry. He stripped everything else of use from the inside of the capsule.
“First aid kit, thermal blanket, extra coverall, emergency rations, water…,” Ash murmured as he did an inventory.
He carefully packed each item into his lightweight backpack, then pulled a large knife from its nylon sheath, unfolded it, and cut off a two-by-two meter section of the parachute. After refolding the knife, he slid it back into the sheath at his waist and wrapped the section of material around his head, covering his mouth and nose so only his eyes were visible. Almost immediately, he felt some relief from the biting cold.
Ash then grabbed the top of the capsule and pulled it shut. For several long minutes, he stood looking out over the desert. He turned in a slow circle, trying to get a bearing on his location. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was on an alien planet.
“I feel like I need to be skipping along a yellow brick road singing ‘I’m off to see the wizard’,” he said with a grimace before he focused on the range of mountains in the distance. “I sure hope to hell the natives are friendly.”
Kella Ta’Qui slid her blade along the thick skin of the guard’s neck. She released the limp body and stepped back into the shadows, scanning the area to make sure there were no more surprises. The guard must have been patrolling the outer perimeter. He had been further than she expected from the tower and hidden from view among the rocks.
They had startled each other when she stepped around the outcropping where he had taken refuge from the rain. She had recovered faster, kicking the laser rifle out of his hands, but he had countered with a stab to her side. The fight had been short, but vicious.
Blood dripped from the wound in her side. Kella slid her fingers into the small pouch on the belt around her waist and pulled out a medicated patch. She pressed the cloth to her side. Heat flared against her skin, drawing a soft hiss from her. Activated by her blood, the chemical in the cloth cauterized the torn flesh and temporarily stopped the bleeding. She would have to wait until she returned to her ship to do a more permanent treatment.
She bent and stripped the uniform off the guard’s body. The uniform was too big, but by slipping it over her clothing it helped her look bulkier. She fastened her own belt under the one she had taken from the guard to keep the clothing in place. Next, she pulled the guard’s helmet off, slid it over her head, and adjusted the view inside. After checking to make sure her black hair was hidden inside the helmet, she picked up the laser rifle lying at her feet and checked to make sure it was charged and working properly.
Once she was satisfied the uniform would adequately conceal her identity, Kella activated the computer inside the helmet. A quick scan gave her the information she desired. She turned her attention to her next target. The guard was standing on the bridge several meters above her current position.
She used the crevices and large boulders in the rocky incline to conceal her presence. She turned her head in slow, measured movements. The sensors in the helmet scanned the area. She paused when she saw a series of red security beams crisscross the front entrance of the tower above. She would deal with them once she cleared the two guards standing on either side of the beams.
Kella climbed up the last stretch of rocks, using the bad weather and darkness to help conceal her presence in the otherwise open area. Sprinting, she crossed the uneven ground and used the bridge to conceal her from the guards above. She knelt and prepared for the next part of her mission. Slipping on a pair of magnetic hand grips from her belt, she adjusted them before she activated the power. She stood up and lifted her arms over her head. The magnetic fields reacted to the electrical charge in the grips and her body rose off the ground as her hands were pulled to the underside of the bridge.
Swinging from one hand to the other, Kella moved under the line of soldiers patrolling the bridge. She would never have made it unnoticed through all of them without the magnetic grips. In the end, she would only need to make it through the security grid near the entrance. At least, that was what she thought until she saw the large conduit where the electrical and water lines entered the tower. It would be a tight fit, but it would get her inside.
Her arms felt like lead by the time she reached the end of the bridge. Kella paused, staring up through the metal slats as a dozen soldiers walked in formation out of the tower. Once they passed, she took advantage of the noise from their boots stomping on the metal slats and the closing of the doors to release the magnetic grips and drop down onto one of the large pipes. She bent forward, barely catching herself when she slid on the damp, curved surface. Her gaze flickered to the side. The tower complex was positioned hundreds of kilometers above the rocky surface of the planet. If she fell, there would be nothing to stop her descent.
Kella pushed up, ignoring everything around her, then crossed the short stretch of pipe to the opening. She climbed inside and began crawling. Her gaze flickered to the different command functions inside the helmet. She narrowed in on the night vision mode, activated it before she switched to the schematic of the tower downloaded into the helmet.
Reaching the end of the crawl space, she slid down behind a cluster of storage barrels. Her eyes narrowed when she saw someone move in the shadows on the other side of the open area beyond the barrels. Her lips tightened before she forced her body to relax. The sound of an alarm alerted her to the fact that security had been informed of a breach.
Kella waited until a large group of soldiers ran by before stepping out. She adjusted the uniform and walked at a brisk pace to the lifts. Stepping inside, she turned, holding her weapon in front of her. The other assassin started across the open area, heading in the direction she had just vacated. Kella raised the weapon she was holding and fired, striking the man in the side just as the doors to the lift closed.
“Bridge,” she ordered.
The lift quickly ascended the long center support column. Kella checked the weapon before bracing it against her shoulder in preparation for the doors opening. She widened her stance when the lift slowed to a stop. The moment the doors opened, she began firing. Within seconds, the six people inside the bridge were no longer a threat.
She stepped out of the lift, turned her attention to the thick metal doors to her right, and pulled a small disk from her belt. She tossed it at the doors as she stepped to the side. The flashing light sped up before the small chemical pack exploded, coating the doors in a film that super-heated the metal. Kella stepped closer and fired once at the doors. That was all it took for them to explode inward.
Stepping through the smoke, she aimed her weapon at the two individuals inside. The caustic smoke had them coughing into their sleeves. Kella focused on the first male, her finger tightening on the trigger.
“Enough! Stand down, mission complete,” a loud voice ordered.
“Now, assassin,” the voice of her handler ordered.
Frustration and indecision poured through Kella. Her finger trembled on the trigger. With a curse, she lowered her weapon and stepped to the side.
“My mission was to eliminate them,” Kella stated.
“You have achieved your mission,” her handler stated.
Kella shook her head. “They are still alive,” she retorted.
“Yes, Kella, and they will remain that way. Your mission is a success. You are ready.”
Kella turned when she heard the voice of her mentor, Tallei. She reached
up and removed her helmet. She knew her eyes were flashing with rage as she glared at the two men.
“They are still alive,” Kella stated in a slow, even tone.
Tallei stared at her. The single black pupil that returned her gaze showed no emotion. Kella barely saw the hand that moved. The two men behind Kella collapsed to the floor, two dark scorch marks marring the center of each man’s chest.
“Your mission is complete,” Tallei stated before lowering her laser pistol. “You have a new assignment waiting for you.”
“When do I leave?” Kella asked.
“Immediately,” Tallei replied. “You will be briefed on the mission after you have departed.”
Kella bowed her head. She started forward, pausing when her mentor didn’t step aside so she could pass. The tall, thin Turbinta pushed back the hood of her charcoal gray cloak to reveal her face. A maze of scars crossed the older woman’s pale green face. Tallei’s left pupil was white, while the right was as dark as a black hole except for the slight dot of red reflected from the overhead lights.
Kella’s smooth, forest green skin and clear, dark brown eyes were a sharp contrast. While she and her mentor were both Turbinta, the name did not refer to their species as much as it did to what they were – assassins. Kella did not know or care what species she was. She had long since accepted that it didn’t matter. She was taken as a child by Tallei to be mentored in the ways of the Turbinta, and that was who she was now.
“Do not fail this mission, Kella,” Tallei said.
Kella heard the warning. She knew that an assassin who could not complete a mission was of little use and a threat to the reputation of all Turbintas. If Kella failed, and survived, Tallei would come after her. Bowing her head in acknowledgement, Kella waited until Tallei stepped to the side.