by A. K. DuBoff
I wanted to ask her why she hadn’t been doing that for the last week rather than repeatedly going over the same skills with us in an empty cargo hold, but I kept the comment and eye-roll to myself. “Sounds good,” I replied instead.
“Jump in T-minus ten minutes,” a female voice stated over the central intercom.
“The commander moved fast,” Kaiden said.
“We should get to the jump pods.” I picked up my pace down the corridor.
Toran took a deep a breath and shook his head. “No turning back now.”
I smiled. “Hey, you’ll have it easy.”
“Being the one left behind isn’t always easier—too much time to think and worry,” the large man replied.
Despite his tough exterior, it warmed my heart that Toran was such a caring guy on the inside. I really couldn’t imagine having a better companion to watch my back. “We’ll be in comm contact,” I assured him.
“So we can learn in real-time if something goes horribly wrong. Great.” Maris quipped.
I smirked. “Guess we’ll just have to avoid it getting to that point, won’t we?”
We descended the lift two decks to the level with our living quarters, lounge room, and jump pods. Several crew members were jogging down the hall toward their own pod rooms in preparation for the upcoming jump.
When we reached the pod room, we stripped off our outer clothes and weapons, storing the items in cubbies behind each pod. Hyperspace jumps were by far the most disorienting experience I’d had since leaving home. The first several jumps, I’d loathed getting into the pod. This time, however, I was excited—though nervous—to finally be taking proactive steps to stop the Darkness. Everything up to this point had been efforts to safeguard worlds so they could be restored after the menace was defeated, but I felt like we hadn’t done anything to fight back. As risky as it was to visit an infected world, I hoped it would take us one step closer to defeating our faceless foe.
“See you on the other side.” I reclined on the ergonomic couch in my pod.
“Can’t wait.” Kaiden smiled at me from the next pod over while he got settled in.
I secured my harness, then placed my arms at my sides and breathed steadily in preparation for the jump. Hyperspace was uncomfortable and disconcerting no matter how much I mentally prepared myself, but I’d found that being calm and centered did help minimize the bizarre synesthesia side effects.
The announcer gave a final countdown through the speaker in my pod as the translucent hatch extended to seal me inside. Moments later, I was pressed against the floor of the pod as we transitioned into hyperspace. My heart felt like it dropped into my feet and my vision blurred. I kept my breathing as slow and steady as I could throughout the jump, entering an almost dream-like state as we traveled without a clear sense of time passing.
When we finally arrived, the pod hatch retracted and I unbuckled my harness. Shaking slightly, I propped myself up on my elbows until my head stopped spinning, and then I sat up the rest of the way.
Kaiden had also roused. “Hey,” he greeted.
“Hey yourself,” I replied, climbing out of my pod.
“Ugh, I hate jumps,” Maris groaned while sitting up in her pod across from me.
I steadied myself on my feet. “They really need a better jump system.”
“The fact that FTL travel is possible at all is amazing,” Toran interjected. He shimmed his broad shoulders through his pod’s open top.
“Yeah, yeah.” I stepped behind my pod to retrieve my clothing and weapons. I slipped the black pants over my white base layer and then donned the black, belted overcoat. Knee-high boots with purple accents and my Valor artifact—a sword—completed my ensemble.
I pulled my long, fuchsia hair outside the coat’s collar when I’d finished dressing. “I hope Tami doesn’t freak out when she learns we’re taking another shuttle down to an infected world.”
“Oh, I’m sure she’ll be having a fit on the inside while never letting it show.” Kaiden grinned.
“I don’t envy her maintenance crew having to deal with the mess,” Toran murmured.
“Hey, we’re the ones who’ve been down on the frontlines,” I pointed out.
He shook his head. “Elle, everything we’ve done up to this point is just a prelude. The real engagement is about to begin.”
“Yeah, I guess it is.”
Kaiden finished fastening his cloak. “You ready to do this?” he asked.
I placed my hand on my sword hilt. “I was literally made for this mission.”
Kaiden raised an eyebrow. “Really, you went there?”
I shrugged. “Hey, who said you can’t try to have some fun while saving the universe?”
To read more, get A Light in the Dark now!
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ALSO BY A.K. DUBOFF…
Cadicle Series
"Exciting space adventure" - Publisher's Weekly
The Taran Empire is fighting a secret interdimensional war... and they're losing.
Out of sight from modern-day Earth, the Taran Empire rules the galaxy from the planet Tararia. Cris Sietinen, a High Dynasty heir, leaves home to seek training for his prohibited telekinetic abilities and start a new life with the Tararian Selective Service (TSS). But training to be a TSS Agent isn’t the dream life it seems. Cris and his family are at the center of a galactic conspiracy and must fight in a secret interdimensional war that will spur a political revolution. Join three generations of the Sietinen family as they challenge destiny to win a war where enemies are not always who they seem.
Learn more:
www.amyduboff.com/cadicle-series
Troubled Space
Nothing could possibly go wrong. Probably. Well, maybe…
When you go to the trouble of legitimately buying a ship for your illegitimate smuggling operation, and that ship turns out to be stolen from a powerful weapons dealer… well, you might figure the universe hates you. But not Jack Tressler, an aspiring smuggler; he’s used to taking misfortune in stride. Given the choice to die—or get an ill-fitting cybernetic eye and join a crew of thieves on a crazy heist—he opts for the unpleasant modification. After all, it’s just another day in the life. With rabid pirates, ruthless corporations, and a scorned former employer all vying for the same bounty, Jack and his new friends will need all their wits and snark to survive until their next meal in this farcical space opera adventure.
Learn more:
www.amyduboff.com/troubled-space
More Books and Stories
For a complete list of Amy’s writing:
www.amyduboff.com/books
AUTHOR’S NOTES
Thank you for reading Crystalline Space!
I had the idea for this series floating around in my head for a long time, and it wasn’t until this year that the timing worked out for me to finally write it.
I first started playing video games in my late-teens—well after many of my peers. For the longest time, I thought games were all Mario-style “platformers” or racing-style games, and I didn’t know the genre of role playing games (RPGs) even existed. Chrono Trigger was the first RPG I played, and I found it to be like an interactive novel. After I played Final Fantasy VII next, I was hooked.
One play mechanic I always found interesting in these games was that when you got a “game over”, you could reset and try again with some knowledge of what was coming. With boss battles, in particular, there was almost always a trick to beating them that you could apply from the get-go on subsequent attempts. The characters didn’t know what was coming, but you as the player did.
I started thinking about how to mimic that precognizance in literary form where the characters were in control of their own destiny without an omniscient player to guide them. And thus, Dark Stars was born.
I couldn’t have brought this book to market without the amazing team helping me behind the scenes.
First, a sho
ut-out to fellow author M. D. Cooper for hearing my initial concepts for these series and helping me think through the details. He also organized the Galactic Genesis boxset where this book premiered.
My fantastic team of beta readers helped craft this book into what it is today. Kurt, Eric, Pam, Liz, and Randy, you have incredible insights and I love your honest feedback! I appreciate you saying the tough truths and pushing me to bring my writing to the next level.
I also owe huge thanks to my proofing team to add the final polish. Nick, Charlie, John, Diane, Leo, and Jim, thank you for your time and eagle eyes. You are fantastic, and I’m so happy you have my back!
On the personal side, my husband, Nick, has been my greatest cheerleader. He kept me fed and sane during the late nights of working, and I’m forever thankful to him for enabling me to pursue a career writing full-time. He is the best friend and life partner I could ever imagine.
I hope you enjoyed this first installment in the Dark Stars trilogy! Have fun on the rest of the ride :-).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A.K. (Amy) DuBoff has always loved science fiction in all its forms—books, movies, shows and games. If it involves outer space, even better! Now a full-time author, Amy can frequently be found traveling the world. When she’s not writing, she enjoys wine tasting, binge-watching TV series, and playing epic strategy board games.
To learn more or connect, check out: www.akduboff.com
