Cosmic Cabaret
Page 1
Cosmic Cabaret
Where Hearts Collide in the Greatest Show in Space
Kerry Adrienne
Cailin Briste
CJ Cade
Blaire Edens
Jayne Fury
Dena Garson
Athena Grayson
Jenna Lincoln
Tessa McFionn
Rosalie Redd
Diana Rivis
Selene Grace Silver
Kat Vancil
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Starlight copyright © 2017 by Kerry Adrienne
Stars Shining Bright Above © 2017 by Jayne Fury
Star-Studded Love copyright © 2017 by Rosalie Redd
A Dance of Fallen Stars copyright © 2017 by Kat Vancil
Midnight at Andromeda’s copyright © 2017 by Tessa McFionn
Razer’s Edge copyright © 2017 by Selene Grace Silver
Forbidden Alliance copyright © 2017 by Athena Grayson
Educated by the Master copyright © 2017 by Cailin Briste
Vordol’s Vow copyright © 2017 by Dena Garson
Hide and Peek © 2017 by Blaire Edens
Star Searchers © 2017 by Diana Rivis
Catch a Falling Star copyright © 2017 by CJ Cade
Comets and Caviar copyright © 2017 by Jenna Lincoln
LS Quantum or Quantum is the sole intellectual property of Jayne Fury, and is being used with permission by the authors of this anthology.
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property.
If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at sfrshootingstars@gmail.com. Thank you for your support of these author’s rights.
Concept by SFR Shooting Stars
Cover design © 2017 by Anika Wilmanns of Ravenborn Book Cover Designs
Book design by Kat Vancil
Created with Vellum
Contents
Welcome to LS Quantum
Cosmic Cabaret
Kerry Adrienne
Starlight
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
About Kerry Adrienne
Jayne Fury
Stars Shining Bright Above
Prologue
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
About Jayne Fury
Rosalie Redd
Star-Studded Love
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
About Rosalie Redd
Kat Vancil
A Dance of Fallen Stars
Special Note
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
About Kat Vancil
Tessa McFionn
Midnight At Andromeda’s
A Time to Think
Of All the Gin Joints…
Chance Meetings
Can I Buy You a Drink?
A Knight Behind the Bar
Off the Clock
A Polite Invitation
A Simple Meal?
Love in a Turbolift
Colorful Surprises
An Inky Secret
Samplings in the Starlight
It’s All in the Tempo
A Night of Firsts
In the Morning Light
Coming Clean
Shattered Dreams
Needed Surrender
Love Notes
The Truth Will Out
About Tessa McFion
Selene Grace Silver
Razer’s Edge
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
Epilogue
About the Author
Athena Grayson
Forbidden Alliance
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
About Athena Grayson
Cailin Briste
Educated By The Master
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
About Cailin Briste
Dena Garson
Vordol’s Vow
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
About Dena Garson
Blaire Edens
Hide and Peek
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Epilogue
About Blaire Edens
Diana Rivis
Star Searchers
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Epilogue
About Diana Rivis
CJ Cade
Catch a Falling Star
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
Epilogue
About CJ Cade
Jenna Lincoln
Comets and Caviar
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
About Jenna Lincoln
Stay Tuned for More…
About the SFR Shooting Stars
Welcome to LS Quantum, an experience through space and time…
“And by interesting are you looking for natural phenomenon outside or inside the ship?” I’ve had years to perfect this tone: a cross between butler and pimp.
My lowered tone causes her to lean in, her pile of overly sprayed cotton candy hair teetering on her head. Her face lights up, “Inside.” She produces a sound akin to a giggle, but it’s cut short with a snort.
Litmus test? Passed. She’s ready for it. For her. The crowning glory of the Blue Star line: LS Quantum.
Leisure ship extraordinaire.
“Quantum is our largest, most luxurious and most exclusive ship.” I see concern flit across vapid eyes, “But that doesn’t mean it’s unattainable.”
She nods, and her companion turns away from the wall screens of travel vids and joins us. This is always the way, poodle-headed pretty lady always has a smarter friend along to translate. They exchange a few words and then the friend urges me to continue my pitch.
“Quantum comprises a number of venues and multiple decks. In fact, one could say that it is a traveling metropolis.” I pause, waiting on the inevitable questions.
“I’ve never heard of this ship. How does it work? You say it’s accessible and exclusive?”
“Yes, there are several levels of access from Captain’s Club, our highest level, to Princess Club, our affordable royal service.”
“How does that work?” the less vapid one asks.
I’m just getting warmed up. “Access is transparent. Passengers can only gain entry to decks their Club status allows. Yet you’ll never realize the limitations.”
“Why hasn't anyone ever told me about this fun ship before?” Pink Hair pouts.
"It's ok, Susa, you're hearing about it now," her companion soothes in a tone that reminds me of lip gloss and Spring proms.
“The ship is difficult to explain, but I will try. You see, the drive that runs the LS Quantum is akin to slipstream technology. Our ship passes through space and time. Quantum has existed through millennia and yet not, through universes beyond the scope of our understanding and still exists right here in your own star system. Each trip is unique. Each time one boards the ship, it could very well look like something else altogether because it may have been remodeled ten, twenty, or even a hundred years ago and yet, to you, it will have been only yesterday.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You don’t need to. Quantum’s secrets are well guarded by the Blue Star Line and few understand everything about her. She is undefinable and to each person, a completely different experience every time you board.” I fold my hands and wait.
It’s a matter of time now.
The friend nods, her own curly green mass of curls bobs. A rising flush of excitement speckles the clean white slate of her face. “So there’s all sorts of venues? Accommodations? Pleasures?”
“Whatever you need, the crew has the ability to… conjure the requirement,” I answer in my more butleresque tone.
“Ice cream sundaes?” the pink haired one asks.
“And pie,” my response is dry but polite.
“How do we board? Where do we board? What…”
I hold my hand up in the intergalactic signal of stop. “Each port is different, each need is met individually.”
The two women glance at one another in an expression that I have seen countless times. Adventure awaits. It’s no-holds-barred vacation time.
Cha-ching.
“We’ll take two tickets!”
Cosmic Cabaret
Tales from the LS Quantum
Starlight — Kerry Adrienne
Stars Shining Bright Above — Jayne Fury
Star-Studded Love — Rosalie Redd
A Dance of Fallen Stars — Kat Vancil
Midnight at Andromeda’s — Tessa McFionn
Razer’s Edge — Selene Grace Silver
Forbidden Alliance — Athena Grayson
Educated by the Master — Cailin Briste
Vordol’s Vow — Dena Garson
Hide and Peek — Blaire Edens
Star Searchers — Diana Rivis
Catch a Falling Star — CJ Cade
Comets and Caviar — Jenna Lincoln
Starlight
Kerry Adrienne
Will his lust for the stars in the sky blind him to the star in front of him?
Dr. Andrew Mann boards LS Quantum to present his research on the death of stars. Enthralled by a dancer’s performance, Andrew is suddenly interested in a star not in the sky. Stella, a particle shifter, performs to end her indenture. Once she buys her freedom, she plans to never set foot in space again. But Stella has a secret, and she's scared.
One
Stella spun the wet rim of the stemware in the pile of artificial sweetener, the grind of powder crunching against the glass. Mildly hallucinogenic, the sweetener would give that extra little something special so many passengers craved to the drink. She set the stemmed glass onto the bar top and grabbed the narrow bottle of top-shelf Wharton’s Whiskey from its perch. The alcohol was one of the galaxy’s finest, coming from Earth itself.
After scanning for new patrons, she steadied her hands with a few deep breaths. The sub-aural thumping beneath the music set her heart jittering. The beat was supposed to relax passengers so they’d spend more money. Maybe it worked and maybe it didn’t. The bar owner also used a mixture of essential oils in the air. Anything to make money.
She tried to ignore the resonance in her body, but the thumping settled in her head like a low-level headache. Her extra-sensory abilities caused her to pick up on things humans didn’t. Plenty of worse scenarios in the Universe, but annoying, regardless. Working at the bar, enduring things she didn’t enjoy, was her new normal.
She closed her eyes and imagined her favorite beach on her now-destroyed world. Green sand of finely oxidized copper dusted the traditional dunes of soft brown, creating a shimmer that reflected the ocean. Water once covered ninety percent of Gainor, and the multiple moons made the waves dance under the starry night sky. When her sun exploded, the whole planet evaporated and the beaches were gone in a flash.
A nightmare.
Everyone on her planet had escaped before the catastrophe, clued in to the impending explosion when the sun spit a large chunk of plasma into space. No one on the planet knew that their life-giving star was so close to dying. Thankfully, neighboring planets helped rescue them.