by Kit Tunstall
The first thing she noticed was fierce wind cutting through her. For just a moment, it threatened to knock her off her feet until she became accustomed to it. Ellie planted her feet and widened her stance, bending her knees slightly to stabilize herself as she got her first look at the planet without filtering from the cameras aboard the shuttle.
It was desolate and rocky, with no signs of being able to support any kind of life. The sensors built into her suit could read the data for ten kilometers, but found no trace of water or any real variation in the rocky outcroppings.
Suddenly, the sensors started to ping with a sound eerily like gossiping gerbils. She homed in on what had triggered the sensors to react so excitedly. There was movement approaching her—the kind of movement indicating life. With a fumbling hand, she set down her toolkit and reached for the weapon holstered on her E-suit. She’d been trained how to use it, but it had never felt natural to her. Ellie preferred to approach things logically and inquisitively, rather than with the expectation of defending herself. She hoped whatever was approaching was friendly, or at least inclined to leave her alone.
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About Aurelia
Aurelia Skye is the pen name USA Today bestselling author Kit Tunstall uses when writing science fiction romance. It’s simply a way to separate the myriad types of stories she writes so readers know what to expect with each “author.”
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