by A. K. DuBoff
Triss glared at Jack for a moment, then also left.
“Well, um, we’ll drop you off at the nearest station,” Jack said.
“Thank you,” the workers called after him as he followed his friends to the upper deck.
He closed the ladder hatch when he reached the top.
The others were standing in the center of the common room with their arms crossed. They glared at him.
“Helping out the poor sex workers, huh, Jack?” Alyssa said.
“Hey, it wasn’t just me!” he said in his defense. “You thought that’s what they were, too.”
Triss shook her head. “We just gave away the only things of value we got from that whole op, and it’s to a bunch of artisan chefs who could get a job anywhere.”
“Hey, skills doesn’t necessarily mean the job market—”
“Jack, no,” Alyssa interrupted.
“Regardless of their real or perceived need,” Jack continued, undeterred, “it was the right thing to help them start over. Even if they weren’t in sex slavery, they were still having to do something against their will. That isn’t right.”
“Is it so different from any other job a person can’t leave because they need a steady paycheck?” Triss asked.
“Maybe not, but we at least have autonomy and freedom thanks to our other ventures. We’re in a better spot then them, so is it so bad to pay it forward?”
“I guess not,” the others grumbled in unison.
“So, for once, we did the right thing,” Jack said. “Good cosmic karma.”
“Yeah, whatever.” Alyssa mumbled.
“If nothing else,” Jack continued, “this experience demonstrated that there’s a black market for food products. Alyssa, with your work on that new MEC-brewed espresso, I bet we could make a killing.”
“Except we already have a legitimate restaurant startup going,” she countered.
“This would be more fun. I mean, the danger, the clandestine operations…”
“I can’t argue with that.” She rubbed her index finger pensively under her bottom lip. “A different line of coffee that people could only obtain through the right contacts. That’s going to be so popular with the right crowd.”
Triss raised her hand. “Should we be worried about corrupting youth, or something like that?”
Alyssa’s eyes were bright as she worked through the new business model. “No. This is the perfect product for rebel hipsters. We’re going to make a killing.”
Finn rubbed his hands with glee. “I can’t wait.”
Continue the adventure!
Jack and the crew of the Little Princess II have more shenanigans ahead! Read the next installment: smarturl.it/troubledspace4
* * *
Want to read more by A.K. DuBoff?
CADICLE: AN EPIC SPACE OPERA SERIES
With adventure, telekinesis, romance, and intrigue, the Cadicle series spans sixty years across three generations as one family challenges destiny to win a war where enemies are not always who they seem.
“Appealing characters and detailed worldbuilding draw the reader into a tale of politics, sabotage, kidnapping, telekinesis, and clones. [...] DuBoff weaves together sympathetic characters, an intriguing plot, devious villains, exciting space adventure, and hopes pinned on a chosen savior.”
- Publisher's Weekly
The Taran Empire is fighting a secret interdimensional war... and they're losing.
Cris Sietinen joins the Tararian Selective Service to hone his latent telekinetic abilities, but being an Agent puts him at the center of a galactic conspiracy.
The Empire is waging a generations-long war within a hidden dimensional rift against the Bakzen, a mysterious race with advanced telekinetic abilities. But the governing Priesthood has its own secret agenda. The only hope for victory is the prophesied Cadicle—foretold to have powerful abilities unlike any other.
With the future of their people at stake, Cris and his family must face the ultimate questions of duty and morality to save their civilization.
Begin reading the complete series now:
smarturl.it/row
About the Author
Nebula Award finalist author A.K. (Amy) DuBoff has always loved science fiction in all its forms, including books, movies, shows, and games. If it involves outer space, even better! As a full-time author, Amy primarily writes timeless science fiction and science-fantasy with broad scope and cool tech. When she’s not writing, she enjoys travel, wine tasting, binge-watching TV series, and playing epic strategy board games.
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