Star Chasers

by Viola Grace

  His surprise when she looked up was apparent. “I thought you were upset.”

  “I was, but I got to see and hold my family for the first time ever. No explosion or invading army is going to take that away from me.”

  Cross narrowed his eyes. “You are a very strange woman. I like it.”

  She laughed and hugged him, planning her next letter to her daughter and her first to her grandson. They were going to have adventures in the Citadel, and even long distance, she was going to be part of their lives.

  Author’s Note

  By the end of this book, it has been over 20 years since the first Terran stepped into space.

  The Citadel is gobbling up Terrans as fast as we can produce them, and many of them don’t mind the physical changes that they are asked to engage in.

  So, this is the first step in a new direction of Citadels, Guardians, and Peacekeepers. I haven’t named the new series yet, but I will in the next month or so.

  Thanks for reading,

  Viola Grace

  About Viola Grace

  Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance writer with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing.

  An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the cheap laugh.

  The Lion’s Stowaway

  By

  Gabriella Bradley & Taryn Jameson

  Chapter One

  Isabella looked at the two small duffel bags on her bed. Travis and Hannah had warned her to be very careful what she packed—her iPad that held all their family photos, some memorabilia, two pairs of jeans, four t-shirts, underwear, a jacket, running shoes, and two sweaters. That was all she could fit in. Hannah would make sure she’d pack enough shampoo and other necessities for the two of them in her own luggage, but Isabella was so much shorter than her sister and thinner. Sharing their clothes wouldn’t work. She sighed, anxiously cracking her knuckles while pacing back and forth.

  Her mother peeked around the corner of the door. “Nervous, honey?” she asked, then stepped into the room.

  “Yes. I don’t know why you’re making me do this. It’s scaring the shit out of me.”

  “Izzy, you know why. We’ve gone over this so many times. There is no future for you here. You’ll at least be with your sister, think about that.” Her mother’s eyes pooled, tears threatening to spill.

  “The thought that I’ll never see you and Dad again is killing me. Never mind the idea of sleeping for how many years? What if something goes wrong? What if we’re caught?”

  “We’re not going to get caught, Izzy.” Hannah had followed their mother into the room. She took Isabella in her arms. “Hon, you and I will be together and get to live to a ripe old age. Think about that instead of dwelling on morbid stuff. Come downstairs, Izzy, dinner is waiting.”

  Isabella let her sister pull her out of the bedroom. “Aren’t you upset at all about leaving Mom and Dad behind? Fuck, Hannah, we’ll be a couple of hundred years old by the time we get to that planet. Our parents will be long gone.”

  “At the rate food rations are getting smaller and smaller, many people will die of starvation and subsequent disease, especially the elderly and babies. If we stayed here, our parents would probably be gone long before us, and we’d be lucky to live to thirty.”

  “You can’t force me to go,” Isabella said stubbornly. “Hi, Travis.”

  “Mom and Dad used all their savings, sold whatever they could, and took out a second mortgage on the house to make it possible. You’re coming along. Stop behaving like a kid.” Hannah frowned at her sister as she sat at the table.

  “Damn it, I am still a kid. I wouldn’t call seventeen grown up.”

  “Grown up enough when you want to be, and you’ll be eighteen in a couple of months. The day after tomorrow you’ll be on that ship with us. Now eat and stop sulking.”

  “You guys all forget I was fifteen when this decision was made, hardly adult enough to know better.”

  “You knew better when it suited you,” Hannah retorted.

  Isabella toyed with her food. If one could even call it that. Her mother had done her best to make the most out of the dried potato flakes and meager dried vegetables, and a rare treat, some kind of meat out of a can, but it still tasted like cardboard, and the meat tasted awful. She toyed with it. Maybe it was dog or cat food. Although most people couldn’t afford to have a pet, so even food for animals was scarce. Unless you were rich. “Dad, say something.” She looked at her father for help.

  He shook his head. “We’re doing what we feel is best. Hannah was fortunate that they accepted her into the relocation program. Lord knows when they’ll be ready to send more people. It took them forever to build the ships for this mission. We’ll be long gone when the next lot goes out. That’s if there is going to be another relocation mission and if there are even any young people left to send.”

  Her mother chimed in. “Honey, how do you think we feel that our children are leaving us? It’s breaking our hearts, but at the same time we’re happy you’ll both have a future, one you would not have here on Earth.”

  “Do you know how many applicants they rejected for the program? There are tons that would give anything for the opportunity to leave this hellhole. We’ve been fortunate to have grown up in a house at least. Look at all the people living on the streets,” Hannah snapped.

  “A house we’ve been forced to share with family and strangers. Where are they tonight?”

  Her father was quick to chastise her. “Where is your sense of charity? They were homeless. If it weren’t for your two cousins, none of this would be possible. They’ve sacrificed a lot for you and risk losing their jobs if caught. Lucas and Jeff have to work overtime, and Harriet and Joe, our closest friends I might remind you, went out for the evening so we could have privacy tonight.”

  “You’ve got one more day. Make the most of tomorrow, little sister. Tomorrow night you’ll be in stasis,” Hannah said.

  “What time are you picking me up?”

  Travis had been quiet during Isabella’s little tantrum. “Around ten. We have to attend the farewell dinner first. Make sure you’re ready and don’t do anything silly.”

  “Like what?”

  “Enough!” Her father raised his voice. “Let’s try and enjoy this evening. This is the last time Hannah and Travis will be having dinner with us as a family.”

  After Hannah and Travis left, Isabella said goodnight and went back to her room. The two bags were mostly packed. Travis had told her they would fit beside her feet in the stasis unit.

  She got undressed, threw the bags to the floor, and decided to try to sleep. But sleep wouldn’t come. The thought of being put in a coffin-like contraption terrified her. What if she never woke up? What if, when and if she woke up, her brain was dead? Sure, they had tested the units successfully using animals, but she was looking at hundreds of years. What could all happen to one’s body if you’re frozen in time for so long? And if they got caught, what then? Lucas and Jeff would lose their jobs and get thrown in jail, and Hannah and Travis would lose their chance at a new life and join their cousins in prison. Probably for life. They had gone over the plan so many times, but tomorrow night that plan was going to become a reality. The destination planet was called Thauro—a distant planet in the Angoro system, a faraway universe. What would they find there? If they survived the journey, of course... Hannah had told her the planet was uninhabited, but hell, there could be weird creatures, monsters...

  Eventually, she drifted off, but her sleep was plagued by dreams of aliens and creepy beasts.

  The next morning, she woke up before anyone else, and like every day, she put on her sweats to go for her daily run. This morning she
jogged longer than usual, drinking in final glances of the surroundings she’d grown up in. Finally, she stopped for a rest and to quench her thirst. Screwing up her nose at the tainted water, she took a long drink. Each time their water restrictions allowed it, her mother filled a lot of empty bottles with water she boiled religiously, but of course that did not make it clear. Even the bottled water they got with their rations didn’t taste good and wasn’t crystal clear, as water should be, she’d been taught.

  Gazing out at the ocean, she wondered if Thauro would have oceans and beaches. She sat for a long time just staring at the murky waves, then at the garbage-littered beach, the dirty sand, and the homeless people that slept there. Her parents were right. There was no future on Earth. A thick layer of smog hid the sun. The air was foul. A lot of people with weak lungs suffered from the lack of clean oxygen. Her heart and mind were filled with regret at her behavior of the night before. She knew it was hard on her parents to see their only two children leave for good. She really had behaved like a little kid. Her parents, her two cousins, Hannah, and Travis, they were all taking a huge risk for her. It had been a toss between her cousins and her. Only one of them could go. They had drawn straws, and she’d been the lucky one to pull the shortest.

  Hannah had spent every free moment she’d had teaching Isabella everything she learned, survival skills and how to defend herself. She had taken her to a shooting range and taught her fencing. They’d spent hours in the public swimming pool, training there...

  Determined to apologize to her parents, and that evening to Hannah and Travis, she jogged back to her home. She would make the most of her last day.

  Chapter Two

  Isabella ran to open the door for Travis and Hannah. “You guys are early.”

  “Yes. Some of the others have gone on to party at a bar, but we left right after the dinner. I want to spend a little bit of time with Mom and Dad,” Hannah said and handed her mother a small package. “I managed to sneak some of the food out for you. There’s ham in there.”

  Isabella saw the tears in her mother’s eyes as she sniffed the package. “Ham? Oh, my... I haven’t tasted ham since I was very young.”

  Travis scrutinized Isabella’s clothing. “Are you packed and ready, Izzy? You’re not wearing your spacesuit. Remember, when you wake up, you need to blend in with the rest of the crew.”

  “Yes, I know. But what are they going to do? Send me back to Earth on my own? Throw us in a non-existent jail? I was about to go upstairs to put it on. I’ll do it right now.” Isabella ran up the stairs two treads at a time.

  After she struggled into the tight suit, putting on her jeans and a long-sleeved shirt on over it, she checked her drawers. She took one last look around her room, then grabbed her purse and the two bags and went back down. Leaving the bags near the front door, she headed to the kitchen. She threw her purse on the table in front of her mother. “Mom, you always liked this purse. There’s money in there you can have. It won’t be any good where I’m going.”

  That caused her mother’s tears to flow again. Her father was very quiet. The only evidence that he was emotional was the grim set of his lips. Studying them both for a few minutes, she imprinted their faces in her mind and fingered the gold locket resting on her chest, the one that held their photo and Hannah’s.

  “It’s getting close to ten. We should load up and leave,” Travis said. He got up and left the dining room, giving the family some alone time to say their goodbyes.

  Isabella thought her mother would never let go of her. Finally, she tilted Isabella’s chin and smiled through her tears. “You be good, you hear? Listen to your big sister. And wear this. It will protect you.” Her mother pushed something into her hand. When she looked at what lay in her palm, she almost choked up. It was her mother’s gold chain and cross.

  A tight hug and a kiss from her father, who also tried to smile, then she hurried out of the kitchen and to the door, trying to pretend she was just going on a long overseas vacation.

  Travis had the trunk open, the baggage waiting on the driveway to go in after her. “Okay, midget, get in.”

  She heaved a sigh. They had to smuggle her in that way. She pulled the gold chain and cross over her head, then got into the very back of the trunk. Curling up, she waited for Travis to cover her with a blanket, then closed her eyes after he put the baggage back and closed the trunk.

  Hannah had already put her two small bags inside her and Travis’ suitcases. Isabella heard her mother’s voice, then Hannah calling another goodbye. Too soon, the car doors slammed, and Travis started the car.

  Goodbye, house... goodbye, street... goodbye, Mom and Dad... She fought against the tears that threatened and instead concentrated on what lay ahead.

  Lucas and Jeff had explained everything to her. The cargo would be loaded that evening and during the night. Months ago, they had stolen one of the extra stasis units NASA kept in storage, just in case another unit failed, and her cousins had built a metal crate around it. It would look just like many of the other metal crates of all shapes and sizes to be loaded into the cargo bay.

  Jeff, her brilliant computer technician cousin, had managed to redirect wiring from the mainframe computers to the cargo bay. There would be small holes in her metal box for the wiring to go through to attach to the stasis unit. Her unit would work exactly the same as the thirty-two units in the hibernation chamber. The system was already live and operational. They would put her in stasis that night.

  Jeff had also programmed the mainframe computer, so it wouldn’t show an extra unit. Take-off was automated, as was everything else. All the travelers would be asleep when the ship took off.

  The drive seemed to take forever, though they didn’t have that far to go. The car doors opening and closing startled her. When Jeff opened the trunk and finally removed the blanket from her, she quickly scrambled out. “Boy, that was a taste of claustrophobia. I’m glad I’ll be knocked out while in my coffin. How fast do you go to sleep?”

  “As soon as Jeff hooks up the computer. You’ll feel a small prick in your neck, and in seconds you’ll be out like a light,” Hannah assured her. “If you’re even awake. I’ve got a sedative for you to take before we put you in the unit. It’s a potent one.”

  “What if they stick other crates and boxes on top of mine?”

  Travis chuckled. “Yours is marked clearly that it contains fragile computer equipment and has do not block marked on it. Jeff will make sure it’s in the right place where he installed the wiring. Stop worrying.”

  “I can’t help it. You guys will be safe in the hibernation chamber. How would you feel if it were you getting shoved into the cargo bay?”

  “I’d worry, just like you. The crate is in my room. Once we have you in the unit, Jeff and Lucas will come to get you. Hannah and I can’t go into the cargo bay,” Travis told her while they walked into the building.

  When they were in Travis’ room, Isabella looked at the tall metal box standing upright in a corner. “That’s it?”

  “Yup.” His phone buzzed. “It’s a text message from Lucas. They’re ready to come and get you as soon as we give the go-ahead.”

  “Won’t it look odd, them walking around the building, wheeling a dolly with a crate on it?”

  Hannah shook her head. “All the crews are either at the bar or with their friends or families. We have to hurry. Everyone is supposed to be back by midnight. Here, take this.” She handed Isabella a white capsule and a bottle of water. “Do you need to use the bathroom?”

  “No. I’m good.” She swallowed the pill and gulped down some water.

  Travis moved the crate away from the wall and, with effort, lowered it to the floor. “This thing weighs a ton.”

  “Izzy, the lid has internal clasps that will lock automatically when we attach it properly. Travis will show you,” Hannah said.

  Isabella shivered when Travis removed the lid. The unit really did resemble a coffin, with half of the domed lid made of thick transpa
rent plastic. It was open.

  “Izzy, look at the locks. There is a little lever just above your head on the inside of the crate. I’ve put a small flashlight next to your head. When the computer brings you out of stasis, the dome will slide back automatically. Then just pull that lever and push up on the lid. It’s not that heavy. After you wake up, you might experience some dizziness, maybe some nausea. Be sure to immediately drink plenty of water.” Travis pointed to the lever.

  Hannah embraced her sister. “Take your jeans and shirt off. Time to go to sleep, baby girl. After we land on Thauro, Travis and I will come and get you as soon as we can.”

  Isabella was already experiencing the effects of the sedative and beginning to feel terribly sleepy. She took her jeans and shirt off and with Hannah’s help climbed into the unit. She hardly heard them putting the lid back on the crate. Within seconds, her eyelids drooped, everything went foggy, and she felt herself sliding into dreamland.

  Isabella opened her eyes to inky darkness. Disoriented for a few moments, she tried to sit up, but couldn’t. Her head hit something hard. Then she remembered. Stasis. The computer had woken her. “I guess we’ve already arrived,” she mumbled. It seemed like only yesterday that Travis had put her inside the unit. Her mouth was really dry. With a soft whizzing sound, the transparent lid slid back. Thank God.

  “Water. Travis told me I need to drink.”

  She felt for the bottle of water Travis had placed next to her, and after locating it, she took the cap off and drank deeply. Now she had to get the lid off the crate. She groped for the flashlight and shone it behind her. Twisting her head, she reached for the lever and yanked it. It was stuck. Just as she began to panic and really wrenched it, she heard the locks click. She pushed hard, but it wouldn’t budge. Somehow, she managed to get her legs out from the bottom of the unit. Raising her feet, she kicked the crate lid hard several times. The top shifted and moved. One more hard push and the lid popped open, swerved to the side, and fell to the floor of the cargo bay. She thought she’d hear the clattering of metal on metal, but for some reason, the lid hadn’t made a sound when it landed.