EXCERPT MONDAY

Welcome to Excerpt Monday. A group of authors gather once a month and share pieces of their art. At the bottom of this blog I've posted some links to other excerpts and the direct link to Excerpt Monday site where all the links are posted. Feel free to read and comment on all of them.

This piece is the opening to my sci-fi romance. Enjoy.



The Captain spoke in Denebolinese, his native language. “Sadie, the ambassador is at the airlock requesting permission to come aboard the ship.”

“Oh my cotton joy, she's early.” She stopped towel drying her hair and dropped the cloth into the laundry dispenser.

“I can stall if you need more time, Liaison.”

“I'd appreciate that, but don't let her get upset. If she does, just let her in.” She yanked open the drawer under the cot and grabbed a clean red jumper. The living quarters on a space freighter consisted of two fold-up bunks, a bathroom, and a wall-bench. Most of the ship comprised of cargo. No passenger liners came to this part of the galaxy so they needed to make due.

“The Cyngi do not upset easily. He'll wait.” The captain cut the connection.

She stopped dressing, only a leg in the one-piece suit. “He?”

Glitch, her SPDD descended from the ceiling and floated in front of her. Various symbols appeared then disappeared on its silver, reflective, round surface, much like a mirrored bubble.

“I refuse to review the file again Glitch, it’s flawed. According to that, the ambassador is supposed to be female.” She pulled her jumper on and zipped it up. Not the most flattering outfit but the Cyngi didn't care about fashion. “Access their space station's computer instead. Find out what's going on. Did they switch their representative to the Central Worlds? By the dark void, I wish they sent me more info on their race. I feel blind.”

More symbols flashed in rapid succession. She didn't need to read them. Glitch had a direct link to her internal processor and communicated directly to her brain. She suspected it did this to express emotions, like how she talked out loud to it.

“Hacking the system is only illegal if you're caught. I'm not asking you to transfer funds or anything. Just find out who's knocking on the airlock.” She ran her fingers through her tight black curls to knock loose any beads of water, and then slipped on her boots. They really weren't supposed to delve into station computer systems but what people didn't know, didn't hurt them. A flutter of butterflies took wing in her stomach. She pressed her hands to it. Maybe she shouldn't have skipped breakfast but the Denebola, who owned and crewed this freighter, were carnivores. She lost the taste for meat after her third day aboard. They promised to obtain some fruit and grains for her here, the Cyngi space station, which orbited their only planet.

This race was a mystery to the Central Worlds. They stayed aloof from aliens and never left their system. Until now. An ambassador had requested an audience with the political assembly at Center Station.

Every dignitary received a Liaison to help with translation and avoid misunderstandings between species.

They requested her.

Glitch flattened its liquid metal body into a disk shape and spun.

“Access denied? You mean they caught you trying to get in their system? Frik.” The butterflies, which fluttered, turned into lead and slammed her stomach into her gut. If this was any other station they'd get a slap on the wrist. Protected by her status as a Liaison she could get away with small injunctions. She didn't know how the Cyngi would react since they guarded their privacy. The file they sent to acquaint her on themselves held minimal information.
“You never get caught.” She whispered.

The space station orbited the Cyngi homeworld on the outer reaches of the galaxy. If they took legal action it would be a long time before the Liaison office could come to her defense. All her work with the Ziar race over the last three years would be lost and she’d paid in blood for the progress they’d made, literally.


Thanks for reading. There are more at Excerpt Monday contemporaries and historicals.

These are the paranormal romance excerpts:
Mel Berthier- Urban Fantasy
Bryn Donovan- Paranormal Romance
Babette James, Fantasy Romance
RF Long, Paranormal
Crista McHugh, Paranormal
Dara Sorensen, Paranormal
Grace Draven, Fantasy Romance
Kim Knox, Erotic- Sci-fi Suspense
Ella Drake, Sci-Fi Romance
Cate Hart, YA- Paranormal
Aislinn Kerry, Paranormal
Aithne Jarretta, Paranormal
Alina Morgan, Urban Fantasy
Kirsten Saell, Erotic – Fantasy