Colony: A Space Opera

By Valjeanne Jeffers

Dear Readers:

What you are about to enjoy is the short story, Colony: A Space Opera from which the full novel was born. Of course, I’d love for you to read my entire novel, Colony Ascension: An Erotic Space Opera. Happy voyages!

Warmest regards,
Valjeanne Jeffers
www.vjeffersandqveal.com

An erotic, science fiction tale of betrayal and rebirth (sneak peek).

"Chamberlain lived in a 30 room mansion. He had no wife or children; and his parents, who'd both been scientists, were dead. But they'd been kind enough to leave him a hefty inheritance, and the keys to a burgeoning astronautics empire. Which was very fortunate for him, because the Earth was dying.

Cover art and design by Quinton Veal. An alternate verion of this story appears in Genesis Science Fiction Magazine Issue #3

• Language: English
• Publisher: Valjeanne Jeffers
• Release date: May 6, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476486048

Valjeanne Jeffers

Valjeanne Jeffers is a Spelman College graduate, a member of the Carolina African American Writers’ Collective and the Horror Writers Association, and the author of nine books, including her Immortal and Mona Livelong: Paranormal Detective series. She was been published in numerous anthologies including: Steamfunk!;The Ringing Ear; Griots: A Sword and Soul Anthology; Liberated Muse I: How I Freed My Soul; Say it Loud; Drumvoices Revue; Possibilities and, most recently, Luminescent Threads: Connections to Octavia Butler (winner of the Locus Award and nominated for Hugo Award); Fitting In; Sycorax’s Daughters (nominated for the Bram Stoker Award) and Black Magic Women. Visit her at: www.vjeffersandqveal.com

Book preview

COLONY

A Space Opera

(Sneak peek)

Valjeanne Jeffers

Copyright Valjeanne Jeffers 2011, 2012, 2013 all rights reserved. Cover art and design by Quinton Veal Copyright 2013 all rights reserved.

Smashwords Edition

Other titles by Valjeanne Jeffers

Immortal

Immortal II: The Time of Legend

Immortal III: Stealer of Souls

The Switch II: Clockwork (Includes The Switch I and II)

Immortal IV: Collision of Worlds

Short Fiction

The Visitor

Grandmere’ s Secret

Mocha Faeryland

Probe

COLONY (Probe)

Fey stars

Awaken us to

knowing of the unknown

We lift our faces to dark skies

spinning fireballs

rage toward us

They come

to ravage or heal

to save

or destroy

They

come

For my children Toussaint, Gabbrielle, Mikial and Little Valjeanne, my grand-baby, Logan and my man of rivers, Quinton. And for Carla.

—1—

Earth Year 2045

Allandra set her dials for landing. This is the one, Leonardo! I can feel it! Just like the readings indicated!

Humph! her partner retorted, but with a smile in his voice. ITS says that every mission. We never find anything but plants—not even an animal. And I had my heart set on a pet space monkey. . . Why don’t you give it up, babe?

She laughed throatily. Now you know I can’t do that. Besides, this time they’re right.

The young astronaut couldn’t see Leonardo. But she knew he was there: traveling parallel to her descent. They’d been in space for a week and both were ready for some R&R, even it was on the surface of an unexplored planet.

Moving through the crusty, mist-filled atmosphere Allandra reduced her speed, coasting the tiny ship in.

Her heart sank.

From a distance the dust that surrounded the atmosphere had given off a crimson glow—hence the name Red Stone. But up close, it was an ugly, crater-filled rock covered in red dust. Worst, there was no sign of civilization. Intergalactic Space Travel (IST) readings had been wrong.

The astronaut spotted a plateau between two boulders, a small valley, and headed for it. She easily maneuvered the