Starflake on Thrill World Volume 2

By Nicola Cuti

Confronted by her worst enemies, Captain Klegg and his first mate Amy Brogan, Starflake calls for Costas, the Deep Space Ranger working undercover as Starflake’s brother. Realizing this is the worst time to take their revenge on the Starbabe, Klegg and Brogan leave. However, the arrival of the zoo ship on Thrill world means that Starflake’s flying dragon, Daphne, was also on the planet.
While Molly works as a candy stripper at the Children’s hospital, Boss Grebe offers to make Starflake the official greeter for star ships arriving on Thrill World. Aboard Daphne, she would guide the ships into port. She was especially anxious to guide the ship of engineers to port because they were the people who would turn the Thrill World into the paradise it once had been and get rid of the child stealing Doggers who prowled the amusement park and zoo. But their ship has vanished.
Concerned about the engineers she confides her concerns to Molly but after a short chat, Starflake realizes who she thought was her close friend is not Molly but an imposter. She exposes the false Molly who turns out to be Btrxx, one of the four shape changing sisters. Btrxx tells Starflake she was asked to gather information by the head nurse. Starflake asks Btrxx to remain in the guise of Molly while she tries to find out where the real Molly is being held.
The two of them begin a search for Molly and accidentally overhear a meeting with Boss Grebe and Klegg and Brogan. Boss Grebe never intended to renovate Thrill World. He plans to keep the money for the renovation. After finding the real Molly, with Costa’s help, the three of them escape to the faux western town of Unexpected.
Molly and Star become members of the town and friends with the sheriff and his family. They even go to a dance. But there are Doggers in the town and the girls are forced to hide in a cave to escape the smugglers. Brogan, who turns out to be an undercover Deep Space Ranger, saves them. Her contact, of course, is Costas.
After taking Molly on a ride with Daphne, they are forced by Klegg’s ship to land at Boss Grebe’s mansion. But they escape before Grebe is able to do them harm and take refuge in the amusement park. There, Grebe catches up to them at the Merlin exhibit, however, Merlin reveals himself to be Grebe’s father Jonas Grebe, the man who had first built Thrill World. He shames his son into surrendering to the Deep Space Rangers and swears to take over the renovation of Thrill World.
Ten years later Star returns to Thrill World to find that Jonas Grebe has kept his promise. As a Starbabe, Star has not aged at all but her friend Molly, now a doctor at the children’s hospital, has become a beautiful young woman. She is married and when her husband arrives, Star is delighted to discover it is Costas.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nicola Cuti
• Release date: Jan 19, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370239900

Nicola Cuti

Nicola Cuti worked as editor, artist and writer for such distinguished comic book companies as DC, Marvel, Charlton and Warren(publisher of "Creepy" and "Vampirella" comics). He created numerous characters including superhero "E-Man", still being published today and the underground classic, "Moonie", which has appeared in men's magazines in full color and in fine collections as Mark Estren's scholarly book "A History of the Underground Comics". He is a two-time winner of the Ray Bradbury Award for writing excellence and a 2009 Inkpot Award winner for his work in Comic Art. Later, Nick moved his wife and daughter to California where he began a new career in animation as a background designer. Such studios as Disney, Universal, Warner Brothers, Marvel Films, Graz Entertainment, Sunbow and Sony Pictures employed him on the following projects “Conan”, “Gargoyles”, “Jungle Cubs”, “Dilbert”, “Biker Mice From Mars”, “Exo-Squad”, “101 Dalmatians” and “Starship Troopers” and others. For the past decade his interests have turned to live action and screen writing where he has been developing a live action series "Captain Cosmos, the Last STARveyer" a science fiction/science fact adventure program for children. "Cosmos" has won the KIDS FIRST! Seal of Approval for excellence in children's video and has been selected for the Kids First! Film Festival. He worked with an independent movie company, Creature Productions, where he produced and wrote three movies for them, "The Gray Ghosts" "Planet of the Reptiles" and "Grub" and has written several screenplays for their future productions. In 2010 Nick started his own company, Ni-Cola Entertainment LLC, where he wrote and produced a sci-fi movie “Tagged!” and three illustrated novels, “Moonie and the Spider Queen”, “Moonie in the Slave Market of Opuul” and “Moonie in Too Many Moons”. For more information please see his listing in Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicola_Cuti or on IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0193881/

Book preview

STARFLAKE on THRILL WORLD

Volume Two

By Nicola Cuti

STARFLAKE on THRILL WORLD

Volume Two

© Nicola Cuti 2016

First printed in North America.

Cover Photo … KAYE TERRELONGE

Cover Design … NICOLA CUTI

Cover Model … KAYLEE VAN RIJ

The work contained in this book is fiction. All characters are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

INTRODUCTION

I suppose, if you bought this book it was because you read volume one and wanted to see how things turned out for Starflake. I find it hard to believe you bought volume two without having read volume one, so, you already know what Starflake went through. But, just in case you were attracted the brooding Starflake on the cover and never bought volume one, here is a quick summary. For those who did buy volume one, then here is a short review.

Starflake, the Starbabe, lives on an asteroid in the asteroid belt surrounding the planet, Silver Valley. She has the ability to live anywhere in the galaxy, including outer space, because she does not eat, drink or breathe. Raised by blob-like creatures called jellies, she had believes she is a jelly herself until the great jelly, Bonoguro, tells her she resembles an eleven-year-old girl.

Visitors to her asteroid results in a friendship with a human girl, Molly, and an escapee from a zoo ship, a flying dragon, Daphne. When the zoo ship recaptures Daphne, Starflake become the prisoner of the ship’s crew.

Starflake works aboard the ship and is befriended by one of the crew, a gruff woman named Brogan.

At a stop on Silver Valley, Molly’s planet, Starflake escapes from Brogan but the zoo ship’s crew pursues her and she avoids being recaptured with the help of a Deep Space Ranger called Costas. She boards a starship, the Bright Star, with Molly. Costas is also aboard, undercover, and pretends to be Starflake’s brother. Eventually, they arrive on the planet, Thrill World.

Thrill World is a hospital planet where children, from all parts of the galaxy, are given cures for alien diseases. While the children wait, they are treated to a citywide zoo and amusement park.

Boss Grebe, the owner of Thrill World, allows the planet to become a den of smugglers who kidnap children to be used as slaves on other worlds. With the help of Starflake, Costas and Molly, prepare to expose Grebe’s corrupt strategy but while visiting a group of children, Starflake is confronted by her two worst enemies, the captain of the zoo ship, Captain Klegg and Brogan.

This is where we begin volume two but, of course, a summary is not the novel. We had to leave out a lot of exciting details; therefore, I highly recommend you buy volume one.

DEDICATION

To my wonderful daughter, JAYMEE ROSE CUTI, who was the first Starflake. To my incredible business partner, NIKOMA DeMITRO, whose dedication made this all possible and to my biggest fan WALT WENTZ who is also my proofread and editor. And lastly to ALICIA SAGE, the sweet young model who plays Starflake.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

STARFLAKE THE ROGUE

You’re coming with us, little Star, Klegg said, as he patted the blaster on his hip to emphasize his point. The children were silent because they didn’t understand the drama unfolding before them. Were these gruff people villains or friends of mine? They weren’t sure. It wasn’t until I backed away from them and called for Costas that they knew I didn’t welcome the two strangers.

Costas had remained in the adjoining room, where the tank was but when he heard me call out his name he rushed into the quiet room. He seemed to know who the pair of strangers were … but the important question was, did they know that Costas was an agent of the Deep Space Rangers? During the fiasco on Silver Valley, they only had a glimpse of him with a helmet and visor over his face.

With great relief, Klegg asked: Who are you?

My name is Costas Spiradakos and I’m her brother. What’s going on here? What business do you have with Star?

Her brother! Klegg exclaimed. A few days ago she was a lone Starbabe, a member of my crew who went rogue. When did she suddenly acquire a family?

I wasn’t sure I knew what rogue meant, but I’m sure it was something nasty like a runaway. Yeah, that was me Starflake the Rogue! I liked the sound of it.

The children were becoming frightened and some of the younger ones crowed around Molly and me.

Costas wasn’t going to let them have me without a fight. Unfortunately, he wasn’t armed. His disguise as a wealthy young traveler didn’t include a blaster. His only weapon was his disguise.

My family found her wandering through the street and brought her to our summer lodge. We decided to adopt her.

It takes months for adoptions to become official, Klegg growled. I know because I was adopted. How’d you get one through so quick? He didn’t seem to be accepting Costas’ explanation.

Brogan stared hard at Costas, as if she was trying to recognize him. I was afraid that even though she hadn’t gotten a good look at Costas during our chase on Silver Valley, she might suspect he was the Ranger on the cycle. You said your name is Spiradakos. Would that be the same family who owns the Spiradakos Furniture Company?

Yes, that’s my family.

Brogan turned to Klegg and grabbed his gun arm. My husband and I used to haul Spiradakos Furniture all over the galaxy. His family is wealthy beyond words. Their lawyers could rush an adoption through channels in a matter of hours if they wanted to. I think we’d better settle on the fact that Star belongs to them now.

Klegg shook Brogan’s hold off of his gun arm and gripped the handle of his blaster in a threatening manner. He didn’t remove it from its holster but it would only take a quick snap of his arm to do it. Might makes right.

Yeah, Brogan hissed back, and they’ve got a lot of might on their side. You don’t want their agents after you. Their private security force is a lot more ruthless and cunning than the law. We’ve lost Star. Let’s just admit it and let her go. There are probably other Starbabes in the galaxy.

Klegg glared at Costas, firing an unspoken threat to him but Costas did not back away. Instead he strolled over to where Molly and I were huddled with the children and stood defiantly in front of us. I knew Klegg was capable of killing but I hoped he would understand the terrible forces he would unleash if he did shoot Costas.

Yeah, Klegg finally said as he relaxed his hold on his gun. I’ll bet the galaxy is full of Starbabes. We don’t need this little brat.

He left, with Brogan following after him.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

I FIND MY DRAGON

The Gray Goose didn’t depart, as I had hoped it would, but instead it remained in port. Costas kept a watchful eye on it from a control center he had set up.

I settled into a sort of routine at the hospital. Whenever I left the cottage I would visit Molly at the hospital. At first Costas would go with me, but after a few trips he trusted me to visit her on my own and concentrated on keeping an eye on the Goose.

As a candy striper Molly helps the nurses with the patients. She isn’t allowed to give medicine to the patients or changes bandages or help move the patients who can’t move themselves. She isn’t allowed to even touch the patients. All she can do is distribute reading material or carry out waste or keep the rooms and hallways clean. The most difficult section to care for was the Alien Sector.

These rooms had been especially built to provide native atmospheres for children from non-earthlike worlds. In order for a human to enter the alien sector, they would have to wear space suits or, as they were called here, environmental suits or e-suits for short. Being a Starbabe, I didn’t have to wear e-suits so when a particular candy striper was tired or just didn’t want to go through the tedious chore of changing back and forth from uniform to e-suit to uniform, they would ask me to clean up or deliver a letter or magazine pad. It was the same job I had done aboard the zoo ship only here I was doing it for intelligent beings instead of for animals.

There was one particular little girl called A-Fuen who had taken a liking to me and asked me to read her stories from the story pad. I warned her that the only stories available from the library were human stories but she didn’t mind since the stories were similar to the tales from her home world of Gur.

A-Fuen had translucent blue skin and even her organs were translucent. The organs of her body were so beautifully arranged and had such unique shapes that the sight of them was stunning instead of being repulsive. Her hair was actually made up of darker blue filaments but otherwise her shape was humanoid. The other children of her race crowded around me when they saw I was going to read them a story and I told them the tale of Peter Pan, the little boy who never grew up. So, now I knew what Molly meant when she called me Peter Pan.

After several more stops I came to a unit with an earthlike atmosphere where four young girls, about my age, had been playing a board game. Their plastic tokens were on colorful paths leading to and from