Starstruck

By Adrienne Fox

This is a Christmas Story with a difference.
21st century science has opened our eyes to Gallaxies.
But why forget that a Star from the East guided Shepherds and Kings?
As astronomy reveals yet more of the mysteries of the Universe, our delights and parametres will extend and 'Star Struck' will add another dimension.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Oct 19, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477235607

Adrienne Fox

Adrienne Fox is a retired musician who began her literary career reviewing concerts. This is her fifth novel. The other novels are the following: The Retirement, Starstruck, Tit for Tat, and IQ.

Book preview

Chapter One

T he Milky Way was in a mess.

Stella had been appointed Star in Charge, and she was finding her job hard, because some of the Old Stars who felt that they had been passed over for promotion were jealous and had begun to encouraging the Junior Stars to stray out of Orbit just to annoy her. She was constantly having to go along the margins and tidy them up because Little Stars kept shooting off out of line. Stella had been told that if her path of twinkling light in the Heavens became smudged at the edges, then the tiny inhabitants of the other Universes would grow very panicky, believing that their Worlds were going to end. It had been stressed that she must keep the formation tidy at all times to avoid Galactic Hysteria, so she was doing her best and rushing about and getting very hot and bothered in the process.

She had a bit of sympathy for the Juniors. Hanging in the Heavens with nothing else to do was boring. Not much happened in the Cosmos. All they could do to keep themselves entertained was to experiment with the Angle of their Twinkle, and keep on stretching in a continuous line. Even Stella had to admit that she found life pretty dull and monotonous. There had been no Collisions or Births of new Heavenly Bodies for light years. Dying Stars took such a long time to fade away and eventually extinguish themselves, everyone had lost interest in them long before they’d completely flickered out and they rarely got a decent celebration for the transfer of their particles.

That’s the trouble she thought as she rounded up some Baby Stars that were playing hide and seek, and messing up an edge, Everything happens so slowly in Evolution, that there’s not much chance of some entertainment, much less a bit of excitement.

She had just coaxed the Baby Stars back into position when an extraordinary thing happened. Five huge white shapes swooped down and came to hover right in front of the Milky Way. The Old Stars were so stunned that their twinkles froze into a steady beam, whilst the opposite happened to the Babies, who were twinkling uncontrollably in their amazement.

Stella remembered her training and spread her twinkle as wide as she could to calm the troupe, and she waited, trying to pretend that she was in control of the situation, but she was just as scared as the rest.

The white shapes hovered gracefully as they surveyed the Heavens. There was a deep space of silence, then Stella plucked up enough courage to exert her authority as Star in Charge of this sector, and to warn the huge white shapes that had just entered that they could possibly be trespassing.

Who in Heaven’s name are you? she asked using the formal speech she had learned when she had gone on the Guardian of Heavens Top-up Short Training Course. Have you got your Orbit Permits please?

She held out her hand, hoping that one of the white visitors wouldn’t flap too hard and blow her off her path.

The largest of them became still, and said, We’re Angels.

Stella had no idea what an Angel was.

How lovely for you. she said politely. This seemed to please the other Angels and they came and clustered around her like great white birds.

But the largest Angel remained still, and said, I am Archangel Michael, and we have come to give you an important task, in fact, the most important task that has ever been assigned in this Universe.

Stella wondered if she was the victim of a prank. Could the teenage Stars have dressed up in some bits of old spectrum to scare her? They may have concocted a trick that would make her look foolish so that they could have a good laugh, break ranks and cause chaos in the Heavens. Were they bright enough to do such a thing?

She examined the Angels. The one who said he was the Archangel appeared to be their leader. His wings were astounding, and although they remained quite still appeared to be changing shape all the time. She looked at the other Angels. Two of them had six wings and two of them had four wings. They shimmered in the light of the Milky Way. She decided to play along, be polite at all times, as she had been instructed on the Training Course and see what happened.

And who has set me this task? she asked

The Great Creator. As the Archangel said this, he bowed and so did the others.

Stella had never heard of a Creator.

Is he a Sun then? she asked.

The Angels all shook their wings scornfully.

An asteroid?

Another shake.

Pulsar perhaps?

Vigorous shake.

Questionably a quasar? Stella felt this was getting a bit silly, but a great roar from the Archangel made her feel suddenly small.

HE is NEVER questionable. the Archangel bellowed

Suddenly the Angels formed themselves into a group and began to sing.

HE is all powerful, HE made us all. they sang.

Neither Stella nor the Milky Way had ever heard singing before. Some of the bolder Stars had a little try, and the noise was awful. Stella turned sharply on them,

Quiet, I’m trying to think things out not just for my benefit, but for us all. You heard what they sang, HE made us all. She turned back to the Angels who were bowing politely to the older Stars, who had remembered their manners and had twinkled a ripple of applause.

Are you sure? I thought we were part of the Big Bang Theory, or at least the Expanding Universes!

The Archangel ignored her comment. He took out an enormous map and held it in front of Stella.

You have been chosen to give light to a Party who are crossing Planet Earth. he jabbed at the map with his wing. Look, over there. he pointed himself vaguely across the Heavens. You have, let me see, er, he squinted at the map, Two of their cycles to make sure that your light travels from, he turned the map upside down, Er, yes, here we are, point A to point B. B here refers to Behtle-something-or-other. The Earth Party will follow you.

Stella looked at him in disgust.

What are you talking about? If they look up, they can see me all the time.

The Archangel regarded her smugly.

That’s just not good enough. From there you look like a pin-prick of light. Some of the Old Stars laughed at this and resumed normal twinkling. No he went on, To be effective, you will have to descend out of your Orbit and enter their Lunar Altitude.

There was an astounded gasp from the Milky Way. Stella drew back in terror.

You’re mad. she shrieked. A huge Heavenly Body like mine can’t go so near a Planet, much less a piddling little Moon. It will dislocate all the Orbits in their System, anyway, if it’s light you need, why can’t their Moon do it, everyone on the Planet will recognize her.

She’s got neither the mass, nor the energy, in plain words she’s not big enough, and she’s always sulking and mooning about. She’s such a misery no one wants to get involved with her because she’s tetchy and difficult. Anyway, you’ve got no worries, The Great Creator, all the Angels bowed again, Will exert massive Gravitational Powers, and all the Orbits will be frozen in time while your mission is in progress.

Stella was impressed. At least this Archangel understood about Gravity and Orbits.

I see. No risk then? Fully Comprehensive Insurance from your Great Creator?

This time the Angels didn’t bow, in fact, they began to look a bit worried. The Archangel flapped about, and some of the Milky Way who had begun to admire Stella’s courage began to mutter, Insurance. She must have fully comp. otherwise, no deal!

The Archangel stopped flapping.

OK. I’ll get to the fact of the matter. There’s one tiny problem. he flapped again then seemed to gather some calm about him. Yes, there’s a rogue Body who is against all this who insists that he will send you Tribulations.

That sounds nasty. What are they? How do I avoid them? I really will have to get Fully Comp, otherwise I’m in bother.

The Angels went into a tight huddle, whilst the Milky Way began to mutter and fidget. Suddenly the Archangel rose up above the level of the other four.

The Great Creator will do everything to protect you. HE has paid you a great compliment. HE says that you are a Chosen Star, and that you will triumph over all.

Stella was about to say, That’s all very well, but… . When the Milky Way suddenly burst into the most horrendous singing the Universe had ever heard.

TRIBULATIONS. they sang. TRIBULATIONS and without knowing what they were doing, they fitted the words into the tune of the Alleluia Chorus from that favorite Earth Work, Handel’s Messiah.

Stella put her hands over her ears to block out the vile row, but she was amazed to see the Angels flapping vigorously in ecstasy.

An Omen, an Omen bawled the Archangel over the dreadful noise. The Milky Way knows that you are The Chosen Star. Listen to what they are singing.

I’d rather not. mumbled Stella, thinking that really a singing Milky Way was probably one of the most unpleasant things she’d heard for a few million light years. But it seems that I shall have to do this job, otherwise I’ll never be able to twinkle myself in the face again.

Good girl. said the Archangel, his voice unexpectedly kindly. You won’t regret it, even if it’s a difficult task.

And with that, the Angels disappeared.

Yes, just disappeared!

The Milky Way was so amazed it stopped singing.

There’s one good thing for a start. thought Stella, as she got out her Space Permit and made sure she had her map the right way up.