Roseworld

By Diane J Cornwell

An unnamed planet, far from the rest of human colonisation, is a haven for space pirates.

Rose McDougal, daughter of the unnamed planet’s leader, listens to her father plan an attack on an approaching naval space ship that wants to learn the secrets of a small alien building.

But Rose plans to warn her only friend in the colony, an alien machine, of the impending attack. She hopes the AI will warn the navy before the attack, so she can stop her father’s plans.

Roseworld focuses on the unexpected chain of events that establishes a new order, and warns the navy space fleet that the planet is not to be messed with.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tift Publishing
• Release date: Jan 10, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005164478

Diane J Cornwell

Diane J Cornwell learnt to read before she started school at the age of five. At school she learnt to write the words she already recognized. She loved going to school. When she was asked to write a story on her holiday activities, Diane wrote a story on what she wanted to do, not what she did, and earned an “A” grade for the homework. That started her on a life of writing fiction.A bi-product of all that reading was creating her own stories about determined characters who try to make the right decisions the first time during their adventures. Stories she can read over and over again just for the pleasure of revisiting the characters.Diane wrote her first full length novel in 2007, and hopes to have many more stories created in the coming years.

Book preview

ROSEWORLD

by

Diane J Cornwell

Roseworld

Copyright © 2020 by Diane J Cornwell

All rights reserved.

Published 2020 by Tift Publishing

Book and cover design copyright © 2020 by Tift Publishing

Cover images:

Distant Beach Scene Photo by Francesco Ungaro on Unsplash

Cave Entrance Photo byJose Murillo on Unsplash

Spaceship by © Algol | Dreamstime.com

This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, incidents and actions are either products of this author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the web site where purchased and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Tift Publishing

http://www.tiftpublishing.com

Table Of Contents

Title

Copyright

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

About the Author

Other Titles

Chapter 1

Colony Space Port

Eighteen year old Rose McDougal waited, arms folded and shoulders pressed against the cool metal wall to the right of the doorway of the small, rusty prefab building. She was there because her father, Dougal McDougal, ordered her to attend his important meeting earlier that morning. She would have refused, except for his raised fist. It had been warning enough.

The small prefab building, she had been told when she arrived ten years ago, was the first one erected over thirty years ago when the settlement began, but as the population grew, more buildings were erected and the old prefab building had been turned into a store room.

Last week she had noticed activity around the small building. Now she knew why. The stores had been moved out, so her father could set up a second command centre away from the large community building.

Not that he did any work. He ordered everyone else to do the work, but it was always his idea. And when his plans were carried out, he always got richer than everyone else, no matter how much they worked.

Three old curved monitors hung on the left side wall, above a row of tables butted together to make one long desk. The right side wall mirrored the left side, but there was a gap of three feet next to the wall where Rose waited, because the old tables were not all the same length.

Old computer boxes mixed with modern five inch square e-pads, thin as a human hair. They waited for two of her father’s tech savvy crew members to connect to the monitors next to coils of electric cables. Dougal insisted on not using wireless connections because he said anyone could hack into the system. She was not sure if he meant the navy or someone on the planet.

Her lying, thieving father, and current leader of the colony, ignored Rose while he gave last minute instructions to seven other ship owners in the centre of the room. They were also pirates, but not as obnoxious as her father.

Dougal, I got it working, one of the tech workers advised her father.

As much as she tried to portray disinterest in everything, she turned to see what was now working.

The first monitor on her left whitened, then settled into a view of the small alien building on top of the cliff behind the space port. Rose guessed he planned to show the Old Earth ambassador the alien building when the ambassador landed in another hour or two.

The second monitor brightened slightly then darkened again. In the centre of the blackness a pinpoint of light appeared to grow larger, until a spaceship filled the screen. Markings on the side came into view.

It was an Old Earth navy ship, in geo sync orbit above the colony. When the zoom setting altered to include the planet, she realised the camera capturing the orbiting spaceship had to be one of the satellites around the larger moon. So that was where Maria’s husband had disappeared to. Off to monitor the arriving ship. Or waiting to attack the ship from behind, if that was her father’s order.

The third monitor on the left wall, and the middle monitor on the right wall, came online. The left monitor showed the active volcano on the other side of the continent, and the middle right monitor showed an aerial view of the space port.

She counted five pirate spaceships on the landing field, and briefly wondered where the other two were, while their owners schemed with her father. And Dougal’s ship was also missing. That must mean he ordered his crew to wait in space for further orders.

He must have faith in his plan working or he would never have agreed to be stranded on the planet. She hoped he felt as helpless as she did, knowing she was stranded on the planet until he decided he had no further need of her.

A group of colonists, including women and children, walked towards the five parked ships. They were too far away to recognise, but she noticed one limping. It could be the farmer who injured his leg in a harvester accident six months earlier. She counted thirty, but they moved around so she gave up. Could have been forty or more.

She hoped they were a welcome committee for the ambassador’s visit, but knowing her father, he was probably using the citizens as a guarantee to stop the navy from firing on the parked ships.

Two of Chekovski’s crew, both tall thin males, carried white plastic chairs into the room.

Where do you want these chairs, the first Chekovski crew member asked.

In a circle around the projector, Dougal ordered.

Rose breathed in sweat and dust as the seven pirates moved away from the middle of the room so the Chek crew could arrange the chairs around the projector.

The projector her father referred to was a six inch square, black box waiting on the floor. It was not an ancient projector that shone an image onto a flat surface. It was a three dimensional projector that shone an image above the box. She decided it was another stolen item from their last pirating trip off-planet.

One more piece of information she would report to the navy when she got her chance to flee the colony and her father.

The seven waiting co-conspirators took seats, leaving the seat facing the door for Dougal, with a convenient backdrop of the new colony flag someone had hung on hooks close to the ceiling on the rear wall. As it was large enough to cover most of the wall, the flag could be the one the Chek’s second wife spent the last two weeks sewing. If it was hers, she did a good job of the three wheat sheaves above the green ocean. And Rose recognised the closest seven major stars to the colony from their positions on a black background.

Two more seats, closest to the door remained empty. Rose knew they were not for her, so she did not move. They had to be for the visiting ambassador and one aide.

Dougal glanced at the monitors while he slowly stroked his long red beard. We need more citizens around the ships.

Chekovski raised his left wrist and spoke quietly. He listened for a moment before he dropped his wrist back onto his leg. Boss, they are refusing to assemble.

Use force, Dougal said. The navy will not fire while colonists shield your ships.

Chekovski again raised his left wrist and spoke quietly.

Rose finally understood the meeting. Dougal planned to attack the ambassador, or the navy ship. Or both! That answered the question on where the rest of the pirate ships had gone. They waited to surround and attack the Old Earth ship if it fired on the space port.

She needed shelter before the attack started. And needed to warn Eddie, her only friend on the planet, even if he was an alien construct and did not venture out of his hidden cave in the cliff behind the spaceport. She could do both together, warn Eddie and wait in his cave until her father’s attack succeeded or failed. If she had money she would place a bet on the Old Earth navy ship winning, not her father.

Rose knew if she tried to leave, her father would order her to stay. She needed to force him to order her towards the cliff, rather than on to the landing field. She pretended to study the other monitors, displaying the space port from different angles from cameras on top of buildings, while she thought of what to say to get him to order her away from the landing field.

The projector came to life. A bubble of grey expanded before a three dimensional image of a grey haired male materialised. He wore a one piece grey space suit, but no helmet. Are you receiving?

Yes, Dougal answered. Ambassador Whitely, I presume?

The male nodded. Who am I speaking to ?

Dougal McDougal, her father answered. I have seven members of my council here.

Members of council? Pirate council, more likely! Rose wanted to move to see the full facial image of the ambassador, but knew not to draw attention to herself. And the connection to the ship was wireless. She hoped Eddie was listening.

"I have your three sons with me on S.S. Endeavour, as you requested, Ambassador Whitely said. We will shuttle down in half an hour."

Three sons! She had half-brothers! No good getting excited to meet them. They were probably greedy lying thieves like Dougal.

Dougal smiled at the image of the ambassador. We look forward to showing you our alien building. Feel free to scan it from your ship. It is directly west of the port, on top of the cliff.

Have you found a way inside? The ambassador raised one bushy eyebrow.

Not yet, Dougal said, with a smile. I thought we should wait for your arrival.

Whitely nodded once and the image faded.

Scan it, one of the pirates asked.

Dougal shrugged. They will have already scanned the whole continent. Can’t hurt to humour them.

Two of the other pirates nodded.

Time to go. Get as many locals as you can onto the field, then board your ships. Do not power up your weapons until after the Ambassador lands. Dougal looked at each of his cohorts. You know what to do once we have control of the shuttle.

What about Rose, Chekovski asked. You promised her to my eldest.

Only if we succeed and your son is still alive, Dougal said. Then her father looked directly at her. You can join the locals on the field.

No way, Chekovski said. Too dangerous. She could be killed when the lasers fire.

Put her with the breeders, another pirate suggested, but she could not see who spoke, because all the pirates stood up, ready to leave the building and carry out their orders.

She thought it was Captain Brown, a tall, thin, grey haired, dark skinned man who mostly kept his thoughts to himself. And he had always made time to talk to her in the past.

Whoever spoke, Rose was pleased with the suggestion because the breeding women all waited in the second cave up the cliff stairs. Not far from Eddie’s hidden cave. She could not help the blush that swept across her pale skin, but she deliberately frowned and clamped her lips together, hoping she portrayed anger. She did not want her father to think she was willing to wait with the breeders.

Dougal nodded. He must have believed she did not want to go to the breeder cave.

Since it was your idea, you can escort her to the breeder cave, Dougal said, Then get back to your ship. Dougal turned his back on Rose. And his councillors.

She was not fooled. I want to stand with the locals, Rose said. She hoped she sounded angry.

She glanced at the monitor showing the active volcano in time to see three small ships lift from the jungle, heading for space. She noticed the flight path kept parallel to the ash and smoke rising above the volcano. She guessed they kept behind the ash out of view of the navy ship waiting in orbit above the planet.

Get her out of my sight, Dougal ordered.

He did not look at