Christmas Cookies in Space: Far Stars Universe, #2

By Melisse Aires

Far Stars Universe, Book 2

Alien Abductee Hayley from Duluth cleans machinery and is learning to bake with alien supplies in an alien kitchen, to repay the kindness of strangers. A warehouse repair shop on the crowded spacestation Grzbt is a great place to hide from slavers, especially with others helping her. Women from a primitive planet like Earth are hot commodities on the space slave market. She has much to be thankful for, especially those thrilling kisses with handsome Soran in the Star Pepper Garden. But is there a future for them in this strange, dangerous world?

 

This story takes place during Stranded on Grzbt, in the Pets in Space 6 anthology.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pure Escapism
• Release date: Dec 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201655037

Melisse Aires

Take a shy Catholic school bookworm from Montana. Hand her a stack of her much older brother’s sci-fi and fantasy novels, James Bond books and horror comics. Later, introduce Barbara Cartland and the world of romance fiction.Get her a teaching job or two in authentic, one room Montana schools, ala Laura Ingels Wilder.Marry her off to a great guy, move her to a big city in Tornado Alley, then pop three daughters out of her in twenty-two months (one set of identical twins).Then, make her a jinx. Every great genre TV show she loves gets the ax: Beauty and the Beast, Dark Angel—and Buffy and Spike NEVER have a happy ending! She gets upset about no romance in the world and fires up to write her own stories with happy endings.Throw this all together into a small house in Wyoming, along with a small bouncy dog named Baxter and too many cats, shake constantly and pour it out onto a computer keyboard.There! You have me, Melisse Aires.

Book preview

Acknowledgements

Editor: D. Ellis

Cover artist: Melisse Aires

Stock photos:

Pixabay.com

Canstockphotos.com

Newsletter

Please sign up to get emails of new releases and sales.

sendfox.com/melisseaires

Chapter 1

Hayley Rollins woke in her cage. It’s not a nightmare, it’s real. She’d had that same thought many times, too many to count. Two months at least, by her reckoning, though there was no way to mark off days to be sure.

Her cage was small, just big enough for her to stretch out on the padded floor. Food came out of an alcove in the metal wall, mostly some type of porridge, with a side of alien fruit. The cell had a toilet, small shower, a few toiletries and a water fountain against the back metal wall. The other three walls were waffle weave glass, so she could see and hear the others. Super alien glass, since it couldn’t be broken or scratched.

The other cells held alien women. Most were asleep right now. They seemed friendly, the ones who had the type of mouths that smiled. Stuck like her, captives. Hayley wished she could talk to them. They carried on conversations among themselves, but she couldn’t join in.

They rarely saw their captors, bronze-skinned muscle men with white hair. Some had horns like a mountain goat. They did not speak to the women, but sent in small robots to clean the cages and leave a fresh, baggy knit robe. The captors wore uniforms and carried tubes that Hayley figured were weapons.

At least they don’t molest us, Hayley grumbled during her third cleaning day.

She spoke too soon. A hulking beefcake, with an expression too surly to be some romantic alien hero, stomped over to her cage. He opened a small space on her glass wall, pointed a tube at her, and all went black.

WHAT THE HECK? HAYLEY asked when she woke, groggy. She had a headache and an ear ache.

The Shen captors went in while you were sleeping and put in language implants. The rest of us already had them. You must be from a primitive world without interstellar transportation. A whispery voice spoke. Hayley’s neighbor to the right was a tiny, ash gray woman with pink leaves for hair and big floppy ears. Her neighbor smiled, a cute v-shaped smile.

Hayley blinked at her in surprise. I understand you!

Indeed.

Interstellar. So we are on a spaceship? She had thought that all along. What with aliens everywhere. Probably captured by slavers?

A woman across the way spoke up. Some of us were sold. On my planet, they don’t like mixed bloods. Her speaking voice was deep and soft. She had long-lashed eyes, a trunk-like nose and teal skin. The fact that you have been upgraded with translation bioware probably means we are near our destination.

A small woman with big floppy ears down the walkway burst into tears.

Yes, we are all rather exotic mixed bloods, said another, a blue woman with laser green eyes. She sang rather than spoke.

Yes, mixed bloods. This woman sounded human but had bat-like ears and velvety black bat wings that ended in thin fingers. Her robe had been cut out in the back for her wings. Except for you, I suppose. But you're exotic by being from a distant world.

My name is Hayley, she said.

I am Beevit, the bat woman replied.

Loolarima, the blue woman sang.

Tremela, said her pink-petal haired neighbor.

The day was much better than the ones before, getting to know her fellow captives. One thing they all had in common— a deep fear for their futures.

THUDS, THUMPS, AND weird whizzing and zapping noises broke the stillness of the night, long after Hayley had all fallen asleep. The floor tilted wildly for a moment, slamming them all into a wall. Someone nearby gave a whimper, someone else gasped as if in pain.

What the heck? Hayley cried as she slid around again.

I think perhaps we are being rescued? I hope? Tremela said.

The ship slammed them around again. Then everything stopped and a loud whining noise started.

Someone is breaking through the hull. This was from Glorifus at the end of the row of cells. She was dark-skinned, tall and muscled, with a dark stand-up crest instead of hair, and with a rather beak-like, small mouth.  She had been a guard on a military freighter, and looked incredibly fit. My ship got separated from the caravan we were in. The Shen cut through our hull like that.

There was more whizzing and sharp banging along with the whining sound. Weapons? Hayley asked.

Yes, Glorifus said. Lasers.

The trunk-nosed woman, Debni, whimpered. I think my ankle is broken, she said.

The outer door swooshed open. Men wearing green and gray armor rushed in, weapons out.

Bless be the stars. Military from Fera, Glorifus said.

Hayley looked at Tremela to see if she knew what was happening. Tremela smiled at her. Rescuers.

HOURS LATER, HAYLEY and the others were loaded onto a transport cart, a few at a time. They went to a docking bay in the ship and then onto a small, utilitarian spaceship flown by the military. Others had left the cells before them, the injured first. We’ll take you to Fera, to a housing unit for the indigent. Counselors will help you, a soldier said.

This is good, Tremela said. Fera is prosperous and charitable. It is a place I never expected to see. Far from where I lived.

Good to know.

Really far from where I lived.

They landed on the planet Fera in the dark. A floating car picked them up from the landing pad. Two uniformed men came with them.  Those in tan are Feran constables, Glorifus said. They maintain law and order. Green uniforms are Feran military.

The big alien city did look prosperous, as Tremela said, with colored lights and graceful arches. The vehicle took them to a long building away from the skyscrapers of the city.

Please come with us, said an officer with teal skin. This is a shelter called Lavender House. They will house and feed you, and help you settle here or help you get home.

Help us get home? Hayley whispered to Tremela. Maybe they’d get me back home?

Maybe not to your home, Tremela said, squeezing Hayley’s hand, her eyes kind. They might not know it.

Right. She swallowed hard with disappointment.

I wish to go home, Beevit said. I will have kits in a few months. I wish to be with my mate, Selz. I have relatives here on Fera and do not need a shelter. Please contact them rather than settling me here. Just a simple com call.

The officer consulted with the other and took Beevit aside. Beevit spoke with them and then came back to the others. They can take me to my relatives' apartment in Fera City, so I will not accompany you. Good futures! Beevit said.

Hayley was glad Beevit would go home to her husband and have her kits in safety.

I will contact Lavender House, Beevit promised. Maybe we can stay in touch.

We will probably be called to testify, Glorifus said. We can get contact information.

They entered Lavender House. Attendants came out to meet them to assess their needs.

I am Soran, one of the night attendants. The alien man who spoke looked young to Hayley. He was a bit taller than she was, with three long fingers and a thumb. His skin was tan but blended to blue along his hairline. Shiny laser blue eyes were definitely alien, but the dark lashes and straight brows seemed human. Blue-black wavy curls looked human, also, and fell to his jaw.

He stopped at a door to a room with bunk beds. You must share. All shelters are full tonight.

He handed them each a bag from a closet in the hallway. Toiletries and knit clothing for comfort. I will bring food in a short while, he said. In the morning, you will be taken to a donated goods room for more suitable clothing and other goods you need. After that you will talk to our counselors and arrangements will be made for your future. He smiled.

Nice white