Starlight Express: Amaranthe Short Stories, #8

By G. S. Jennsen

The Starlight Express has a reputation as the wildest, most exotic alien bar in two dozen galaxies. So when Noah and Caleb want to kick back for a few hours the night before Noah's nuptials, it's the obvious choice. And the wrong one.

 

See, aliens tend to be the quirky sort, and humans haven't quite gotten the hang of them yet, which is why no one should be surprised when a friendly disagreement over one too many drinks goes sideways. Now, a jailbreak, a police chase across seven galaxies and an exploding ship have to get them out of this mess, or else Noah's last night of freedom will end up being his last night, period.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hypernova Publishing
• Release date: Feb 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201383688

G. S. Jennsen

G. S. JENNSEN lives somewhere in the U.S., in a locale that may or may not be where she lived the last time she published a book (she’s a gypsy at heart), with her husband and one or more dogs. She has become an internationally bestselling author since her first novel, Starshine, was published in 2014. She has chosen to continue writing under an independent publishing model to ensure the integrity of her stories and her ability to execute on the vision she has for their telling. While she has been a lawyer, a software engineer and an editor, she’s found the life of a full-time author preferable by several orders of magnitude. When she isn’t writing, she’s gaming or working out or getting lost in the mountains that loom large outside the windows in her home. Or she’s dealing with a flooded basement, or standing in a line at Walmart and wondering who all these people are (because she’s probably new in town). Or sitting on her back porch with a glass of wine, looking up at the stars, trying to figure out what could be up there. * Website: gsjennsen.com. Newsletter: gsjennsen.com/subscribe Twitter: @GSJennsen Facebook: facebook.com/gsjennsen.author * Newsletter: smarturl.it/gsjennsen-subscribe Twitter: @GSJennsen Facebook: facebook.com/gsjennsen.author

Book preview

STARLIGHT EXPRESS

AN AMARANTHE SHORT STORY

G. S. JENNSEN

Hypernova Publishing LogoHypernova Publishing Colophon

2021

STARLIGHT EXPRESS

Copyright © 2021 by G. S. Jennsen

Cover design by Innovari and G. S. Jennsen.

Cover typography by G. S. Jennsen

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the address below.

Hypernova Publishing

P.O. Box 1467

Libby, Montana 59923

www.hypernovapublishing.com

Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

The Hypernova Publishing name, colophon and logo are trademarks of Hypernova Publishing.

Ordering Information:

Hypernova Publishing books may be purchased for educational, business or sales promotional use. For details, contact the Special Markets Department at the address above.

Starlight Express was originally published in ‘Beyond the Stars: Across the Universe,’ edited by Patrice Fitzgerald and Richard Leslie.

Starlight Express / G. S. Jennsen.—1st ed.

AMARANTHE UNIVERSE

---

AURORA RHAPSODY

Aurora Rising

STARSHINE

VERTIGO

TRANSCENDENCE

Aurora Renegades

SIDESPACE

DISSONANCE

ABYSM

Aurora Resonant

RELATIVITY

RUBICON

REQUIEM

ASTERION NOIR

EXIN EX MACHINA

OF A DARKER VOID

THE STARS LIKE GODS

RIVEN WORLDS

CONTINUUM

INVERSION

ECHO RIFT

ALL OUR TOMORROWS

CHAOTICA

DUALITY

SHORT STORIES

Restless Vol. I  •  Restless Vol. II  •  Apogee  •  Solatium  •  Venatoris

Re/Genesis  •  Meridian  •  Fractals  •  Chrysalis  •  Starlight Express

Learn more at gsjennsen.com/books or visit the Amaranthe Wiki

STARLIGHT EXPRESS

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Six months after The Displacement transported humanity to a universe teeming with advanced alien civilizations, they’re working diligently to settle into their strange new world. Diplomatic relations with the other species are proceeding in fits and starts, and peace hangs by a tenuous thread. But in the meantime, for most of humanity, life goes on.

ORBITAL STATION NOPREIS III

Phoenix Dwarf Galaxy

Amaranthe

---

How did this happen to us again?

From his position slumped dejectedly on the opposite bench in the cell, Noah Terrage scowled. That’s not a fair question. Last time, we didn’t get arrested.

Caleb Marano dropped his head back against the smooth, cool, fabbed-glass wall behind him. Only because we nearly died of hypothermia hiding from the authorities.

" Successfully hiding. The point is, we didn’t die, and we didn’t get arrested."

Last time. This time, we’re 0-for-1 so far and—hey, I wonder if the Novoloume practice capital punishment?

Screw capital punishment. I’m getting married seven galaxies away in six hours, and if I’m not in that cathedral on time, my lovely, exquisite wife-to-be is going to kill me far more thoroughly than the Novoloume justice system could ever dream of accomplishing.

Caleb nodded sagely. Then I guess we’d better see about executing ourselves a jailbreak.

***

SEATTLE, EARTH

Milky Way Galaxy

~ Nine Hours Earlier ~

Caleb was heating up dinner for himself when the door chimed. He glanced toward the entry in surprise. Alex was already in Houston helping Kennedy with wedding preparations, but he