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Taylor Sterling has everything under control. He’s young, wealthy, and he’s got his own small spaceship, leading a mission to collect astronomical data.
He’s got Joel, too. Joel’s his main engineer as well as a friend, and their relationship s quickly becoming all he could ask for. When a bad decision leads his ship and crew into real danger, Taylor learns that having it all isn’t as easy as he thought, and that it takes only a split second to lose it. Can he and Joel survive his mistakes? Customer Ratings:
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Excerpt:
I wonder what the ship must look like. Probably beautiful, spiraling as it drifts through the blackness of space, light from a nearby star twinkling off its sharp edges. Until you get close enough to see the damage, I guess. Until you notice the rips in the fabric and the atmosphere leaking out, see the evidence of explosions and wonder if anyone could have survived.
Well, I’m surviving for now. I sit wrapped in blankets, snuggling into my command seat on what’s left of the bridge. I’m trying not to be bitter, but it’s hard when all my future holds is a lonely death. Lonely, when all I want is for Joel to be here. Selfish of me, but…
“I should’ve known better, Joel. The Sterling luck had to come to an end sometime; naturally, it would be in my time. Taylor Sterling, last of his line. You always accused me of being a pessimist; what would you say now? Anything would do, Jo, anything.”
I feel the sting of tears and angrily scrub at my eyes.
It looks as if I’m not going to reach my thirtieth birthday. Just two months short. Joel promised me something special to celebrate, and I was trying for ages to figure out what. Even resorted to batting my eyelashes at him. Joel has a thing for my eyes, says he’s never seen anyone with eyes as green as mine.
The cold is eating at me again and I pull the blankets tighter across my chest; it doesn’t stop the shivering, though. Not for the first time, I’m wondering why I wanted to be a pilot so desperately; there are so many better and safer jobs out there. A harsh laugh bubbles up and I just have to move. I walk over to the only console still lit, but its readings are so faint they hardly register.
I feel dizzy as I try to make sense of it. “Not enough oxygen left anymore.” I say it aloud as if there was someone around to hear me. Course there isn’t, not anymore.
“Perhaps if you were here, Joel, you could’ve worked your magic.” Feeling distinctly wistful, I add, “I miss you so much.”
I fiddle about with the controls, trying to make my remaining air last as long as possible. I'm losing count of how many times I’ve done this, and I can’t help but wonder if I’m doing any good. Whatever I try, I’m not going to avoid the inevitable. I know the lack of oxygen is already affecting me; my vision isn’t right, and my thoughts keep jumping from one subject to another. But the end result will be the same. I don’t have much time left now. I'll soon be joining Thompson. She was the last to survive besides me, dying of her injuries about nine hours ago.
From six on board to just one, and I’m fast coming to the conclusion that I’d have been better off dying immediately like Phillips and Stimpson – like Joel.
Oh God, Joel! My chest tightens with pain that I'll never see him again. Just one last time… Then I shake my head, angry with myself. A long, lonely, lingering death is not a pleasant prospect, but it’s unfair wishing Joel were still with me, because that would mean wishing such a death on him, too. Truth is, I’m grateful Joel died quickly.
Sighing, I close my eyes, remembering how this disastrous situation occurred.
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