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    When Places Call
    When Places Call
    When Places Call
    Ebook81 pages1 hour

    When Places Call

    By Kaylim

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    About this ebook

    Iguru Halk, space pirate, was once a great scientist and respected man, but one mistake cost him his career, his pride and his very identity. Iguru would do anything to reclaim it all, even change history itself. Now he's on the hunt for a mysterious ship that could help him clear his name, but he's not the only one searching. Kira, an enigmatic man who lives on a planet with no name, wants the ship for his own machinations. They form an uneasy truce, but as their relationship starts to grow, Iguru finds himself on the brink of making the same mistake twice, which could be his undoing or his greatest chance at redemption.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherKaylim
    Release dateJul 17, 2014
    ISBN9781310715990
    When Places Call
    Author

    Kaylim

    I came out to my family via self-publishing my first novella, Starstuff. Having survived that (whew!), I continue to write to help fill the Internet with stories of varied LGBTQ+ characters.

    Read more from Kaylim

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      Book preview

      When Places Call - Kaylim

      When Places Call

      Kaylim

      Copyright 2014 Kaylim

      Smashwords Edition

      Discover other titles in this series:

      This Crazy Infection

      Visit my website at http://www.kaylimwrites.com/

      Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

      Cover art by Yvonne Less. Find her artwork and custom covers at www.diversepixel.com and premade covers at http://selfpubbookcovers.com/diversepixel

      ###

      Table of Contents

      Start of When Places Call

      Endnotes

      When Places Call

      when places call you from slumbering sleep

      a fiery awakening of passion built deep

      you pack the bag and do not weep

      for adventure finds only those who leap.

      when places call you from a distant tide

      an explorer's restless call cannot be denied

      you pack the bag and begin the long ride

      for adventure finds those who let freedom guide.

      when places call you from your love

      like a siren's song from stars above

      you pack the bag and only write of

      long lost love like a mourning dove.

      --Turobeck

      Ananke’s first flight was also her last.

      She would be but a small note in history: yet another ship gone missing in space, just another casualty in a long journey of exploration and colonization. Mourning for her would be brief; the space-faring community at large was unaware of the secrets that lay unexploited in her data banks. Only a few would feel true frustration over her loss. They’d spend years trying to chase down her whereabouts, but they would never succeed in finding her.

      Iguru was far too good for that.

      Ananke was safely ensconced in the belly of his large spacecraft The Naked Rose. His instructions had been to capture Ananke without damage to her propulsion systems or computer banks and have the crew disposed of. A tall order, but Iguru was known for his skill. That’s why he got the jobs he did.

      He prepared his ship for descent and a meeting with his employer. By general rule he kept them alive, something that made him rather approachable by future employers. Just because he didn’t kill them didn’t mean they extended the same courtesy to him, however. In that spirit he always kept his weapons systems online and made sure he had a few ‘surprises’ hidden on him…just in case.

      Approaching, his ship’s voice announced.

      On the screen a planet turned in the distance: a small, insignificant brown orb. The planet didn’t have a name besides its coordinates. Iguru supposed that a privately owned planet didn’t have to have a name, but it was certainly irregular. When he was almost near enough to achieve orbit he received a text transmission with landing coordinates. He began scanning for a multitude of ground launch weapons and military air vessels, but the continent beneath him was quiet.

      He flew over the only city on the planet and was surprised by the lack of motion. There were no vehicles in sight and no pedestrians scurried around like vulnerable ants. His flight path took him to the outskirts of the city, to a docking hoop hovering above a large hill. On top of that dusty hill, overlooking dunes and a scraggly forest, was a mansion.

      His ship entered the rusty hoop, which had clearly seen better days, and he was delivered to the ship yard. He immediately checked his scanners, but the hoop hadn’t done any damage. Iguru once again conducted a weapons scan, but picked up nothing active. He peered out the view screen; metal walls surrounded him. A text message appeared on the screen: Welcome to Safety, Iguru Halk.

      A door slid open and a single man, dressed sharply in a suit, waited for him on the landing pad. Before disembarking Iguru ensured that Ananke was secured. She could only be removed with his express command; any other attempts would simply destroy her.

      Mr. Halk, the man said, welcome to Safety. My master would meet you in the dining room to discuss the ship.

      Iguru hated the talky types; it was unfortunate that he had to humor them before he got paid.

      Lead on, Mister Butler.

      Lines of body guards were suspiciously absent as he climbed the long staircase, guided only by the butler, a man with no bend in his back and who didn’t seem to pant or sweat. Iguru wished he could say the same; living in his ship hadn’t provided him with the most adequate means for keeping up his strength. By the time they reached the first floor, Iguru had a pain in his side, but said nothing. The butler hadn’t spoken a single word since their ascent and Iguru didn’t like to break silences.

      He was brought to a wide room with large windows which were guarded by pale blue curtains. At the end of this room, in front of one of the windows, stood a tall and slender man. He was nearly eclipsed by the star behind him. The star was a large, suffocating presence on this world; it hovered near the planet, a bright milky yellow. It was weaker than Earth’s sun, but closer and needy.

      Mr. Iguru Halk. A pleasure to finally meet you.

      The man turned his head towards him and Iguru was affixed by a bright red eye. Iguru’s heart jumped and he struggled to keep his expression neutral. The robotic eye studied him, roving noiselessly in its socket. Iguru’s skin twitched. The red eye rested in the middle of a large, old scar. Iguru stared at the stretched, puckered skin and could not force himself to answer or look him in the eyes.

      "I have conducted preliminary scans on the ship, long-range considering that you’ve

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