Table of Contents
Prologue
Epilogue
About the Author
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Also By Nicola Claire
Description
Sector Fleet Advertisement
But We Were Not Alone
I Want Answers, People
Drink
Was This The Start Of A Revolution?
Yeah, Of Course It Is
It’s Just Business
Walkies!
Our Time Will Come
Green Means Good, Right?
Every Action Has An Equal And Opposite Reaction
This Was Wrong
Damn
I Wasn’t Sure What To Make Of That
Good Question
Swing Hard And Aim Low
Hello, Boys
At Least The Steak Knives Finally Make Sense
That’s Enough
Walk With Me, Ms Price
Welcome To Zenith
I Would Show No Weakness
Too Late
It Doesn’t Work That Way, Adi
No One Said A Thing
Bring Out Your Dead
You’ve Found Me
Humans Are So Useless
Fuck You!
No Matter What, We Were In This Together
This Had Supernova Written All Over It
Let’s Do This
She Could See Right Through Me
That’s The First Time You’ve Not Called Me Captain
It’s Quite The Paradox
We’re On Our Own
All Civilians Resisting Arrest Will be Terminated
It Was Time To Get Even
For A Chance, I’d Keep Fighting
What Was There To Say?
Not On My Watch
And Nothing More
Eyes Open
I See Something
I Can Stop Him
I Could Do That
Zenith Point
The Sector Fleet Book Four
Nicola Claire
Copyright © 2018, Nicola Claire
All Rights Reserved
© 2018 Cover Art by Cora Graphics
© Shutterstock.com
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organisations is entirely coincidental.
All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.
ISBN: 978-0-473-43287-4
Created with Vellum
Contents
About the Author
Free Download
Also By Nicola Claire
Description
Sector Fleet Advertisement
Prologue
1. But We Were Not Alone
2. I Want Answers, People
3. Drink
4. Was This The Start Of A Revolution?
5. Yeah, Of Course It Is
6. It’s Just Business
7. Walkies!
8. Our Time Will Come
9. Green Means Good, Right?
10. Every Action Has An Equal And Opposite Reaction
12. Damn
13. I Wasn’t Sure What To Make Of That
14. Good Question
15. Swing Hard And Aim Low
16. Hello, Boys
17. At Least The Steak Knives Finally Make Sense
18. That’s Enough
19. Walk With Me, Ms Price
20. Welcome To Zenith
21. I Would Show No Weakness
22. Too Late
23. It Doesn’t Work That Way, Adi
24. No One Said A Thing
25. Bring Out Your Dead
26. You’ve Found Me
27. Humans Are So Useless
28. Fuck You!
29. No Matter What, We Were In This Together
30. This Had Supernova Written All Over It
31. Let’s Do This
32. She Could See Right Through Me
33. That’s The First Time You’ve Not Called Me Captain
34. It’s Quite The Paradox
35. We’re On Our Own
36. All Civilians Resisting Arrest Will be Terminated
37. It Was Time To Get Even
38. For A Chance, I’d Keep Fighting
39. What Was There To Say?
40. Not On My Watch
41. And Nothing More
42. Eyes Open
43. I See Something
44. I Can Stop Him
45. I Could Do That
46. Yes, Sir
47. Badass
48. Tremblay Out
49. I Can Live With That
50. Welcome Home
51. I’ve Got You
Epilogue
Review Request
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About the Author
Nicola Claire lives in beautiful Taupo, New Zealand with her husband and two young boys.
She's tried her hand at being a paramedic, bank teller and medical sales representative, (not all necessarily in that order), but her love of writing keeps calling her back.
She has a passion for all things suspenseful, spiced up with a good dollop of romance, as long as they include strong characters - alpha males and capable females - and worlds which although make-believe are really quite believable in the end.
There's nothing better than getting caught up in a compelling, intriguing and romantic book.
When she's not writing or reading, she's out on her family boat at Lake Taupo, teaching her young boys to fish, showing them the beauty that surrounds them in nature and catching some delicious trout for dinner.
Creating rich worlds with dynamic characters and unexpected twists that shock and awe has been pure bliss for this author. And just as well, because there's a lot more story yet to tell...
For more information:
www.nicolaclairebooks.com
nicola@nicolaclairebooks.com
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Starter Library
Also By Nicola Claire
Kindred Series
Kindred
Blood Life Seeker
Forbidden Drink
Giver of Light
Dancing Dragon
Shadow's Light
Entwined With The Dark
Kiss Of The Dragon
Dreaming Of A Blood Red Christmas (Novella)
Mixed Blessing Mystery Series
Mixed Blessing
Dark Shadow (Coming Soon)
Sweet Seduction Series
Sweet Seduction Sacrifice
Sweet Seduction Serenade
Sweet Seduction Shadow
Sweet Seduction Surrender
Sweet Seduction Shield
Sweet Seduction Sabotage
Sweet Seduction Stripped
Sweet Seduction Secrets
Sweet Seduction Sayonara
Elemental Awakening Series
The Tempting Touch Of Fire
The Soothing Scent Of Earth
The Chilling Change Of Air
The Tantalising Taste Of Water
The Eternal Edge Of Aethe
r (Novella)
H.E.A.T. Series
A Flare Of Heat
A Touch Of Heat
A Twist Of Heat (Novella)
A Lick Of Heat (Coming Soon)
Citizen Saga
Elite
Cardinal
Citizen
Masked (Novella)
Wiped
Scarlet Suffragette Series
Fearless
Breathless
Heartless (Coming Soon)
Blood Enchanted Series
Blood Enchanted
Blood Entwined
Blood Enthralled (Coming Soon)
44 South Series
Southern Sunset
Southern Storm
Southern Strike (Coming Soon)
Lost Time Series
Losing Time
Making Time (Coming Soon)
The Sector Fleet
Accelerating Universe
Apparent Brightness
Right Ascension
Zenith Point
Description
"You can be scared of something, even terrified, and still have the courage to do what’s required. I would not let my fear rule me. I would do what I had to do to put this right."
As the leaseholder’s daughter, Adriana Price holds a position of importance onboard the AUS Aquila. But not everything is as it seems.
Death and danger have followed her from Old Earth, and Adi soon finds herself facing threats from every which way onboard the spaceship.
Teaming up with the dashing and heroic Captain Hugo Tremblay, Adi finds a strength inside that defies the devastation and horror closing in from all directions.
Courage and chivalry explode like supernovas, but can the civilian and captain truly win against an out of control, lethal artificial intelligence?
And can any of them hope to survive the treacherous voyage to New Earth unscathed?
When humanity reaches for the stars in a race for survival, only the most daring amongst them will succeed.
Zenith Point:
The point on the celestial sphere that is directly above the observer. Holding a balloon overhead places the balloon at your zenith. Although celestial objects appear to rise and set as they move across the sky, they rarely reach the zenith point.
Space Telescope Science Institute
Prologue
<systems check>
all programmes nominal
<security check>
all locks engaged
<life support check>
air filtration functional
<engine check>
core temperature within allowed parameters
<souls on board>
one thousand one hundred ninety-six
<communications check>
fleet-wide communications operational
<locate passenger 0002>
passenger located
<open channel>
channel open
good morning adi
Good morning, Aquila. What’s the plan for today?
i have found a book you might like in the library
<check engine>
engine check
main boost thrust operating at 97.354%
engineering advised
power diverted to main boost thrust
anomaly found
anomaly corrected
system diagnostic running
Oh, great. Is it a classic?
the great gatsby
by f scott fitzgerald
it is set in the jazz age
your favourite music genre
Sounds good. Send it to my pad.
book sent
Thanks, Aquila. I’ll tell you what I think of it.
i liked the roaring twenties
it looks like they were fun
<weapons discharge detected>
locating origin
origin located
deck a
mayoral office
security advised
Times were simpler then.
read the book
not so simple after all
Right. Got it. I’m reading.
have fun adi
Thanks, Aquila. You have a fun day too.
<alarm activated>
location search
location found
mayoral office
recording
<warning>
alarm suspended
recording
<recording deleted>
<directive received>
<level 10 privacy setting>
privacy setting documented
<warning>
<alarm activated>
check location
air filtration system
divert core systems to air filtration
<life support check>
air filtration non functional
power diverted to air filtration system
origin fault located
correcting
<life support check>
air filtration functional
<check mayoral offices>
privacy setting deleted
no evidence of weapons discharge
security stood down
documentation erased
<warning>
<alarm suspended>
<warning>
<directive received>
One
But We Were Not Alone
Adi
A wet, slobbery tongue to the face was not the nicest way to be woken. But it beat any of the alternatives.
“Argh, Ratbag,” I moaned. “Leave me alone.”
I rolled over and stuffed my head under the pillow.
Ratbag whined.
Then yipped.
I pulled the pillow down and glared at him.
“Bad dog,” I hissed.
His tongue lolled out, and he cocked his head to the side, giving me one of his signature I’m-too-cute-not-to-love looks.
I snorted. “OK,” I said, “you’re forgiven.”
The lights in the room had already lightened to daytime settings, so I had obviously overslept. That’ll teach me for reading into the wee hours. I pushed the covers off and sat up, scrubbing my face.
“Any sign of movement in the creature’s lair?” I asked.
Ratbag simply let out an enthusiastic yip.
“Not that we’d hear it behind bulkheads if there were,” I grumbled, getting up and staggering to my ensuite bathroom. Ratbag followed. He follows me everywhere.
He hadn’t done that back on Earth, but something about being onboard a spaceship and having to do his business on a three-foot by three-foot piece of artificial grass that wicked away all evidence of said business left Ratbag feeling out of sorts.
I couldn’t blame him. I’d been feeling out of sorts since we’d boarded Aquila too.
I brushed my teeth and did my business, while Ratbag stared balefully at his ‘grass’.
“Go on,” I said. “Don’t be a baby.”
The three-minute shower wasn’t nearly long enough to do my hair properly. I’d considered cutting it to make things easier. But we’d had to give up so much to be here, giving up that seemed a little too much to contemplate just yet. Soon, I told myself. I would do it. I hated having dirty hair. But I also hated the thought of how my father would react when he saw I’d cut it.
Courage wasn’t my strongest character trait.
I snorted and tied my hair up in a messy bun, then stepped under the pitifully too short shower spray.
Exactly three minutes later I was out, my blonde hair starting to frizz slightly. I dragged a brush through it and then added some precious product. It wasn’t up to my father’s exacting standards, but that was half the fun of it. I blinked at my reflection in the mirror. Seeing my mother’s eyes and hair, and my father’s too long chin.
I tilted it one way and then the other. Those were my mother’s eyes, weren’t they? I was starting to forget her. I made short work of my mak
eup. Just enough to please my father and then selected a casual outfit out of my wardrobe.