Shielder — A new Science Fiction Romance (Book 1, Shielder Series)
Read Shielder — A new Science Fiction Romance (Book 1, Shielder Series) Online
Authors: Catherine Spangler
Tags: #romance scifi, #romance futuristic, #romance science fiction adventure, #science fiction romance fantasy romance fantasy futuristic romance futuristic romance
Praise for Shielder
“Catherine Spangler has created an unforgettable
world of chaos, revenge, redemption, and passion, set among the
stars.
Shielder
is a captivating tale that you won’t want to
put down…a fast-paced, action-packed romance that will leave you
wanting more. Ms. Spangler is a new star on the romance
horizon.”
—Compuserve Romance Reviews
“Boldly alive! A future full of danger, tempered with
passion.
Shielder
is remarkable in is intensity…fast and
furious! ”
—Literary Times
“Extraordinary futuristic novel. Romantic and
suspenseful. Catherine Spangler’s
Shielder
is the best…Not
only is it extremely well written, but the plot is fresh, complex,
and very unusual.”
—Jana L. Perskie
“Intriguing, imaginative, and HOT. Catherine Spangler
takes us to a new dimension in
Shielder.
”
—Kathy Baker, Waldenbooks
Shielder
Shielder Series, Book One
By
Catherine Spangler
Shielder
Shielder Series, Book One
Cover art by
Croco
Designs
Edited by
Lorelei Logsdon
Formatted by
IRONHORSE
Formatting
Copyright 1999, 2014 by Catherine Spangler
Smashwords Edition
All rights reserved. Without limiting the
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may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system,
or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the
prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above
publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names,
characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the
product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The
author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of
various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have
been used without permission. The publication/use of these
trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the
trademark owners.
This ebook is licensed for your personal
enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to
other people. If you would like to share this book with another
person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you
share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase
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return it to the retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for
respecting the author's work.
ISBN: 978-0-9860602-7-4
Dedication
For James, my wonderful and loving husband. Your
unwavering faith and support
over the years made this book possible. Too much!
And for Diane, Jennifer, and Linda, the other three
“Musketeers”. Your vision and
encouragement helped create the reality. Thank
you.
Table of Contents
Only one object adorned the pitifully small
grave. A toy. A pretend laser gun, crudely fashioned from binea
wood.
Once again, the spirit of death showed no
compassion, no discrimination in choosing its prey. The venom of
the Orana virus had performed the evil purpose the Controllers
intended. Their latest victim was a young child, barely four
seasons old.
She did not care!
She could not
care….
Feelings, emotions, were something Nessa had
buried deep inside, eons ago. Yet, if she felt anything—anything at
all—it would be for the children, the ones who had not yet come to
despise her.
Sinking into a crouch, she rested her head
against the safety barrier separating the living from those who had
passed into lethe. The damp wind plastered wisps of her hair
against her cheek. Her leg throbbed in protest against the pressure
and the dampness. She ignored the pain, as she had every day these
last ten seasons.
No time to dwell on her grievous
shortcomings, not when the future of her entire race lay at stake.
The Controllers had created a weapon more horrible, more devious
than any fusion cannon or photon torpedo: a deadly virus, capable
of breaching and destroying a Shielder's natural mind barrier,
which was their only protection against the Controllers.
Nessa pushed upright, stretching to find
relief from the aching stiffness. Shivering, she hugged her worn
tunic closer to her thin body. She limped away from the burial
grounds and into the main compound, territory normally forbidden to
her.
Outside the assembly hall entrance she
paused, gathering her courage. She already knew why the Council had
convened the meeting inside—and what must be done. She turned for
another look at the barren terrain that was both her home and her
prison. If the Council accepted her offer, she might never again
see the distant mountains, or the ever-present haze drifting around
the rock formations.
Taking a fortifying breath, Nessa entered
the assembly. Built within a massive cave, the hall was large
enough to hold every citizen of the Shielder colony. Even the press
and heat of so many bodies couldn't completely dispel the cool
dampness pervasive to all the caves and dwellings in the colony.
The dim lighting from the solar lanterns added little in the way of
comfort or warmth.
Fortunately, the entrance opened at the rear
of the hall, so no one noticed her presence. At the far end, the
Council members sat upon a raised dais around a massive half-circle
of stone. The Council head, Captain Ranul san Mars, stood
explaining the crisis. Nessa slipped to the side of the crowd,
where she could observe her father speaking.
"Our situation is critical. Five more
colonists have been infected. We can delay no longer. We must take
a sample of the Orana virus to our laboratory at Santerra. It's the
only Shielder facility capable of developing an antidote," Captain
san Mars told the gathering. "And there's another problem. With the
Controllers' agents scanning most interstellar space vehicles, the
virus must be transported via a live host to prevent
detection."
The crowd reacted audibly as his meaning
sank in. The virus would be carried within the volunteer's body.
Preferably someone dispensable, Nessa thought.
Someone such as herself.
"The person must be able to man a star-class
ship," Commander Jarek san Ranul added. "Only a star class is
capable of the journey."
Nessa drank in the sight of her brother,
pride momentarily dimming her inner turmoil. Jarek displayed the
calm, controlled assurance befitting a future Council head, the
position he would inherit from their father. He represented
everything she would never be.
"Do we have any volunteers?" Captain san
Mars scanned the faces of the Shielders grouped around the hall.
They shifted their feet nervously, shaking their heads and
shrugging.
Elder Gabe san Ardon stepped forward. "I'll
go. My fighting skills are waning and I'm an old man. Let me carry
the virus."
Murmurs of protest swept the room. Everyone
respected the elder, a knowledgeable and skillful battle tactician.
Most certainly they would prefer Nessa's alternative. Fear surged
through her, followed by a flare of determination. No matter how
disfigured she might be, no matter how flawed, she was still a
Shielder, sworn enemy of the Controllers. She would never be
allowed into combat against them, but she could still contribute to
the cause. Resolute, she shoved her way to the front of the
crowd.
"Don't sacrifice someone of value. Send me
instead."
Startled gasps of outrage and horror filled
the room, as the crowd around her hastily parted and pressed back a
safe distance. Nessa ignored them, but Ranul's icy, dispassionate
gaze pierced her bolstered bravado.
"You know you are not allowed here," he
stated coldly. "Get out, or I will have you removed."
Not just her father's callous words, but
also his granite expression, wrenched Nessa deep inside. No love,
no warmth, no sign of concern—of any feeling at all—for his only
daughter, showed on his face. Sometimes she thought even hatred
would be preferable to this frigid indifference.
She almost forgot her purpose here,
tormented by the unanswered litany rising from her soul.
Spirit
of Being, why me?
She pushed aside the futile question.
Adrenaline pounded through her body, but she managed to meet
Ranul's glare evenly. "You have no other use for me, Captain."
"Aye, you are right about that. Not only are
you useless to this colony, but your presence only upsets its
members." Ranul glowered accusingly at Jarek.
Mutterings of agreement rose around Nessa.
No need to put Ranul's thoughts into words. She shouldn't be alive
to plague the colony, partaking of their pitifully few
resources—and wouldn't be, if not for Jarek.
Clenching her hands tightly at her side, she
drew herself up to her slight height. "Then let me carry the virus
to Santerra."
"Foolishness!" Elder Gabe scoffed. "The
girl's not right in the head, we all know that. She couldn't
possibly pilot a ship."
"Gabe's right," Mara, a female soldier,
agreed. "Possessed as she is, she probably couldn't get to
Santerra, much less communicate with the technicians there."
"She's crazy, that's what she is."
"Get her out of here before she jinxes
us."
Derisive opinions echoed around the hall.
Through it all, Nessa forced herself to stand quietly, to give no
outward sign of recognition to the barbs. She'd heard them many
times before.
With an angry slash of his arm, Ranul
silenced the protestors. "Enough! It's agreed we can't let a
simpleminded girl who knows nothing about starships carry the virus
to Santerra. Nessa! Leave now."
"I know how to pilot a starship. I've flown
one many times." Nessa turned toward her brother. "Tell them,
Jarek."
All eyes focused on Jarek, who shook his
head warningly at Nessa. "Her offer is unacceptable. I'm one of
your best pilots. I will go."
She knew he wanted to protect her, as he had
for so long now. As he had when the members of the colony voted to
have her euthanized after her seizures began, causing the accident
that crippled her leg. Afraid to die, she'd allowed him to
intervene on her behalf. Nessa had despised herself for her
cowardice. But no more.