Neal James is a space station navigator whose lover, Dylan Teague, left him for a starmapping mission. But when Dylan radios in a distant signal one night, Neal discovers that he hasn't managed to put the relationship behind him in the two months they've been apart. When he's one of the crew members sent to investigate the signal, he finds that his ex-lover feels the same.<br><br>The source of the signal is a lost colony ship. Only a handful of the original colonists remain, survivors of a deadly disease that killed most of their fellow shipmates twenty years ago. To keep the threat of disease to a minimum, the colony adheres to strict laws, including the prohibition of same-sex relationships.<br><br>When the same fatal virus seems to appear again, Neal and Dylan find themselves in the midst of an irrational panic and hate that threatens to destroy everything the colonists have worked so hard to attain.

Operation Starseed

from one of the trays, pings off the floor at his feet. With


deliberate care, Conlan bends his knees, sinks down to pick it


I try again. “Shanley can help her—”


of his hands, tumble to the ground. “Dammit,” he mutters, trying to


gather up the plates again, the bowl, the silverware and cold


pancakes and napkins. I feel like I should apologize for making him


do this but they should’ve sent Tobin to clean up this mess, it’s


hisfault. Before I can say anything, though, Conlan


murmurs, “We have to wait a few days to see how Shauna progresses.


Right now she’s in quarantine. Could be this is just a cold,


nothing more. Could be she’s going to get better. We just have to


A few days. Is that how long we’re going


to be stuck down here?I can’t stand this forced separation, I


can’t stand knowing Dylan’s locked away somewhere, locked away from


Chapter 77