J.M. Snyder

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

“What?” he asks, like he doesn’t know


I’m not buying it. “Just don’t.”


Ignoring us, Conlan walks over to where his


friend sits. He takes Ellington’s arm, tries to haul him to his


feet. “Don’t be like that,” he says, his voice so quiet, I can


barely hear it. “Come on, Ben. It’s not too late. It can’t


Either Conlan has a lot of strength in those


sinewy arms of his, or Ellington really hasgiven up, he


just doesn’t care, because he lets Conlan help him stand. He


doesn’t resist as Conlan leads him to where we wait, then past


us—Ellington lets his gaze slide over Parker, Shanley, me, like


we’re not even here. But he sees something in Dylan’s face,


something that makes him turn away and mumble, “I’m sorry about…”


He trails off, waving his hand in an obscure gesture. “About


I give Dylan a shove to get him moving down


the corridor before he can answer. “It’s okay,” I say, as if


Chapter 101