Kinetic Effect

With their careers and lives on the line, two brilliant researchers must fight a corporate conspiracy unfolding aboard a high-security starship.

After six years with Ryogenomica, pharmaceutical research manager Gaerynx Triplo deeply appreciates his steady career and stable personal life, even if it’s just him and his adventurous pet kulak at home. His relationship with meticulous and witty research manager Amalena Kirilov is totally professional, except in his dreams. Amalena loves her job and making connections, especially with creatively clever people like Gaerynx, but firmly avoids workplace romance. She tells herself her rescued cat is all she needs.

Suddenly, their comfortable lives are derailed when their new boss demotes them both and pulls their teams to push a fast-track project over the finish line.

Amalena discovers troubling information about the fast-track project, and Gaerynx is equally troubled by the company their new boss keeps. Before they can investigate further, they and their pets are isolated on the company’s high-security starship.

If the corporate conspiracy is as dangerous as they believe, they’ll have to trust one another—and the spark between them—to expose the truth before their lives are shattered.

Can these unlikely allies dismantle a dangerous plot, clear their names, and forge a future together amidst the kinetic chaos?

Originally published in the Pets in Space 10 Anthology.