Small Acts of Intergalactic Rebellion
By Elva Birch
From Pets in Space 8
The humans and aliens of Glory Station live in structured harmony under the many rules of the Oversight that protects them from the cunning and dangerous Rebellion.
Skilled but lonely junior Technician Tanadara knew she wasn’t supposed to befriend the cute furry animals in the ducts. Training the paxolii to follow her whispered commands kept them safe and hurt no one. She only needed to hide them from the bosses.
Newly appointed supervisor Samath wanted to introduce himself to the only full-blooded human on his staff, not to catch her nurturing destructive pests. Tanadara’s thoughts of instant attraction startle him into revealing his hidden telepathic ability. The Oversight would brain-wipe him immediately for genomic deviance if they discovered his secret.
What starts as a tentative truce soon blossoms into a highly illicit relationship. When the Oversight slates the destructive pests for extermination, can Samath and Tanadora find a way to break enough small rules to save the paxolii they’ve come to love… and each other?
Originally published in the Pets in Space 8 Anthology.
