Author: marylowd

Otters In Space 3 – Chapter 3: Jenny

by Mary E. Lowd

An excerpt from Otters In Space 3: Octopus Ascending.  If you’d prefer, you can start with Chapter 1, return to the previous chapter, or skip ahead.

“…Jenny realized that a lot of problems with the Europa base could be solved by flooding it. Cats and dogs were a lot less likely to fight over a base filled with water.”

Safe inside the ancient octopus base on Europa, Jenny itched to be back in Brighton’s Destiny, flying free, but the little Whirligig ship was parked, inert on the roof of the floating base.  Jenny was stuck inside one the plethora of spherical rooms off of the main central chamber of the base.  It was a reasonably sized room until someone had decided to shove a table into it.  The curved walls and ceiling hadn’t been designed to accommodate a rectangular table with four otters, two dogs, and a cat seated around it. Continue reading “Otters In Space 3 – Chapter 3: Jenny”

Otters In Space 3 – Chapter 2: Kipper

by Mary E. Lowd

An excerpt from Otters In Space 3: Octopus Ascending.  If you’d prefer, you can start with Chapter 1 or skip ahead.

“We need to ask the octopi for help.”

Paw prints marked the golden, glittering sand.  Tiny, perfect kitten prints danced flirtatiously up and down the line of wet beach, slowly dissolving under the soggy, sloppy wavelets lapping at the land.

Larger canine paw prints marched straight into the oncoming waves, and the dog who made them — a wiry-furred, beard-faced terrier wearing blue and yellow swim trunks — splashed wildly in the surf.  Sea foam clung to the fur on his ankles and his furiously wagging brush of a tail. Continue reading “Otters In Space 3 – Chapter 2: Kipper”

Otters In Space 3 – Chapter 1: Jenny

by Mary E. Lowd

An excerpt from Otters In Space 3: Octopus Ascending.  If you’d prefer to read in e-book or paperback form, learn more here.  Or if you want, jump back to book one or return to the end of book two.

“A fleet of enemy vessels had assembled between Jupiter and Io, and Brighton’s Destiny was barreling right toward them.”

The pale glow of Jupiter lit the moon’s watery surface.  Europa’s recently melted ocean reflected the gas giant’s ruddy face back at itself, broken by ripples where Brighton’s Destiny disturbed the water on takeoff.

The dark metal V-shape of the two-man spaceship skimmed over the ocean before veering upward in a sharp climb out of Europa’s gravity well.  Spacesuit clad paws eased off on the throttle, and Brighton’s Destiny leveled off into a smooth arc toward Jupiter. Continue reading “Otters In Space 3 – Chapter 1: Jenny”

Their Eyes Like Portals

by Mary E. Lowd

A Deep Sky Anchor Original

“Over time, the sister cats learned to cast their portals farther and farther away from themselves, no longer needing to touch the air with their claws to rip reality open.”

Emerald and Amber were each named for the rich, gemstone color of their eyes.  Other than that, the sister cats looked the same — each with fur as black as the night sky and elegantly curving whiskers as bright white as shooting stars.

Other cats in the neighborhood shared whispered rumors that those bright white whiskers could grant a wish to a cat brave enough to fight the pair and yank one out.  No cat had ever tried.  The other neighborhood cats knew better than to challenge Emerald and Amber.  It was too important to stay in their good favor. Continue reading “Their Eyes Like Portals”