Rigorous inspections had been carried out and double-checked. Because half of the ship’s yearlong trip would carry it away from the last available repair facility, it needed to be as self-reliant and as immune to incapacity as human technicians could make it. The ship’s current complement of colonists were bound for the outer reaches of Twelfth Sector, beyond the current perimeter of UG space. Through the smoke-tinted atmosphere dome above it, the two small moons of Mars, Deimos and Phobos, were visible, racing one another across the sky. Its cluster of cylinders joined by buttresses and braces looked gothic and ornate, but were actually functional conduit and passageway. The shimmering vessel was one of the vast fleet used by the government of the United Galaxy to convey pioneer settlers from Marsbase, in the Sol system, to their designated planets. The great colony ship stood on the launch pad, looming unconcerned above the whirl of preparation which went on around its base as its crew made ready to board. She is also grateful to Sue Stone for her experience, and to Peter Heck and Laura Anne Gilman for patience and advice and more patience. The author sincerely thanks Beth Fleisher for lending her countenance to this project. Elizabeth Nye, OB-GYN, for their research and input, and acknowledge that any errors made in the use of their data are her own. Jeffrey Scott Nye, neurobiologist, and Dr. Other WordFire Press Titles by Jody Lynn Nye Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination, or, if real, used fictitiously. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of the copyright holder, except where permitted by law. Originally published by Ace Science Fiction Books, 1993Īll rights reserved.

Can she find a cure before the disease kills again and puts her and her menagerie in danger?Įxciting… enjoyable space adventure… Taylor’s Ark is fun and well-crafted, with a heroine you’ll enjoy rooting for! With the help of her special menagerie, including a cat that can detect environmental hazards, a dog whose system can synthesize vaccines, and an intelligent alien named Chirwl, Shona is determined to stop the epidemic in its tracks, but the people causing the epidemic have set her up to take the blame, spreading the rumor that she is an Angel of Death. Shona Taylor, a specialist in environmental medicine, discovers that a mysterious epidemic is killing the entire population of colony worlds.

Launch Pad by Jody Lynn Nye