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The Girl In The Box

Gaian Stories - Science Fiction Romance by Janet Miller

In the twenty-fifth century, the people of Earth have reached beyond their own solar system and established a series of colonies. One of the oldest, Gaia, was founded by a people who believed strongly in family and in the sanctity of human life. They rejected the intense corporate control over the society that remained on Earth and created a near utopian civilization on the pastoral planet of Gaia.

Since some of the greatest technical minds moved to Gaia, they quickly managed to improve on Earth’s technology, which Earth-based corporations refused to acknowledge the patents on.

The Gaians decided to declare independence, and in response Earth sent its military, Earthforce, to teach the upstarts a lesson. It was expensive one, which cost the Gaians thousands of their young women when Earthforce destroyed their largest girl’s school.

This left a big problem for the colonists. Through a biological twist of fate, Gaian men don’t become sexually active until they meet and “attach” to a woman who matches them. Consequently, even if the war was won by the colonists with their superior technology, this meant a long lonely life for a lot of guys…unless they could find other women to marry.

Promises To Keep, Beloved Enemy, Beloved Traveler, and A Promise Made take place at different times in the Gaian world.

The first book, Promises To Keep is set after the war, when Gaia is attempting to rectify its population problem by kidnapping women headed to become brides in the Outer Colonies. On the Gaian flagship, The Promise, Gaian men woo and win the ladies of Earth…in their own peculiar fashion.

General Garran Doranth doesn’t intend to attach to anyone, much less a fiery redheaded Earth doctor, but when Doctor Sarah Johnson slaps him on their first encounter, winning her as his wife becomes his top priority. Unfortunately Sarah lost a close friend during the war and blames the General. Fortunately Garran has a lot in his favor…not the least of which is that Sarah won’t see his face until she’s wed to him. Then all he has to do is use his wits and charm to convince her to stay married.What could go wrong with that?

Beloved Enemy begins during the war, when two starship fighter pilots are stranded on a deserted jungle planet and have to cooperate to stay alive until rescue comes. Lieutenant Meagan An Flena is from a race of space-faring “gypsies” called Travelers, but when her family was killed she chose Earthforce over a prison cell. She wouldn't mind bunking with Kavath, but when he talks about sex all he wants is marriage.

Mea is a source of mass confusion for Pilot Kavath Terrell He had no idea he was chasing a female Earth pilot when he followed her to the surface of the planet, and he’s dismayed to find she’s his sexual match…okay, sure he likes it that she’s a match, but unless he can marry her, he’s not going to give into the temptation she offers.

Or will he? There is just too much to admire about this little woman who shot up his ship and has now captured his heart. Eventually these two will have to decide if what keeps them apart is more important than what they have in common...friendship, respect, and love.

BelovedTraveler takes place right after the time period of Beloved Enemy and is a true sequel to the book. Again we have Mea and Kavath but the heroine is their nanny, a Gaian widow named Ana and the hero is Mea's brother, Jack. Jack has been playing pirate for the past several years, liberating the slaves of his former shipmates, many of whom are the scattered members of his Traveler tribe. He doesn't want a woman in his life but when Ana comes to his home he's drawn to her.

Ana wasn't happy with her Gaian husband and hasn't wanted to go back to another marriage meet to find a new one, so she's surprised when "pirate Jack" turns out to be a man who can touch her without making her ill. Neither of them expect their love affair to be anything but short. But then the slavers show up forcing Ana and Jack to work together to defeat their plans.

The novella, A Promise Made, takes place at the beginning of the Gaian war, when The Promise first demonstrates its ability to neutralize an enemy ship and takes the hospital ship, The Hope, captive. Dr. Karen Masters is sent from The Hope with a couple of security guards to pick up medical supplies...and attaches Dr. Jeffrey instead. Unfortunately true love doesn't usually have a smooth path and one of the road bumps on this one is General Garran Doranth and his hatred of Earth people.

This story is mentioned in Promises To Keep, but here is the full telling of the story, in the words of Karen Masters. It represents the first time that the Gaians realized that their men could attach to an Earth woman and solve the pending problem of the loss of so many of their young women...if only the General can be made to see reason.

I plan additional stories in the Gaian world and should have news about those soon. In the meantime, enjoy!

Janet Miller