Evernight Publishing ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2014 Jan Suzukawa
ISBN: 978-1-77130-934-9
Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs
Editor: JS Cook
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
AFTERMARKET LOVER
SDS Robots, 1
Jan Suzukawa
Copyright © 2014
Ashton Cheng checked the gauge one more time.
No gold present.
He sighed, gazing up at the pale violet skies of Planet X2-4 and smoothing back his short black hair.
Mining precious metals on the outer rim of the Milky Way galaxy had its advantages. Better than decent pay for one thing, and the freedom to live as you chose to, much of the time.
On the other hand—being the only human on a planet could get a little lonely.
Ash shut off the analyzer machine and lifted it into the land skiff. He could check off this area: there was nothing here.
His brown eyes scanned the light-green flatlands and dark purple hills in the distance. The hills registered as a possible, so he would try there next.
The skiff flew over the short grasses as Ash reset the machine, cool winds ruffling his workman’s jacket. Earth’s constant need for precious metals, especially gold, meant an odd-jobs man like him could earn enough to buy a used spaceship after a few years working a dreary job like this one. His company had the contract on this sector of this particular solar system and Ash was their only employee on the planet.
Once gold was spotted by the analyzer machine, Ash used the automatic mining machines to dig it out. It wasn’t difficult, but he would work long hours for days once the process began.
His commissions on top of his salary made the difference. If he found enough gold in the remaining areas of the planet as he’d already found so far, he’d have enough to buy that ship and start traveling the stars.
He was in his late twenties now, and had saved diligently for the past two years. A few more months and he’d be there.
Ash could almost taste it.
A beep on his U -tab: it was Jake. Jake delivered his supplies once a week and served as his connection to the rest of the universe, bringing him gossip and tidbits that Ash couldn’t get on the U-net.
The message was intriguing: Bringing the usual plus something extra. Prepare yourself for a good time.
Ash frowned, but couldn’t keep a little quirk from lifting the corner of his mouth. A good time? Not with Jake, who Ash knew was straight while he was gay.
Let’s see if you and I have the same concept of what a good time is, he smirked to himself.
****
In the late afternoon he ambled out of the station that served as his home, with Tiny barking in excitement at his heels as he always did when Jake arrived.
The small silver ship settled into the rust-colored dirt and the ramp unfolded to the ground. In the next minute Jake was coming down the ramp in that rangy way of his, hands in the pockets of his deliveryman’s jumpsuit. “Yo.”
“Yo,” Ash said agreeably. “So where’s my surprise?”
“ Inside the ship.” Jake wasn’t even trying to hide the salacious smile on his face. “Let’s get the supplies in first.”
As Ash helped Jake bring the boxes into the station, he eyed the other man narrowly. “I get all the porn I need from the U-net already, so this had better be something else.”
“Oh, this is something else for sure,” Jake grinned, loading the last box into Ash’s storage room. “I’ll go and get him.”
Him? Ash stared after Jake as he went
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