Girl Gone Nova Read online

  Contents

  About the Book

  - Chapter One

  - Chapter Two

  - Chapter Three

  - Chapter Four

  - Chapter Five

  - Chapter Six

  - Chapter Seven

  - Chapter Eight

  - Chapter Nine

  - Chapter Ten

  - Chapter Eleven

  - Chapter Twelve

  - Chapter Thirteen

  - Chapter Fourteen

  - Chapter Fifteen

  - Chapter Sixteen

  - Chapter Seventeen

  - Chapter Eighteen

  - Chapter Nineteen

  - Chapter Twenty

  - Chapter Twenty-one

  - Chapter Twenty-two

  - Chapter Twenty-three

  - Epilogue

  Tangled in Time excerpt

  Other books by Pauline Baird Jones

  About the Author

  Best book (Long and Short Reviews); SingleTitles Reviewers’ Choice Award; TwoLips Recommended Read

  Epic Book Award - Best Science Fiction Romance

  A science fiction/action adventure romance novel

  Doc—Delilah Oliver Clementyne’s—orders are simple: do the impossible and do it yesterday. A genius/bad ass, she does the impossible on a regular basis. But this time the impossible is complicated by an imminent war between the Earth expedition to the Garradian Galaxy and the Gadi, an encounter with some wife-hunting aliens, and not one but two bands of time travelers.

  The only way it could get worse? If the heart she didn’t know she had starts beating for the wrong guy…

  Praise for Girl Gone Nova:

  “I love the adventure, the alien setting, the action and the humor of these stories. Pauline sets up a believable time travel scenario with all the paradoxes that should be expected. The characters are rich and likable; even the pirate, bad boy Vidor, has engaging qualities. The writing has a wonderful fast pace that fits the tale. This can be read alone but it works much better if you read The Key first.: Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf

  “Pauline Baird Jones has been one of my favorite authors since I read her Eppie award-winning Out of Time, a World War II time travel that truly captured the flavor of that wartime era. I also read The Key, the exciting prequel to Girl Gone Nova, and this book blows them both away. Like its predecessor, Girl Gone Nova is set in the present day. With all its twists and turns – enough to rival a West Virginia highway – Girl Gone Nova is one of the most wildly unbelievable, yet believable books I've ever read. It's simply one of the best sci-fi romances ever written.” Two Lips Reviews, Five Lips!

  “Girl Gone Nova is an action-filled science fiction treat! Stuffed full of intrigue, time-traveling, wisecracks and every girl’s dream of love and happily-ever-after, it’s a sure-fire hit with any lover of the genre. Ms. Jones has a talent for bringing unusual characters forth and making them seem like ‘one of the guys’, it’s a talent you’re sure to remember for a long time to come, as is her amazing novel, Girl Gone Nova.” Long and Short Romance Reviews

  “After a multiyear absence, Baird Jones makes a very welcome return by once again visiting the alternate reality first explored in The Key. Time paradoxes run amok in this extraordinarily complex tale. Amongst the densely packed and mind-bending action, there's also some welcome humor. A spectacular ride!” Romantic Times Magazine

  “Jones is adept at creating kick-butt women characters who can give as good as they get. Doc is mentally quick and physically lethal. She's a woman who has never felt like she fit in until she meets Giddioni, whom she is instantly attracted to. But that doesn't stop her from doing her job, even if it means battling the Gadi leader and his minions. The action is nonstop, the suspense gut-wrenching, and the plot rollicking fun.” Midwest Book Review

  “Ms. Jones’ writing reads like poetry. Never a dull moment, Girl Gone Nova is replete with action and wit. A must read for all lovers of Sci Fi romance!" Single Title Reviews

  “Pauline Baird Jones has created an amazing universe with lots of fun and quirky characters. The main female character is a riot to read, and I really enjoyed getting a peek into her head. Her writing style is fun and amusing. I really enjoyed this book a lot and plan to go back and read The Key so I can catch up on what I missed. If you enjoy science fiction and romance, this book is definitely for you.” Coffee Time Romance & More

  “This is a WOW-WONDERFUL Sci-Fi, romance. The sequel to The Key. I am amazed at the depth of the world created and how well the author kept track of all the details!” Martha Reads Blog

  “Pauline Baird Jones does a wonderful job of getting into the minds (and hearts, and other parts of the anatomy) of her protagonists as she crafts a supple plot shot through with sexy romance. Pitch-perfect notes of villainy, heroism, and courage enhance the romantic story. Girl Gone Nova is either the most engaging and fun of any way-over-the-top SFnal adventure I've ever read or the most way-over-the-top of any engaging and fun SFnal adventure I've ever read. . . ." Alexis Glynn Latner, Hurricane Moon

  “Girl Gone Nova had interesting characters that I cared about—especially the lead female and her quirks and flaws, an interesting universe and interesting situations. It was fast paced and action filled, it kept my attention and I didn’t want to put it down.” Dr. Eileen K. Stansbery, Space Physicist.

  * * * * *

  Girl Gone Nova

  Pauline Baird Jones

  A Perilous Pauline Edition

  * * * * *

  Author’s Note:

  Following the release of The Key, it came to my attention that I didn’t make it clear that my Project Enterprise series is set, somewhat loosely, in the present day. I did this deliberately. It is hard enough to create a whole new galaxy, without having to create an imaginary future. I’ve tried to go easy on adding too many present day details, in hopes the book will outlast this present time, but any reference to present day things is deliberate and not an accident. 

  Chapter One

  It was a party on an alien planet in a galaxy far, far away.

  It should have been the most freaking interesting party Doc—Delilah Oliver Clementyne—had ever attended. They were in the fabulous, alien-equivalent-of-marble reception hall. There was good food and soft music. There were pretty aliens in pastels and Earthlings in camouflage to provide contrast and conflict.

  Both sides were humanoid, but that was the only thing they seemed to have in common—well, other than their mutual obsession with the mysterious and ancient outpost on the planet of Kikk. Doc was interested in it, too. She liked weapons and the outpost was supposed to be loaded with them, but she couldn’t think of any reason she’d get the chance to play with them. She sighed, her gaze skimming the room again.

  Maybe partying with ET was only fun in the movies. Maybe it was her fault. She didn’t party well with others, though she could fake it when necessary. This wasn’t necessary. And it made her antsy to be out and about without a clear objective. Knowing what to do, knowing how to act, having a purpose created a safe zone even when what she was doing wasn’t remotely safe.

  There were worse things than dying.

  She should blend and mingle, not prowl around the perimeter, but it took more than great food and pretty aliens to keep them at bay. They circled inside her head, their usual menace mixed with something new. She’d have rubbed the back of her tingling neck, but that was a giveaway move. She didn’t do giveaway moves—particularly when her camo wasn’t camouflaging. In their drab garb the Earth delegation stood out like the specters at this very pretty feast. What had General Halliwell been thinking when he ordered them to dress down?

  Her gaze tripped over the General—the head specter at the feast.

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p; He was a big man, and burly, with the rock-like countenance and aggressive stance of the seasoned military man. He owned his personal space and appeared to have no problem casting a blight well outside that space. His personal staff had to stick with him. Everyone else gave him a wide berth as he stalked around the room, stopping now and then to glare and stare.

  Halliwell hadn’t arranged a face-to-face meet with her when she transferred aboard the Doolittle, and looking at his stony visage, she wasn’t sorry. She bet there wasn’t a diplomatic cell in his whole body.

  Doc wasn’t a diplomat either, though she was attached to the diplomatic team on the Doolittle, courtesy of her oft-used—or abused—cover as a United Nations doctor. It said something about human nature that no one had thought to wonder why a UN doctor had been sent into space. It did explain why she’d ended up at the party. Porter Rockley, head of the diplomatic team, had tried to put as many diplomatic bodies as possible between the General and the Gadi.

  He’d have done better to go with a squad of well-armed Marines.

  This was the first time anyone on the expedition had been invited into Gadi home world orbit, let alone been dirt side there, and the General still looked pissed. Was that the Gadi Leader he was glaring at?

  The current object of his displeasure wasn’t wearing pink, the official color of the Leader, and his body language didn’t shout, I’m the Leader of most of the galaxy, so she doubted it. Though she’d heard Helfron Giddioni was skilled at projecting everything from goof ball to menacing, and he’d given up wearing pink—at least around the Earth expedition. A good strategic move, but it was a pity. Doc liked pink, probably because it had been missing in her life. Her mum had been against anything that smacked of gender typing. Doc had gone a bit nuts over pink when she started buying her own underwear. And she might again, once she got back to Earth and she didn’t have to be military regulation from the skin out.

  She paused her thoughts to nibble at the last something on her plate, almost sighing as the exquisite blend of flavors caressed a palate depressed by over a year of subsisting on MREs. When she’d deployed with the Nimitz she had expected to return to Earth when it did. Instead, she’d been transferred to the Doolittle and sent even further into space. It would have been nice to know why, but her new orders hadn’t caught up with her yet. One thing she knew, the Major hadn’t sent her here to party with the aliens.

  She put her plate on a passing tray and then paused in front of a small orchestra, studying the instruments as well-bred elevator music filled any lulls in the muted conversations between the Gadi and the Earth expedition. In the two-plus years since first contact they still didn’t know that much about them beyond the whole pretty vibe they had going. It wasn’t her mission to parse the Gadi, but that didn’t stop her from being curious about them. She tried to think of something that did stop her curiosity and couldn’t. Well, dying would.

  Her gaze inadvertently intersected with one of the Gadi men and he crossed to her side.

  “I am called Naman.” He extended a hand.

  Doc met him halfway. “Doctor Clementyne.” It made her twitchy to use her real name, but she didn’t let it show. That was a giveaway, too.

  He lifted her hand to his mouth, pressing it with his lips, his appreciative gaze holding hers through the whole exercise. Doc kept her smile, even though she didn’t like to be touched. She got it from her mum. And her dad. It surprised her they’d managed enough touching to produce two children.

  He studied her with a puzzling male appreciation. Oh, she knew she wasn’t hideous, but it wasn’t her hotness factor that earned her the nickname “Morticia.” And she was dressed like a guy. Was he pinging on her like a laser guided missile because he liked her looks or because she was with the delegation?

  She didn’t like anyone pinging on her for any reason she hadn’t made happen, but if he wanted to do it, she’d turn the ping back on him. She tipped her head to the side, the angle mathematically configured for flirtatious effect. Her hair shifted, falling in a neat line as she added a tiny curve to the edges of her mouth. Her lashes drooped to a careful half mast to hide the calculation in her gaze while her brain processed his reaction and made minute adjustments. One didn’t want to over—or under—mess with his head.

  Next to him stood a server holding a tray of glasses. Naman seized two glasses and handed her one with a slight flourish. It seemed she wasn’t the only one who calculated effects, though he might not realize he was being calculating.

  “Thank you.” She deepened her smile and added warmth to her voice. His response was in the expected range of her output. She could have calculated how many cc’s of blood had left his brain if she’d wanted to. Did it bother men to be vulnerable in that way? It would bother her. She lifted the glass and pretended to take a sip. Even a small amount of alcohol put her concentration at risk, and the Gadi concoction had more than a small amount.

  “This is a remarkable space,” she murmured, because small talk was an expected part of this social ritual. She used the tip of her tongue in a swipe across her upper lip and sent a few more cc’s of his blood heading south. She didn’t want him to notice her small talk was really small.

  “Is it?” Naman sounded as dazed as she’d wanted him to.

  Doc looked around, glad to break eye contact for a few seconds. It didn’t take this much pretty to please the Earth delegation, not after several months in space, but the Gadi wouldn’t know that. Or maybe they did and they’d still pushed out the boat. They wanted access to the Kikk Outpost pretty badly.

  “I am surprised, though.” She paused with intent to distract.

  He arched a perfect brow and leaned toward her, bringing his personal scent in range of her nostrils. Lucky for her it wasn’t unpleasant. Unlucky for him, it did nothing to her heart rate or cognitive processes. She’d been called a cold bitch more than a few times. It was a fair assessment. It could be the scientist at her core that focused too much on analyzing and not enough on feeling. It could be them snapping at her heels.

  Or she was just a cold bitch.

  “What surprises you, Doctor?”

  “Well, I would have expected a beautiful staircase for more dramatic effect, I suppose.” And why no chandeliers? She’d been sure there’d be chandeliers. The Gadi and chandeliers seemed made for each other. She made some vague hand movements to go with her words.

  It wasn’t a shock when his gaze followed her hands, since that’s why she did it.

  “The arrival of your delegation was quite dramatic.”

  If he hadn’t smiled after he said this, she’d have suspected he was being ironic.

  “A big flash and then a bunch of olive drab. It needed work.” She shrugged, adding a hint of rueful into the calculated movement.

  He laughed. No surprise it sounded pretty, too. “Whereas we arrived via the lift.”

  He indicated what she’d thought were floor-to-ceiling panels at the end of the room.

  “I would like to have seen that.” This comment had the benefit of being both small talk and true.

  He edged closer. Doc shifted, her gaze holding Naman’s, as she maintained the distance status quo. One thing Doc had in common with the General, she didn’t like people in her personal space. She’d once done the shift/retreat all the way around the desk of a target, until she got tired of it and kicked his ass. That technique wouldn’t work here. Kicking ass at a party wasn’t diplomatic. Even she knew that. If the guy got too persistent she’d ask for directions to the ladies room. She might learn something, even if it was only that Gadi women peed, too.

  She was unprepared for the chill that snaked abruptly down her back, like a finger tip tracing a path from spinal tip to base. The hairs on her body stirred, and then lifted, but still not in flight or fright. She was well acquainted with both. Her heart sped up. Her breathing tried to, too. She fought that. Panting was passé at a party. The struggle to control her breathing created a kind of roaring in her ears. Her hands tighte
ned around her glass, as if it could provide the stability she needed.

  Someone was watching her.

  She’d been watched, studied, assessed many times in her thirty-plus years, but not like this. It wasn’t creepy.

  It was new.

  * * * * *

  Helfron Giddioni—Leader of the Gadi people and defender and protector of most of the galaxy—knew to his bones how important this reception was. The complex relations with these people from Earth had reached a critical mass. If war were to be averted, he needed to pay attention to the newly arrived ambassador—even if Rockley was as mind-numbingly dull as his predecessor. Something nagged at him, trying to pull his attention from matters of state. He resisted the urge for several minutes, but as the impulse built, he gave in to the urge to scan for the source. If something were wrong, he needed to know this.

  All seemed to be well with both party and guests—a moving figure on the perimeter grabbed his attention—even as the hairs on the back of his neck rose in warning. All women are dangerous. Hel had known this for as long as he could recall. Since avoiding them was impossible, one approached them with caution, and was never surprised by anything they did.

  This one might surprise him.

  Through partially lowered lashes, he studied her, wondering what it was about her that bothered him. The purity in the curve of her pale cheek, exposed by the angle of her head and fall of her deeply dark hair were perfect, too perfect, he realized, like a pose in a tableau. The hair hung straight and thick almost half-way down her back. It shifted as she did, sometimes hiding, sometimes exposing a profile that appeared to be without flaw. Her clothing was meant to disguise her female shape. It failed in this. And it fed the dangerous aura she wore like a cloak. The way she’d circled the perimeter of the room reminded him of a panthric on the hunt, each move an invitation, and a warning. She activated his hunter’s instincts, though he had other reasons to be curious about her.