Ann Aguirre - Doubleblind

Table of Contents

PRAISE FOR THE SIRANTHA JAX NOVELS

WANDERLUST

Fast paced and thrilling, Wanderlust is pure adrenaline. Sirantha Jax is an unforgettable character, and I cant wait to find out what happens to her next. The world Ann Aguirre has created is a roller-coaster ride to remember.

Christine Feehan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dark Slayer

The details of communication, travel, politics, and power in a greedy, lively universe have been devised to the last degree but are presented effortlessly. Aguirre has the mastery and vision which come from critical expertise: She is unmistakably a true science fiction fan, writing in the genre she loves.

The Independent (London)

Once in a while you come across certain characters that just remain with you long after youve finished a book. For me, I found those characters in the cast of Grimspace and Wanderlust .

Dear Author

Emotions run high in Wanderlust , and the many twists and turns will leave readers hungry for more.

Darque Reviews

Vivid world-building accented with gut-wrenching action ensures that following Sirantha Jax through her first-person adventures will leave you breathless.

Romantic Times

GRIMSPACE

A terrific first novel full of page-turning action, delightful characters, and a wry twist of humor. Romance may be in the air. Bullets, ugly beasties, and really nasty bad guys definitely are.

Mike Shepherd, national bestselling author of the Kris Longknife series

An irresistible blend of action and attitude. Sirantha Jax doesnt just leap off the pageshe storms out, kicking, cursing, and mouthing off. No wonder her pilot falls in love with her; readers will, too.

Sharon Shinn, national bestselling author of Quatrain

A tightly written, edge-of-your-seat read.

Linnea Sinclair, RITA Award-winning author of Hopes Folly

An unflinching tale of survival, redemption, and serious ass kicking. Jaxs brutal eloquence will twist your heart when you least expect it.

Jeri Smith-Ready, award-winning author of Bad to the Bone

An exciting, evocative, and suspenseful science fiction romance, reminding me of Firefly and Serenity . Characters and a world youll think about long after the book is done. Fascinating!

Robin D. Owens, RITA Award-winning author of Heart Fate

Also by Ann Aguirre

Sirantha Jax Series

Corine Solomon Series

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

DOUBLEBLIND

An Ace Book / published by arrangement with the author

PRINTING HISTORY
Ace mass-market edition / October 2009

Copyright 2009 by Ann Aguirre.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

eISBN : 978-1-101-14036-9

ACE
Ace Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ACE and the A design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

For Carrie, to whom I have only one thing to say:
Turk.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I love my agent so much that Id totally drink a margarita and sing Barry Manilows Mandy to her at a karaoke bar, except her name is Laura, and that might be slightly unprofessional. So maybe not, but its the thought that counts. Moving on!

Working with Anne Sowards is the culmination of all my lifelong dreams, and to be honest, anytime I get an e-mail from her, I still get that OMG, the quarterback noticed me feeling. Shes a brilliant editor and she always rocks me with her fabulous insights. Doubleblind is a much better book because of her suggestions. Meanwhile, her assistant, Cam, works behind the scenes with such efficiency and expertise that I suspect she outsources to Santas elves. Thanks, Cam! Everyone at Penguin has been beyond wonderful, so they deserve a big woot as well. You cant hear it, but I just wooted. The noise agitated the dog.

Next, my family deserves a special mention for never complaining if Im distracted or if we eat rice and beans three nights a week while Im working on a first draft. Finally, but never least important, I thank my readers. Your e-mails mean the world to me, so keep them coming. Thats ann.aguirre@ gmail.com.

CHAPTER 1

The ship cuts through the atmosphere, taking us down.

Below, the spaceport waits, white as bone beneath the pallid sun. From its quiet appearance and weathered exterior, I can tell this is a relic of ancient times. Though the Ithtorians once explored the stars, they do so no longer. They retreated many turns ago and cut off all trade.

Its my job to change all that.

The structure is shaped like a dome, which opens to admit us. I find that disconcerting, as if were being ingested. Our pilot has steady hands, but hes not an artist like March. Nonetheless, we put down sooner than Id like.

Im not ready.

That doesnt stop me from heading to the exit ramp. My personal crew will meet me there. The rest line up and salute as we pass. Theyre mostly clansmen, with a few ex-freighter crew who got stuck on Lachion before the war. I dont know all their names and faces yet; I didnt spend long enough on board.

We wont be taking everyone from the Triumph on world. The Bugs would doubtless panic and think they were being invaded. Its significant that they let us dock here at all. Baby steps before we take a giant leap for mankind.