Asteroid 6969: Tiger Gold

The furzbas were infesting the spaceship Juniper’s engines, so Captain Lance Rocket decided to set down on Asteroid 6969 to give his crew time to clear them out. That, and maybe pay a visit to a local bordello for some socializing. Asteroid 6969 was a rough-and-ready place not included in the Revised Galactic Dictionary, but that was ok since Captain Rocket was an unlicensed trader and couldn’t land at any official ports. Since the Federation pulled out of Asteroid 6969, the place was governed by the Condozzi gang, and was a very dangerous place to be.

Heidi was one of the girls employed at Fanny’s Fandango House of Pleasure and Fantasy. She’d run there to get away from the Condozzis – when she’d started looking like a woman, Gront Condozzi had decided to take her into his bed, and she’d do anything to avoid that. But Fanny was a good employer and Heidi enjoyed her duties. Then she met Lance Rocket, and fell in love.

This short story was written in the style of the Saturday matinees, with the heroine in danger from the bad guys and the hero setting out to rescue her. Most of the back story appears as flashbacks, so the story is a little hard to follow at first. In spite of the slightly cartoonish feel of the plot, the author enlivens the story by making it about the characters. Lance and Heidi and even Fanny are well-developed and appealing characters who engage the reader’s interest and feelings. The several sex scenes are humorous although very explicit, and are between a loving male/female couple. I thought the story was a perfect light read while traveling, and quite enjoyed it.

Reviewed by: Jean