A Bug's Life

Praise for The Martian Alliance
Chronicles

“Gini Koch manages to deliver a fun
story full of action, deception and misdirection.”

Pearls Cast Before a McPig

“This series is just fun, and perfect
for when you want to read something in one sitting.”

A Buckeye Girl Reads

“Gini Koch has done it
again!”

I Smell Sheep

Also by
Gini Koch
:

The Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt
Series

TOUCHED BY AN ALIEN

ALIEN TANGO

ALIEN IN THE FAMILY

ALIEN PROLIFERATION

ALIEN DIPLOMACY

ALIEN VS. ALIEN

ALIEN IN THE HOUSE

ALIEN RESEARCH

ALIEN COLLECTIVE

UNIVERSAL ALIEN

ALIEN SEPARATION

ALIEN IN CHIEF (coming December
2015)

CAMP ALIEN (coming May
2016)

ALIEN NATION (coming December
2016)

ALIENS ABROAD (coming May
2017)

The Necropolis Enforcement Files
Series

THE NIGHT BEAT

NIGHT MUSIC (coming 2016)

The Martian Alliance Chronicles
Series

THE ROYAL SCAM

THREE CARD MONTE

A BUG’S LIFE

RANDOM MUSINGS FROM THE FUNNY
GIRL

THE HAPPY ACRES HAUNTED HOTEL FOR
ACTIVE SENIORS

A STUDY IN STARLETS (coming
2015)

Anthologies

CLOCKWORK UNIVERSE: STEAMPUNK VS.
ALIENS –

A Clockwork
Alien

TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-ONE BAKER
STREETS –

All The Single
Ladies

UNIDENTIFIED FUNNY OBJECTS 3
–
Live at the Scene

TEMPORALLY OUT OF ORDER
–
Alien Time Warp

THE X-FILES: TRUST NO ONE
–
Sewers

UNIDENTIFIED FUNNY OBJECTS 4
–
Support Your Local Alien
(coming 2015)

OUT OF TUNE 2 –
Red River Valley
(coming
2016)

alt. SHERLOCK HOLMES: NEW VISIONS OF
THE GREAT DETECTIVE –

A Study in Starlets
(coming 2016)

A Bug’s Life

Book 3 of the Martian
Alliance Chronicles

GINI KOCH

This is a work of fiction.
Names, characters, places, incidents, and dialogues in this book
are of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously and are
not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or
persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

A Bug’s Life

Published by Gini Koch at
Smashwords

Copyright 2015 Jeanne
Cook

All rights reserved,
including the right to reproduce this book or any portions thereof
in any form whatsoever. For information, contact the author:
[email protected].

The scanning, uploading and
distribution of this book via the internet or via other means
without the express written permission of the author is illegal and
punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic and
print editions, and do not participate in or encourage the
electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the
author’s rights is appreciated.

Editors: Mary Fiore and
Veronica Cook

Cover Artist: Lisa
Dovichi

ISBN:
978-1-31001-6950

Gini Koch

http://www.ginikoch.com

Dedication

To all those who take the lost and unloved
under their wings

and fill the role of loving parent,

whether for a little while or a
lifetime,

we thank you.

Acknowledgments

Thanks as always to my awesome agent, Cherry
Weiner, and my amazing crit partner, Lisa Dovichi. Love and thanks
to my husband, Steve, and daughter, Veronica, for continuing to
deal with the madness living with an author can be.

Special love to the fans who’ve told me that
this is their favorite series of mine. DeeDee and the Crew
appreciate your support.

“Asteroid shower!” Roy’s voice came over the
intercom. “Crew to stations and strap in!”

When you’re flying in deep space, there are
few things that scare you more than being caught in an asteroid
shower. Because even a small rock can rip a hole in your hull, and
any hole that isn’t immediately patched has the potential to
destroy the spaceship and all the life within it.

Our stations during an asteroid shower were
different than for any other type of flying experience. Sure, Roy
was a fantastic pilot. And the chances of him avoiding most of the
rocks were high. But they weren’t a hundred percent. We
scrambled.