L. Warren Douglas

A "Del Rey Discovery" book (their series aimed at promoting new authors).
Bass Cannon is a computer prodigy - and a bit of a rebel. In trouble
at his military school for breaking the rules one too many times, he
also has no desire to follow in his fathers' footsteps with the
bureaucratic work of running a successful planetary colony. Home for a
visit, he gets into even worse trouble than at school. A fight with
some local boys gets out of hand, and to cover up their wrongdoings,
they stow Bass away on a space freighter. Once he's enroute, there's
nothing that can be done - his old life is effectively over. But Bass
is a resourceful kind of guy; and soon enough takes a job with the
Phastillians - crustacean-like, wormy aliens who communicate by scent
(and therefore, stink, and aren't too popular with most humans.) But
where others see something to avoid, Bass sees opportunity knocking...
Fun (but unremarkable) space opera aimed at teens.… (mehr)