Read Online A Chronetic Memory (The Chronography Records Book 1) by Kim K. O'Hara - Free Book Online Page A

really don’t know. I know that I seldom see anything newer than a hundred years, but it does happen, and I’m not the only one scanning objects. Besides the interns, sometimes the fellows and the researchers use the labs. I … I can’t really answer your question. I’d just be guessing.”
    Joph was scribbling. More math, Dani thought. He looked up. “Hey,” he said. “You know, the reverse is true too. If you’re not looking for a particular person’s secrets and you’d be satisfied with anybody’s, the odds favor finding something worth some money from all those objects. The newer the object, the better the chances.”
    “That’s what my grandfather says.” Ronny was nodding his head. He looked immensely gratified. “Follow the money. That would be a hard opportunity to resist, if you had a crack at it.”
    The room fell silent. Dani felt sick. The kids were right, and she realized she had buried thoughts like these far too long. They had hit on a piece of the truth from outside, but only an insider would have a chance to find out the rest. It suddenly hit her that she might be the only one in the institute willing to dig deeper.
    “I think I need to do some research, and not the chronographic kind,” she said. “When would you all like to meet again?”
    “Actually,” said Ms. Harris, “this group meets regularly on Saturdays, with me as their adviser. Ronny is the president. I think, under the circumstances, you would be welcome to join us. What do the rest of you think?”
    As Dani looked around for their response, she saw eight heads nodding. Ronny, in particular, was enthusiastically in favor. He stood and stuck out his hand to her. “Welcome to the West Seattle High Political Action Club. See you at ten o’clock Saturday morning?”
    Dani shook his hand. “I’ll be there.”

9
Desperation
    SEEBAK LABORATORY, Vashon Island, WA. 1700, Tuesday, June 6, 2215.
    “Doc? Doc! Your machine is buzzing,” Lexil called, as he emerged from an observation room to the main work area. Dr. Seebak, though, was nowhere in sight. The younger scientist turned off the buzzer and checked the machine to be sure it wasn’t signaling anything urgent.
    Well. It was five o’clock. Maybe the doctor had decided to observe a normal quitting time for once. Lexil decided to check inside the house. He walked across the wooded pathway to the home they had both shared since Lex had lost his parents as a teenager and Doc had been named guardian.
    Oh—what was this? An unfamiliar helicar on the parking pad. The number of people who knew where to find them were so few he could put them all in a four-seater helicar and still have room for the driver.
    He entered the house cautiously and found Doc with a visitor in the main living room. His caution became delight. “Marielle!”
    She turned at his voice, and the look of distress he glimpsed on her face turned quickly into a smile. She stood to give him a hug. He covered the distance between them in three long steps.
    “Lex! You’ve grown even more since I saw you last. What are you, 190 centimeters by now?”
    “No, not even close. Only 186.” She was almost unchanged from the last time he saw her. Almost. “Your hair’s longer.”
    She tucked a wayward curl of dark hair behind her ear. “Yes. I don’t really get out much, so I’ve let it grow.”
    “It looks really nice. You look really nice.” He had missed her. Back when his mom and dad had dinner parties, she was one of his favorites. He had actually had a little bit of a crush on her, even though she she was older. In her mid-thirties now, she was every bit as striking.
    “So, Lex. Let me look at you. How long has it been?” She stood back to get the full effect and nodded approvingly.
    “Four years? I think I was twenty-one. We were celebrating something.”
    She laughed. “You make it sound like it was nothing. That was your first degree, wasn’t it?”
    “Yes, but in a sense, it really wasn’t