Read Online Aeon Legion: Labyrinth by J.P. Beaubien - Free Book Online Page A

We check them for cross-time diseases
or illegal items. Timeships dock here as well.”
    Ahead, a metal building stood
blocked off by a series of gates, each engraved with a Roman numeral.
A long, slow line of people stretched from each gate. Alya grimaced
as her gaze searched the gates ahead while shying away from anyone
else with silver hair. She led Terra off to the side to get a better
look. They stopped at a small overlook. While Alya searched for a
gate with a short line, Terra looked up as a wide shadow passed
overhead.
    A massive metal structure
passed overhead like a boot might pass over an ant. It was miles
long, stretching into the distance. When she looked out from the
balcony, she paused, taking in the sight.
    A huge mechanical pillar stood
in the center of the city. In the middle of the pillar, a bright blue
orb of burning light hovered. Above the orb moved three huge hands
that Terra guessed were miles long by themselves. One thick hand
moved slowly while another shorter one held still. A third hand
projected a row of blue light beams that shot over the city. This one
moved the fastest and was the one that had just passed over them.
    Around the pillar and between
the ring edges lay the buildings of the city itself. Terra had seen a
city before during school trips, though she had never seen a city
where buildings floated in the sky. Many buildings possessed a glass
orb embedded in sides that looked like the glass face of a
shieldwatch.
    In another part of the city,
distant forested mountains stood. In the skies hovered saucer shaped
aircraft that flew at a steady pace. “That explains so much,”
Terra said as her eyes followed the strange aircraft.
    Alya tugged at Terra and
pointed to a gate with a shorter line. Terra followed after stealing
another glance at the city glimmering in the light.
    They waited at the back of a
lengthy line. Terra took her eyes off the flying saucer in the sky to
listen in on the conversation ahead. An old man stood at the gate.
His leather clothing was in tatters and his hair unkempt as he spoke
in a desperate tone to the gatekeeper.
    The young gatekeeper had a
full head of sliver haired and a legion uniform like Alya's. He sat
at a desk in front of the gateway. The silver haired man at the gate
kept his eyes on a holographic disc projected above his shieldwatch
face. His bored expression remained constant while the old man
begged.
    “Please,” the old man
said, his voice hoarse. “Give me citizenship. I'll be a good
citizen! I swear. I have never broken any laws in the Temporal
Accords! I need to become a citizen. I need immorality!”
    “I am sorry, sir,” the
silver haired gatekeeper said in monotone. He did not look at the old
man while he spoke, keeping his attention on the hologram. “The
only way you can earn citizenship is if you join the Aeon Legion.”
    “Please!” the old man
begged.
    “I am sorry, sir,” the
gatekeeper replied, his tone still neutral. “You cannot enter the
city nor can you become a citizen.”
    The old man looked down before
walking off, dejected.
    The gatekeeper shook his head.
“Crashing dustrunners,” he said, under his breath.
    The next man stepped up. He
wore a white button up shirt with a dark jacket and trousers. “Excuse
me, but I was told by the Aeon Legion that I am not allowed to visit
my continuum's future.”
    The gatekeeper spoke in a
bored tone. “If you had read the Temporal Accords when you
registered your time travel device, you would have discovered that
acquiring knowledge of the future is not allowed. You may inquire at
the timeport office for permission.”
    “I did,” the man said,
frowning. “They rejected my request. Instead, I want access to the
Archives at the Aveum Academy.”
    “No,” the gatekeeper said
flatly. “You don't have permission to enter the city, much less
visit the Archives. If they won't let you time travel to your
continuum's future, then they are not going to let you into