Read Online Aliomenti Saga 6: Stark Cataclysm by Alex Albrinck - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alex Albrinck
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you knew what you knew, and recognize you as someone clearly in violation of one or both of the first two Oaths. How do you get around that?”
She snorted. “You’re asking this after you couldn’t detect me less than an hour ago?”
He felt his face flush. “I… well, okay, but… now that you mention it, how did you do that?”
“Energy users learn to form and maintain Energy Shields. Non-Energy users like me learn to shield our thoughts and emotions. In many ways that’s more important than an Energy Shield, because it doesn’t take Porthos to detect a stray thought identifying a member of the Alliance.”
He nodded. “So you shield your thoughts, to the point that you’re invisible.” He grinned. “Even to me.”
She nodded. “I take self-defense and classes on different fighting techniques. There are videos in the Cavern, three dimensional holograms of some of our best warriors, including your mo—” She broke off. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
He winced when she mentioned his mother, but recovered. “Mom was the best. She learned incredible amounts studying fighting techniques from the greatest warriors in history over the centuries. It only makes sense that she’d be the best teacher.” He patted her hand. “I’m glad you’re able to learn from her.”
He glanced up as an awkward silence descended upon the cabin. “Where are we going, by the way?”
“We’re going to a safe house. You’ll get the chance to meet several of our number, and I think the person who provides our training will be there as well. When you arrived at the building today and the security team got word that a dangerous person was on the premise and must be subdued or terminated, I had a hunch we’d end up there.”
Fil nodded. He couldn’t help but wonder who trained this group, and why he’d never heard of them before. There were mysteries revealed all the time with this organization.
Twenty minutes later, the invisible sphere decelerated and dropped toward the ground, emerging from the thick blanket of clouds blocking their view of the outside. Fil watched the view screen as the landmarks of the city appeared. He saw a crumbling city center surrounded by the remnants of a wall marked with graffiti. The interior was snaked with paths of curving sidewalks that no longer moved. A lump formed in Fil’s throat. He realized exactly which city that was, but could scarcely stand to believe his eyes.
“The struggle to control the city erupted after all of you left,” Sarah told him. “Every wise decision and control your parents instituted was abandoned by those in pursuit of control and what they believed were untapped riches hidden inside those walls. But in the end, all they did was kill the golden goose.”
The craft slid away from the central part of Pleasanton and headed toward the outskirts. Fil knew where they were going. The walls surrounding his old home stood, showing only minor cosmetic wear. The concrete gate was open, and by all appearances had been for some time. The craft didn’t veer toward the Stark residence, but toward the central house inside the community, one Fil knew had been abandoned for years. He’d not been in Peter and Judith’s home in quite some time. He knew those Alliance members living in the community on the day of the Hunters’ attack congregated here to watch and ensure nothing went wrong.
He glanced at Sarah. “How do we get out? Or, more to the point, how do you get out?”
She arched an eyebrow. “You can’t teleport us five feet and get us out of this machine?”
He blinked rapidly. “Well, sure, but…” He frowned. “Wait a minute. How did we get in?”
She laughed. “Technological innovation. Smart bots. Nanobots. There’s someone at the Cavern called the Mechanic whose been revolutionizing these tiny machines. Heard of him?”
Fil shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. What do nanobots have to do with how we get in here?”
She
She snorted. “You’re asking this after you couldn’t detect me less than an hour ago?”
He felt his face flush. “I… well, okay, but… now that you mention it, how did you do that?”
“Energy users learn to form and maintain Energy Shields. Non-Energy users like me learn to shield our thoughts and emotions. In many ways that’s more important than an Energy Shield, because it doesn’t take Porthos to detect a stray thought identifying a member of the Alliance.”
He nodded. “So you shield your thoughts, to the point that you’re invisible.” He grinned. “Even to me.”
She nodded. “I take self-defense and classes on different fighting techniques. There are videos in the Cavern, three dimensional holograms of some of our best warriors, including your mo—” She broke off. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
He winced when she mentioned his mother, but recovered. “Mom was the best. She learned incredible amounts studying fighting techniques from the greatest warriors in history over the centuries. It only makes sense that she’d be the best teacher.” He patted her hand. “I’m glad you’re able to learn from her.”
He glanced up as an awkward silence descended upon the cabin. “Where are we going, by the way?”
“We’re going to a safe house. You’ll get the chance to meet several of our number, and I think the person who provides our training will be there as well. When you arrived at the building today and the security team got word that a dangerous person was on the premise and must be subdued or terminated, I had a hunch we’d end up there.”
Fil nodded. He couldn’t help but wonder who trained this group, and why he’d never heard of them before. There were mysteries revealed all the time with this organization.
Twenty minutes later, the invisible sphere decelerated and dropped toward the ground, emerging from the thick blanket of clouds blocking their view of the outside. Fil watched the view screen as the landmarks of the city appeared. He saw a crumbling city center surrounded by the remnants of a wall marked with graffiti. The interior was snaked with paths of curving sidewalks that no longer moved. A lump formed in Fil’s throat. He realized exactly which city that was, but could scarcely stand to believe his eyes.
“The struggle to control the city erupted after all of you left,” Sarah told him. “Every wise decision and control your parents instituted was abandoned by those in pursuit of control and what they believed were untapped riches hidden inside those walls. But in the end, all they did was kill the golden goose.”
The craft slid away from the central part of Pleasanton and headed toward the outskirts. Fil knew where they were going. The walls surrounding his old home stood, showing only minor cosmetic wear. The concrete gate was open, and by all appearances had been for some time. The craft didn’t veer toward the Stark residence, but toward the central house inside the community, one Fil knew had been abandoned for years. He’d not been in Peter and Judith’s home in quite some time. He knew those Alliance members living in the community on the day of the Hunters’ attack congregated here to watch and ensure nothing went wrong.
He glanced at Sarah. “How do we get out? Or, more to the point, how do you get out?”
She arched an eyebrow. “You can’t teleport us five feet and get us out of this machine?”
He blinked rapidly. “Well, sure, but…” He frowned. “Wait a minute. How did we get in?”
She laughed. “Technological innovation. Smart bots. Nanobots. There’s someone at the Cavern called the Mechanic whose been revolutionizing these tiny machines. Heard of him?”
Fil shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. What do nanobots have to do with how we get in here?”
She
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