Read Online CHOSEN: A Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Dystopian Novel by A. Bernette - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: A. Bernette
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aren’t enough scientists, but that was close, wasn’t it?”
“I
don’t know what you’re talking about,” Stephen insisted, his eye twitching a
bit, as it did when he was nervous or lying.
“Stephen,
I know you and you know I know you like no one else knows you. What’s going
on?” Stephen put his head down. He couldn’t let her see the worry on his face. She
wouldn’t be home for a few more days and he couldn’t have her worried too.
He
looked at the red brick wall behind her. She was outside, enjoying the warmth. Her
hair was around her head like a halo with the sun accenting her curls. The
scarf didn’t even try to contain the hair, only accent it. He wasn’t sure he
wanted to talk about it with her out there. He didn’t know who else might be
around, listening and he understood that no one else could know, for now.
“It’s
nothing serious. I’ll tell you when you get back.” She didn’t know how she put
up with him for nearly sixteen years. He was infuriating at times. She shook
her head and bit her lip.
“Stephen,
you are frustrating the hell out of me…but I love you anyway. Can you tell mom
that I need forty more lubles, please? I’m running low and I need my snacks and
I want to get something from the gift shop. And remember, I want you to meet me
at the hangar. It’d be nice if mom and dad or mom or dad also came but if they
can’t you better be there. Of course, I know you will.” As she rubbed her sore
forehead, she remembered the last thing she wanted to tell Stephen.
“And
one more thing, stop banging your head against the wall. I’ve been waking up
with headaches for the past two days. I know something is wrong because, as you
know, I feel you! Okay, I gotta run. My break’s almost over. Love you bro!”
And
then, Stella was gone again, vanished into the thin of the air, just like that.
He stared at the wall for a few more moments before sitting on his bed. He felt
almost lost without her and he knew he was overreacting but there was literally
no one else to talk to. The ARC staff were the only ones for miles on that
desolate continent.
However,
everyone else was constantly working as if their lives depended on it. Actually,
all five of them were working like their lives depended on it. Sighing, he
realized it was getting late and he needed to get to work too.
Stephen
walked out of his room and pulled the door shut before heading down the hall in
their family unit, past the pale yellow walls. He passed the main living area
where there was rarely any real living done. The furniture rarely felt the
warmth of a body and it wouldn’t on that day either as he passed it, headed to
the science center.
The
science center was his favorite place on the ARC. It included a general
workroom, lab, small room with control panels, and the research, observation,
and control room, which held the conference table. Zura had nicknamed it her
ROC room when Johan had designed it. If she weren’t anywhere else, she’d be in
there, working with her back to the door and her face towards the ocean.
Their
house wasn’t really a house. It was just one part of a large well-resourced
science and research complex funded by grants from the World Consensus and
private money from UniCorps. With that arrangement, there was always a delicate
balance meeting everyone’s needs while doing what was necessary scientifically.
The
ARC was perched dangerously close to the icy waters with tunnels that led
beneath the ice to the underwater lab and research center. Mave was at her
crescent shaped glass desk sipping on an extra tall cup of coffee with real
cream and turbinado sugar while underlining numbers on various reports.
When
she’d agreed to come to the ARC she asked for the desk as the one thing she
wanted for herself. She’d accepted nearly everything else that was provided
standard, though she sometimes wished she’d asked for more. All those years
ago, she hadn’t considered just how much time
“I
don’t know what you’re talking about,” Stephen insisted, his eye twitching a
bit, as it did when he was nervous or lying.
“Stephen,
I know you and you know I know you like no one else knows you. What’s going
on?” Stephen put his head down. He couldn’t let her see the worry on his face. She
wouldn’t be home for a few more days and he couldn’t have her worried too.
He
looked at the red brick wall behind her. She was outside, enjoying the warmth. Her
hair was around her head like a halo with the sun accenting her curls. The
scarf didn’t even try to contain the hair, only accent it. He wasn’t sure he
wanted to talk about it with her out there. He didn’t know who else might be
around, listening and he understood that no one else could know, for now.
“It’s
nothing serious. I’ll tell you when you get back.” She didn’t know how she put
up with him for nearly sixteen years. He was infuriating at times. She shook
her head and bit her lip.
“Stephen,
you are frustrating the hell out of me…but I love you anyway. Can you tell mom
that I need forty more lubles, please? I’m running low and I need my snacks and
I want to get something from the gift shop. And remember, I want you to meet me
at the hangar. It’d be nice if mom and dad or mom or dad also came but if they
can’t you better be there. Of course, I know you will.” As she rubbed her sore
forehead, she remembered the last thing she wanted to tell Stephen.
“And
one more thing, stop banging your head against the wall. I’ve been waking up
with headaches for the past two days. I know something is wrong because, as you
know, I feel you! Okay, I gotta run. My break’s almost over. Love you bro!”
And
then, Stella was gone again, vanished into the thin of the air, just like that.
He stared at the wall for a few more moments before sitting on his bed. He felt
almost lost without her and he knew he was overreacting but there was literally
no one else to talk to. The ARC staff were the only ones for miles on that
desolate continent.
However,
everyone else was constantly working as if their lives depended on it. Actually,
all five of them were working like their lives depended on it. Sighing, he
realized it was getting late and he needed to get to work too.
Stephen
walked out of his room and pulled the door shut before heading down the hall in
their family unit, past the pale yellow walls. He passed the main living area
where there was rarely any real living done. The furniture rarely felt the
warmth of a body and it wouldn’t on that day either as he passed it, headed to
the science center.
The
science center was his favorite place on the ARC. It included a general
workroom, lab, small room with control panels, and the research, observation,
and control room, which held the conference table. Zura had nicknamed it her
ROC room when Johan had designed it. If she weren’t anywhere else, she’d be in
there, working with her back to the door and her face towards the ocean.
Their
house wasn’t really a house. It was just one part of a large well-resourced
science and research complex funded by grants from the World Consensus and
private money from UniCorps. With that arrangement, there was always a delicate
balance meeting everyone’s needs while doing what was necessary scientifically.
The
ARC was perched dangerously close to the icy waters with tunnels that led
beneath the ice to the underwater lab and research center. Mave was at her
crescent shaped glass desk sipping on an extra tall cup of coffee with real
cream and turbinado sugar while underlining numbers on various reports.
When
she’d agreed to come to the ARC she asked for the desk as the one thing she
wanted for herself. She’d accepted nearly everything else that was provided
standard, though she sometimes wished she’d asked for more. All those years
ago, she hadn’t considered just how much time
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