Read Online Earthbound (The Reach, Book 1) by Mark R. Healy - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mark R. Healy
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again.
“We need to see Giroux,” Knile said. “Is there any way you can get word to him?”
“I can do better than that,” Hildi said. She looked over at the guard and waved a hand imperiously. “Stand aside, please.”
“But Hildi, they don’t have any permits–”
“Oh, stand aside, James,” she said, shouldering past the startled guard with Knile and Talia in tow. “Don’t make me call your mother. She wouldn’t be pleased to know you’re giving poor old Hildi ulcers.”
“Uh, okay,” the guard said, and then, dazed, turned back to interrogate the next people in line.
Hildi led them under the outer folds of the taut white material that served as the skin of Grove, separating the foul outside air from the pristine environment inside. They joined a group of around ten others waiting in the airlock, and as the doors were closed and sealed , a warning horn blared. Hildi spread her arms wide.
“Mornin’, all!” she cried, a deafening sound in the enclosed space.
There were scattered greetings in return, and Hildi offered them all a smile. Then the jets went into action, sucking out the bad air and replacing it with the good. Knile’s shirt flapped against his skin, and Talia lifted a hand to keep her hair out of her eyes as it whipped around her head. In a few seconds the turbulence died down and the door opened on the other side to the sound of another warning horn.
“So, you two,” Hildi said, dragging the respirator from her face and taking a deep breath, “did you finally decide to come back and work for me?”
Knile opened his mouth to answer, but then stopped abruptly and stared up at the interior of Grove. It was like stepping into another world. Gone were the drab grey and brown hues of the poisoned city outside – here there was colour as far as the eye could see. Refulgent green app le trees bore shining red fruit and rows of cabbages and carrots ran away from them in perfect lines. Stalks of corn stood tall and leafy. In patches there was even the glimmer of carnations and roses and other bright flowers. Above it all, the pale canopy of Grove’s outer skin encompassed everything before them.
“I forgot how damn beautiful this place was,” Talia said, removing her respirator.
“Well, you shouldn’t have stayed away so long, darlin’,” Hildi said. “Why don’t you follow me and I’ll find something to keep those hands busy?”
“Hildi, I can’t,” Knile said with real regret. “I’m very short on time.”
“Oh, Knile,” she said, her features clouding over. She lifted a hand to his face. “You in trouble again, boy?”
“Aren’t I always?”
Hildi smiled. “You wouldn’t be Knile if you weren’t in some kind of mischief.” She turned to Talia. “What about you, Talia? You messed up in this as well?”
“Not this time. I’m just trying to help him on his way.”
“I don’t want to know anything more,” Hildi said, holding up her palms. “Follow me and I’ll take you to Giroux. Hopefully the old bastard is awake by now.”
She led them down a sandy pathway that wound through the oasis, and Knile was reminded of why there was so much security around Grove. The place was a living, breathing treasure. The crops that grew here were unparalleled in their richness and purity, a level of quality that rivalled the halcyon days of Earth. Considering how many people outside were starving or living on toxic scraps, the value of the plants that jutted from the soil beneath this dome was not much less than their weight in gold.
“He’s probably in Section Three,” Hildi said as workers in light grey overalls edged past from the other direction. “Been spending a lot of time there lately. Had a leak that almost killed off the little lovelies a few weeks back.”
“Is everything okay?” Talia said.
“It should be. He’s worked greater miracles in his time.”
They came to the wall of
“We need to see Giroux,” Knile said. “Is there any way you can get word to him?”
“I can do better than that,” Hildi said. She looked over at the guard and waved a hand imperiously. “Stand aside, please.”
“But Hildi, they don’t have any permits–”
“Oh, stand aside, James,” she said, shouldering past the startled guard with Knile and Talia in tow. “Don’t make me call your mother. She wouldn’t be pleased to know you’re giving poor old Hildi ulcers.”
“Uh, okay,” the guard said, and then, dazed, turned back to interrogate the next people in line.
Hildi led them under the outer folds of the taut white material that served as the skin of Grove, separating the foul outside air from the pristine environment inside. They joined a group of around ten others waiting in the airlock, and as the doors were closed and sealed , a warning horn blared. Hildi spread her arms wide.
“Mornin’, all!” she cried, a deafening sound in the enclosed space.
There were scattered greetings in return, and Hildi offered them all a smile. Then the jets went into action, sucking out the bad air and replacing it with the good. Knile’s shirt flapped against his skin, and Talia lifted a hand to keep her hair out of her eyes as it whipped around her head. In a few seconds the turbulence died down and the door opened on the other side to the sound of another warning horn.
“So, you two,” Hildi said, dragging the respirator from her face and taking a deep breath, “did you finally decide to come back and work for me?”
Knile opened his mouth to answer, but then stopped abruptly and stared up at the interior of Grove. It was like stepping into another world. Gone were the drab grey and brown hues of the poisoned city outside – here there was colour as far as the eye could see. Refulgent green app le trees bore shining red fruit and rows of cabbages and carrots ran away from them in perfect lines. Stalks of corn stood tall and leafy. In patches there was even the glimmer of carnations and roses and other bright flowers. Above it all, the pale canopy of Grove’s outer skin encompassed everything before them.
“I forgot how damn beautiful this place was,” Talia said, removing her respirator.
“Well, you shouldn’t have stayed away so long, darlin’,” Hildi said. “Why don’t you follow me and I’ll find something to keep those hands busy?”
“Hildi, I can’t,” Knile said with real regret. “I’m very short on time.”
“Oh, Knile,” she said, her features clouding over. She lifted a hand to his face. “You in trouble again, boy?”
“Aren’t I always?”
Hildi smiled. “You wouldn’t be Knile if you weren’t in some kind of mischief.” She turned to Talia. “What about you, Talia? You messed up in this as well?”
“Not this time. I’m just trying to help him on his way.”
“I don’t want to know anything more,” Hildi said, holding up her palms. “Follow me and I’ll take you to Giroux. Hopefully the old bastard is awake by now.”
She led them down a sandy pathway that wound through the oasis, and Knile was reminded of why there was so much security around Grove. The place was a living, breathing treasure. The crops that grew here were unparalleled in their richness and purity, a level of quality that rivalled the halcyon days of Earth. Considering how many people outside were starving or living on toxic scraps, the value of the plants that jutted from the soil beneath this dome was not much less than their weight in gold.
“He’s probably in Section Three,” Hildi said as workers in light grey overalls edged past from the other direction. “Been spending a lot of time there lately. Had a leak that almost killed off the little lovelies a few weeks back.”
“Is everything okay?” Talia said.
“It should be. He’s worked greater miracles in his time.”
They came to the wall of
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