Read Online Outland (World-Lines Book 1) by Dennis Taylor - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dennis Taylor
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26 Suzie
Suzie looked up as she heard her friends approach. They’d agreed to meet in the Union Cafeteria for breakfast—or brunch as Stephanie nose-in-the-air insisted on calling it—and a cram session for the upcoming exam. Suzie noted that Stephanie, as usual, had a latte and croissant. No coffee and muffin for her, oh never! Suzie smiled to herself. But I’m not being catty.
She could see Frank— Frankie , she corrected herself—going on about something. Wow, he’s a diva.
The friends exchanged greetings, and they all settled in for the duration.
“Welcome to summer session. Ugh!” Joy said, making a face.
Suzie nodded. “Poor Professor Tilston. I’m glad he’s better now, but yeah, it’s this or end up a year behind.”
“I don’t see why I should have to pay the price for his injuries though,” Stephanie said.
“It’s called real life , bi-atch. Get used to it!” Frankie replied. Frankie’s delivery, as always, was perfect.
“All right, boys and girls,” Suzie moved to derail the incipient argument. Stephanie did not like being talked to that way, especially by Frankie, which, of course, just motivated Frankie to do it more often. “Medieval History, what fun. Joy, did you bring the sample questions?”
Joy waved some sheets of paper.
“Then let’s get going. First question?”
Suzie sighed and rested her chin on her hand as Joy read the first sample exam question out loud. It was going to be a long day.
Midnight Move
June 28 Bill
Richard, Bill, Matt, and Kevin moved the equipment from the lab into a rented moving van parked in the loading bay. Bill had been concerned about University Security getting suspicious and questioning them, but there were no interruptions. They drove to a warehouse storage unit that Matt had found, unloaded the van, and set everything up. They also brought in some furniture and small appliances and set up a kitchen of sorts.
Bill donated a commercial-grade coffee maker, the kind that a restaurant or cafeteria would use. At the disbelieving looks, he said, “Craigslist. Ten bucks. And for the record, I live not only for coffee, but on coffee.”
Kevin and Richard set up the turntable in the middle of the floor. On top of it, they placed a new and larger gate, about three feet in diameter.
Richard looked at the results with a smile. He turned to the others. “Okay, step one, done. We have a base of operations. Special thanks to Matt for being the moneybags. We’ll reimburse you first, Matt, before we split the profits.” Richard gave a couple of villainous eyebrow wags.
“Bill has a medium-sized gate built,” he motioned to the gate on the turntable. “And a couple of larger, person-size gates almost finished, but I still have to, uh, borrow a spare set of modules sufficient to build a second portal generation system. We also need a generator, and supplies. Bill will be starting to work on a truck-sized gate next.
“Supplies will have to include gold-panning equipment and weapons. I don’t know what kind of animals are on the other side of the gate, but it’s a fair bet some of them are carnivorous.”
Erin, who had been looking thoughtful, waved a hand to get attention. “Guys, I have a friend who I think should be brought into this. Monica is a zoologist, so I think she’d be valuable, especially for the identification of threats. We’ve been friends forever, and I’d trust her with my life. I will be trusting her with my life if I go through that thing, I guess.”
Richard’s face clouded up. He’d been more relaxed as he got to know the other members of the group, but now with Erin’s suggestion to bring someone else in, he was looking like the old Richard.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” He said, glaring at Erin.
She sighed. “Richard, do you know what kind of predators there are on that side? Lions and tigers and bears? Velociraptors? I’d like to know what might be
Suzie looked up as she heard her friends approach. They’d agreed to meet in the Union Cafeteria for breakfast—or brunch as Stephanie nose-in-the-air insisted on calling it—and a cram session for the upcoming exam. Suzie noted that Stephanie, as usual, had a latte and croissant. No coffee and muffin for her, oh never! Suzie smiled to herself. But I’m not being catty.
She could see Frank— Frankie , she corrected herself—going on about something. Wow, he’s a diva.
The friends exchanged greetings, and they all settled in for the duration.
“Welcome to summer session. Ugh!” Joy said, making a face.
Suzie nodded. “Poor Professor Tilston. I’m glad he’s better now, but yeah, it’s this or end up a year behind.”
“I don’t see why I should have to pay the price for his injuries though,” Stephanie said.
“It’s called real life , bi-atch. Get used to it!” Frankie replied. Frankie’s delivery, as always, was perfect.
“All right, boys and girls,” Suzie moved to derail the incipient argument. Stephanie did not like being talked to that way, especially by Frankie, which, of course, just motivated Frankie to do it more often. “Medieval History, what fun. Joy, did you bring the sample questions?”
Joy waved some sheets of paper.
“Then let’s get going. First question?”
Suzie sighed and rested her chin on her hand as Joy read the first sample exam question out loud. It was going to be a long day.
Midnight Move
June 28 Bill
Richard, Bill, Matt, and Kevin moved the equipment from the lab into a rented moving van parked in the loading bay. Bill had been concerned about University Security getting suspicious and questioning them, but there were no interruptions. They drove to a warehouse storage unit that Matt had found, unloaded the van, and set everything up. They also brought in some furniture and small appliances and set up a kitchen of sorts.
Bill donated a commercial-grade coffee maker, the kind that a restaurant or cafeteria would use. At the disbelieving looks, he said, “Craigslist. Ten bucks. And for the record, I live not only for coffee, but on coffee.”
Kevin and Richard set up the turntable in the middle of the floor. On top of it, they placed a new and larger gate, about three feet in diameter.
Richard looked at the results with a smile. He turned to the others. “Okay, step one, done. We have a base of operations. Special thanks to Matt for being the moneybags. We’ll reimburse you first, Matt, before we split the profits.” Richard gave a couple of villainous eyebrow wags.
“Bill has a medium-sized gate built,” he motioned to the gate on the turntable. “And a couple of larger, person-size gates almost finished, but I still have to, uh, borrow a spare set of modules sufficient to build a second portal generation system. We also need a generator, and supplies. Bill will be starting to work on a truck-sized gate next.
“Supplies will have to include gold-panning equipment and weapons. I don’t know what kind of animals are on the other side of the gate, but it’s a fair bet some of them are carnivorous.”
Erin, who had been looking thoughtful, waved a hand to get attention. “Guys, I have a friend who I think should be brought into this. Monica is a zoologist, so I think she’d be valuable, especially for the identification of threats. We’ve been friends forever, and I’d trust her with my life. I will be trusting her with my life if I go through that thing, I guess.”
Richard’s face clouded up. He’d been more relaxed as he got to know the other members of the group, but now with Erin’s suggestion to bring someone else in, he was looking like the old Richard.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” He said, glaring at Erin.
She sighed. “Richard, do you know what kind of predators there are on that side? Lions and tigers and bears? Velociraptors? I’d like to know what might be
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