Read Online Socket 3 - The Legend of Socket Greeny by Tony Bertauski - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tony Bertauski
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got dressed and sat on the bench, leaned
against the wall and closed my eyes. Maybe I could catch some
sleep, but when I took the leaper to my office, it was filled with
the electric blue lines of the wormhole network. Miniature galaxies
were suspended throughout the web.
“This can wait no longer, Master Socket.”
Spindle was standing next to my desk. His tone was stern. His
eyelight intensely glowing, lighting the surface of my desk like it
was on fire. “Your launch is scheduled twenty hours from this
moment. It is critical that you understand your journey.”
He said it like he meant more than just the
trip.
I stepped through a disc-shaped galaxy and
put my hands up like the web had snagged me. “You caught me.”
“If you kindly step next to me, I can
begin.”
“I’m joking, Spindle. Come on, you wake up on
the wrong side of bed this morning?”
“I do not sleep, Master Socket.”
“I know.”
He didn’t reply, simply waited until I
stepped through the dazzling blue lines criss-crossing my path. I
finished putting on my shirt. “You have my undivided
attention.”
“Thank you.”
So Spindle started off with the history of
wormhole development, how the Paladin Nation began space
exploration before the Wright brothers were even born. It was
information I already knew, but I wasn’t about to interrupt. That
eyelight was as bright as I’d ever seen it.
Natural wormholes existed in space. In fact,
most planets were connected to one and once the Paladins learned to
access the one flowing through Earth, they had access to the
universal wormhole web. Paladins developed special equipment to
travel through them and began mapping the universe. My office was
filled with every known avenue that existed. If a traveler was
skilled enough, he could jump from one galaxy to the next. Most
Paladin space travelers never returned, spending their lives
somewhere in the galaxy, jumping planet to planet, mapping and
sending back their data as they went.
“Your ship will be programmed to take you to
your destination,” Spindle said. “But it is critical that you make
a psychic connection with your ship for accurate projection. You
will experience an instantaneous relocation to your destination. It
is quite unpleasant.”
“I know what a wormhole feels like.”
“Traveling from the Garrison to Charleston is
not the same as traversing the universe!” His words were sharp. “If
you lose a psychic connection with the ship, you could lose your
way, Master Socket. One errant thought and you could be lost in
space.”
His eyelight was reaching laser beam
intensity. I nodded slowly.
“You need to be rested before you depart. You
must be able to focus.”
“Noted. I’ll knock out a nap as soon as we’re
done.”
His eyelight relaxed, dimming down to a
subtle glow. He appeared to tower over me, examining my true
intentions. Finally, he stepped into the web of wormholes, tracing
one particular line with his finger that sparkled as he followed it
into a massive tangle of intersecting lines. The web began to
shift. The wormhole led to a galaxy, which appeared to be the Milky
Way. Spindle was halfway across the room—
“Danger, Will Robinson. Danger.”
Spindle stopped. His eyelight circled around
to the back of his head. Streeter’s projected image was standing
next to me.
“Get it?” he asked. “Lost in Space? Will
Robinson?” He looked back and forth between Spindle and me. “You
mean you guys never heard of that ancient TV show with the robot?
They did the remake.” He did robot-arms. “ Danger.”
“Why is Master Streeter projecting into our
meeting?” Spindle asked.
“I’m sorry,” I said, trying to stop Streeter
from doing the robot. “I forgot I scheduled him to come over.”
Actually, I forgot completely. A small wave
of panic swept through me. Spindle was right, I’m losing focus.
“Did I drop in on something top secret?” he
asked.
The wormhole network was public knowledge,
but I
against the wall and closed my eyes. Maybe I could catch some
sleep, but when I took the leaper to my office, it was filled with
the electric blue lines of the wormhole network. Miniature galaxies
were suspended throughout the web.
“This can wait no longer, Master Socket.”
Spindle was standing next to my desk. His tone was stern. His
eyelight intensely glowing, lighting the surface of my desk like it
was on fire. “Your launch is scheduled twenty hours from this
moment. It is critical that you understand your journey.”
He said it like he meant more than just the
trip.
I stepped through a disc-shaped galaxy and
put my hands up like the web had snagged me. “You caught me.”
“If you kindly step next to me, I can
begin.”
“I’m joking, Spindle. Come on, you wake up on
the wrong side of bed this morning?”
“I do not sleep, Master Socket.”
“I know.”
He didn’t reply, simply waited until I
stepped through the dazzling blue lines criss-crossing my path. I
finished putting on my shirt. “You have my undivided
attention.”
“Thank you.”
So Spindle started off with the history of
wormhole development, how the Paladin Nation began space
exploration before the Wright brothers were even born. It was
information I already knew, but I wasn’t about to interrupt. That
eyelight was as bright as I’d ever seen it.
Natural wormholes existed in space. In fact,
most planets were connected to one and once the Paladins learned to
access the one flowing through Earth, they had access to the
universal wormhole web. Paladins developed special equipment to
travel through them and began mapping the universe. My office was
filled with every known avenue that existed. If a traveler was
skilled enough, he could jump from one galaxy to the next. Most
Paladin space travelers never returned, spending their lives
somewhere in the galaxy, jumping planet to planet, mapping and
sending back their data as they went.
“Your ship will be programmed to take you to
your destination,” Spindle said. “But it is critical that you make
a psychic connection with your ship for accurate projection. You
will experience an instantaneous relocation to your destination. It
is quite unpleasant.”
“I know what a wormhole feels like.”
“Traveling from the Garrison to Charleston is
not the same as traversing the universe!” His words were sharp. “If
you lose a psychic connection with the ship, you could lose your
way, Master Socket. One errant thought and you could be lost in
space.”
His eyelight was reaching laser beam
intensity. I nodded slowly.
“You need to be rested before you depart. You
must be able to focus.”
“Noted. I’ll knock out a nap as soon as we’re
done.”
His eyelight relaxed, dimming down to a
subtle glow. He appeared to tower over me, examining my true
intentions. Finally, he stepped into the web of wormholes, tracing
one particular line with his finger that sparkled as he followed it
into a massive tangle of intersecting lines. The web began to
shift. The wormhole led to a galaxy, which appeared to be the Milky
Way. Spindle was halfway across the room—
“Danger, Will Robinson. Danger.”
Spindle stopped. His eyelight circled around
to the back of his head. Streeter’s projected image was standing
next to me.
“Get it?” he asked. “Lost in Space? Will
Robinson?” He looked back and forth between Spindle and me. “You
mean you guys never heard of that ancient TV show with the robot?
They did the remake.” He did robot-arms. “ Danger.”
“Why is Master Streeter projecting into our
meeting?” Spindle asked.
“I’m sorry,” I said, trying to stop Streeter
from doing the robot. “I forgot I scheduled him to come over.”
Actually, I forgot completely. A small wave
of panic swept through me. Spindle was right, I’m losing focus.
“Did I drop in on something top secret?” he
asked.
The wormhole network was public knowledge,
but I
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