Read Online Tesla: A Teen Steampunk/Cyberpunk Adventure (Tesla Evolution Book 1) by Mark Lingane - Free Book Online
Authors: Mark Lingane
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I’m going to meet my mother.”
“Hmm. It’ll be forty dollars.” He dragged a stained and wrinkled hand over his chin.
“It says thirty dollars there.” Sebastian indicated the sign displaying the prices.
“You want the ticket or not?”
Sebastian counted out the amount using the largest of the notes.
The old man scooped up the money and issued the ticket. “Platform one.” He pointed vaguely and without much enthusiasm across to the other side of the station.
Sebastian made his way over. The signs at the end of each platform counted down from four, but ended at two. He couldn’t see platform one anywhere.
He pulled on a passing man’s sleeve. “Excuse me, sir.”
“Yes, son, I don’t have any spare money.”
The elderly gentleman was dressed formally in a tailcoat and top hat. He wore a monocle that magnified his eye. If Sebastian hadn’t been disoriented by his circumstances he may have found the freakish nature of the different-sized eyes cool.
“Could you tell me where platform one is?”
“Certainly,” the elderly man replied. He pointed to side of the cavernous exit. “Go to the side, then turn right. It’s outside. You’d better catch up with your parents before the train leaves.” He smiled.
Sebastian smiled back and made his way to the long platform outside. It disappeared off into the distance. It was drier out here. There was the occasional sun umbrella, each heavily populated by those seeking relief. The humidity had been replaced by a fierce, unrelenting sun capable of killing an unwise and unprepared man in a day.
The platform was packed with people. Men stalked about in their britches and top hats, and the women fanned themselves as sweat ran down their backs, absorbed by the thick material of their Vesta blouses and Vivien fishtail skirts. Most of them were modern women, fighting for equality, and Sebastian had heard some of the men back home say unpleasant things about them. Here they were standing in groups, talking behind fans, then hushing as someone deemed unworthy passed by.
Two conductors appeared behind him, blowing their whistles, herding the people down the platform. He heard the blast of the air horn from the train. It was time to board.
Then he saw the train.
*
What will Iris instruct?” said @Graham74.
“It will instruct what it always will instruct. Kill.kill the boy,” replied @SunLover15.
“But if the probability trees see the boy will come, how will we kill him?”
“The trees will know.”
“If he comes here, what will happen? What will the trees instruct?” said @Graham74.
“The trees go kill.kill. There will be no instructions for anyone. We go kill.kill.” @SunLover15 paused. Parts of the machinery on his body crawled over him. “We will kill.kill the boy.”
“How?”
The cyborg stood there unmoving for several seconds. There was a beep from the small black device in his hand. He lifted it to his face. The light from its display cast an eerie glow over his face. He turned it so the other could see the instruction.
“How many?” said @Graham74.
@SunLover15 consulted the device again.
10
THE TRAIN HAD a sloped front that rolled onto a long, flat top. Every part of it was swept back, giving the impression of speed, even as it stood still. Sebastian felt it was alive, and longed for nothing more than to sprint off into the horizon. Its skin was a combination of steel and bronze, making it dazzle in the sun.
He reached out and ran his hand over the surface of the metal. It was warm to touch, but not overly. He stroked his hand down it until an angry engineer shouted at him from the cockpit to keep his hands to himself. He guiltily retracted his hand and placed it in his pocket.
There was another loud whistle, followed by the platform conductor shouting for everyone to board.
He ran to the first door, yanked it open and clambered into the carriage. It was the first time he had been in powered
“Hmm. It’ll be forty dollars.” He dragged a stained and wrinkled hand over his chin.
“It says thirty dollars there.” Sebastian indicated the sign displaying the prices.
“You want the ticket or not?”
Sebastian counted out the amount using the largest of the notes.
The old man scooped up the money and issued the ticket. “Platform one.” He pointed vaguely and without much enthusiasm across to the other side of the station.
Sebastian made his way over. The signs at the end of each platform counted down from four, but ended at two. He couldn’t see platform one anywhere.
He pulled on a passing man’s sleeve. “Excuse me, sir.”
“Yes, son, I don’t have any spare money.”
The elderly gentleman was dressed formally in a tailcoat and top hat. He wore a monocle that magnified his eye. If Sebastian hadn’t been disoriented by his circumstances he may have found the freakish nature of the different-sized eyes cool.
“Could you tell me where platform one is?”
“Certainly,” the elderly man replied. He pointed to side of the cavernous exit. “Go to the side, then turn right. It’s outside. You’d better catch up with your parents before the train leaves.” He smiled.
Sebastian smiled back and made his way to the long platform outside. It disappeared off into the distance. It was drier out here. There was the occasional sun umbrella, each heavily populated by those seeking relief. The humidity had been replaced by a fierce, unrelenting sun capable of killing an unwise and unprepared man in a day.
The platform was packed with people. Men stalked about in their britches and top hats, and the women fanned themselves as sweat ran down their backs, absorbed by the thick material of their Vesta blouses and Vivien fishtail skirts. Most of them were modern women, fighting for equality, and Sebastian had heard some of the men back home say unpleasant things about them. Here they were standing in groups, talking behind fans, then hushing as someone deemed unworthy passed by.
Two conductors appeared behind him, blowing their whistles, herding the people down the platform. He heard the blast of the air horn from the train. It was time to board.
Then he saw the train.
*
What will Iris instruct?” said @Graham74.
“It will instruct what it always will instruct. Kill.kill the boy,” replied @SunLover15.
“But if the probability trees see the boy will come, how will we kill him?”
“The trees will know.”
“If he comes here, what will happen? What will the trees instruct?” said @Graham74.
“The trees go kill.kill. There will be no instructions for anyone. We go kill.kill.” @SunLover15 paused. Parts of the machinery on his body crawled over him. “We will kill.kill the boy.”
“How?”
The cyborg stood there unmoving for several seconds. There was a beep from the small black device in his hand. He lifted it to his face. The light from its display cast an eerie glow over his face. He turned it so the other could see the instruction.
“How many?” said @Graham74.
@SunLover15 consulted the device again.
10
THE TRAIN HAD a sloped front that rolled onto a long, flat top. Every part of it was swept back, giving the impression of speed, even as it stood still. Sebastian felt it was alive, and longed for nothing more than to sprint off into the horizon. Its skin was a combination of steel and bronze, making it dazzle in the sun.
He reached out and ran his hand over the surface of the metal. It was warm to touch, but not overly. He stroked his hand down it until an angry engineer shouted at him from the cockpit to keep his hands to himself. He guiltily retracted his hand and placed it in his pocket.
There was another loud whistle, followed by the platform conductor shouting for everyone to board.
He ran to the first door, yanked it open and clambered into the carriage. It was the first time he had been in powered
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