Read Online The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester - Free Book Online Page B

Pressing her face against the glass, she scanned the white horizon. There was no end to the icy terrain and they’d already been flying over it for quite some time. After a great deal more flying, the helicopter finally began to slow and then descend by a lonely shack, no larger than a toolshed, sitting all by itself in the middle of the frozen desolate landscape.
    “Is that it?” Piper was disappointed and confused by the shabby structure.
    “Yes, we’re here.”
    With mounting disenchantment, Piper eyed the feeble hovel that looked as though it might be ripped from its earthly troubles by the hungry wind at any given moment. An old rusted sign attached to the structure read GOVERNMENT FACILITY. TRESPASSERS WILL BE TERMINATED.
    When the helicopter touched down, several men in white snow gear jogged out of the shack and quickly opened Piper’s door.
    “Piper McCloud?” The attendant had to yell over the roar of the engine to be heard. Piper nodded and her teeth began to wildly chatter as the subzero temperature jabbed her.
    “I’m here to assist you into the facility.” The attendant snapped free the many safety restraints and guided Piper from her seat.
    When her feet sank into two feet of snow, Piper instinctively winced. “Dang!” The temperature was so far below zero that the thermometer had hit its bottom mark and stayed there months before. Inhaling actually hurt Piper’s lungs and instantly froze her nostrils. She’d known hard winters, but this cold was like nothing she’d ever felt. It was the type of cold that prevented you from thinking straight.
    “Right this way.” The attendant hurried Piper toward the shack. At that moment any place that provided shelter from the cold became a splendid idea. Piper dashed toward it, thankful when another waiting attendant opened the door to speed her entry.
     Heedlessly thrusting herself inside, Piper entered an entirely new and unexpected world. Underneath the shack’s apparently flimsy exterior was a smartly outfitted lobby with thick, white marble tiles and clean steel walls. A chandelier of glass and steel hung from the ceiling, and at the far side, an elevator door took up an entire wall.
    The clash between expectation and reality froze Piper to the spot. “Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit!”
    A moment later, Dr. Hellion swept inside and approached a panel next to the elevator. She touched it a certain way and it snapped open, exposing a very complex computer. There were flashing lights and buttons and all sorts of other things that Piper couldn’t even begin to imagine the use of. Dr. Hellion, of course, knew exactly what to do with them and expertly maneuvered through a battery of security protocols that included a voice confirmation, fingerprint identification, and retinal scan.
    “Your safety and well-being is of paramount importance to us, Piper,” Dr. Hellion explained, seeing Piper’s bewildered expression. “We don’t take any chances and so we’ve created a security system that will ensure that you remain safe while you are in our care.” A moment later the computer beeped loudly and the doors to the elevator snapped smartly open.
    Dr. Hellion graciously stepped aside and allowed Piper first entry. Piper had never been on an elevator, especially not one as sleek as this. Gingerly stepping aboard, she saw that the entire back wall was comprised of thick glass and the whole ceiling glowed with light.
    “Ready?”
    Piper nodded, scared and excited at the same time. This really was an adventure.
    “Elevator, commence.” The elevator instantly responded to Dr. Hellion’s command. The doors swooshed shut and they dropped downward as the elevator fell at an alarming rate.
    Unexpectedly a voice filled the elevator. “Approaching level one. Single-celled organisms. Minimum-security clearance.” The voice was female and without expression. Piper