CHAPTER 47 : People Get Ready Kristina examined the handset closely. “So that button shuts the doors, and that one locks them?” Delivery of the remote handset was the final stage of two intense weeks spent modifying and preparing the Union Pacific M-10000 streamliner, which had lain abandoned for decades at the southern end of … Read more
CHAPTER 45 : Back on the rails “We need somebody who can break this deadlock,” said Oliver Mayhew. “And we need him now.” Clustered around the desk of Nanovit’s chief solicitor Mayhew sat a newly established ad hoc committee of six men and three women. In the days since Elfin’s collapse, and the death of … Read more
CHAPTER 43 : Sudden Deaths Syndrome “Of course you want to sound the fucking siren,” asserted Rother. “We’re arriving at the scene of an incident in a Foundation ambulance. Can you imagine anything that would look more conspicuous than an ambulance sneaking in trying to look inconspicuous. And the lights too.” The stratagem worked precisely … Read more
CHAPTER 41 : You Are What Eats You “Sorry if this is awkward,” said Kintsugi’s lips, “but I just wanted to tell you how much I miss you.” Rother stared, his eyes growing wider with each second that passed. The face in front of him was Kintsugi, but the voice was now unmistakably Kane. Before … Read more
CHAPTER 39 : Contract Killer Challis kept Segarini and Albie waiting in the Nanovit reception area for longer than the assassin found comfortable. “Let them wait,” he had told the front desk. “Don’t give them any reason. Wait fifteen minutes and then send them up.” He was feeding Ginger and saw no reason why Segarini … Read more
CHAPTER 37 : Boxing Clever With Starkrost’s near-skeletal frame executing its awkwardly angular lurch alongside, Kupferberg made a point of walking slowly along Washington Street as they approached the Nanovit HQ. “You see that one?” he asked Starkrost, pointing towards a French-styled mansion as they passed. “Twenty million dollars. Taylor Swift had her eye on … Read more
CHAPTER 35 : Boxing Day “But it’s just a document box,” objected Kupferberg. He had opened the plain black box which Starkrost had handed him, and closely examined its insides. “Yes indeed, it appears to be ‘just’ a document box,” smirked Starkrost. He leaned forward and pointed at one of its side walls. “But take … Read more
CHAPTER 33 : A sensible law Mercy was busy modifying her number plate again, when her communicator vibrated. “Shit. I don’t need this,” she said, handing the device over to Coral. “See who it is. Unless it’s Doogle, I don’t want to know.” Coral looked at the screen and said, “It’s a text. Looks like … Read more
CHAPTER 31 : The Rumpus Room Gregor Challis was beginning to wonder if perhaps things were moving too fast. Everything had seemed so much simpler just a few days earlier when he could focus on perfecting his Raven Bug Swarm, but lately he was finding himself distracted not only by the time-consuming complications of modifying … Read more
CHAPTER 29 : Lies, Damned Lies “Exactly how did you do that?” asked Kane. “Do what?” “You told the orderly you had cramp. You appeared to be in pain.” Rother could feel another new sensation, akin to the sound of a swarm of bluebottle flies circling over a lump of decaying meat, emanating from his … Read more