Rising Tomorrow (Roc de Chere Book 1) by Mariana Morgan (essential reading txt) 📕

interest. ‘We can’t just load it with human beings and hope for the best. A sudden course correction and we’ll lose them by the dozen, especially if there are any wounded.’

‘But it is big enough to lift everyone off at the same time. And their own files indicate it has been converted to transport humans.’

‘You mean Leech slaves,’ Ingram corrected, understanding the bitter truth. Cargo freighters had the tonnage and space to ship human cargo in bulk without arousing suspicion.

‘Yes. Not the most pleasant form of travel to be strapped in like cargo, but given the conditions they’ve suffered lately I don’t think many will object.’

‘Understood. Tell me where to go,’ she demanded, strapping a hand-held sensor to her belt before taking one final look around for anything useful.

‘Head out the same way you came, past the interrogation room, and take the second left after that. This building is smaller but a worse maze than the main lab.’

‘Roger that,’ Ingram replied, and stuffed her face with one of the ration bars taken off the guard. It tasted just as bad as the military equivalents during the Wars, but it was sustenance. She didn’t have time for an emergency nano-blood transfusion, but she could at least keep her stomach full. ‘Sir, were you able to retrieve any video footage from the security cams from the interrogation room?’

‘We tried,’ Gonzalez replied. ‘There’s some, but a few minutes before Wagner left are missing. Not deleted—the cams were switched off. Why do you ask?’

‘Nothing, Colonel,’ Ingram lied. If Gonzalez didn’t know yet, this was not the time to tell him about Megan. ‘I was just wondering if we can trace Wagner’s footsteps after he left, zero in on whatever messages he sent or any comp calls.’

‘Tilly is already sifting through the data to track his actions,’ Eloise interjected. ‘Colonel, the ventilation system in the residential building is different. I won’t be able to release the gas simultaneously. There will be pockets that will remain unaffected and someone might raise an alarm.’

‘Solutions?’ Gonzalez asked.

‘On it,’ Eloise replied. Finally, a challenge. So far this had been child’s play as Olympus’ security system revealed all its secrets at the gentlest touch. The VR interface was extremely challenging in its own way, demanding her undivided attention, but the lack of obstacles she had encountered was almost disappointing. After the modifications they had made to her adult VRPs she had expected similar changes to have been made to their VR security system, but so far, the basic design was exactly the way she had programmed it. She could control it in her sleep.

‘Where is he?’ Ingram asked. ‘Wagner, I mean. Is he still alive?’ The walk back took less time as she advanced confidently with a laser in her hand.

‘Turn right. There’s an emergency exit at the end of the corridor. Leeches first, Aisha. Wagner isn’t going anywhere.’

‘But is he alive?’ she pressed.

‘Yes,’ Gonzalez relented, but his cold tone of voice carried a clear hint, telling Ingram to drop the subject.

‘Good,’ Ingram replied equally as coldly as she released the latch on the door. ‘I’m out.’

‘Follow the outside wall to your right. It will take you around the south-west building back to the main compound. And no more mention of Wagner until the Leeches are safe.’

‘Yes, sir. And on it.’

CHAPTER 54

Olympus R&D Compound

60 km south-west of Turin

Afro-European Alliance

Thursday 30 April 2725

DAY 11

A couple of minutes later, after a few detours to try to stay in the shadows in case a satellite had been diverted above her location, Ingram made it to the main building. Everything looked different bathed in the morning sun, but it was as deserted as Gonzalez had promised.

The fire exit swung open as she approached.

‘Kinda creepy,’ she chuckled. ‘It’s like the building is reading my thoughts.’

‘Creepier than that,’ Gonzalez replied. ‘The building is kinda alive.’

‘Security system, not the building,’ Eloise corrected, trying to cut short their unnecessary comments.

Her sharp tone of voice registered, and Gonzalez looked at her probingly. It was hard to judge Eloise’s state, given that what he saw was a VR representation of her body, but she did look different than when they had started. The changes were subtle but unmistakable. For a few seconds, he watched her chest rising slowly and falling heavily, wondering if there was any point in asking how she was doing.

‘Colonel,’ Ingram said, already inside, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the low lighting after a couple of minutes in the bright morning sun, ‘do we know who is in which cell? I’d rather not open all of them at the same time without the support of some of the more lucid Leeches. There are bound to be quite a few of them who would love nothing more than to go on a murderous spree. Trust me, sir, they won’t need any weapons to satiate their desires. While I have nothing against the monsters who run this horror show dying miserably, a lot of the employees and rent-a-cop security guards are either innocent or victims of blackmail. I’d rather they didn’t die a horrible death. Even if we can keep Cassandra’s staff locked up, the havoc of having over thirteen hundred Leeches seeing daylight for the first time in months won’t help an orderly evacuation.’

‘Already on it,’ Gonzalez replied. ‘Eloise, can you send this file onto one of these displays?’ He reached out to indicate.

‘Yes,’ Eloise replied, her voice unmistakably dull and tired.

‘Great. Aisha, go straight ahead to the end of the corridor. There’s a staircase to the right. Levels minus eight to minus twelve.’

‘No lift?’ Ingram demanded. ‘It’s not like I mind a bit of exercise, but perhaps not when I’m low on vital bodily fluids and I have a wound that’s one sudden movement away from ripping open.’

Gonzalez looked uncertainly at Eloise. Yes, there was a lift, but it was part of a system Eloise hadn’t interfaced with yet.

‘Colonel?’ Ingram repeated into the stretching silence.

‘Give us a moment,’ Gonzalez replied. He grabbed