Spirits of the Earth: The Complete Series: (A Post-Apocalyptic Series Box Set: Books 1-3) by Milo Fowler (paper ebook reader .TXT) 📕

look around at the silent streets and buildings. Smaller than Dome 1, this dome was designed for the main purpose of oxygen generation and recycling. The majority of the space has been utilized for growing leafy trees and other oxygen-producing plant life on the ground as well as suspended from the interior surface of the dome itself. The air is fresher, the tint of the dome's glass greener—either intentionally or a byproduct of so much chlorophyll in a confined space. The only buildings are cube complexes to house the local citizens, stores that provide for their needs, and a station for local law enforcement. Two city blocks away, the small town ends and the forest begins.

"I'll notify our captain that you're on your way, in case you'd like to lock up this violator at the station for a while," the guard offers as he unlocks the gate.

"Thanks." I nod, swinging the muzzle of my rifle toward Erik and keeping it there. The guards relax their posture and step back, clearing a path for us.

"You have been most helpful," the clone tells them.

I ignore it and gesture for Erik to start moving. He keeps his hands on his head as we exit the train station and turn left.

"Wrong way, Chen," the guard calls out behind us. "Something wrong with your augments?"

I look back to find him pointing the other way.

"A lot of help you are," I mutter to the clone.

"My navigation systems are offline," it replies.

I give the guard a friendly wave as we adjust course, heading the right direction toward the law enforcement station. But of course that's not where we're going.

How many of the Twenty are in this dome? I ask Erik.

Two, he thinks back at me.

My siblings or yours?

You believe me now? He glances over his shoulder as we walk along the sidewalk.

That the Twenty originated from four North American survivors—two male, two female. That there are two sets of ten siblings. And you want each member of the Twenty to know the truth.

"Yeah," he says out loud. "That's about it."

"Where are they?"

"Not sure." He points at my pocket. "I'll need my phone to track them down."

"What do they do here?"

"Tree monkeys." He almost laughs at what I'm sure is a confused look on my face. "They work alternating shifts, caring for the trees and plant life suspended from the dome's apex. Keep them fed and watered, happily producing oxygen. One of them lives in that cube complex." He nods toward the building on our left as we pass it. "She's one of your sisters."

"Enforcer Chen," the clone says, "I am concerned about the direction of this conversation. It does not appear that you intend to bring this violator to the station."

"This violator is one of the Twenty. Didn't you say earlier that you were directed to round us up and take us someplace safe?"

"I...do not know…" It sounds perplexed, thanks to Erik's reprogramming.

What's her name—this tree monkey?

Erik smiles at me. Arienna.

If security clones were sent to round her up, she may not be here at all.

"Possible," he allows, raising an eyebrow. "But if she is here…"

I hand him his antique phone, and he gets to work, flicking his thumbs across the screen. "That guy wasn't kidding. The Link is moving s-l-o-w." He looks up, but not at me. He's staring at the dome's leafy ceiling. "If she's working her shift, we'll find her up there."

Great. And us without an aerocar.

"Recognize her?" He turns the screen toward me, and I see one of the faces that came up earlier in my DNA search. Otherwise, I don't remember her from our days together at that boarding school, Camp Hope.

We live only now, never looking back. For the common good.

He pats his jacket pocket before tucking away the old phone. I shake my head and hold out my palm. Disgruntled, he hands back the device. "I'll have to knock out her augments. It's the only way she'll be receptive to the truth. But with both of us telling her the same thing, I'm sure it will go a whole lot smoother."

"Was I your trial run?"

He glances at me with an audacious expression. "I like to think of you as my first."

The security clone is scanning the buildings on either side of the street, turning its black face shield from one to the other, its head cocked back. For the first time since its arrival, it seems to be ignoring us.

"You hear something?" I take a step toward it and glance back toward the maglev station, a block away now. I can only see the gate from here, and the guards aren't in my line of sight. Everything is quiet. Maybe too quiet.

"We are being watched," the clone says.

A couple citizens in the cube complex stand at their respective windows, six floors up, staring down at us. Understandable that we would inspire curiosity. Nobody's supposed to be out on the streets, yet here we are: a security clone, a law enforcer, and a citizen who, until a minute ago, was walking with his hands on his head. At gunpoint.

"Friends of yours?" I glance at Erik.

He smiles and waves up at the gawkers, who quickly avert their eyes and back away from their windows.

"Never seen them before." He shrugs, turning his attention to the leafy greenery seeming to sprout from the dome's plexicon walls. "Pretty sure I could jump up there, but I'm assuming you'll want to join me."

"We're joined at the hip." I pat the rifle slung at my side.

"Right." He narrows his gaze at the clone. Might want to order it to stay put.

"Hold this position," I tell the security clone. "The violator and I will return within the hour."

"You would be safer if you brought me along, Enforcer Chen."

"Noted." I give Erik a nudge, and we head toward the forest looming at the end of the street. "Assist local law enforcement. Notify the maglev guards of any terrorist activity. If we don't return by 1100 hours, you have permission