Space Race (Space Race 1) by Nathan Hystad (book recommendations for young adults .TXT) 📕

“I swear, it was real.” I scrolled through, only to find a dated advertisement for Temeletron reducing couplings. Someone up top had wiped it clear, and I tried to locate any mentions of Eclipse or the revolt, but it came up blank. It was like she’d never posted it at all. But that wasn’t true.

I took solace that a billion seeds had been planted.

As Jade turned the lights off, I watched the wall, feeling the tendrils of roots take hold.

Ten

“How have you been doing, Arlo?” Bryson asked. His office was spread across the top floor of the building, and the view from either direction was equally stunning. On one side, there was nothing but the expansive ocean, with his underwater facility sticking up occasionally through the waves. On the other was a lush landscape, with the residential buildings for his people clustered in groups of ten or so, leaving most of the island intact.

“We’re fine, Bryson,” I said. Ever since hearing the news from Eclipse, I’d been on edge.

He pointed to a comfortable chair, and I avoided the supple leather, opting to stay standing near the windows that overlooked the topiary.

“Is there a problem?” He asked this when I’d been thinking the exact same thing. I was sure he’d found out about our little adventure, breaking into the shrine to his late wife.

I turned to him and assessed the CEO. He was fit, almost two decades older than me, and seemed so put together. His face held a permanent grin, like he knew something no one else did, and it was starting to bother me. This wasn’t the expression of a man about to chew me out.

I didn’t mince words. “There’s been talk of a revolt.”

Bryson walked across his hardwood floor to the bar and filled two glasses with his favorite drink. “I think I’ve underestimated your curiosity.”

He shoved a glass at me, and I took it as a few drops splashed on the floor. “She said the Primaries are colluding on it. That they’re planning to merge. Is that why you fought to enter the top ten?”

He laughed, his eyes burning a hole in mine beyond his glass. Bryson wasn’t put off in the slightest. He still had that damned grin. “Arlo, do I come across as someone to partake in rumors?”

“That’s not what I’m saying.”

“I fought tooth and nail to bring SeaTech into the future. If there’s a conspiracy about this Primary coalition, believe me, no one has contacted me.”

“Why’s that?” I asked.

“Even if they were willing to set aside their petty differences for the sake of control, can you see Sage Industries working alongside their rivals? Luna Corp letting Orion use their facilities? The entire notion seems preposterous.”

It felt like he was laying it on a little thick for my liking. “If you’re asking my opinion, then here it is. Yes, I can see it. These bastards want power, and this would give them the opportunity to decimate the remaining thirty-seven minor corporations.”

“That’s where we differ, Arlo. You and the rest of the world see the non-Primary corps as minor, but we hold a lot more control than anyone imagines.” He smiled as he finished his drink and sat on the chair he’d offered me. “I’d like to see the Primaries try this coup. It’ll never work.”

“What about this group? Liberty.”

“I wish Liberty luck, but a handful of people using borrowed ships in an effort to hijack anything won’t work either,” he said.

“Why not?” I had to agree with him but wanted his opinion.

“I’d be shocked if this Eclipse even had ten vessels worth flying.”

“So you have heard of her?”

“We’ve all heard of her. That little video was concealed quickly, but she made them sweat for a couple of hours. I have someone ready to imprint any new feeds the moment they arrive,” he informed me.

I’d been sitting on an idea for a few days, and finally allowed myself to speak it out loud. The others on my team had worked for Primaries most of their lives, me included, so I couldn’t speak to their loyalty, especially since we still worked for one. Number ten in the ranks, but that made SeaTech a Primary. If Bryson was telling the truth, he was an outsider among them. “What if the rest of the corporations rose up? Aligned with Eclipse?”

Bryson’s demeanor shifted, and he finally lost his smirk. “What you’re saying is traitorous, Arlo.”

Sweat beaded along my back, and I felt flushed. I swallowed some of the orange beverage, hoping it would cool my nerves. “I’m not suggesting anything.”

Bryson sipped his drink. “The very idea of a merge is dangerous… and we are in the Primary, Arlo.”

“So you’re siding with the Primary Corps.”

“What did you think I’d do? Fight the very same system I’ve worked my entire life to join? That’s preposterous. And need I remind you, you’re with SeaTech. An employee of a Primary. Whatever you think is going on, it isn’t. Do I need to search for a replacement?”

I stared at him and considered his threat. He’d kick me to the curb so fast my head would spin. I had my future and my parents to think of. There was no stipulation in my contract about losing the Race. All I had to do was compete, and the terms would be met. “No, sir. I was just asking your opinion on it. We’re dedicated to winning the Race. I’m dedicated.”

“Good.” Bryson locked gazes with me, frowning. “I know you might question the validity of the Corps, and the Space Race, but the prize is very real. With Proxima, we can change everything, Arlo, and you’ll be a part of it. Your legacy will be in stone. A Lewis man making a huge impact.”

The use of my last name reminded me of something. “Did your father know my grandfather, Preston Lewis?”

Bryson grinned at the question. “They were once very close. I was a young man, learning the ropes from my dad. Preston