Armageddon by Jasper T. Scott Read Free Book Online

dangerous. If He allows for us to live apart from Him, then we should allow for you to live apart from us. We’ll visit you in the Null Zone. I can’t promise that it will be very often, but you will still get to see us.”
    Atton nodded. “Thank you. Mom…”
    Destra had her arms crossed over her chest, and she refused to reply.
    “She’ll come around.” Hoff crossed from the head of the table to the foot and wrapped an arm around Atton’s shoulders to guide him out. Once they reached the door and they had some privacy, Hoff whispered, “Be careful, Atton.”
    “I will. Dark Space wasn’t safe either. I know how to look after myself.”
    Hoff frowned. “No, it’s not that. It’s Omnius.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “He gives us a choice to live free as Nulls, but I’m pretty sure he still has his ways of influencing people in the Null Zone. It’s in his best interests for the place to look dangerous and oppressive from up here.”
    Atton cocked his head curiously, and Hoff couldn’t help seeing the head of a stranger. Darin Thardris.
    “You have proof of something?” Atton asked.
    “Not everyone who lives in the Null Zone lives there because they believe we have a soul. Most of them just don’t trust Omnius, and they want to be free to make their own choices. So why is it that none of them have thought to start cloning themselves and using Lifelinks to transfer to clones when they die? Or for that matter, why haven’t the Nulls figured out how to engineer their DNA for immortality the way Omnius does with Etherians and Celestials?”
    Atton shook his head. “All of that’s against the law in the Null Zone. The government is too religious to support those kinds of measures.”
    “Exactly! But it’s a democracy, isn’t it? Try asking Nulls what they think of those laws, and you’ll begin to wonder about a lot of things. Nulls aren’t as free as they think they are. Do you remember the battle in Dark Space?”
    “Yes.”
    “The Sythians shouldn’t have been able to see us coming. We were cloaked, but somehow they had developed scanners that could penetrate our cloaking shields. I think Omnius knew they could see us, and he didn’t tell us. I tried to warn the Grand Overseer that something was wrong with the way the Sythians were behaving, but he wouldn’t listen. It was almost as though he wanted to shut me up.”
    Atton’s glowing golden eyes seemed to flare suddenly brighter with Hoff’s treasonous words. “You could get into a lot of trouble for telling me all of that. It’s bad enough just to think it.”
    “I already am in trouble, Atton.”
    “Then telling me is making it worse.”
    “Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself. There are too many things on Avilon that don’t make sense, and if you’re going to go live in the Null Zone, where Omnius has ways to conveniently silence dissenting voices, then you’d better have your eyes wide open.”
    “I appreciate the warning, but I think you’re jumping at shadows. You should have more faith. You’re a strategian . You should know better.”
    Hoff’s lip twitched at the rebuke, and he sighed. “Maybe you’re right. I hope you are. I’ll have to repent of my doubts tonight. Forget I said anything.”
    Atton grabbed both his shoulders and squeezed. “I don’t want you to get into any trouble on my account.”
    “Why are you in trouble, Dad?” a soft, girlish voice interrupted.
    Hoff turned to see Atta hiding behind a plant in the far corner of the foyer. She’d heard everything. Hoff’s eyes widened. “Atta! What are you doing here?”
    “I—”
    “Go to your room!”
    Tears welled in Atta’s eyes and she ran off.
    “That was a bit harsh….” Atton said.
    “She’s about to go through The Choosing, Atton. I don’t need her head filled full of doubts now.”
    “That’s strange, because you just filled my head full of doubts.”
    “To keep you away from the Null Zone, not to drive you into it.”
    Atton