False Future by Dan Krokos Read Free Book Online

you,” I say to M-96. She nods rapidly, so obedient I almost want to pat her on the head. I give her restraints a final once-over; everything’s secure.
    In the main room, Sophia is huddled in a blanket on the couch. Her dark skin is flushed, and tears glaze her cheeks. She jerks her chin to the broken window, where Noble is staring out.
    I walk up next to him in time to see the Verge taking shape. The metal disk in the park is no longer flat. It’s telescoping upward, like a mountain rising from the earth, each level smaller in diameter than the last, until the building takes on the shape of a metallic beehive.
    There is one difference from the Verge I destroyed, though. This one has a huge column at the very top, not an office. As we watch, the top of the column begins to glow red. It becomes too bright to look at. Just before I turn away, it fires a thick red beam straight up into the sky. My eyes follow the beam to the clouds, where a plane is flying over the city. The plane is just a white speck, a long gray contrail behind it. A military spy plane, if I had to guess, since air traffic has probably been grounded by now. The beam hits the plane, turning it into a ball of red light that soon becomes chunks of fiery debris. The pieces rain down around Manhattan, taking an eternity to fall, like sparks from some kind of horrific firework.

“W e have two options,” I say. “Rhys and I can take their uniforms and go to this briefing in the Verge, or we can track down Peter and see if he’s connected with whatever armed forces are in the city.”
    Secretly, I hope we don’t see Peter for a while. Much as I want him fighting by my side, I hope he’s lying low, waiting for things to settle down. Traveling alone will be a risk once enough people start to recognize the other Peters out there.
    Stay safe, I think, as hard as I can, but I’m no telepath.
    We’re in the kitchen. R-34 is still passed out, and M-96 knows she’s already on two strikes. I checked on her a minute ago, and she was in the same position, watching me like a wounded animal. I’m a little disgusted she was cowed so easily.
    “I think we’d better do both,” Noble replies.
    “What do we do with the clones?” Rhys says.
    Noble frowns, scratching his beard. “They’re not going anywhere. We can secure them further, and you’ve already illustrated what will happen if they use their powers again.”
    Sophia walks over. She lets her blanket fall to the floor. “Noble and I can look for Peter. Maybe we can rendezvous somewhere tonight.”
    “Look for him where ?” I ask. “It’s not a small city.”
    “We have other safe houses,” Noble says. “We’ll start there.”
    “They clearly have your description,” I say. “Or else Thing One and Thing Two over here wouldn’t have freaked out. And the army is scanning anyone they come across.”
    Sophia smiles, and I daresay there’s some condescension in it. “Miranda, no offense, but Noble and I learned how to stay out of sight a long time ago.”
    “And we won’t be completely helpless in terms of weaponry,” Noble says, putting his hand on my shoulder. “But thank you for your concern.” He gives me a comforting, fatherly grin.
    Rhys looks at me. “We should go, Mir.”
    I nod. “Fine.” My heart wants to look for Peter with Noble and Sophia, but I know getting into the Verge is more important. Priority one is to find out if True Earth is really just here for East, or if they’ve come back to finish the job of killing every single human on the planet. I have a sneaking suspicion they’re not just going to take their ball and go home.
    “Stay out of the subway, no matter where you have to go,” I say to Noble and Sophia. “True Earth has new monsters. Not eyeless.”
    Sophia frowns. “Do I even want to know?”
    “No,” Rhys says. “Trust me.”
    I leave everyone in the kitchen and go back to the bathroom as Rhys begins to explain the spiders anyway. M-96 is staring at a