Novum: Revelation: (Book 4) by Joseph Rhea Read Free Book Online Page A

you’re back.”
    “I’m still not sure I believe it,” AJ said.
    “Me neither,” Jake said. “However, I do accept the possibility that the Isopod brought you here.” He looked around at the rest of his crew. “They basically saved all of us as well.”
    “So, what part of his story don’t you believe, then?” Jessie asked.
    “There was simply far too much damage to Ash’s body for him to have survived,” Raines answered.
    “It was more than that,” AJ added. “We were very deep. The pressure would have turned his body into mush the moment his hardsuit was pierced.”
    “But he’s right here,” Jessie said. “Don’t talk about him like he’s not here. It’s him. I can tell by the nuances in his voice. He’s real. He’s right here.”
    “Listen, Captain. I understand how you feel,” Ash said. “I can’t explain what happened. Like I said, I woke up in a room here—”
    “Wait a minute,” Dr. Wood interrupted. “You said a room. Not a hut?”
    Ash looked at the man. “Hey, Doc. Good to see you again. Yeah, it was a good-sized room with a sort of medical bed in the middle. Kind of like the Wave ’s medical bay, but a lot bigger and filled with a lot more gizmos.”
    “Gizmos?” Wood asked. “You need to take me there.”
    “That’s just a small part. Wait until you see. Actually, that’s why I came out here.”
    “Why did you come here?” Jake asked.
    “To lead you all inside.”
    “Inside? Inside what?”
    Ash wrapped his arms around his sister and said, “Your new home.” Jake and the others sat there in the tree, staring at Ash for what seemed like several minutes. “Was it something I said?” he finally asked.
    “You’re going to take us to our new home?” Jake repeated. “I don’t think I can even count the number of questions that just popped up in my head. Like, why are you bringing us? Where are you bringing us? What makes you think we need a new home?”
    “More importantly, is it a building?” Wood asked. “Preferably one with indoor plumbing and a proper shower.”
    Ash addressed Wood first. “It has showers, Doctor, several of them, in fact. All the comforts of home, including a full kitchen, and I’m talking a full-featured one like they probably have in Capitol City. Not a cramped little galley like the Wave .” He looked at Jake and AJ. “Sorry, no offence.”
    “None taken,” Jake said. The man was obviously delusional. Maybe he was suffering brain damage from the accident. Even with the best medical facilities in Civica, he should not have survived his injuries. “So how far away is this new home of ours?” he asked, hoping that his first mate would catch on.
    “Yes,” AJ said, perfectly mimicking Jake’s calm demeanor. “I’m anxious to see it.”
    Ash looked up at the stars shining down through the upper branches. “It’s still a couple of hours until daylight,” he said. “Why don’t we go back down and get some sleep? It’s a full day’s walk tomorrow, so we’ll need to get an early start if we want to get there before dark.”
    “Sleep?” Vee asked. “Down there?”
    Ash started down. “They were attracted to your fire,” he said. “Nothing here has ever seen fire before. In fact, that’s how I found you. You were broadcasting your location for kilometers in all directions.”
    “Are you sure?” Jake asked. He was still going on the theory that Ash was crazy, but he knew that trying to sleep in the tree had its own risks. Like falling and breaking your neck.
    “Those dogs live in the mountains to the south, or at least, in the foothills. They eat small things like rabbits there and mainly hunt at night. They have no reason to come down here unless someone invites them.”
    “And we invited them,” Raines said. “Lesson learned.”
    “They looked pretty hungry,” Ash continued, “which is why they were so angry. It also means they are probably running full tilt back to where the rabbits are to try to find dinner