Phoenix Rising (Book Two of The Icarus Trilogy) by Kevin Kauffmann Read Free Book Online Page B

market were often given a blind eye, but any threat to their domination was enough to hold their interest.
    There were a couple of other theories, but they were both ridiculous.  Templeton could have been an undercover reporter trying to get the “inside scoop” on the living conditions of these professional athletes.  The Commission was aggressive with their PR and shouted stories from the mountaintops about how these men and women were treated like celebrities inside their barracks.  It was both a recruitment tool and a way to fool the massive amount of poor people into thinking that soldiers had the good life.  The last thing the corporations needed was an unhappy proletariat.  Journalists would sometimes try to sneak in and get the “real story,” but they were often never heard from again.  The Commission had a tight grip on the communications allowed to the soldiers and, often, even when they avoided capture the reporters were stuck with ever-increasing debt just like all the rest of the slave soldiers.
    They tended to be caught by the very system they were trying to expose.
    The other theory was equally ludicrous.  Resistance movements had popped into existence more than a few times since the inception of the games, but they had always failed.  The Trade Union, the EOSF and the Commission had all the power.  They had all the weapons and all the “legal” soldiers.  Governments were useless and held nothing but the symbol of power.  The world was full of mannequins and puppets and the people didn’t know it.  The population was thankful for the EOSF for their “protection” and how they handled the insurgents.  All resistance agents were instantaneously labeled “enemies of the state” and were hunted down.  Joining one of those movements wasn’t just hazardous to health.
    It was suicide.
    Roberts let the thought fade from his mind.  It wasn’t going to be useful to think about something like that.  It was just silly.  When Roberts looked at the thin, black man he saw a plant; the soldier clearly had to work for the Commission.  Roberts watched Templeton round a corner and increased his speed so that he wouldn’t lose sight.  The boy soldier didn’t know what he was going to do if he confronted the man, but he figured that it would be best to follow.
    The young Crow rounded the corner and immediately walked into Templeton.  The slightly-taller man was looking down at him in surprise and backed off a step after the impact.  Roberts silently cursed as he realized he had been made.  The boy soldier knew that Templeton had noticed him analyzing their compatriots.  Roberts braced himself for what was coming.
    “Oh, man, didn’t see you there.  Sorry, Roberts.”  The boy soldier looked up to see Templeton awkwardly smiling.  Roberts didn’t want to play the game, but he didn’t have a choice; it was better for Templeton not to suspect anything.
    “That’s ok, Templeton,” he said as he suddenly felt the pain from the collision.  It was distracting, but Roberts was grateful that his painkillers were dulling it to a degree.  “You didn’t know I was there; I probably should have been watching where I was going.”  He looked up to see Templeton laughing and then shrugging.
    “Nah, it’s my bad.  Forgot something in the locker room and wheeled on my feet.  Shoulda known better.”  Roberts awkwardly laughed and stood there for a while.  It was a tense moment for him, but as he watched Templeton out of the corner of his eye it didn’t seem like he was bothered at all.  The slave soldier seemed his usual cheery self.  Roberts thought about what he could say but Templeton spoke before he had a chance.
    “Man, how about Warner, today?  That was crazy.  He went off on everyone , well except for me and some of the other guys,” Templeton said before shaking his head and looking at the opposite wall.  Roberts wondered if maybe he had imagined it all.  He shuffled his