Probe Predators by Saxon Andrew Read Free Book Online

“Andrew…”
    “Yes Sire?”
    “Never mind; please assist me to the hangar.”
    Trip moved slowly down four levels and Andrew ended up carrying him to his command chair. Trip looked at the chair and said, “Demon, get behind me.” Andrew and Ian laughed and Trip fell into the chair. Somehow, it felt soft again. Ian lifted off the hangar floor and moved smoothly out into the morning sky. Trip said, “Open the viewports and take your time leaving the planet.” Trip looked out and saw the Capital of the Union below. The Royal Palace gleamed in the morning sun and was beautiful. The Gardens around it were exploding with flowers that were welcoming spring to the planet. The orderly rows of structures on the surface looked like a giant mosaic of colorful patterns that all came together to say something that was simply impossible to verbalize. It was beautiful beyond description. Trip knew his ancestors had made this happen. He thought about his life and, for the first time, felt shame. He had tarnished them. He sighed and felt something that was foreign; he felt a part of the creation flashing below him. “Ian, let’s go and do this.” Just before the first maneuver began, Trip remembered the new Caretaker but immediately forgot her as ten Gravities forced him back into the Demon called his command chair.
    • • •
    He didn’t remember arriving at the Mansion that night, either, but he woke the next morning and, although he felt like eight miles of bad highway, he was able to stand on his own and take a shower. He found Andrew waiting on him with breakfast and walked stiffly over to the table and began eating. “Do you feel better this morning, Sire?” Trip shook his head and then nodded. “Our new Caretaker has asked for a few moments of your time to gather the codes to the vaults.”
    “Give me a moment to get dressed and I’ll meet her at the vaults.”
    “Do you require assistance to the lower levels, Sire?”
    Trip shook his head again, “No, I think I can make it.” Trip was surprised again when Andrew magically appeared to help him through the door on the bottom floor of the mansion. Trip decided that Andrew had to possess supernatural powers to always be at the right place at the exact right time. Andrew helped Trip into the huge room and assisted him into a large chair placed in front of the huge row of screened vaults.
    “It looks like you’re getting better.”
    Trip looked to his right and saw the young woman sitting in a chair drinking a cup of something hot. The steam was still rising from her cup, “I have to start feeling bad before I can feel good.”
    “It gets easier after the second day.”
    “How would you know that?”
    “I went through the process five days ago with my ship.”
    Trip’s eyes narrowed, “Marilyn, what are you doing selecting a Caretaker in the Military?”
    “Why would I exclude the Military from my choices?”
    “You know the current situation; both of us could end up dead.”
    The young woman’s expression immediately changed, “What do you mean by that?”
    “Marilyn, you haven’t discussed what’s going on with her?”
    “She does not possess the codes or the clearance to be told; until that happens, she cannot be given free access to secret information.”
    “You’re smarter than this, Marilyn. Why did you select her?”
    “She is the optimum choice. The only one rated higher is you.”
    “What’s going on?”
    Trip stared at the woman and shook his head. She started feeling uncomfortable and Trip said, “I’m sorry. You just…”
    “Look exactly like Dee Montgomery.” Trip nodded. “I get that a lot.”
    Trip sighed, “Marilyn, if I knew you were going to select a member of the military, I could have just remained Caretaker.”
    “Not really.”
    “Oh! And why not?”
    “You will be out in front of most events and will have a higher risk of being blown into small pieces. She will be used to respond to threats and her chance of