The Other Side of Life (Book #1, Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy) by Jess C Scott Read Free Book Online Page A

his voice a satiny warm
delight draping over her skin. “What is it you’re not comfortable
with?” He laid a hand on Anya’s shoulder, in reassurance. Then his
hand went a little lower, as he lightly stroked her back, when he
didn’t feel any resistance from her. His touches were smooth like
chocolate. “How to Work Your Charm with
Body Language,” Nin remembered the article
he’d downloaded onto his N-Gage device. He’d read it so many times,
it was as good as having downloaded it into his memory. Maybe he
wouldn’t even have to consider Dresan’s take on blending one’s body
with technology. Maybe he was already halfway there.
    “ I…” Anya usually jumped at
each new thieving task—but apparently not when it was
Elven-assigned, as she was discovering. She decided to just state
her concerns, to the Elven trio. “I just do what I can. I don’t
know if I’d be better than you.”
    “ I can guide you through
the building,” Nin sounded gracious and generous, “but you’ll have
to commit the actual, art of the theft. The overhead vent is very
narrow—it’s the only way in to the key room. Apart from waltzing in
through the door, after getting past hordes of guards armed to the
teeth.”
    “ Armed, like all of you?”
Anya asked.
    Nin shrugged. “About the same—they’re
deadlier because they open fire to kill intruders or suspicious
characters, no questions about it.”
    The first item Anya had ever stolen was a
colorful marble from a store, years ago when she was six. The
incident had been relatively devoid of problems. What Nin was
requesting was way more technically advanced.
    “ We were planning on
breaking in tomorrow, at night.” Nin talked casually, as if he was
describing the weather.
    “ I…need some time to think
about it.” It was the best answer Anya could give.
    Nin seemed happy. “Twenty-four hours enough
for you?”
    Anya tilted her head to one side, ear almost
touching her shoulder. “What’s the rush?”
    A shade of deep solemnity came over Nin’s
face. “The branches can actually morph into roots, so even if the
original tree decays, its branches underneath are young and
continue to enclose the parent. But the tree has been under severe
attack recently. We’ve linked the scientists to the museum. We’ve
found a very likely location for the missing parchment piece, given
Gilbreth’s private collection. We’re not exactly sure what they
want it for…but we have our theories. We think the missing piece in
the puzzle will tell us more.”
    “ We had a simulated version
of the break-in…” Dresan mused, ever one to share his passion for
technology and creation, “where we wanted to take down all the
guards at the museum by putting up a semi-laser sphere around the
whole institute. But there would have been too many complications,
what with the isotopes, to calibrate the forcefield, and many other
technicalities.”
    Leticia bobbed her head up and down slowly,
hearing what he said, but not having a clue about the scientific
details behind such a move.
    “ We have to act…now,” Tavia
concluded. “Or it might be too late.”
    Anya felt a bitter taste in her mouth. If
what Nin said was true, the tree in trouble meant that all of life
lay in their hands. Her hands, especially. She wasn’t accustomed to
shouldering that huge an amount of responsibility. A chill crept
through her veins as she recalled what had been said about the
“prophecy” too, even though no one was sure how much of it really
was factual. Was she being led to the grave? But Tavia did mention
it could be nothing more than an urban legend.
    “ Twenty-four hours,” Anya
nodded, not really agreeing, but not disagreeing, either. Did she
really have much of a choice? Besides, she was being recruited to
locate a missing parchment piece—not sacrifice herself on behalf of
all humanity. “I’m only doing it, because you asked me to,” she
added quietly, addressing the last part specifically