The Plague Forge [ARC] by Jason M. Hough Read Free Book Online Page A

again.
    Prumble tapped in some codes from a piece of paper, and waited as the words ESTABLISHING LINK flashed. Then the connection light went green.
    “That’s Kip,” Prumble said, already tearing the slip of paper to shreds. A red circle came up around the green light. “He’s started encryption, good. Now for the relay link through Anchor.” He glanced at his watch, not trusting the time displayed on the comm’s screen.
    Kip had said he could get them ten minutes on the powerful antenna in Nightcliff while shifts changed in the control room, and route the signal up through Anchor Station to achieve the required strength. Anything longer than that would arouse suspicion.
    A relay icon appeared, and then Skyler’s voice came through, crystal clear. “Hello, are we on?”
    “We are indeed!” Prumble said.
    “Hello, Skyler,” Sam said. She felt the sting of tears welling in her eyes and laughed them away. “Nice to hear your stupid Dutch accent again.”
    “Sam,” he said laughing, his voice thick with emotion. “Damn it’s good to hear your voices! I—oh, right. I’ve got some people here with me. Tania Sharma, Zane Platz, and Tim Jordan.”
    Introductions were made all around. “We have a surprise guest with us, too,” Prumble said.
    “Oy, Skyler,” Skadz said. “What’s the rumpus, mate?”
    “My God. They let you back in the city?”
    The grin on Skadz’s face almost touched his ears. “For now. And at least I stayed in Australia for a proper walkabout. You had to fuck off halfway around the world.”
    “All right, ladies,” Prumble interjected. “Save the weepy reunion nonsense for another time. We have much to discuss. Skyler? Would you start?”
    Sam listened with rapt attention as he recounted the last two years. How they’d fled aboard part of Anchor Station, and met up with Zane, who’d taken Hab-8, a facility supposedly still under construction. Skyler alluded to difficulties in getting the colony up and running, but didn’t elaborate. She knew from his tone that there must have been some major problems.
    Then he spoke of what they’d learned about the Builders. They had a space elevator in Brazil, but with a much more limited aura. Instead, the aliens had provided a number of small towers that created pockets of aura and could be moved around. Sam’s mind immediately began to run through the possibilities that must have created. She forced the thoughts away when Skyler detailed how an errant explosion had somehow woken the towers and sent them off in four groups to various parts of the planet. He’d tracked one set to Ireland and found something incredible there.
    When he described it, and how it made their space elevator vibrate when he removed it from where it lay, Sam spoke up.
    “I found something similar,” she said. “In Darwin’s Old Downtown. When I picked it up it caused the space elevator to shudder for a moment, too.”
    A new voice, barely a whisper, broke in. “Hi. Um, hello. Kip here. That’s happened again since. Just the other day.”
    “That was us,” Skyler said, “both times. Found the one in Ireland, and another here in Brazil.”
    “This is great news,” Tania Sharma said. “We knew there were five but only four groups of towers fled Belém. So Darwin was the fifth location, and you have it! That only leaves—”
    “Hold on,” Sam said. “I picked it up, but I don’t have it. Grillo took it, and where it is now I have no idea. He never speaks of the thing.”
    The comment earned a few seconds of silence. A sudden sense of guilt swept through Sam, for not mentioning it sooner, and for not doing anything to stop Grillo in the first place.
    “Grillo,” Skyler said. “Yeah, we’ve heard about his rise, his alliance with the Jacobites. Um, Blackfield is with us over here. House arrest, and he’s been talking.”
    Prumble cleared his throat. “In a few minutes this link will be cut. I suggest we make some plans.”
    “Agreed,” Skadz said.