Family Secrets (The Nocturnia Chronicles Book 2) by Thomas F. Monteleone & F. Paul Wilson

Author:Thomas F. Monteleone & F. Paul Wilson [Monteleone, Thomas F.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2016-11-11T23:00:00+00:00

Part 3

Trolls and Lycans

21

Manfred Koertig knew something was wrong the instant he entered the control room and saw the readouts.

Someone had used the breach generator during the night. And looking at the energy output graph, he could tell exactly when: two hours after midnight.

He heard a noise and peered through the observation window at the breach chamber below. His new assistant, Teddy, had just entered. Teddy was an anomaly: A young lycan who had grown up on an isolated farm in the middle of the country with no access to culture and current events, yet preternaturally bright with a talent for fixing things. As mechanically brilliant as he was culturally dense about the world he lived in. What an engineer he would make with the proper learning.

Manfred pressed the speaker button and spoke into the microphone.

“Teddy?”

The lycan jumped at the sound of his name. “I didn’t see you, sir.”

“Come up here. I wish to speak to you.”

“Sure.”

When he arrived, Manfred led him to the graph and pointed to the spike. “Do you know what that means?”

Teddy squinted at it. “Looks like a power spike.”

“Yes. A usage spike. The breach generator was activated at two A.M. this morning. That wouldn’t be you, would it?”

His eyes widened. “Me? No. Why would you think–?”

“Because you are one of only a few among this congregation of dolts with the know-how and intelligence to do such a thing.”

“I swear to you, sir, I did not.”

Manfred noticed a shift in his gaze… toward the breach viewer.

“Then what did you do? You look guilty so you might as well tell me. I will find out, and then it will go hard on you.”

He looked like he was about to protest his innocence again, but then his shoulders slumped.

“All right. I sneaked back in yesterday afternoon to use the breach generator.”

Knew it!

“Whatever for?”

“I wanted to look at Humania again. It… it’s so interesting.”

“I assure you it’s anything but.”

“But I never even knew it existed until I left the farm. A whole other world controlled by… sheeple. I mean, come on… that’s incredible!”

Manfred could understand the fascination. Well, somewhat.

“They’re not sheeple over there, don’t forget that. They have brains and some brilliant minds among them.”

“That’s what I mean. I know I wasn’t supposed to be here but I didn’t hurt anything.”

“See anything interesting?”

“Just a lot of destruction…that storm.”

“Ah, yes. Quite impressive, I imagine.”

“Devastating…”

Something in his tone. He seemed genuinely affected by what he saw.

“Be glad Nocturnia doesn’t have tornadoes.”

“I suppose. But I swear to you I didn’t use the breach generator – only the viewer.”

Manfred believed him.

“Then who?”

“Somebody who wanted to visit Humania, I guess. Or bring something across.”

“Bring something across?” He hadn’t thought of that.

“You know…like smuggling.”

“The guards would notice anyone moving contraband around. And who would be foolish enough to risk Falzon’s wrath?”

“Could someone have activated it from the other side?”

“Impossible!”

Teddy spoke hesitantly. “I remember someone telling me about ‘impossible.’”

Manfred hid a smile. At least this young one listened. “That someone said, ‘Impossible is merely an opinion,’ didn’t he.

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