The Cyborg's Crusade by Benoit Lanteigne

Author:Benoit Lanteigne [Lanteigne, Benoit]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Benoit Lanteigne
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

The Voice of God

Chapter 21

Mashar 28, 2133, on the Nirnivian calendar

The script in Rose’s hands served no purpose. Twenty minutes had passed since she’d opened the binder and still, she scanned the first page. A sentence or three she read, perhaps a paragraph at most, and her focus vanished. Instead of the sheet, she fixated on Logan positioning the cameras. The bearded man fiddled with the equipment, whistling a tune. It wasn’t that Rose had any interest in his task. Technical details bored her, and yet at this moment, the cameras proved more appealing than her text. Noticing her inattention, Kristina harrumphed, and Rose returned to her duty until her wandering gaze betrayed her again—a backstabbing that took far too little time. Speaking of her faithful assistant, the blond woman paced around the chapel, clutching her trusted minicomp tight.

“Rose, finish it.” She gestured toward the Melkar’s paper cup. Rose peeped at it and, imagining the dark liquid inside, she grimaced. “Yes, I know you hate coffee, but you need it. It’s bad enough you’re not allowed makeup, so we can’t hide the bags under your eyes. I don’t want you yawning like a morglar on top of it.”

“Fine, fine.” Rose glared at her beverage. In truth, Kristina panicked for nothing. Sure, her physical appearance telegraphed her lack of slumber, but she didn’t feel tired. Quite the opposite: adrenaline flowed through her veins at the mere thought of what she’d soon do. Her mind boomed with alertness, to the point of being scattered—hence her poor concentration. However, Kristina meant well, and if it pleased her…

Rose held her breath for an instant before gulping the remaining coffee. The bitter acidic taste assailed her tongue and sickened her stomach. A retching sound echoed. She covered her mouth, hoping it stayed down, and despite her apprehension, it did.

“Good girl.” The assistant poked at her folder. “And since you played the violin until three a.m., you didn’t get the chance to rehearse.”

“It’ll be okay, I’ve been doing this since I was six. It’s not the sermon I’m worried about.”

Kristina shook her head. “Of course not, you’re worried about him.” She groaned. “The human is so much trouble.”

Rose stepped forward and rested her palms on her hips. “Don’t blame him, it’s not his fault. I played for him that late by choice. He didn’t ask me to.” With a wave, Kristina dismissed the argument. Her lips parted as she planned a rebuke, but swallowing her reply, she spun and resumed her walking. “I’m sorry, Kristina. You worked so hard so I’d look good, and I messed up.”

“I’m not mad. I just don’t want you to make a fool of yourself on national TV.”

“That can’t happen. If I did the show in my underwear, I’d start a new fashion craze.” She giggled.

The comment finally loosened Kristina a tad. A smile formed on her visage. “Probably, but—”

The sliding door interrupted her. From the gap, a trio emerged, consisting of Rose’s mom, her dad and Janice. Daniel and Madeleine

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