The Eden Paradox (The Eden Trilogy) by Kirwan Barry

Author:Kirwan, Barry [Kirwan, Barry]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: FICTION / Science Fiction / Space Opera
ISBN: 9780976540977
Publisher: Ampichellis Ebooks
Published: 2011-02-10T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

Choices

Gabriel took a sling-jet, boarding as a business passenger – staff asked fewer questions of first class clients. His fake ret-scan passed flawlessly. The jet arrived early morning in Old Denver, slicing through anvil-shaped clouds, accompanied by lightning cords and strong winds which buffeted the twelve-seater.

A reliable source had told him Sister Esma was due to hold a Chapter meeting at noon. After a short deviation to pick up some gear, he located the once famous Country Club in the oldest part of town, more recently used as a school. The streets were deserted. This quarter of Denver was known for being ultra-religious, full of fanatics, so the Chorazin, civic police and all non-Fundie up-standing folk stayed away.

The dilapidated building, grey and crumbling with age, was no longer in use: all children in the area attended the huge state boarding schools further up in the low-rad Rockies. He entered via an unlocked side door.

Gabriel studied the dust on the furniture-less floor – he stroked some onto his finger and smelt it – synthetic, sprayed liberally to give the impression no one had been here for months. He scanned the interior until he discerned a faded symbol above a wooden floor-boarded stage – three outstretched olive branches, representing neo-fundamentalist aligned Islamic, Hindu and Judeo-Christian faiths. He scoped the floor again, and the beamed ceiling. He needed to get across without leaving any trace.

He fished in his rucksack for the two knife-hooks, then fastened a lanyard around each wrist. Crouching down, he sprung into the air, stabbing both blades into the first wooden beam with a resounding thunk. As soon as they penetrated the wood, he twisted the handles and microscopic barbs speared outwards from the blade. Gabriel hung there like a trapeze artist, swinging his legs. He twisted the right hand hilt the other way, and the knife released. He swung twice more, then pulled sharply on his left arm as he propelled forward and upward, twisting the hilt, releasing the second knife. A fraction of a second later his right hand stabbed its knife into the next beam, and continued, gathering speed as he’d seen macaques do in Uganda years ago.

When he arrived at the final beam next to the symbol, he stalled his swinging, and pressed on the two lower branches simultaneously with his feet. A click beneath him revealed the outline of a trap-door. He lifted his knees up to his chest and waited. As the door rose automatically, a crossbow bolt shot out firing straight ahead to where an uninitiated would have normally stood. It thudded into the wall beneath his feet. He angled himself, still hanging by his left arm, and wrestled the bolt out of the stone. It left a small hole, but there were others already there. He smeared as much of the surrounding chalk over it as he could, twisted his knife-hook and dropped down through the trap door onto the first rung of a spiral staircase.

He primed the bolt back into its firing mechanism, and descended into the darkness below.

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