The Embers of Hope: A science-fiction thriller (Hibernation Series Book 2) by Jones Nick

Author:Jones, Nick [Jones, Nick]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2014-12-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 33

Three days after the assassination, Victor Reyland requested her company, explaining that she should dress for dinner. Zitagi applied her makeup in delicate strokes, with the patience and precision of an artist. Above her eyes she applied an oyster-like sheen, below, a thin sliver of eyeliner. She evened out the tones of her pale skin to perfection and pulled her platinum hair – which was longer than usual – up and back over her head, where it hung in a neat line just above her shoulders. She slipped into a pepper-white kimono and attached one of her grandmother’s brooches to the fold of material between her breasts and stared at herself for a long time before leaving her apartment.

It was just after 7pm and the sun, low in the sky, bathed everything in its warm tangerine glow. Her limo drifted through the early evening traffic, accelerating and dodging like a squid through dark water. She passed a huge billboard advertising a television show called Just Visiting, which involved a comedic family looking after an alien stranded on earth. The alien – humanoid and friendly – turned out to be an ambassador charged with deciding the fate of the entire human race. The clip showed a fancy dress party where the alien finally got to mingle with humans and ended up drinking too much. The commercial wrapped up with the father offering a disapproving look.

Often the world seemed a strange place to Zido. It was harsh and cruel, yet somehow innocent and naively likeable. She turned away. Jameson’s final words were still playing on her mind.

The old man had stood for many things, but for most people, he was – had been, she corrected herself – a symbol of hope. Hibernation was his baby, as far as an ignorant world knew, anyway, and many called him its father. He had been the poster boy back then and now he was dead. Murdered. A kill ordered by the very agency he had created. Killed because he had made the age-old mistake of putting his own legacy under a microscope.

You never do that, Zido thought, analyse your life and question every decision, not if you work in politics. You take the good with the bad and you never, ever look back.

To her left she saw Big Ben and the Thames and the tiny lights of transports streaming all around. Her navigation system informed her they were close, and as the craft banked around she spotted the Harrison tower, one of London’s tallest. Her ship descended slowly towards the landing platform.

Zitagi disembarked and walked to the entrance, which was marked by steel pipes that licked flames high into the air. She passed by a couple of security guards, who nodded as she entered the restaurant.

It was small, twenty tables at most, and Zitagi consumed the details quickly. Fine dining. Quiet music. Middle-age clientele. Expensive. She was guided to a table where Victor Reyland greeted her warmly. He was alone.

‘It’s good to see you.’ He gestured for her to sit and waited until she did so before sitting back down.

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