The Lifeline Signal by RoAnna Sylver

Author:RoAnna Sylver
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: RoAnna Sylver
Published: 2017-03-15T17:25:59+00:00

People said you felt Tartarus approach before you saw it. The ozone layer thinned the closer you got to its corrosive atmosphere, nights got darker and colder and days got brighter and hotter. Even inside the resupply outpost’s protective bubble, the change was noticeable.

But not in CyborJ’s makeshift command center. The single, round window was shuttered, edges taped over to keep out the sun’s glare, the only light a pale blue glow from a solid wall of computer screens. It was dim enough for Shiloh to take off xir sunglasses and take a good look at one of the strangest rooms xie’d been in on this strange trip. The cramped space was invaded by dismantled motherboards and huge piles of wires and tubing looped like lazy snakes. On all sides, active consoles and displays. And it was very cold. Icy air blasted through a vent in the ceiling and when Shiloh exhaled xie half-expected to see xir breath.

“Climate control’s important, ok,” Jay said a little distractedly as xie gave an audible shiver, not looking up from his current screen or stopping his consistent typing rhythm. “Gotta keep it frosty, even the best rigs run hot sometimes. And this Radiance junk is not the best, let me tell you. Mine is—was. Back in Parole. But keeping cool’s a lot easier out here, I will say. No random fire bursts. Yes AC.” He stopped then and turned to look up at Shiloh, seeming to fully register both xir presence and that not all humans enjoyed the same temperature extremes. He stepped on a pedal on the floor and the ceiling vent hinged shut. “But I guess I can take a break if my nibling made the trip down here.”

“Thanks.” Shiloh gave a sigh of relief and unclenched xir shoulders as the freezing air blasting down on xir head and shoulders finally stopped. The cold lingered in the room but at least xir ears weren’t threatening to go numb anymore. Finally free from brain freeze, xie was able to process Jay’s entire last sentence and smiled. “Hey. ‘Nibling.’ It’s kind of amazing to hear that out loud.”

“Kinda amazing to say it.” Jay kicked off from the floor and rotated in his chair, sticking his feet up on a console opposite the one he’d been working on. “Lemme know if you figure out something better, huh? Hey, I’m saying ‘xie’ right, right?”

“More just like ‘zee,’ no ‘ex’ sound at the beginning.”

“Xie? Xir, xirself…”

“Yeah, that’s it, you got it.” As cold as the room had been a moment ago, xie couldn’t help but feel warm. CyborJ was one of Parole’s most vital, beloved, and borderline-legendary figures, responsible for rebuilding and maintaining the city’s communication infrastructure, free information, and foiling SkEye’s deadly operations through misdirection and technological brilliance. The fact that hardly anyone had ever seen his face or even knew if he was a single person, an entire infamous Syndicate, or a human being at all (nobody had ruled out the possibility of a sentient AI yet) only added to the mystique.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.