The Trillionist by Sagan Jeffries

Author:Sagan Jeffries
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing
Published: 2014-02-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

A milestone had been passed with the creation of the Quantronix, but now whatever patience the shadow had previously shown was gone.

Under Sage’s personal supervision — and only his — the Quantronix at Cos-Ob continued to pour out rare elements. These were shipped to the Bristol Industries warehouse in Porturn and distributed to the various divisions that built new technologies.

The shadow drove Sage to work and work, with no say as to what he did or when. Often the impetus came from simple physical pain; a stab behind his eyes, or a blinding agony that enveloped his head. Sometimes the shadow reverted to completely seizing the reins and once again Sage would come out of nowhere to realize he’d lost hours in a day.

Sage was out of control, generating new systems and components to further the development of BYSA’s space program as well as furthering his role as a national hero with multiple revolutions in communications, transportation, information handling, and social connectivity.

Priority went to the conglomerate’s joint ventures with BYSA — which had already crisscrossed Tidon’s heavens with communications and surveillance satellites — and the recent orbital missions with test animals that splashed down in the sea off Bella Yareo.

According to plan, it was time for Sage to go ‘up!’

Incredibly, Sage’s shadow grew anxious, wary and protective of the safety of its host. If the first manned flight into space exploded or burned up in the atmosphere on re-entry, the body in which the shadow resided would be destroyed. What would happen then? Would the shadow have to start all over again? Could it? Sage began feeling the shadow’s resistance as he went through the training program he himself had devised and passed to BYSA. The shadow was leaning toward denying him the only thing he’d looked forward to in his eighteen years of slavery. Then too, the shadow seemed more impatient, as if time was running out on its grand task. Was that because its nature was that of a spoiled child? Or was it under pressure to get the job done — whatever the job might be — before the law showed up with a warrant and handcuffs?

Sage sought out the shadow in its realm of gray nothingness behind the unmarked door, tempted to put those questions to the shadow, but instead he said, “You can’t refuse me the reward of being the first to go up, regardless of the dangers,”

The response that came back was wordless. I will do as I see fit.

“It’s not just between you and me,” Sage said. “Bristol has always sold the space program as a personal priority of mine. ‘First in our hearts’ and all that. Yank me out of it now, and the whole thing will collapse.”

The shadow roiled and blackened like an inky poison.

“You can push me around like a puppet. We both know you can,” Sage argued. “But you can’t rule hundreds of millions of Bellans.

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.