Utopia: A Thriller by Lincoln Child

Author:Lincoln Child [Child, Lincoln]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Suspense, Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Literary, Criminals, Science Fiction, Adventure, Robots, Amusement Parks
ISBN: 0385506686
Amazon: B000FC1KUC
Publisher: Doubleday
Published: 2002-12-24T06:00:00+00:00

3:12 P.M.

ALMOST AS QUICKLY as it had filled with clamor, the Central Medical Facility fell silent once again. Except for a few small groups, huddled around curtained recovery bays, most of the guests had departed. While one or two had marched resolutely toward Debarkation, threatening legal action, a remarkable number had seized upon the free meal vouchers and casino chips and headed back into the Park.

Sarah Boatwright watched them leave with mixed feelings. Much as she hated lawsuits—an aversion shared by all Utopia cast and crew—she wished that more had decided to head for the monorail. Watching them all stream back up into the various Worlds was almost like watching wounded soldiers, wandering unwittingly back into battle.

She walked down the brightly lit central corridor of Recovery, nodding at various nurses as she passed. She stopped to confer with a security tech. And then she continued on, slipping at last between the curtains of Georgia Warne’s bay. Dr. Finch had said the girl would be fine, but that the sedative would keep her asleep at least another hour.

Sarah settled into a seat by the foot of the bed, fixing her gaze on the still form beneath the covers. Georgia was sleeping naturally, hair spilled across her forehead, lips parted slightly, the ordeal she had gone through on the Waterdark ride consigned temporarily to oblivion.

Sarah sat, listening to the distant murmur of voices at the nurses’ station. There were many things she could be doing: updating Chuck Emory in New York; touching base with the line managers, keeping up the pretense of business as usual. And yet, somehow, they seemed pointless. It was up to John Doe now. Everything was up to John Doe. She leaned back in the chair, willing her muscles to relax, feeling little surprise when they refused.

Her eyes turned back to Georgia, to the fresh bruise on her cheek, to the way the slender hands clutched the cotton blanket. Funny, that her own feet should have taken her back to the bedside of the first major failure in her life.

When she’d moved in with Andrew Warne, she had been determined to make Georgia like her, accept her. Sarah knew that any problem could be solved by a sufficient effort of will. And yet it seemed the harder she tried, the more Georgia resisted.

Of course, if she was honest with herself, she knew Georgia wasn’t only to blame. It was true Sarah had appeared on the scene when Charlotte Warne’s death was still fresh in the girl’s mind, and Georgia had been very possessive of her father. But perhaps the girl had also sensed, with some childish instinct, that Sarah could never have been a full-time mother. Sarah herself now understood that such a commitment would have been impossible. Her career was simply too important. After all, hadn’t she taken the Utopia job without a moment’s hesitation? She could still remember the look on Andrew’s face when she’d told him: he was so sure she’d be coming along to Chapel Hill, help him get his new technology venture off the ground.

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.