A Child Of Our Time (The Veil Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

please.”
    JoJo and Eleanor politely acknowledge the request and fade away, leaving a pensive Lucius staring down at the floor despondently, hands on hips.
    His gaze snaps to MBI #3, his brow furrowing with the beginnings of an idea. For a moment he just stands there, staring at Three. Then, the idea fully formed, he whirls to face Boyce and Moule.
    * * *
    “This is a really bad idea,” Moule says, leaning over a fully reclined Lucius. Boyce finishes attaching the Tap cables and lowers the visor over Lucius’s eyes.
    “The simulation coming out of the MBIs is going to be super real,” cautions Boyce. “It will be somewhat disorientating at first.” He places the Tap switch in Lucius’s hand—a thumb-operated button to both commence and terminate the session.
    “Ready?” Boyce asks.
    “Ready,” says Lucius.
    “Okay. Bringing up the launch simulation.”
    A three-dimensional rendition of the laboratory flicks on before Lucius’s eyes. Just as it is in reality, but recreated as a virtual world from cameras dotted about the floor space. It is almost, but not quite, convincing; the cameras don’t capture all the detail of the real-world laboratory and the renderer doesn’t fill in the gaps very well.
    Moule leans into his field of vision, a slight distortion to her face.
    “Take a moment to adjust, then click the finger button. That’ll link the Tap to Eleanor’s diagnostic stream and take you into her world.”
    Lucius doesn’t take a moment. He clicks the button. His whole body tenses.
    “Jesus!”
    Before his eyes the laboratory simulation digitally disintegrates into a huge rush of colors and shapes streaming toward him. Barely a moment and it all coalesces into a new perspective and Lucius arrives—
    He lurches forward to be caught by JoJo and Eleanor. They steady him on his feet.
    Lucius’s most immediate perception is that they are both completely real in every respect. They are made flesh, the feel of their firm hold on him making the illusion absolute. The Tap is making it real and Lucius cannot hide his shock.
    “Are you alright, Dr. Gray?” Eleanor asks.
    “Take a moment to adjust,” JoJo suggests.
    Their expressions show that they are both deeply concerned and Lucius seeks to reassure them by steadying himself. He is quickly able to stand unaided.
    “Thank you. I’m fine. It just feels a little…odd.”
    In his hands is the Tap switch. He makes to look himself over, before Eleanor gestures to something behind him. It’s a full-length mirror, mounted in an elegant wooden frame. Lucius suspects that she has just created it. In its reflection he sees himself as Eleanor has chosen to see him. His face, albeit with a much healthier complexion, and the same clothes, but, Lucius notes with a sideways glance to Eleanor, with a superior quality of laundering.
    “Welcome to our Common Room,” says JoJo.
    Lucius looks about him. It’s a simple white-world with a few items of period furniture—a sofa, chairs, and a coffee table. All completely real.
    “Good God.”
    “This is a manifestation of the common channel we share,” Eleanor says. “JoJo and I enjoy spending time here.”
    Set back from the furniture are two doors, one in an Edwardian-period style, flanked by two pedestals, an ornate vase atop each, and the other Art Deco. They are positioned where one might expect there to be two adjacent perpendicular walls of a large room. Lucius’s eyes are naturally drawn to where a third door might be.
    “The doors lead to our private rooms,” explains JoJo. “As you can see there is no door to unit Three.”
    Lucius’s gaze lingers where door Three should be.
    “Would you like to see my room?” Eleanor asks.
    “Yes…” Lucius says and, remembering his manners, turns his attention to her. “I would like that.”
    She ushers him toward the Edwardian door. Lucius immediately finds walking to be immensely difficult. Like wading through treacle. Like, in fact, being in a dream. In a