Apex Cypher (Prequel to The Techxorcist series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

apparently makes contact with other survivors. Much like how Xian and I discovered each other, this Jericho used the server’s technology to locate and join some networks that had either survived the attack, or had been built afterwards.
    “Suddenly, we realised there were pockets of survivors outside of The Family’s dome, and they had technology—software too. AIs! Military AIs. That’s ultimately how I found, and later won this place.”
    “What do you mean, won?” Gabe asked.
    “You don’t think anyone would give up a place like this? There’s every piece of tech you could ever want here—if you could fix it up that is. But also look at the resources here: oil, water, tools, glass, metal, fabrics, and wire. If one had the appropriate blueprints and schematics, not to mention the maintenance manuals, hell, one could, if they had the skills, get one of these birds back in the sky.”
    Gabe felt like he understood what the job was. “This Jericho has the information you want?”
    “Look at you! Clever boy, aren’t we?”
    He shrugged, not letting the insult hit him. He was smart enough when he needed to be, and it didn’t exactly take a genius. She was just being too slow to get to the damned point.
    “So tell me about this Jericho. Is he still in his penthouse? I assume that’s where the information is that ya want us to recover.”
    “Got it in one, Skippy.”
    “So what’s the payment for this job?”
    “Come, I’ll show you.”
    Shelley rose to her feet, her knee joints clicking and cracking as she stood. She passed him and exited to the fuselage. She led him across the scrapyard. All about him were trillions of dollars worth of military equipment, now rendered utterly useless. Even if you could get one back up and running, what would be the point? Where was there to go? And as Shelley hobbled through the labyrinth of junk metal and nearly new vehicles, a thought nagged at him.
    She mentioned that she could get one of the birds back in the sky. Where the hell was she intending to go? And where was she getting the fuel? Most of the planes used H-core engines that required hydrogen gas. Even if she could distill it from water, there wouldn’t be enough around. There was barely enough now for people to get by. Mostly it was rainwater or contaminated rivers. Purification tablets were available, but in such scarce numbers that no one developed a surplus of water.
    “Here, come look.” The old tinker stood over the open trunk of a rusted Ford Ranger EX.
    He stepped forward, still wary of the woman and her intentions. Inside the truck was a steel lock box. They were usually used for storing expensive tools. She flipped the lid, and inside were five two-litre bottles of water and a full box of protein packs: enough for at least two weeks for two people. Already he felt his stomach growl. He and Petal’s rations were running low. There was a chance they could find more food in Baicheng, but given how most cities and towns they had passed through were barren empty graveyards, he didn’t hold out much hope of separating resources from the few survivors who had fought to attain them.
    “Stand back,” she said.
    At first Gabe thought about overpowering her and taking the food and water, but he thought back to his time in Hong Kong. He’d be no better than the animals there. So he stepped back, realised that Shelley was holding a taser inside her jacket and pointing at him.
    “What’ya playin’ at?”
    “Just protecting myself. That’s only part of what I’m offering for the job. Just so you know I’m serious about getting that information. If you can get it for me, this is yours.”
    “A part? There’s more?”
    She slapped her hand on the back of the Ranger. “You also get this. It’s got half a tank of H. Will get you two hundred miles if you take it easy.”
    Gabe couldn’t believe it. His feet were calloused and blistered from so much walking, and he had at least a few more weeks ahead of