Dark Matter Read Online Free PDF Page A

them regular access to food, sex, a warm bed and a toy and they are happy.'
    Jane nearly spilt her tea.
    'I guess I should have been born a man.'
    'Oh gosh no.' John replied.  'That would never do.' 
    'Oh and why is that?'
    He looked deeply into her eyes, watching her anger build.
    'Because,' He began.
    Jane lent forward almost climbing out of her seat ready to argue with whatever he said.
    'It would be such a shame to loose from the female gender someone as beautiful as you.'  He said, smiling.
    She smiled back and laughed, somewhat self-consciously. 
    'You don't quit do you?' she asked.
    'I haven't yet.'

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    2 Discovery
     
     
    11:00                14 October  [11:00  14 October  GMT]
    The Linden Room, Branchflower Clinic, Cambridge, England.
     
    It was just before eleven in the morning and the patients were assembling in the Linden Room for their Group Therapy session.  There were nine of them, including John and Jane.  He only just made it before the door was shut.  It was one of the rules of “Group” that once started the session could not be interrupted.  He was dismayed to see that both chairs next to Jane were occupied.  John took the empty chair opposite the Therapist running the session.  Today it was Nikki.
    Nikki, John thought, must be in her mid-thirties, but she has the fineness of looks that means she could pass for younger than that.  No, he decided, she is so self-possessed and quietly confident that she must be in her thirties, women in their twenties generally lack true self-belief.   Nikki was also a “hard-ass”, John liked that particular Americanism as it conveyed someone who could be tough when they needed or wanted to be, but didn’t preclude a wilder, fun side.  John’s mind started to drift, thinking about “hard-ass” Nikki’s fun side. 
    'Who would like to start?’  Nikki asked of the group. 
    Back to reality , thought John as the first of the group said how they were feeling at that moment.  John drifted off again, letting the other patients talk about how they were feeling gave him time to try to decide how he was feeling.  How am I feeling?   He wondered, despite the lingering aches and pains from the force of being thrown to the ground by a violent explosion, I feel surprisingly good .  He didn't think that he was being entirely honest with himself. 
    'Well John how do you feel?’  Nikki had repeated herself, somewhat louder and more distinct than the first time.  John realised the question was aimed at him. 
    'How am I feeling?’  John said aloud, 'How am I feeling?' he repeated, 'How am I feeling?' another repeat.
    Nikki was beginning to wonder about the medication that John was on when he finally focused on Nikki, hitting her full force with his sapphire blue lasers.  Nikki fell silent, stunned by the effect of John's glare, transfixed by it.  Fortunately for Nikki, he broke the silence and his hold on her. 
    'I feel surprisingly well for a dead man, thank you Nikki.'  He was quite pleased with his reply.  Although not too sure where it had come from, it did however sound like him.  The group was quiet, all eyes either on John or Nikki.
    'Would you like to expand on that John?' 
    He smiled.
    'I'd be delighted to Nikki.  I was, you see, happily conducting an experiment as part of my PhD.  I had just gone outside when it exploded, blew a hole as large as a van in the side of the wall, right where I had been standing.  So you see Nikki, I feel surprisingly well, for what I should be, a dead man.'
    Nikki had now fully regained her composure. 
    'You seem angry.’
    'Of course I am angry.  My experiment blew up, my lab is ruined, my equipment is wrecked, I can't continue with my research.  I'm stuck in here and I nearly died, so yes you could say I am angry Nikki, yes you could.'  John finished his rant becoming uncomfortably aware that he had lost both his self-control and any semblance of his side of