Extinction Read Online Free PDF Page A

doorstep. The best-case scenario for him would be killing both us and the Radaskim in a single stroke.”
    “But Askala will only attack again,” I said. “Even if he did win, it would only be a matter of time.”
    “But does he know that? That’s what we need to convince him of, Alex. Remember, he doesn’t know what we know about the Great Blight. To him, this attack might just be a onetime occurrence. It’s our job to convince him otherwise.”
    Augustus stopped before a large tent that was probably his own; it was larger than the rest, and two guards stood in front of the entrance. The Emperor turned to face us.
    “Black needs to hear it from you,” Augustus said. “I need you at that meeting with me to convince him.”
    “Why would we do that for you?” Anna asked. “Maybe we let the Radaskim attack and kill you all. Why would we help you when you locked us up for three days?”
    “I wasn’t going to risk your escaping,” Augustus said. “I know how capable you are – not only did you escape the Coleseo back in Nova Roma, but you escaped my Praetorians. I wasn’t going to take any chances. And as for why you should help me, I think we both know the answer to that. Besides me, no one can help you stop the Great Blight. I’m the only one with an army. At the risk of sounding crass, you are alone. Your friends are dead, so if you still want to have a chance, then you must accept my offer of friendship – which I gave earlier. Give me your word of honor, and we can work together, for the good of the Wasteland.”
    The Emperor gazed at us, an infectious energy in his brown eyes.
    “Besides military aid,” Augustus said, “I have another plan for you three – contingent upon your acceptance of this alliance. Of course, I have Orion in my possession, but as a gift I would offer you Perseus.”
    The three of us stared at Augustus in shock. Anna was the first to recover.
    “You’d trust us with a spaceship?”
    “Why not?” Augustus asked. “In exchange for helping me with Black and the Radaskim, you can keep it. I really don’t fear your attacking me with it. You have nothing to gain. We would be working together, something that is necessary if any of us are to survive this.”
    We did need a spaceship. We could find Makara and the others. We could begin to evacuate Bunker 84, perhaps reinforce Augustus’s troops with our own, before Los Angeles was attacked.
    Maybe an alliance with the Emperor wasn’t a bad idea. If he was serious about giving us Perseus, it could solve all our problems.
    I looked at Ashton, wondering what he was thinking. Ashton was weighing Augustus with his sharp blue eyes, while Augustus did the same to Ashton. The two men had once been enemies. Could they ever be friends?
    “So you want us to talk to Black?” Ashton asked.
    Augustus nodded. “We need him to work with us. Do this, and lend your aid in the coming battle, and in exchange, you can have Perseus.”
    “What if Carin Black attacks anyway?” I asked.
    “That might be the case,” Augustus said, “but if that happens, at least I know I have you three at my side. None of us are going to survive the coming storm unless we unite.”
    With those words, I remembered the Wanderer’s own warning: that we had to get everyone working together. Augustus was right. Maybe the Emperor was after power, but in the end, survival was more important than whoever got to rule at the end of the day.
    “Where is Perseus?” Anna asked.
    “It’s still in Bunker Six. We can rescue it once we are done speaking with Black. Getting Perseus out shouldn’t be too difficult.”
    “He’s right about that,” Ashton said. “I’ve been in and out of Bunker Six several times over the years. It’s built into a mountain far above the Great Blight, so there aren’t too many monsters there. Still, it’s dangerous. With Orion, it will be easy to access the hangar.”
    “Okay,” I said. “So if we help you by speaking to Carin Black,