Hero Engine Read Online Free PDF Page B

distance, illuminating the never-ending body of water around us. I walk to the edge of the landing pad and look down. The building descends twenty feet before disappearing into the black of the ocean.
    “We were under water the entire time?” I have to scream to be heard over the storm raging around us.
    “Yeah, now let’s get you guys on the plane. I’ll get you information on AHA as soon as I can.”
    A hatch on the bottom of the plane opens and a set of stairs fold out. The aircraft itself has a pair of narrow wings that are swept so far backward, I can’t comprehend the physics of how the thing attains flight. The entire body is painted matte black and it’s about the size of a small passenger plane.
    I hold Ann’s hand to keep the wind from blowing her over and lead us to the stairs. She smiles at me in thanks before making her way inside. I follow and am blown away when I find the interior of the plane is swank enough to house the President and a famous rapper.
    The hatch closes once we’re inside. A pilot appears from the front of the plane. “I’m your captain. You can call me Ulrich. And where are we heading on this wonderful evening?”
    Thunder rumbles.
    “New York City,” I say.
    “Oh, the Big Apple, sounds like fun.” Ulrich winks at us and goes back to the cockpit.
    “Well, that’s comforting,” I say.
    “Yeah.” Ann’s eyes get wide as she says it.
    The engine whines to life and the floor shakes as the plane lifts straight up without any kind of runway.
    Neatly-folded clothes sit on a table near the back of the cabin. I make my way to them.
    A roar erupts from the engines and the plane shoots forward at a speed that sends me tumbling to the floor. Once the plane steadies, I struggle to my feet and grab the clothes. A door in front of me has the universal bathroom symbol and I push inside. Expecting a cramped airplane bathroom, I am impressed when something out of a Victorian mansion greets me instead. I swear there is marble on the sinks that Michelangelo himself used.
    Vince’s clothes fit me well enough. The sleeves are a smidge short and I have to tighten the belt to the point where my pants bunch up on the sides. The fancy designer suit is like nothing I’ve ever worn in my life. The shirt is so smooth against my skin, it doesn’t feel like I’m wearing one. I leave the tie and the jacket and keep my boots. Loafers aren’t my style and running is hard enough in something with laces.
    I exit the bathroom, jacket hung over my shoulder. Ann looks me up and down and smiles. “Yeah, you look good in Vince’s clothes.”
    I drape my jacket over one of the leather recliners and take a seat across from her. “Thanks. I guess I’m lucky we’re about the same size. Probably the only time in my life I’ll ever wear,” I check the inside of the jacket, “Armani.”
    Ann gives a soft laugh and we fall quiet. I drum my fingers on the desk, trying to think of something to fill the silence. On my normal day, most of my conversations begin with a reading of rights.
    “So, um, the SHI Hive is underwater?”
    Ann nods.
    “So what were the windows in there? I saw a city outside.”
    “All the windows are actually high-definition monitors, yeah. It’s to keep the Hive workers from getting cabin fever or claustrophobia. The images are real enough to fool the eye into thinking there is actual scenery right outside SHI. The scenes change day and night and seasons and weather. Even ambient sounds get played around the building and change every few weeks.”
    “That’s…” I try to wrap my head around the research and technology necessary to create something like that. The shit does not compute. My tiny monkey brain barely manages my smartphone, let alone a building-wide TV system that changes at random. “That’s something. So, back on subject, where are we right now?”
    Ann touches a spot on the oak desk in front of us. A small monitor rises up. The screen blinks to life and shows a map.