Novum: Revelation: (Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page B

talking about this now? And why did you want to talk to me away from the others?”
    “Because of what Vee said, about why those invisible fences are here.”
    Jake looked at her a moment before he figured out what she was implying. “You think we are being treated as livestock here? Why? By whom?”
    She leaned in close and whispered, “I have this weird feeling that we were brought here as breeding stock. To add ‘genetic diversity’ to the humans already living here.”
    His mouth dropped. “Wow. Have you been eating wild mushrooms or something?”
    She pointed to the curved ceiling. “This could be just another zoo, Jake. Just like the one where we found Jane, only a lot bigger and a lot older. I think your mother knows this and she’s actually helping them.”
    “Them?” He shook his head. “You think those Isopods brought us here to help create babies? Again, mushrooms. Either you’re hallucinating from something you ate here, or maybe I’m not the only one who’s suffering from the aftereffects of hypoxia.”
    “Listen, Jake. I’m serious. I…” She stared at him oddly. “Wait, what were you just saying?”
    He looked down at the berries in his hand. “I can’t remember.” He looked up at her. “Was it something about mushrooms?”
    She cocked her head. “Don’t eat the mushrooms, Jake. I was told that some of them—”
    “Can make you hallucinate,” he finished. “Does it seem like we had this conversation before?”
    She nodded then shook her head. “I’m feeling really hungry. Let’s get these back to the others.” She threw a berry at him and then ran off. He tried to hit her back but ended up dropping the bunch he was carrying. He bent down and picked them up then used the front of his shirt to carry the rest to the tree where they agreed to meet.
     
     

Chapter 05
     
    Their first meal of the trip was pretty bland: the blueberries Jake and AJ had collected, a bunch of wild carrots discovered by Dr. Wood and Jessie, and a few small potato-like tubers that Vee and her grandfather had dug up. Jane brought the only unique item, a piece of rotting wood. When Jake asked why, she showed him the dozen or so large beetle larvae wiggling around inside. Jake wasn’t sure what she planned to do with them, but when she put one up to her nose to smell it, he quickly turned his back to her and focused on his carrots.
    No one talked much while they ate, but when they finished, they appeared to have a renewed sense of purpose. AJ was the first to stand up and put her pack on.
    “Well, the sun’s not slowing down for us, so we had better get moving.” She glanced up at the sky. “I’m guessing we have three to four hours before we need to start looking for a place to make camp. Let’s see how far we can get before then.”
    They walked single file for several hours, pausing only when they passed a stream to drink from. Jake guessed that everyone wanted to get as far as possible before dark. He was glad that he saw Vee checking her ember pouch every so often. Without fire, it would be a long, cold, and very dark night.
    The rest of the afternoon was uneventful, or maybe it just passed quickly because there wasn’t much to see. The terrain there was beautiful, of course, but it wasn’t really that different from where his mother’s village was located. In fact, as he thought about it, he realized there was a sort of pattern in the landscape. It was as if he were walking through the same area, over and over, but with parts randomly changed. For example, two hours ago they crossed a shallow stream that angled off to the right. Then an hour later, they crossed one nearly identical, except that it angled to the left.
    “You’ve noticed it too?” Raines asked ahead of him, looking back over his shoulder. “The repetition?”
    “Sure sign that this place was made by people, right? Our ancient ancestors?”
    Raines shrugged. “Not necessarily.”
    Jake’s eyes went wide. “What? Don’t