Plagued: Book 1 Read Online Free PDF Page A

specific year. Radio and the music business did the same. Since they couldn't market new artists, they just re-packaged the old ones. Scheduling releases as though they were happening for the first time. Her mom couldn't believe that teens today were watching the exact same celebrities and TV shows she had at their age. Right now everyone was excited for the release of the SciFi action film, Independence Day, starring Will Smith – event though it was coming out for Thanksgiving instead of Fourth of July. Aunt Eloise said that was when the film was released when she was a kid.
    The ghost of Alex engaged Tricia in a game of tag. As appropriate for a dog of a pet psychic, Tricia had no trouble interacting with spectral Alex. Which was nice for both of them. Weiner dog ghost watched shyly from under an end table.
    Sky missed her mom. If she couldn't be with her, though, Aunt Eloise was a great stand in. She was a little older than Sky's mom. They looked a lot alike though, around five foot five, sill slim, fair skinned with bright blue eyes. Her mom's hair was more brown than red, Eloise's the opposite. She wore it in a fluffy pageboy turned up at the ends. Sky had never met her uncle. His name was Bernard or Benjamin or something with a 'B'. Eloise divorced him long ago, keeping his last name because she said she liked the sound of it, Eloise Edwards. Her two sons were both Negatives since, whatever his failings, her ex-husband was another O-type, just by chance, in those happy, carefree days before the bird flu. Both boys were in government service. Derick, the younger, a diplomat and Sky's inspiration for her career plans. They were married and had kids themselves.
    Negatives were encouraged to have children early, married or not. Women – any woman, not just Negatives – were entitled to generous subsidies and childcare. The childcare was to keep them in the work force. Industry and business could only be automated to a certain degree. The world needed people. Lots of people. But at the same time, it couldn't spare workers. Even Eloise spent six hours a day, three days a week, at the power plant in Mountain View, working on the power grid allotment boards. The self-employed, those who had finished their service or were too old for the draft, were required to contribute eighteen hours a week to general welfare businesses like power, water, sanitation, and infrastructure. Other workers only had to volunteer two, four-hour shifts a week.
    The show was interrupted by a live segment on the upcoming Coronation. The world was excited. England was going to crown a new monarch. A prince had been found from the Tudor line. Well, they'd made him a prince. Many Tudor descendants carried the Rh negative strain. Or so the news said. England had been without a monarch for nearly three years. Now, that would change. It was just the sort of feel good story the media could fasten on. Every person with a television knew about young Prince Philip, soon to be King Philip. Only nineteen. Never going to set the world on fire with his keen understanding, but who cared? He was handsome and personable and single .
    The Coronation was set for November first. Celebrations were planned all over America. England, after all, was one of their closest allies. Palo Alto was hosting a public Fan Fest on the first with big screens set up downtown, entertainment, food, and fireworks in the evening.
    Even Sky had a t-shirt emblazoned with the Barbary Lion statues from the National Gallery, the British flag, and Philip's name. Eloise bought it for her at the Farmer's Market. Both of them listened raptly to the update. Chattering about who would eventually become his queen.
    Once it finished, Eloise asked, “Did you talk to your mom today?”
    “No. Time zone drama. We texted though. She says it is never not hot in New Persia and she is tired of sweating.”
    “What about Kara?”
    Sky glanced up. “No, again. Captain America and I have not talked for