Project Solaris 2: Hero Rising Read Online Free PDF Page A

demonstration of just how powerful this man was.
    "Hello, Osiris," I said, approaching. I extended a hand, which Osiris took. His handshake was firm. "You're looking extremely well."
    Osiris smiled. He knew exactly what I was talking about. The last time I'd seen him face-to-face had been in the mothership, right after we'd taken it from the grey men. During the several hours there, Osiris had somehow leeched energy from the ship. When he'd entered, I'd have said he looked around sixty-five. Today he could pass for forty. There were a few grey hairs, but just a sprinkling of salt among pepper. Osiris looked damned good, and that terrified me.
    "Thank you. Please, all of you, be seated." He gestured magnanimously at the plush chairs arranged around the circular table. There were five, which I found interesting. Osiris would have had no idea if I were bringing Kali or even Janaki, yet had someone figured out the proper number of chairs. Creepy bastard. 
    I settled into the chair directly across from Osiris, and the others sat as well. Marcus chose to sit right next to Osiris, and glared daggers as he did so. If Osiris noticed or cared, he certainly didn't show it. 
    He waited for us to all be seated before speaking again. "Ms. Summers, I'm pleased to see you up and about. I feared the worst after our last encounter with the grey men. It would seem your resilience is even greater than I thought."
    "No thanks to you," Marcus began, but he subsided when Summers rested a hand on his wrist.
    "Thank you, Doctor Usir. It's good to be on my feet again. I don't bear you any ill will for what happened, and I'm glad that you've chosen to turn Project Solaris over to David. I think he's an excellent choice," Summers said, smiling sweetly at Osiris. 
    I couldn't help but stare. It was as if Summers' experience with the grey men had siphoned away all the anger, all the rage she'd built up. She looked the same, but behaviorally, she was an entirely different person.
    "So why have you called us here?" Jillian asked, darting a glance at the waitress who silently set a menu in front of her.
    "In good time, my dear. Why don't we order dinner, and then we'll get to business?" he asked, opening his menu.
    I settled on the prime rib, which came with garlic mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese of all things. I also decided on a glass of Cabernet. Drinking wine around Osiris might not be the wisest choice, but damn it if I hadn't earned the right to celebrate a little. Not only were we still alive, but we'd also managed to recover Janaki. Our first victory against the grey men and their flunkies, well first recent victory anyway.
    The next twenty minutes were awkward, but less so than they would have been if Osiris hadn't smoothly guided the conversation. He talked about everything from menu choices to current events, mostly ones none of us cared about. When the food finally arrived, it was served by four wait staff, who quickly set an army of dishes in front of each of us. It smelled heavenly, and when I looked up from the enormous piece of steak in front of me, the staff had already gone. We were alone with Osiris.
    "So," he began, slicing into his own steak with deft motions, "I heard that SDSU's star running back disappeared mysteriously in the middle of a game. No one seems to know how or why she was taken, or by whom. It's eaten up a lot of news cycles today."
    "That's tragic," I replied, popping the first bite of meat into my mouth. It was, without exaggeration, the best thing I'd ever tasted. 
    "Did you get to her first?" Osiris asked, uncharacteristically blunt.
    "We did," Jillian supplied, probably because I was shoveling food into my mouth as quickly as I could get the fork up from the plate. "She's safe."
    "It was a near thing," I said, finally coming up for air. Using our powers made us hungry, but I'd have wolfed this down even if I'd just finished another meal. "Dick managed to get to Janaki first. We took her back, and were