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

care?" Marcus asked, crossing his arms. "If the Arks are hidden away, and the grey men can't use them, then they're of no strategic value in this war."
    "Not yet, though the day fast approaches when the sun will change," Osiris said, shifting his attention to Marcus. "You aren't wrong about their immediate strategic value, though. Right now they have none. I bring them up, because they aren't the only things left behind by the Builders. One of the Arks, the one under Cairo, contained something we called the observatory. It allowed us to observe the sun, and the planets in our solar system. We were considerably less interested in them than people are today, but I vividly remember seeing our sun."
    Marcus raised an eyebrow. "I'm not seeing the value in that either."
    "The value is in how we were observing," Osiris said, giving Marcus a sharp smile. "The Ark of the Cradle was linked to a satellite, I'm sure of it. Back then my people had no context for such a device, and didn't understand how the observatory worked. But in hindsight, I now understand what we were witnessing. The Builders left at least one satellite in orbit, and that satellite almost certainly still exists. If we can find it and use it, I'm willing to bet that we can perform scans on the planet's surface. We can gain an edge over the grey men, and use this satellite to find people before they do."
    Summers finally showed interest, leaning forward in her chair. She stared intently at Osiris. "And you know how to access this satellite? I thought the Arks were in hibernation."
    "Not precisely, no," Osiris admitted with a sigh. He picked up his wine glass, but didn't drink. "In my time, the observatory was accessed through the Ark of the Cradle, which lies somewhere under the Great Pyramids near Cairo. The control matrix lay outside the structure itself, possibly near the Sphinx. That's where you lot come in, David. Project Solaris is uniquely suited to locate the matrix and, once it is found, to seize control of the satellite."

Chapter 8- Spy
     
     
     
    Three glasses of wine later, the dinner conversation finally started to die. Osiris was the perfect host, recognizing immediately that we were ready for bed. He rose to his feet, smiling as he offered me a hand. "David, it's been been a pleasure. Times are dire, but I've enjoyed this evening immensely. It isn't often I get to relax anymore."
    I accepted his hand, and was more than a little surprised when he pulled me into a hug. I resisted for a moment, tensing up. Maybe it was the wine, but after a moment I returned the hug. I started to disengage, when Osiris whispered. It was barely more than a breath, and I strained to catch it. 
    "There is a spy in your midst, David. Check your pocket."
    Osiris released me, moving on to hug Jillian, then clapping Summers on the back like they were old friends. I watched, stupefied as everyone said their goodbyes. I joined the group as we threaded through Morton's, back to the plush coat room by the entrance. I'd heard Osiris correctly, I was positive. He met my gaze, the smile fading slightly as his eyes hardened. Yes, he was definitely serious.
    I was vaguely aware of everyone saying goodbye, and I followed Jillian as she ducked into an alleyway. She waited for everyone to gather, then turned to me. "Ready to head back to the ship?"
    "Yeah," I replied, slipping my hand into the pocket of my blazer. I felt something small and metallic, about the size of my pinkie. I could sense a signal coming from it.
    A wave of cool energy rippled over us, and we were elsewhere. Maybe we were getting used to it, or perhaps Jillian was just getting better at it. The vertigo was less, and I adjusted immediately as I appeared on the teleporter where we'd first entered the grey man craft.
    "I'm going to get some sleep," I said, turning from the others and weaving into the forest of obelisks. My head was fogged from the wine, so I took it slow.
    "I'll go with you," Jillian said, moving up to