Revealing Eden Read Online Free PDF

simply had to reach the regional plaza where her Dark Prince waited.
    Eden knew how to deflect attention—shoulders back, eyes focused ahead, her face a blank mask. Just like the other Pearls who walked in groups near her in their designated lane. They kept to the edges, making way for the Coals who swept by on bicycles or in rickshaws.
    It was almost 19:00 and the tunnel bustled with activity. The distant blare of military sirens and the chaotic cries of vendors hawking their goods from recessed stalls in the walls jumbled with traffic bells and snatches of conversation. She suspected that each and every Coal passerby wanted to hurt her, though the statistical odds against that were high. And her sensors, which automatically translated the babel of foreign languages into English, the official language, told herit wasn’t true. Still, she could never shake the fear of being among so many of
them
.
    Only a few minutes had passed and already she felt the sinking terror of being away from her unit, away from Austin. Out there, with all that space around her, anything might happen. Each step drained her. Perspiration formed on her brow, threatening to dull her coating, even though, according to her internal sensors, it was only a hundred and ten degrees Fahrenheit in the tunnel. Not bad for a spring night.
    She thought of all the times she’d made this very trek in the past, wearing her same old Moon Dance dress. And yet, never alone. Always with a group of her kind. She fingered the top of the strapless black techno dress, hoping Jamal would like it. The stiff fabric had frayed and lost its sheen long ago. It didn’t matter though, because tonight she wouldn’t be the hopeless Pearl clinging to the shadows in the hall. She would be somebody. Encouraged, she tried to pick up her pace, though the tight dress hobbled her walk.
    Ahead, she spotted a boisterous crowd of partygoers at the public transport hub. She hung back, hoping no one would recognize her. In a short while, a high-speed, bullet-shaped vehicle shot down the tunnel and halted at the landing dock. An Ethics Officer stood by the security scanner, watching the passengers get on board.
    Eden waited until the long line thinned, then hurried to take her turn. The E.O. stepped in front of her, his face hostile. All of a sudden, she heard two men behind her. Coals, she figured by their careless, drunken laughter.
    “Hurry up, let us on,” one of the men called in a high-pitched voice.
    “I’ve got protocol to keep,” the E.O. said, curtly.
    “So do we, Red,” a deep, cruel voice replied.
    Eden saw a flash of fear in the officer’s face. He stepped aside, letting her push through the scanner. She didn’t dare look back at the men who followed her on board. She edged her way down the aisle, past hundreds of people, mostly Coals of all ages, mated couples and eager singles. Luckily, she found a few inches of space to hold onto the overhead bar in the back section reserved for Pearls.
    A loud whooshing sound reverberated against the metal sides of the vehicle as it zoomed down the tunnel. Dim yellow lights cast a grimy pall on the mass of dark passengers, all in dark clothing. The only spot of color in the shadowy interior came from Holo-Images of serene nature scenes that played against fake windows. Eden stared intently at them, avoiding anyone’s eye.
    She felt a malevolent current coursing through the riders on the transport. Not only from Coal to Pearl, or from Tiger’s Eye to Amber, but within each racial group. The Uni-Gov got it wrong. The monthly Moon Dance usually left a wake of mayhem throughout each zone.
    But she couldn’t think about that now.
I’m a stone in a cool, dark cave
.
    The vehicle careened through dark tunnels, stopping occasionally for cross traffic or to let on more riders. She wondered if Ms. Polka Dot Bikini would have enjoyed the beach if she could have seen these desperate people or what would become of Good Earth.
    Possibly,