Starship Eternal (War Eternal Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

through the door before it could finish opening for him. His eyes tracked across the lobby, finding the banks of lifts near the center. A security guard was standing to his left, his hand on the butt of his gun, hesitating to draw on a man in military dress.
    "Where are the stairs?" Mitchell asked. He knew he must look frightening. His right arm was a bloody mess, his shirt soaked through. He didn't feel the pain at all. Space Marines were trained to take a beating.
    "That way," the guard said, pointing to the right of the lifts.  
    "Is there another way out from there?"
    "Service entrance is in the back."
    "Is it guarded?"
    "Yes."
    "Show me. As fast as you can."
    The guard started running towards the back. He led Mitchell into the stairwell, where an opposite door had been kicked open, leading into the service area. It was a large room with four loading bays and access to the thermal systems below. A second guard was on the floor not far from the door, blood pooling around his body.
    "Oh, damn," the guard said.
    Mitchell didn't hear him. He crouched and entered the room, sweeping the area with the AZ-9. He found the rear exit. The door was closed.
    He charged ahead, leaping down the raised service platform towards the door. He shoved his shoulder against it, slamming it open at the same time the soft whine of an engine sounded to his right. He turned his head to see a figure mounted on a bike. He tried to rotate around to get his left hand, and the AZ-9, up to fire at the same time the bike began to accelerate away. He took four shots, scuffing the side of the building across the alley but missing the assassin completely.  
    A moment later they were gone.  
    "Damn it," Mitchell cursed. He stared down the empty alley for a few seconds, until his vision was blurred by a drop of blood that rolled into his eye. He used his finger to wipe it away, confused when his entire palm came back red.  
    He didn't remember being shot in the head. He hadn't felt it, and the p-rat wasn't showing it.  
    He blinked a few times. The p-rat wasn't showing anything. When had that happened?  
    He started to feel dizzy. He put a hand to his chest. His heart rate slowed. Everything was getting warm. Flashing lights bounced off the windows, filling his blurring eyes. A shape headed towards him. Law enforcement.  
    "Captain?" the officer said. "Are you okay?"
    Mitchell tried to speak, finding it impossible. The stimulants should have been keeping him up and alert, but they couldn't do that if the implant were malfunctioning.  
    "Captain?"
    Mitchell collapsed.

5

    EARTH. May 17, 2035

    "Give it back."
    Kathy darted across the field, a baseball cap in her outstretched hand, shaking it to tease her victim.
    "Kathy, stop."
    Michael chased behind her. He was big for his age, overweight, too slow.
    "Come on, beluga. You can catch me," Kathy said, turning around and running backward, waving the cap at him.
    "I can't. Nobody can catch you."
    She laughed and stopped the chase. It was true. She was the fastest runner in her class. Maybe in her whole school. She was lean and lithe, her young body already in top shape from a rigorous after-school schedule that included martial arts, yoga, ballet, gymnastics. Anything that was physical and challenging. That and violin lessons. She hated violin lessons.
    "Here," she said, walking back to Michael and handing him the hat. "You're no fun."
    "I am fun," he said. "Just not when you make me run."
    They both laughed at that.
    "Let's go back with the others," Michael said, pointing back to the playground where the other ten-year-olds were on swings and slides, or kicking a ball between them.
    "Okay."
    They started walking back. They'd gone about halfway when Kathy stopped.
    "Kathy?" Michael asked, noticing she had paused. She was standing completely still, not even blinking. "Are you okay?"
    She turned slowly, her body twisting, her head arching up towards the nearly cloudless sky. She had stopped because she had