The Phoenix Crisis Read Online Free PDF Page A

organism,”
said Rain. She put on new gloves and moved over to the corpse where
she dug through the goo-like substance, which now seemed as much
fluid as solid in places, and she produced what looked like a small
piece of excised bone fragment and tissue.
    “ So whoever that bone
fragment belongs to,” said Calvin, “this bastard took his face, and
probably his identity.” He tried to sort out what that implied. If
an Enclave agent had been a replicant, did that mean he’d truly
been a Phoenix Ring agent posturing for the Enclave? Or did it mean
the Enclave had access to replicants as well? Perhaps given to them
by the Phoenix Ring. And how was the Phoenix Ring extracting these
Faceless Ones from the forbidden, unexplored nether regions of
Polarian space? Were they sending expeditions to extract them? Were
Polarians cooperating with the Phoenix Ring, perhaps giving them
Faceless Ones, or were the Faceless Ones venturing out and getting
captured?
    “ It would be wisest to avoid
these creatures if you can,” said Rez’nac. “They are said to bring
misfortunate on all those they cross paths with.”
    “ How did he die?” asked
Calvin. “Was it from injuries Tristan gave him during the last
interrogation?”
    “ No,” said Rain. “He seemed
to be recovering from those injuries all right, but he was in pain
so I administered Xinocodone. The usual dose for a person of his
size and weight—or at least what used to be his size and weight at
the time—there wasn’t much risk. I certainly didn’t expect this
outcome. But, after running some tests, it looks like he had a
reaction to the drug and it made him revert back to what I assume
is his original state, killing him in the process.”
    “ Equarius kills replicants?”
asked Calvin. “Well I’ll be damned.” The pain-killer that had
haunted his life, and nearly poisoned him to death, had a new
strategic use. “I want everyone on the ship administered a standard
single dose of equarius.”
    “ Excuse me?” asked
Rain.
    Calvin gave her a telling look. “There are
more creatures out there like this one, more Faceless Ones. I was
once warned by Raidan that some of these creatures—he called them
replicants—have been switching places with important people inside
the Empire. Given the nature of their natural camouflage they could
be anywhere.  And, until now, there was no good way to test
for replicants. Now there is. Test everyone. I’ll see to it that
all personnel and everyone aboard are given orders to report
here.”
    Rain’s pretty blue eyes met his, testing
him, but she didn’t dissent. “All right. But only one dose. The
last thing I want on my hands are more recovering equarius
addicts.”
    Calvin felt the sting of that but let it
bounce off him. “Now the question of what to do with the body.” He
didn’t like the idea of it being out in the open to unsettle the
crew and take up space in the infirmary.
    “ We should destroy it. Or
better yet, shoot it out into space,” said Rez’nac. “The sooner
we’re clear of it the better.”
    “ Actually I was hoping to
send it over to the lab for further study. It can safely be kept
frozen in a secure storage container over there,” suggested
Rain.
    Calvin nodded. “As you wish. But only you
will have access to it. I don’t want it on display for everyone to
gawk at.”
    “ Of course.”
    As Calvin turned to leave he felt a small
hand touch his arm. He turned back to see Rain looking up at him.
“Calvin,” she said, stopping him from leaving.
    “ Yes?” he looked at her
curiously.
    “ Are we ever going to have
that drink?” she gave him a faint, almost teasing smile. And he
could tell she could use the break and would benefit from the
diversion. In truth, so would he.
    “ All right,” he said. “How
about now?” He didn’t have a lot of time—he needed to send the
Arcane Storm on its way and then give the order to meet up with
Kalila—but he supposed he could spare a