Too Close to the Sun (The Sun 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

he elaborated. “I was expecting an older man, not a boy your age. When I was told the arrangement, I assumed it would be a more seasoned pilot working with us. But obviously, with your flying skills, it makes sense.”
    He thought she was a boy? Seriously? Angel was offended and about to correct his misconception when the rest of his words registered. “This is your ship?” Damn.
    "Well, not mine. It Alex's ship." He frowned. "Aren't you Richardson?"
    "No, I'm Michels.” She never gave strangers her real name.
    “Oh.” There was a moment as he seemed to absorb the news; then he held out his hand to shake hers. “My name is Yanur Snellen. You can’t be very old. How long have you been with the S.F?”
    The thought of working for the government’s Security Forces brought a smile to her lips. “I’m not exactly with the S.F.”
    “You weren’t sent here to meet me? In Richardson’s place?”
    “No. I don't know any Rich...” Her voice trailed off as she remembered the stranger in the bar. "I'm sorry. Your pilot's ... dead. He died back there in the attack."
    “Oh." There was a moment of silence as he absorbed the news. "But you had the key to the ship.”
    “True.”
    “I see.” He gave her a parental look of disapproval. “Stealing is against the law.”
    “Yeah, sorry. So where can I drop you?”
    Without answering her, he removed the glowing amber tube from his necklace and leaned over the ship’s console, sliding the tube into a concealed opening. Before she could stop him, he flipped a switch on the console.
    “What is that? What did you just do?” Angel reached out to remove the tube only to have her hand firmly shoved away.
    “Yanur, report.” A deep male voice boomed from the com-system. “Are we on schedule?”
    “Who is that?” Angel asked, confused.
    “Not exactly,” Yanur answered, ignoring her. “We ran into a problem at the airfield.” Quickly, he recounted the turn of events out loud. Angel was still trying to figure out what was going on when an alarm started ringing.
    “What now?” She searched the ship’s console for a clue to the problem, wishing she was in her own ship.
    “IGT-Beacon,” the voice said. “Adjust our course and speed accordingly.”
    “Excuse me?” She never took orders well, especially when she didn’t know who was giving them.
    “We have less than a minute to get within range of the target. Use the beacon!”
    “What beacon?” Angel asked, exasperated. “What is going on?”
    “Look at the navigrid.” The voice sounded as if it was speaking through gritted teeth. “You should see our target at the edge of the screen.”
    She looked at the screen. “The red, blinking light?”
    “That’s it. Let’s go,” the voice ordered.
    “I’m not doing anything until someone tells me what’s going --” Suddenly, the ship altered course and increased speed.
    “What the...?” She examined the console readouts for an explanation of the malfunction.
    “We need to make the jump to hyper drive,” the voice announced. “It’s imperative we reach the target as quickly as we can. Do it now.”
    Angel was beyond frustrated. “What in the hell is going on?” She glared at her passenger. “Who is that giving orders?”
    “It’s Alex.”
    Angel shot him a look. “That doesn’t tell me anything. Where is he?”
    Yanur gestured to the ship's console.
    “You're telling me Alex is the computer?”
    Yanur's nod left Angel momentarily speechless. She'd heard of the advances in artificial intelligence, but never imagined they'd achieved anything as sophisticated as a self-aware starship - especially one so bossy.
    And she'd stolen it. Of all the luck.
    The pitch of the ship's engines changed, jerking her from her thoughts.
    Oh no . “Hold on!” Angel shouted just as the ship made the jump to hyper drive. The resulting g-force crushed her into her seat. The accompanying wave of nausea passed quickly as the life support system kicked in and stabilized