Transient Echoes Read Online Free PDF

what he had to.
    He left the forest and saw the river. The beast emerged soon after, enraged and snarling. Terry saw no other option but to run headlong into the current, hoping the beast would know better than to follow. It didn’t and plunged into the water behind him.
    The riverbed was riddled with pebbles, making it difficult to stand. He lost his footing a few times to the pressure of the rapids, falling into the water as he struggled to regain his composure. He gripped the sunken earth, caking his hands in red mud, cutting his palms and feet. After a frantic shuffle through the water, he finally reached the other side.
    He struggled out of the water, drenched and dripping. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the creature swimming toward him, shrieking as it tried to stay afloat. But the rapids were strong and powerful, slowing the beast significantly.
    Terry ran into the tree line, paying no mind to his direction. He’d find his way out eventually. For now, he was more concerned with getting some distance between himself and the raging mother of three.
    Several minutes into the woods, he realized he could no longer hear the animal’s wailing. Maybe she abandoned her chase or was swept away by the river. Either one was a relief.
    He considered going back the way he came, but he wasn’t eager for a repeat encounter with the den mother. The trees were thinner ahead, which could mean a clearing. He decided to investigate. If anything, he’d find a spot to rest.
    A short walk later, he discovered a break in the trees, revealing a massive valley. Not only that, but another dome like the ones in the city. This one seemed to be much larger, though—at least twice the size of the others. He’d never known this place existed, despite all his time exploring the nearby countryside. Why would they build such a thing so far from the other buildings?
    Lots of reasons, said Janice.
    He nodded. Humans often had remote installations far away from their cities and towns. Maybe it was for a specific resource. Maybe there was a mine nearby. He’d never found one before, but it didn’t mean they didn’t exist.
    Terry descended into the valley toward the building. Standing before it, he stared through the windows but saw nothing. A door was ajar, pushed open by a patch of overgrown weeds.
    He went inside, minding the corpse of a small rat-like animal near the entrance. Stepping beside the body, he winced at the smell. The dome was sectioned off into different floors, unlike most of the others he’d seen previously. Attached to the foyer where he stood, there was a long hallway leading to several rooms.
    The nearest didn’t have much, except for a pile of metal tiles near the corner. A quick glance showed the floor was only half completed. Had the builders been in the process of constructing this place when they abandoned it? There certainly wasn’t much furniture to speak of, unlike the other buildings.
    He left to check the next room. This one was empty, too, but there were no piles of building supplies this time. It was simply vacant. He moved on, but found the same thing in each of the other rooms. At the far end of the hall, there was a staircase, which he decided to climb, but with dwindling expectations. This place was proving such a disappointment, just like everything else on this planet.
    He touched the railing of the staircase, stirring dust into the air. He took a step and a soft creak echoed through the dome, followed by another as he pressed his foot against the step and continued. He wondered how sturdy the material was or if he should be concerned with the noise, but quickly put it out of his mind.
    As he emerged from the stairs, he found the second story to be much like the first, with the exception of the distant window overlooking the valley. As before, Terry checked each of the rooms, only to discover they’d yet to have their tiles installed. Again, he wondered what happened to cause them to stop construction