A Free Online Science Fiction Novel- “Liberty”- Chapter 22

*Note- A short prologue is on chapter one. Each chapter has a link to the next to make reading it easier.

This is chapter twenty-two of an online novel, Liberty, A Daughter Universe Novel.

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After enjoying the meal Kitchen had prepared, they returned the picnic basket and blanket to Rosie’s’ trunk then walked back out onto the rock for one last look before continuing the drive. Sarah took one last look, captured a few more holoimages to share with her girlfriends at work

“What’s that?” Sarah asked and pointed toward two small black dots coming out of a cloud bank over the city. Lucas watched them for a minute, a confused look on his face, then shrugged. “They look like military Vipers.”

“Vipers? Those “invisible” jets used overseas?”

“Yes…” Lucas replied. “If they weren’t in front of those clouds, we wouldn’t even see them.”

Sarah squinted as she watched them. “I don’t know how you can tell they’re Vipers. If they weren’t black, I wouldn’t have even noticed them.”

“They use stealth technology that I designed,” Lucas replied with a pleased smile. “Light bends around them so they’re practically invisible. They take off and land vertically and can silently hover for hours. The needle-like profile makes them hard to track and they can fly from horizon to horizon in less than a minute. Those two are going slow, like a patrol flight when they’re not in a warzone.”

“I didn’t know those things flew over the city.”

“They don’t. They patrol the coast, but way offshore. Now that they’re closer… yes, it’s a pair of Vipers. I have no idea why they’re so far inland, though.”

Sarah watched the narrow, black jets as they soared higher above and felt a shiver go up her spine. “Those things are scary just to look at. I wouldn’t want to be around if those things attacked the city I live in.”

“Neither would I. And having those kinds of weapons are one of the reasons so many people around the world, and on this continent, hate the ECA so much.” Lucas chewed his lower lip. “And the fact they’re patrolling the western edge of the city… we’ll check the news net, but I have a bad feeling about this. I wonder if something has happened since we left town.”

The planes soon faded into the distance. Lucas looked at their shadows on the ground. “I think it’s close to noon, so we should get going anyway.” He checked his wrist comm: eleven-forty am. Well, I wasn’t too far off. He took Sarah’s hand, and they walked back to the Buick.

He held Sarah’s door for her and then got into the driver’s seat.

“Rosie,” he said, “check the news feeds for anything related to military jets in the city.”

It took a few moments for Rosie to complete the search. “I found no references to military activity, but there is a report of a problem at the desalination plants and minor power fluctuations in the city. Although unusual, my analysis doesn’t indicate those issues would require military involvement.”

“Thank you, Rosie. I tend to agree. Would you pull up the holo-map?”

The spherical holographic map materialized, floated in front of the dashboard, then zoomed in on their location. “According to this,” Lucas pointed at the road on the map, “we’ll cross the first ridge a few miles ahead and there’ll be places higher up the mountain where we can stop to take in the view. And once we reach the other side, it’s all forests and valleys.”

“No more city spread out in the distance?” Sarah asked with a pretend pout.

“No more city,” Lucas replied with a smile. “And the air will be so clear, you can probably see ten or fifteen miles away.”

“Then let’s go; I can’t wait,” Sarah replied.

They buckled in and Lucas pulled out onto the road, rounded the curve, and started back up the mountainside. One more hairpin curve, then the road switched back on itself and they crested the ridge. It was wide enough there to park completely off the road, so they stopped, got out of the car, and looked out across the mountains. A large raven landed on a branch of a dead tree and several large birds, vultures, black against the sky, drifted in slow circles on the thermals rising from the warmer valley below. Wind blew over the top of the ridge and lifted Sarah’s hair from her shoulders; just watching her standing outlined against the sky took Lucas’ breath away.

“This is just… an unbelievable view!” Sarah said and turned toward Lucas. “Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?”

“I have” he replied with a wide smile, “I’m looking at it now.”

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Next Chapter

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This was originally posted on Simily.co

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