A Free Online Science Fiction Novel- “Liberty”- Chapter 23

*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-three of an online novel, Liberty, A Daughter Universe Novel.

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“What’s wrong, Dex?” Tony asked. Dex had not said anything, but Tony saw that something had concerned him.

Dex pointed to one of the monitors, then threw a full-size image against the wall. “See for yourself.”

Tony looked at the image; it was a topological map overlaid with grid lines, some small yellow circles, and a red dot-within-a circle. Dashed lines connected the yellow circles with the red.

“What’s all that?”

Dex glanced over. “It looks like a bunch of circles, lines, and dots,” he said with a smirk.

“I can see that,” Tony smiled, “I’m not blind. I meant, what does it mean?”

“I’m not sure.” Dex said and shrugged. “The dashed lines are the computer’s projection of where those yellow circles converge—that red dot. But the computer can’t tell me what the yellow circles are, other than that they have unusual energy signatures. Your guess is as good as mine.”

“Huh,” Tony said and leaned in to get a closer view. “Isn’t that part of the Preserve?”

Dex nodded. “I thought so, too, so I looked it up,” he replied. “And the coordinates of the red dot match the only town in the entire Preserve- Liberty.” He shook his head and shrugged. “Whatever those things are, they don’t have anything to do with what I did. Which means it’s not our problem. I need to get back to work.”

Tony had heard of Liberty. Everyone in Seaside had; it was supposedly where the rich people lived, some utopian paradise in the wilderness. Tony didn’t believe the rumors about it, but he knew Liberty existed. Dex had told him.

“Yeah, if it has anything to do with those people, it’s their problem. If they have so much money, why do so many of us live outside the Wall?”

“Oh, they’re probably not all bad,” Dex replied. “Sometimes you’ll find a good apple in a basket of bad.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Tony said, thinking of old pictures he’d seen of apples and could not imagine why anybody would let one spoil. Let alone a basket full of them! He swiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. “It’s just so damn hot in here.”

Dex nodded. “It is,” he said. “But we can get out of here soon,” and he glanced at the clock. “Give me about twenty-minutes and I’ll be done for today.”

Tony leaned back against the threadbare fabric, crossed his big arms, and watched Dex manipulate three virtual monitors and smiled. Dex really is a computer genius. The whole water system’s shutting down, the parts plants’ supply lines are slowing so workers are doing less but still getting paid, the surveillance net is failing, and the government knows the SSP and comm networks are vulnerable…

Tony felt a sense of pride for having brought Dex into the Resistance. And thanks to him, the Council members, and Dex of course, the Resistance controlled it all. The entire Alliance if the Council chose.

Years of hard work, Tony thought, and it’s finally going to pay off.

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Next

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This was originally posted on Simily.co

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