Regan's Reach 4: Avarice Read Online Free Page A

hugged him there, resting her head in his lap. "Thank you
- you beautiful man."
    He didn't reply, just stroked her head
and exchanged another concerned look with Hilary, his thoughts very much on
what was to come and what the rescued Regan would be like.
    Suddenly, Regan pushed herself up and
returned to her chair with a look of determination, more certain - more Regan.
    "Let them come in their own time Ham,
and yes, open the data flow up to them, but please don't merge with your other just
yet. It would be good for them both to enjoy the new experiences as they cruise
in; shit, so much has changed over these years. And I don't want to merge with
my 'other' until I've met with the 'you' who searched for me. We can do that
here on Hilary, and he can download to your android, I want to personally thank
him . . . you . . . you understand?"
    He nodded and with that she knew the
process would be underway instantly. Taking one more longing glance across the
lake Regan reached for the hands of her two friends, squeezed them in thanks, and
together they disappeared.
     
    * * *
     
    On the STEIN Transport, far out in the
solar system, the returned travelers sat looking at the huge ring, awestruck.
It wasn't so much its size or its appearance; it was the potential it spoke of.
    "So it's a portal?" Regan perched
forward on the control seat staring with fascination at the construction, three
hundred meters in diameter and for the moment lifeless.
    Ham winked at her. "That's what
they're calling them, although I'm not sure that's a correct designation; it's
a wormhole generator after all." He looked just as intrigued.
    "Hmm, a wormhole going where do you
think?"
    "It seems this is the first portal on
a route to Gliese, it's resting in a geostationary position relative to the sun
and it's maintaining station just off the old first line we would have taken to
get there in the past. But apparently it doesn't open anywhere near Gliese."
He shook his head again in wonder at the sight. "It seems Aaron had to use
a hit and miss approach, jumping through the first wormhole with fully
automated ships using settings based on information provided from Bob. Then,
where they came out they established a return ring or portal which also serves
as a stable anchor point.  Then they built a third ring, recalibrated and tried
the process again. By trial and error they've established three fixed holes
that bring us within weeks of Gliese as opposed to the two months it required
before, and they're working on bringing that transit time down even
further."
    "So you were right Ham, that man is
truly brilliant. I teased you back then I know but I could see it too. I must
say though, he has excelled himself here."
    "I know babe I can read your thoughts
remember, when you let me. Aaron was always going to be a groundbreaker,
especially working with the research that dandy man provided."
    Regan looked thoughtful. "So why can't
we see ships travelling in and out of it now?"
    He looked at her teasingly, "Because
it's not active at the moment doofus! It would take enormous energy to keep the
wormholes open all the time so they're only activated on command, and of course
there need to be rules on directional flow, can't have two trains traveling
toward each other on the same track can we? Plus, the whole route isn't
operational yet; they're working on anchoring the last ring off Gliese."
    Regan pondered the information for a few
minutes, just absorbing it before the enormity of the venture and the danger of
construction hit her. "Wow, what a risk it must have been to go through
the first time, surely Aaron didn't do it himself?"
    "No . . ." Ham's eyes lit up as
he had been waiting for her to ask and he looked unbelievably excited. "Oh
babe you have so much to find out; are you ready for this? Minds went through
first as the risk takers, Minds from Gliese and they did it in androids can you
believe it? Adventure seeking, explorer Minds . . . I love it! They built