Voyage of the Sanguine Shadow 1: Shadow Galactic Read Online Free

the
windshield, connected seamlessly with the side windows.  Extending back from
the top of the cabin roof, a thick, sharply angled steel loop hovered over a
reinforced cargo bed and its nested toolbox.  From door handles, hood latches
and wheel wells, pinpoint lights cast gentle cones upon the vehicle’s dark
surface.  Mounted to the grill, soft blue light seeped from the Hulkr logo.
    With a touch of Gavin’s key, the doors disengaged
and slid forward on their moorings.  He, Fogg and Takeo entered, and the truck throatily
growled to life a moment later.  Gavin jammed the accelerator, and the car dock
folded back into place as the Rhino sped away.  They raced along the streets,
out onto the highway that led away from the New California City Student Housing
complex, that led to the wonders of the grand city of Van Alder.
    Gavin had been born on Earth, but his family had
moved to Afskya when he was very young.  He thought of himself as an Afskyan,
and cared little for the struggles his home planet faced.  Takeo had been born
on Afskya, and the two had been best friends since they were in grade school.  Fogg
was a self-aware nanobot collective, a cloud of microscopic robots that shared
a collective intellect—one that was quite adept at taking a variety of forms. 
Fogg was rather aged by digital norms, at nine Union Standard years, when he
had adopted Takeo.  Takeo had no say in the matter, but was honored to have
been chosen.
    The three of them were practically alone on the
highway.  Opening his window a crack, Gavin felt the cold air ruffle his hair. 
He turned on the heater, and Takeo pulled his coat tighter about him.  Fogg
settled down upon the back bench and switched off.  Normally, it was a
forty-minute drive to Van Alder from Gavin’s home, but he planned to make it in
twenty.  Sparse evergreens zipped by on either side, slowly giving way to the
planet’s native blue and purple spore cluster trees.

Chapter
03
     
     
     
    “Poverty
is the mother of crime.” –Marcus Aurelius
     
    Streets crossed under the curving
highway now, and business parks appeared in ever-greater numbers.  The wide
road inclined as it straightened and cut through a mountain rise.  Gavin’s
truck easily climbed the final pass that led to their destination.
    They began their descent, and Van Alder swept into
view before them.  It was an artfully crafted puzzle cube of soaring
structures, layered highways and airways.  Van Alder was famous for its colossal
spherical trees that soared high overhead, held aloft by numerous curved and
papery trunks, each a jagged skyscraper unto itself.  Street lamps cast gentle
illumination upon charcoal-smudged corners, upon seas of glass, steel, stone
and plastic.  Sky cars zipped by in diffuse lanes overhead, while commuter and
delivery shuttles lumbered toward airdocks nestled in the vaulted labyrinth.
    Takeo whistled quietly.  “Wow.  I will never get
over just how big this place feels.”
    Gavin mentally agreed.  “I wouldn’t mind living
here.”  He turned, and they both lurched forward.  “The hell?” growled Gavin,
as his Rhino halved its speed.  The engine regulator cheerfully engaged against
his will, and a bright orange traffic grid indicator lit up his dash near the
speedometer.  “When did they lock down ground traffic?”
    “Not sure,” answered Takeo.  “Last month, I
think?  I remember reading somewhere that they were planning to lay the
groundwork for another Velocity Pass service, like they did on Terra.  This is
one of the many reasons I don’t drive.”
    “I hate the Traffic Ministry.  I’ll never pay
fifteen credits a month for the ‘privilege’ of speeding.”
    Takeo raised his brow.  “I have an idea.”  He twisted
around to glance at the bench behind him.  “Fogg, wake up.  We need your
skills.”
    Fogg switched on and promptly hovered in place. 
He printed, “How can I help?”
    “Can you disable the engine regulator?”
    Gavin