Greenhaus:Storm
Page 34
A series of beeps indicated his Bullet had arrived. Jacob rushed back to get scanned, hoping the system wouldn’t lock him out and trap him in Newer Orleans. As he was the last to board, the door slid shut after him. After getting suited up and strapped in, he closed his eyes and prayed to Mother Earth that the Bullet would fire out of the station. He feared that those coming for him would get there just before take-off, dooming him to the reset that seemed his destiny.
The Bullet fired out of the terminal. The next stop, New St. Louis, waited only a couple of hours away.
***
The Bullet’s velocity decreased, and brought him closer to his freedom. After it came to a rest in the arrivals terminal, the straps were released. His body was overcome by the strange sensation that results from moving quickly and then stopping abruptly. It took him a second to remember how to walk correctly. He stepped onto the platform and pushed his way through the crowd.
Doyle and a group of six dressed in Engineering orange waited near the bright yellow arch at the arrivals departure. To the average citizen, it looked like they were examining the arch for defects, but Jacob knew the word had beaten the Bullet to New St. Louis.
He paused. It was the only way out, but he hesitated, hoping he was safe now, but unsure of their true agendas. He flashed a smile and walked toward the golden arch.
“Jacob, don’t say anything until we get to headquarters,” Doyle instructed him. “Quickly, this way.” A Ranger escort whisked him into the nearest pod station, where eight empty pods waited in queue.
One by one they unloaded near the Engineering HQ, Doyle and Jacob rushed to the usual meeting place on the third floor. Commissioner Law and the VCs waited there.
Over the course of the next three hours, Jacob filled them in on all that he learned about Medical and their secret programs, but left out that he had met his father and Jasper on the Outside and made no mention of the codes.
“Well Jacob, you certainly have done a great job,” Doyle said. The room emptied quickly, as everyone scurried to spread the word, and begin to formulate a plot to oust Needles. “This information will help boot the dark forces from within the Colonies and restore the mission of the Founding Fathers and their Green Constitution.”
A sense of pride enveloped Jacob. In a short amount of time and with the help of many people, the job his father had started was now finished, their family legacy solidified for generations in perpetuity.
“You found the mole and a wealth of bonus information. How does it feel to have completed your first mission?” Doyle asked.
“Relieved that it’s over, and even more relieved that my first mission… is also my last. Too stressful,” Jacob said as he wiped the sweat that should have stopped beading a long time ago. His palms were clammy and his chest tight, when he thought he should feel relief.
Doyle laughed and said, “Your last? Not hardly. We are just getting started.”
“But I thought since the programs were revealed that it was all over,” Jacob said.
“Over? Don’t be silly, this is just the beginning. Even after getting Needles, we still have much work to do,” Doyle informed him.
Confused, Jacob sat quietly, pondering what could possibly be left to achieve, now that the illicit programs and those running them were all exposed.
Doyle Carpenter explained, “We’re just hitting the tip of the iceberg. We have some of the information we need, true enough, but much more is out there and needs to be found. There is corruption that needs to be exposed in other Greenhaus colonies, too. Medical had help in all of this. Our quest for the truth will not end until all stones have been turned and all opposition to the Green Constitution is rooted out.”
Jacob thought back to a conversation he had with Sylvia, one concerning all the different agendas in the ‘Haus, and then the last conversation with his father about trusting Doyle. Did he also want the codes? He couldn’t help but wonder what Doyle’s real agenda was, or if he was just seeking the truth and defending the Green Constitution as he claimed. He thought of all the other possible players in the game and wondered what their real agendas were. He found clarity only in his own agenda.
His moment of realization was interrupted by Doyle. “So Jacob, are you ready for your next assignment?”
Oh I sure am, but I’m afraid the assignment you have for me and the one I have for myself are quite different. I’ll keep one eye on the task given and one eye on the giver of the task. Jacob remained silent and just nodded his head, wondering if his father was right and Doyle was setting him up. Jacob had learned many things from his father’s wise words, but the most important lesson of all was one he learned through observation.
Trust no one except yourself and question everything, because things are never as they seem.
www.bryanreckelhoff.com
Q & A with Bryan
Reckelhoff
Q: Is this the end of the Greenhaus series?
A: No, far from it. Greenhaus: Fire and Greenhaus: Firestorm are dancing around my head. Very little of either has been written and they are in a long queue behind other projects that are closer to publication.
Q: That was going to be my next question: Are you working on other projects?
A: Yes, I spent years writing from one project to the next before I thought I was ready to put my work out there, so I have a lot of projects started and in various stages of the process. Some just need a couple rounds of revisions before I send them off to my editor. Others are rough drafts. Some are very basic outlines of stories that need to be written.
Q: What will be your next release?
A: I haven’t decided. But I will say it will either be: A tale of three brothers that get caught up with some aliens and inter-dimensional travel OR a Vampire/Werewolf/Bigfoot (and other Cryptid races) story that causes our modern societies to come crashing down. It will definitely be one of those things. Or it could be something supernatural involving alternate universes, auras, and energies. One of those three for sure. But if not, then it could be the first release from an epic fantasy saga of anthropomorphic characters (think Thundercats meets Lord of the Rings) inspired by my recently deceased furry friend, Sportscenter. He influenced me to start writing again by inspiring the main character for a world I created in the late 80’s, early 90’s when I was just a wee lad.
Q: That sounds exciting, how can I keep up with your latest releases?
A: Easy. Several different ways: Find me on Facebook, Tsu, or Twitter @brexstl, visit my website at www.bryanreckelhoff.com and sign up to receive email alerts. If you have any questions about writing or the self publishing process, feel free to email me at bryan.reckelhoff@gmail.com.
Q: Okay, last question. If you were a wizard, what would your Patronus be?
A: You shouldn’t be so presumptuous. I AM a wizard! My Patronus is a Great White Tyrannosaurus Rex Shark that flies.