Free Known Afterlife (The Provider Trilogy, Volume One) by Trey Copeland

Healer's table. The wound to his soul is what both concerned and scared her. Seeing that fear in the face of someone who had done so much for him in so little time made his decision clear.
    He turned to the apprentice waiting patiently. "Please inform the council I will be attending the ceremony."
    With a nod, the boy turned to go. Dawning on him at the last second, Steffor called after him, "Guardian!" The boy stopped and turned inquisitively. "Why was I not contacted by Mystic?"
    The young man squirmed, looking down at his feet for several seconds before meeting Steffor ’s eye. "None could locate you."
     

 
    Chapter 6
     
    Compared to most days, the lab was a flurry of activity. Designed to accommodate over two dozen lab technicians and their respective workstations, the spacious room somehow felt confining to its only occupant. After entering from the southern and only entrance, Stalling and Antone strode across the room and sat in one of the many ergonomically correct chairs positioned around the main lab table and made a point of not getting in the way.
    Jennifer jumped with di zzying speed from one virtual station to the other, acknowledging their presence with a curt hand gesture: extending fist with index finger pointing skyward, effectively saying, don't interrupt my train of thought . Based off the volume of blue data streaming across her green eyes—the concentrated light accentuating her long lashes—Stalling, used to this type treatment from his top scientist, appreciated her need to concentrate and leaned back in his chair to wait.
    The northern end of the room was a half hex agon constructed by three walls of thick glass with real lab tables built along the length of each. The rectangular tables housed an assemblage of computing equipment designed to regulate, calculate, register, measure, display—or a combination of all the above—a specific component of the project.
    In the beginning, a bastion of technicians mined data around the clock coming from the various stations. The link visor was one of the first reengineered bi-products of that data and, practically overnight, made th e rest of the technology obsolete; accelerating the development and commercial consumption of every bi-product derived from the project thereafter.
    From day one, the project exceeded the expectations of everyone except for Stalling.
    Forced to find more patience as yet another new stream of data flit across Jennifer's tense face, triggering a new set of anger-laden humphs and heavy sighs, Stalling settled deeper into his chair and gazed across the massive server farm. Contained in the underground cavern located on the other side of the glass walls, the farm filled the vast majority and occupied the farthest reaches of a massive warehouse.
    No one, outside of Jennifer, was more intimate with each box that was as much organic being as machine. From trivial maintenance, to the smallest upgrade, to a mysterious power spike, he knew the experiences of each server better than most parents do their children.
    Miles of vine like cable pulsed with golden light, connecting each c omputer to the stalagmite shaped mainframe stationed in the middle of the room. Stalling visualized the chamber located directly under the mainframe and its precious contents therein. The energy from which all else flowed had lain dormant for too long. Stalling battled with the fraternal impulse to protect, driven as if a soul mate bent on sparing a brother from life's crueler realities.
    That familiar and welcome flutter in his chest, confirming vision and actions remained aligned with the Universe, helped summon the strength not to act on the urge. He had overcome too much, too often, up to this point to lose focus now. Stalling continued to calm down as he looked back at how fast his epic vision had materialized. Despite all the contrary views and beliefs from his most trusted advisers, he never wavered in his faith, purpose or definiteness of his