Free CHOSEN: A Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Dystopian Novel by A. Bernette Page B

He’d been swimming out in the ocean, pushing past where the
lifeguards said it was safe. A shark was swimming closer in than usual,
searching for food and he’d gotten within striking distance. As his legs moved
beneath the waves they must have looked like swimming fish to the hungry shark.
    It
had taken months for him to heal and walk again and that caused him to fall a
year behind in school. Looking back, he realized that losing part of his leg
and then that year eventually allowed him to meet Mave and led him to the ARC.
He didn’t forget to tease Mave that they would’ve both been number one in their
classes if he hadn’t had to make up that year. He would also joke that he’d
given his right leg to meet her. The prosthetic barely seemed to slow him down.
    Rupert’s
skin was like powdered cocoa but unlike his mother, he’d come from the
beautiful islands off the northeast coast of the continent of Southern
Allegiance. Zura had been born in Southern Liberty. Before the government of the
World Consensus was formed, it had been called Africa.
    Many
of the old places had been renamed to loosen people’s obsession with the
divisions that had been associated with them, but since no one seemed too
concerned with claiming the wasteland he was on, it remained as Antarctica.
    And
it was here, where no one wanted to be, that the questions that no one could
ignore, would originate.

Chapter Nine
Questions
     
    Antarctic Research Center
     
     
    Curiosity filled Rupert and Mave’s eyes as they looked at each other.
    “What
do you think this meeting will be about?” Rupert asked Mave, already
suspecting they both knew.
    “More
of the same probably. Of course Zura has the knack for seeing the bigger
picture and the longer trends that we might have missed. Maybe she has something
new for us.”
    “New
would be good. Especially since we’ve been dealing with delivering them reports
that no one likes for months and nothing has changed. I know they’ve invested
billions of lubles into the infrastructure and the companies that maintain them
but, at some point they have to hear reason, right?” Rupert asked Mave.
    “You’d
think that, but reason didn’t stop them from using these emission pump holes to
begin with. They pushed it through because we were in a pollution crisis and
needed something quick.”
    “You’re
right. Anyone who tried to get real solid research done was considered a
threat, disloyal, and discredited in some way or another,” Rupert said,
remembering some of his former colleagues.
    “Now,
they’ve got more reasons to keep doing what they are doing than to stop. At
least, they have until now. I am hopeful it’ll be different this time. I feel
pretty good about Zura making the case,” Mave said, nodding her head.
    Zura
had a keen eye and mind for seeing what was coming with just a few pieces of
information. She must have passed that gift on to Stephen. His mind was almost
like a computer when it came to patterns and probabilities. They were lucky to
have him, even if he was just fifteen.
    “I
guess we better go then. She doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” Rupert said as
the two made their way down the stairs and through the short tunnel to the control
room.
    They
went through the same process as Stephen. Each removed their shoes, exchanging
them for the white booties before taking turns in the chamber. Mave went first,
taking the minute to collect her thoughts again before facing Zura. 
    When
Rupert followed her, she knew he’d taken advantage of those quiet seconds as
well. The two gave a knowing nod as they walked through the lab and into the ROC
room. Rupert had barely exited the lab when Zura was showing a barely stacked
pile of papers into their hands. 
    “Hey
you two, take a look at this. I keep staring at it and it seems right but it
just doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t seem to be possible. Tell me if you are
seeing what I’m seeing.” Zura projected the data that had held her