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Back The Desert of Glass Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. BY MICHAEL C. GRUMLEY
  2. Prologue
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. 60
  63. 61
  64. 62
  65. 63
  66. 64
  67. 65
  68. 66
  69. 67
  70. 68
  71. 69
  72. 70
  73. 71
  74. 72
  75. 73
  76. 74
  77. 75
  78. 76
  79. 77
  80. 78
  81. EPILOGUE
  82. II
  83. III
  84. IV

Dr. Abo turned and nodded over the seats to the man, who nodded in response and tapped twice on the cockpit’s door.  He then reached outside to pull the cabin’s main door closed and locked it before moving to his own seat.

Abo brushed back past the children and returned to the front, settling in beside the man whose unreadable face watched her sit silent and unmoving.

And very strong.

Eshe didn’t stare out her window like the other children did as the plane moved forward, accelerating moderately as its giant metal body calmly turned to the left, causing the bright sun outside to pour through the dozen or so windows on the plane’s starboard side and disappearing as quickly as it had come once the aircraft had completed its turn.

Eshe had never been in something so expensive before, prompting her to turn and study two other children across the aisle.  One boy and one girl.  Both were sitting along the right side of the narrow cabin with faces glued to their windows and bouncing along with the plane as it reached its runway.

Moments later the plane came to a stop, its engines still roaring outside.  Suddenly, the aircraft jerked forward and began to rapidly accelerate.

Eshe felt a wave of nausea pass over her, causing her to swallow repeatedly to avoid getting sick.  Finally, the plane and everyone aboard tilted back and left the ground, and the shaking fell away.

Dr. Abo continued watching the children from the front of the cabin.  Airsickness was another sign of possible equilibrium issues. This would be quickly addressed on the plane but was something that could present a severe problem later.  Cairo was merely the first destination, a layover of sorts before a much more critical second leg.

Fortunately, none of the children showed signs of sickness that she could see.  If any did, it could warrant the removal of a child—both from the flight and the program, even with their accelerated timeline.

It would take several hours to reach Cairo, where the good doctor would help situate and settle the children before leaving again, headed for another school and another group of children who were already being prepared.

35

35

Joe Rickards pensively watched from his seat as a passenger carefully navigated down the wide-body’s dark and much longer aisle to one of the multiple restrooms located at the rear of the larger Boeing 787.

“Can’t sleep?”

He turned to find Angela beside him, her head pressed gently into a small rectangular pillow.

“I thought you were asleep.”

He shrugged and looked back around the darkened cabin.  “At least they have movies now.”

Angela frowned and glanced at the screen directly in front of him, which was turned off.

“Otherwise, you just sit here all night and think?”

“More or less.”