Known Afterlife (The Provider Trilogy: Volume I) Read online

  *****

  How they would solve many of the big questions at that juncture remained unclear but Stalling soon stopped being surprised when they did. Where the team assembled that fateful day built the road, Jennifer built the vehicle. Absent at the time, only nineteen years old, she was in the process of earning her doctorate in Molecular Engineering, the first of many doctorates she would earn.

  The link visor enabled Jennifer to become more efficient, eliminating the need of dozens technicians. Soon after, it made more sense to have her do it all versus taking the time to bring everyone else up to speed. Jennifer was the entire department dedicated to the most important experiment the world had ever known. A few top assistants, relegated to the role of understudy in case, the Universe forbid, anything happened to her, was all they had to fall back on.

  No one had logged more hours in this room than Jennifer, Stalling a distant second, her disheveled cot in the back corner of the lab her home for the past year. And the wear and tear of it all was starting to show. Now, as the climactic finale approached, Jennifer spent every waking hour focused on the project's last and most important phase.

  Stalling recently confided his concerns about Jennifer to Lorissa during one of their late evening dinners. His wife always found more interest in the psychological events of his day than any scientific breakthrough. He described his concerns about the role he had played in Jennifer's hermit existence. Gifted intellect beyond measure, a drive to succeed rivaled by few, Stalling's gratitude for Jennifer's involvement grew every day. She truly was one of the few people he could say without them, the project would fail.

  "What I fear most," he confessed, "is that, once the project is complete, she loses her sense of purpose."

  "Did you ever stop to think her dedication reached beyond the drive for scientific discovery?"

  "I don't follow. We pay her a fortune and I tell her frequently she is worth every bit and then some."

  With a sympathetic expression and a smile conveying love and admiration, Lorissa had reached over and caressed his hand. "You are a good man Stalling Alterian, but so oblivious at times to the ways of women."

  "You’re not suggesting she has romantic interest in me, are you?"

  "I swear Stalling, the size of your ego never ceases to amaze me. Yes, her heart dictates her decisions more than you realize. No, you are not the object of her love."

  "Then who? Antone is more laughable than me. Who else in her life."

  "Have you forgot about the one man who has been in her life every minute of the day for the past ten years?"

  The question had haunted Stalling since. When did he stop being a person?

  The clatter of Jennifer's link visor as it hit and slid across the table slung him back to the pressing present. Jennifer rubbed her temples, puffed out her cheeks before exhaling a long, bewildered breath. "Well, it appears the issue is occurring everywhere now. The Auranet, the entrainment platform, the library, everything with a direct link to the mainframe."

  As she was prone to do when her mind was fried, she threw her lab coat off, jumped on the treadmill stationed in the middle of the room. Accelerating into a brisk jog, her rhythmic stride and fitted one-piece jumper accentuated her sultry curves.

  Stalling had grown accustom to this quirky habit as had Antone, though his friend never failed to blush at the sight of her body in this state. Stalling found it humorous how Antone always found the need to check updates on his visor whenever he did.

  Comfortable in her own skin and the choices she made in life, Stalling assumed she was conscious of the primal response that her ritual generated in the two of them. Unlike Antone, Stalling no longer hid his response. He concluded, regardless of how reclusive or geeky, it never hurt to let a woman know she was attractive. If it was not Stalling giving it to her, who would.

  "I feared that would occur," Stalling replied after she had pounded out a half-mile or so.

  "How is it you feared it and I didn't?" She huffed, doing nothing to disguise the anger in her voice.

  Stalling had been on the receiving end of Jennifer's displaced aggression more than once. His intimacy with the bigger picture was a constant source of frustration for Jennifer. Her analytical mind either refused, or in Stalling's opinion, feared to grasp that which she had no control over.

  "Until an hour ago, there was no sign, no warning. Shit, I didn't know it was conceivable until a few hours ago. What have you not told us Stalling?"

  Despite his herculean patience, her accusation produced a rare bout with anger. Stalling gazed at the mainframe as his thumb absently traced the line of his manicured beard. He was not angry with Jennifer it was with himself.

  "It is not a matter withholding anything. My commitment to providing full disclosure has never wavered. The issue at hand has only just now revealed itself...a mistake made by me over twenty years ago. A mistake related to the very basic tenets of my original theory."

  Jennifer, who had kicked into what was a full sprint for most, met his trademark, allusive statement with a flat stare. "Well you had better devise a plan on how to fix it and fast. By my calculations, we have less than six hours before everything becomes corrupted."

  "What about back-up?" Antone chimed.

  "I'm confident all the back-up data is safe. But we all know, without the farm and mainframe, it's worthless," Jennifer said.

  "Not exactly, the Auranet could survive. Yes, a few of our larger, corporate clients would experience a slight inconvenience. But it is nothing money can't take care of." The statement repulsed Stalling before it cleared his lips.

  When did money or power become a priority?

  Disturbed by these thoughts, Stalling turned back around to face Jennifer. Sensing Stalling was on the verge of making a critical decision, Jennifer got off the treadmill. Stalling let the silence in his mind settle, doing his best to clear all selfish thoughts. The action he must take next was clear the moment Clortison's seemingly unrelated words triggered the answer. He just wasn't ready to accept it, until now. His friends and followers made choices over the years using their own free will. This Stalling was sure of despite how persuasive he knew he could be. They trusted he would do the same.

  "To save him, he must first die, again," Stalling stated. "Start the shutdown process, the time to bring our friend home has arrived."