Alutia Rising, Anniversary Edition (Alutia Rising Series, Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

orbit, one would think this not the case, only the
colorful flora clearly visible and the sky clear of all clouds and
weather systems.
    On most, if not all, other planets, such a
lack of weather systems would be fatal for life, since they were
the primary engine for delivery of the all important life giving
substance known as water. But Tidelia, based on another unique and
rare phenomenon, had a way to deliver water across the entire
planet’s surface without the need for weather systems.
    The outer crust of Tidelia consisted
primarily of a uniquely buoyant soil that floated over a 250
kilometer deep sea of fresh, nutrient rich water. This kept the
soil moist, and allowed for the larger fauna’s root systems,
including the biological buildings grown to limit human influence
on the environment, to extend deep into the fresh, nutrient rich
water, absorbing the life giving substance and providing further
stability for the thin layer of soil above.
    These underground seas were also the origin
of the mist that helped keep the temperature stable. It would burn
off in the sunlight as it crested the unbroken forests that ran for
thousands of kilometers across Tidelia’s surface; providing much
needed humidity while not surviving long enough to form into clouds
or weather systems.
    Sasha turned her gaze longingly out over the
horizon one last time, memorizing Tidelia’s teal-blue sky, knowing
that the view before her would soon become a distant memory.
    She sighed dramatically, forcing herself to
turn away from the sight and return to her bedchamber, enjoying the
cool breeze of mist that followed on her heals. Feeling lonely, she
sent a request through her biological communication node, or BC
node for short, to the local biological access point, or BAP, that
was hidden in the wall, requesting her lady-in-waiting, Tiana, to
join her.
    Humanity had made a few improvements to their
genes and genetics over the 100,000 years they'd spent spreading
throughout the universe. One such improvement was a biological
communication node, grown within the brain, that allowed for the
transmission and deciphering of a special type of wireless signal.
This provided Sasha the ability to easily connect, with her mind,
to a biological access point, or BAP, hidden within the wall,
compose a message to Tiana, her lady-in-waiting, all while walking
across the room to her dressing area. Though there were a few side
effects to its use.
    The BC node, being an “add-on” organ of
sorts, would cause disorientation if used while actively using
other senses or trying to speak, except with decades, if not
centuries, of training. This led to a type of expression, known as
being “Node Locked”, or Nodeled for short, that seemed to show the
same way on everyone's face; a distant, tense look.
    The door chimed.
    “Enter,” Sasha commanded in her kind,
feminine soprano.
    One never knows who may be at the door, so
it is always wise to answer with dignity appropriate one's
station , she recalled with a smile. The door slid open to admit
her guest.
    The attractive young lady that glided over
the threshold into her bedchamber wore a scandalously thin, wispy,
lime green dress that hung from a single transparent strap,
gripping every curve on its journey to her upper thigh. Though
Sasha herself was not overly fond of the design, she had to admit
it looked stunning on the beautiful, 16 year old Lady Tiana.
    Her wavy, almost curly, creamy blond hair,
tumbled over her silky smooth bronze skin, providing a perfect
canvas for the lime green dress to flow, like it was being painted
anew with every step. Her chin, though modest, still jutted forth
powerfully, as if it was trying to match her pouty pink lips and
button nose that looked to be chiseled from the finest stone.
Though her large, puppy dog eyes, that looked to be set with the
finest of sapphires, and outlined by lashes that made even the most
stalwart of traditionalists swoon, made her other features look
quaint at