Broken: A Plague Journal Read Online Free Page A

and fortify the forward bases.”
    “You’re getting good at this.” West bit a nail.
    “That’s why they pay me the big bucks. Next time, you can have god inside of you and hand out the orders.”
    Benton activated the sheet of glass she’d carried into the room. “Theory reports that we have a 60/40 lock on Linear. A/O position lock expected within three runs.” Figures danced from the display across her chin, cheeks, half-glints in colorless eyes. “Static’s quiet, though. They could be ghosting our sensor fleets.”
    “No...” Judith shook her head. “This time they want us to find them.”
    “Could be a trap.”
    “They don’t have anywhere to run. This isn’t the first war. We’re in charge now.”
    “Right.”
    Judith turned to Paul. “Something smart to say, sugartits?”
    Layers of frown clouded with uncertainty. “I wouldn’t have made it so simple.”
    “You thought too much. Made a very messy existence for us to clean up.”
    “Yeah, sorry about that.” The author’s eyes narrowed. “Most books don’t become real.”
    the war was beautiful
    “Was it?”
    “Just slipped out.”
    Judith walked to Paul’s side, demure smile on her face. She goosed him. He jumped.
    “As long as we’re in your brain, Paulywog, try not to let things ‘slip out,’ alrighty?” She walked to Hope, took the glass from her hand. “60/40? We can do better. Get back in. Take some help. Take… Hope? You up for a field trip?”
    “I’ve never—”
    “It’ll be good for you. Apply some of those fancy theories.” She turned to Paul. “Get out of here.”
    “Yes, dear.”
     
     
amidst rivers Lethe and Styx an enigma wrapped in lies
healing by primary intention
an enigma wrapped in truths
we are forgotten as easily as
     
     
    “Paul, you need to—”
    “Adam?”
     West turned. “Hmm?”
     “Can we have a moment?” Paul nodded toward Benton.
     Eyes slit. “Sure.” West walked down the corridor. “But make it fast.”
     Benton sagged against the wall. “What is it?”
     “We’re at ninety-eight over. Sixty/forty lock. You know you don’t have to come in with us.”
     Starlight in eyelight. “Are you saying you don’t need me?”
     “It’s just—”
     “Afraid of what you’ll find in there?”
     “No.” He sighed. “But if we—”
     “Paul.” Hand to shoulder. “I’ve seen it all before. You don’t scare me.”
     “You should be scared.”
     “I shouldn’t.”
     “You will be.”
     “I won’t.”
     “Fighting with you is useless.”
     “You wrote me.” Lips upturned.
     “And you,” lips to cheek, “have no idea.”
     
     
     Screaming.
     Agony of broken bone within the face. He snuffled back blood, choked on copper, spat. Eyes slicked shut with
     He ground earth from his vision, blinked. Sitting up from the mud and shit and snow, he pried his arms from the impact mark, rolled to free his legs. His helmet was gone. He heard the stutter and stammer of his cardiac shield attempting to lock on to
     West at his side, face gouged by
     “This isn’t good.”
     “Hope?”
     She crawled through the trench towards her partners. “Lock’s splintered.”
     “Yeah.”
     Stutter.
     “Shit. Let me see that.”
     Chest heaving, breath a whisper, the author rolled to his back. Benton checked the readings on his shield. “Okay, it’s stabilizing.”
     “Where are we?” West held his riflescope to a silver eye.
     “Over/under target, that’s for sure.”
     “Okay.” He patted Paul’s cheek. “Can you move?”
     “Yeah. Just a little headache.”
     “Nose’s broken. Maybe your cheekbone. You’ll be fine.”
     “I’m placing a beacon in the Stream. Should be able to lock in a few.”
     “Good. Let’s head toward the ridge.”
     
     
     Lights flickered in the valley around the lake.
     Their landing in this time had been particularly rough. West now saw the probable cause of the temporal disruptions in the