Crash Flux 1: Welcome To The Machine Read Online Free Page B

these broadcasts, and are already working on distributing them.  Don’t rely on them to verify what I say is true, use an observer, someone you trust.  Plugging your ears and closing your eyes isn’t enough.  The neural uplinks can censor your audio input and prevent the triggers from functioning, so have your observer turn off their audio function on their neural uplinks as they trigger you.  I have given you the key, it is up to you to set yourselves free.”
    The broadcast ended, followed by the media blackout that always followed Raydin’s broadcasts.  The people stood up, dazed, confused.  Some of them immediately forgot, going about their normal routines.  Others looked around, afraid, but the memory lingering in their minds.
    They made their way through the maze of skywalks onto the magtubes, crowding their way onto the transport pods.  The service district crept up on them, and Raydin downloaded a good music byte, cranking it up.  He still felt sick, but the music helped a little.  Adon helped him out of the pod, and Irule cleared the way as they struggled through the crowds.
    Tired and sore, Adon sighed with relief as he approached the service grid.  The orange lights of the grid dancing off the low, four meter ceilings, the soft glow broken occasional as a glitter-ball spotlighting customers as they walked past.  Past the fence and inside the sales warehouse, they were bombarded by dozens of retailers reselling mass-produced, government contracted, “luxury goods.”
    Raydin relaxed and let Irule carry him, while Adon opened the fence securing his tiny storage space.  The flybot accosted him, offering adult vid clips at discounted rates.  Adon swatted at it.
    “Go bug a customer.”
    The small booth behind the shop’s fence was closed, with an out to lunch sign hung over it.  Adon set Raydin against the fence in front of the store while he waved his universal communications device over the lock, and it clacked open.  The seven foot display was just for show, the hologram was insubstantial and immaterial, not visible from the sides.  The rest were mounted to the ceiling, the speakers above them were turned up so loud the images rippled every time the drum bounced and bass dropped. 
    Adon turned down the volume, and spun the chair around so Raydin could sit in it.  Irule slid onto the desk and lit a blackjack, twisting off the cap, and sucking it.  The stick was gone in puff of smoke, while Irule coughed.  Adon sprayed the room with an aerosol, “Damn it Irule, not in here, we have fire sprinklers.”
    Irule scowled.  “I’m exhausted.”  She took off her leather top and tossed it in Raydin’s lap.  She rummaged through Adon’s things, her sports bra leaving little to the imagination. “I need to borrow your shirt.”
    They heard a lot of grunting and snoring coming from the back room.  They heard Burk fall over in the next room.  “Ohy!  Who put all these boxes here-“, there came a crash followed by the sounds of a large pile of boxes falling.
    Adon peered into the doorway.  Burk smiled, and Adon laughed a little.  He offered his hand to Burk, helping him up.  He looked down at the flybots scattered over the floor and dropped him back onto his knees.  “I swear, Burk, if you broke one of these things, I am going to make you pay for it.  Do you have any idea how much these cost?” 
    Burk said, “Thanks for nothing.”
    Burk started cleaning them up, then did a double take.  Adon gawked as Irule appeared in the doorjamb, wearing a tight black t-shirt, her arms stretched up above her head.  She said, “You look like hell, Burk.”
    Raydin shut off his graphics shades for a moment.  Burk was wearing the same workman’s vest he always wore, along with a pair of jeans.  “Nice ‘ta see you, Burk.”
    Adon said, “Enough with the hospitality, move your ass out of the way so Raydin can get some down time.”  
    Raydin turned his graphics shades back on.  One of