Evolution Read Online Free

a person who sounds like Beechy says.
    â€œNeither do I,” a deeper voice replies. Lieutenant Dean. “But it’s too late for that now.”
    Their voices are hushed so I pretend I’m still asleep and listen.
    â€œWe just need to keep her as safe as we can until we get to the Core,” Dean says. “She’s our best hope for survival.”
    Who are they talking about? Sandy?
    â€œWill you help me?” Dean asks.
    â€œFine,” Beechy says. “I’ll do what I can.”
    â€œGood. I’ll send someone for you as soon as we call the strategy meeting,” Dean says. There’s the sound of his boots clunking out of the room, and the hiss of a hatch door shutting behind him.
    I open my eyes again and look around the room. The infirmary is small, with counters and cabinets lining the walls. There’s a door to my left, probably leading to a storage closet. Beechy stands with his back to me near the foot of my bed, by the hatch door leading out of the infirmary. He’s still wearing his safety suit, but he’s taken the helmet off and he’s running his fingers through his dark hair. When he turns around, I see hardness flickering across his expression. Annoyance at what he and Dean were discussing, or something else?
    â€œWhat’s going on?” I ask. My voice is weak from exhaustion.
    Beechy startles, but quickly regains his composure. “Hey,” he says, walking around to the side of my bed. His forehead creases with concern. “How are you feeling?”
    I hesitantly move my right arm, which someone bandaged in my sleep. There’s still a dull ache where the laser seared my skin, but the pain is a lot less than it was earlier. And I don’t feel light-headed anymore.
    â€œBetter,” I say, exhaling in relief. “How long was I out?”
    â€œNot long,” Beechy says. “Twenty minutes. We’re still in the valley.”
    My stomach clenches. Twenty minutes isn’t long, but it could’ve been enough time for the Mardenites to put the first wave of their attack into motion. They could’ve discovered the city on the other side of the Surface by now—all the thousands of people trapped there could already be wiped out. Or they will be soon. Commander Charlie wasn’t on the Surface when hundreds and hundreds of raiders poured out of the battle stations; he doesn’t realize sacrificing everyone in the city won’t cripple even half of Marden’s fleet.
    The longer we take to get to the Core and convince him to put a different defensive strategy into motion, the more innocent people will die.
    â€œWhat happened to the raiders that were heading this way?” I ask.
    â€œWe don’t know.” Beechy sighs. “We haven’t had a visual of their location since just before we reached the hovercraft, because of the storm. They didn’t get close enough for our radar to pick them up, so we have no idea which way they went.”
    Since they didn’t target the valley, they must not know we’re here yet. We should leave while we still can.
    I sit up too quickly, and the dizziness rushes back.
    Beechy grabs my shoulders to steady me. “Careful. You were hit pretty bad back at the compound. You need to take it easy.”
    â€œI’m fine,” I say, though it’s a lie. I’m exhausted and I want to sleep until the pain in my arm goes away. But there isn’t time. “We can’t stay here. We need to get to the Core.”
    â€œI agree,” Beechy says. “Sam’s about to call a strategy meeting so we can discuss our options and work out a plan.”
    â€œWhat needs to be worked out?”
    The plan seems simple to me: we depart immediately and take the shortest route to the Pipeline—the entrance to the lower sectors—keeping the hovercraft and the X-wings in a defensive flight formation. There’s not much more we can do to prepare,