THE FOREVER GENE (THE SCIONS OF EARTH Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

the treatment, the value of their contributions over the years was taken into account.  The price was initially set at three million dollars, rising to the current five million dollars over the intervening period.  This did not hamper demand and the original contributors, including David and Chunky, were soon extremely wealthy men.
    David was about to pull out another of his favourite paper-backs when he saw that Kimberley was staring quizzically past his shoulder.  He turned and saw that he had left CNN playing on his desk-screen.  The graphic artist had completed the task of interpreting the description of the mysterious strangers who had been found in Mongolia.  His image of the face of one of the creatures was being displayed on the screen.

 
     
    CHAPTER TWO
     
    Qara stared at the image on the wall-screen in the reception area of the hospital.  It invoked a mixed reaction.  It could have come out of a child's book of faerie tales as easily as someone's worst nightmare.  The face depicted in the image was wearing a scarlet hood, so its hair and ears couldn't be seen.  Otherwise it matched Administrator Bolormaa's description quite closely, except that the sketch artist had drawn the lips parted in what may have been a smile.
    Qara found herself thinking that it looked more like a snarl because the teeth it revealed, although small and white, were pointed and looked uncomfortably sharp.  One thing was certain, the face was not human and, for the first time, a sliver of apprehension crept into the state of excitement she had been in since the story broke.
    She and her crew had been asked to wait for the press conference which would be hosted shortly by President Ganzorig.  He had arrived at the hospital an hour ago; the police cordon opening briefly to let his short motorcade through.  He did not want the conference to degenerate into a potentially embarrassing melee and had decreed that no other Personet crews would be permitted through the cordon.  This meant that Qara's broadcast would be an exclusive and would be carried by just about every channel on the Personet.  Billions of viewers around the world would see her face and hear her voice.
    Ulan Bator was not a large city, by most standards, and the pace of life there was relatively sedate and relaxed.  Although diligent and industrious, its inhabitants appreciated the value of taking the time to observe traditions and enjoy the rewards of their endeavours.  Business was certainly conducted, but not at the cost in stress and fatigue paid for commercial success almost everywhere else on the planet.
    Growing up in the city, its placid way of life had exasperated Qara for as long as she could remember.  During her childhood and teenage years, all she had ever wanted was to go somewhere else, somewhere vibrant where exciting things happened and ambitious people led eventful lives.  Early on she identified the Personet as her best means of escape and every day she watched the entertainment channels, full of stories of romance, mystery and adventure.  As she grew older she found the news channels more compelling and imagined herself as a courageous reporter broadcasting breaking news from some perilous hotspot.
    By the time she left school she was already fluent in English, the dominant language of the Personet, and her excellent academic results gained her acceptance at Oxford University's Lady Margaret Hall.  She spent four years obtaining her degree, majoring in communications and journalism.  That was the easy part.  Much harder was breaking into the industry.  Although there were thousands of channels on the Personet, they were able to cherry-pick the best candidates from the hordes of hopefuls attracted by the apparently glamorous lifestyle offered by the global network.
    She had identified Oxford as the best place to study, not only because of its status as one of the best universities in the world, but also because of its proximity to London,