The Phoenix Project Read Online Free Page B

Project.”
         “Do you have any idea where
that’s going?”
         “Let me see,” Madison said and pulled a
link out of her pocket. She accessed the information in just a few seconds.
“Three months, five days until completion according to the latest update.”
         “That was fast.”
         “I’ve been keeping tabs.”
         “You’re checking up on Eli?”
he asked in surprise.
         “He’s a friend! It’s my way of
seeing how he’s doing.”
         “How long have you been up to
that?” Joshua asked.
         “Since he left the Suffolk .”
         “Wow. You’d have to be an
expert by now. What’s the new fleet like?” Joshua asked, leaning back in their
booth.
         “I have some information. Most
of it’s classified.”
         “Tell me what you know.”
         “It’s much more decentralized like
Eli said.”
         “What about those new weapons
I heard rumours about?” Joshua asked.
         “I’ve never heard the term
before. I think it’s called an anti—proton grid?”
         “Well, what is it?”
         “That’s a little complicated,”
Elliot interjected as he rejoined the conversation.
         “Well, hello stranger,”
Madison said with a smile. Elliot took a seat across from her in the booth.
         “Where did my drink go?”
         “I’ll get you another one. We
didn’t think you’d be back,” Joshua replied and signalled a waiter.
         "Short meeting with the
brass?" Madison
asked. Another draft appeared on the table from an attendant’s quick and
steady hand.
         "That’s another story."
         "So do you have some time
to visit with old friends?"
         "Well, more time than you
think."
         Joshua frowned and asked:
“What do you mean?"
         "I've taken a few
liberties with your ship.”    
         "Are you going to call
her in the morning?"
         "Smartass."
         “You need the ship?” Madison asked.
         “I’m now the temporary
commander of the Third Battle Group, but don’t worry, this is a short assignment.
I won’t be in command for very long and you’ll still have the captain’s chair.”
         “Where are we going?” Joshua
asked. He got ready to use the small black bit of technology attached to his
ear.
         “I have already instructed the
helm on where to go. It’s just outside of the solar system. The entire battle
group is leaving orbit to check on some sort of distortion out there.”
         “You need the entire group for
that? Why not just send a science ship?” Joshua asked.
         “We did. The Amazon is
surrounded by a group of Coalition warships. We’re going out to even the odds. But
that isn’t the interesting part: the distortion may be of alien origin.”
         The couple looked at each
other with wide eyes. “We know what that means.”
         “You know the way to the
bridge,” Elliot said, and gulped back the last of his draft.
         Joshua and Madison led the
admiral to the command center of the ship. The commanding officer on duty
immediately vacated his position at the high end of the bridge and took his
place at the horseshoe—shaped helm at the front. Joshua took sat down in the
command chair. Elliot, knowing Joshua's possessiveness of his ship, took a
place at his left.
         "Are we ready to
go?"
         "Yes, Sir," the helmsmen
said and gripped the navigation control stick. It resembled the joysticks from
console games of the distant past.
         "The Admiral tells me the
coordinates are already laid in,” Joshua said to the helmsman.
         “Yes, Sir.”
         “Take us to maximum FTL.”
         “Aye.”
         The stars on the monitor jumped
to tiny dashes as the ship went to one thousand times the speed of light. The
other thirty—nine ships of the Third Battle Group, including destroyers,
frigates, and a wide carrier, followed