The Prometheus Effect Read Online Free Page A

speed of the events. Barely having time to take it all in, he was ushered out of the door and back into the secretary's office.
     
    “ If you give your details to Miss Penny, she will answer any further questions.” Fernandes said as he strutted off without so much of a hand shake of congratulations. Joshua stood shell-shocked but with a wry smile etched upon his face. At no point did Fernandes give him the option of rejecting his hastily conceived job offer.
     
    “ Can I assume it went well?” Miss Penny inquired, her bright glossy red lips parted revealing unnervingly bright teeth.
     
    “ Aliens.” Joshua replied.
     
    “ Aliens?” She said as she cocked her head to one side like a spaniel. Her long tightly curled hair could have covered up a set of mighty ears, Joshua's imagination ran rampant.
     
    “ Are you interested in aliens?” Joshua asked sustaining the surreal conversation.
     
    “ Actually, I find the subject fascinating. My sister swears blind that she saw a UFO last year.”
     
    Joshua was quite taken back by her admission. Perhaps Fernandes was right, the public did hold a persistent interest in little green men. It was certainly not a story he would have chosen to cover. There was no end goal, no admission of guilt, no truth to unearth, it was a dead end project which would no doubt cover the same tired ground as many before had. It was not the best story with which to impress his new employer however, he had to wind his neck in and make the most of the opportunity.
     
    “ I have a series of forms here. I'll need your personal details, finance and medical etcetera.” Miss Penny said as she handed Joshua the tablet and a stylus.
     
    “ Thank you. Perhaps whilst I’m doing this you could give me your sister's details. I'd like to talk to her, I'm doing an article on the subject.”
     
    “ Oh no. I don't think she would like that. You know, it's a personal thing. People don't like to talk about these things.” The secretary flapped her hand at Joshua, swiping away his hopes of a head start on his project.
     
    “ Why not? Why don't people want to talk?” He asked as he jotted his details down on the tablet.
     
    “ Well, people would think you're mad.” She said succinctly.
     
    “ Hmm. I would.” He muttered as he struggled to recall his PIN. The long numerical identification code was something he could never grasp. It was a new scheme recently introduced. Joshua hated it, being identified by a long and impersonal number. He was not in favour of the government's Orwellian desires to impress their control on the population; birth rates and immigration had long since spiralled out of control but being reduced to a 16 digit tag was not the answer. A new microchip scheme was only months away too, it was the beginning of the end for some libertarians but the public yearned for some order and this was to be the easiest solution.
     
    “ There, I think that's it.” Joshua handed the tablet back to Miss Penny who scanned it top to bottom nodding slowly as she went.
     
    “ Yes, that's lovely. Well, enjoy the rest of your day! Are you going somewhere to celebrate?” She inquired assuming that Joshua would be elated at his new position.
     
    “ No, I don't think so. I have a lot of work to do.” Joshua smiled and offered a fleeting wave as he left the plush office and headed back to the elevators. His mind raced as he conceptualised his action plan. Hours of internet research would be required, a good grasp of existing work and a lot of questions asked. Joshua allowed himself a cheeky grin as the elevator door trundled shut and he was alone. He punched the air in delight and pulled at his tie to relieve his airway from its restrictive presence. Aliens! After all, he was not being asked to uncover some clandestine plot or global scandal, this was going to be a breeze.
     

CHAPTER FOUR
     
     
     
    Joshua spent that evening and the best part of the early morning on his laptop. The hotel