The Legend of Things Past (Beyond Pluto SciFi Futuristic Aventures Book 1) Read Free

he elevated his
height to two hundred feet, shivering as the temperature dropped. The smooth
surface of the skyscraper opened up at the click of a button on his watch
revealing a large garage with two skycars—one, a 2256 Convertible Chevy
Corvette, the other a 2250 SUV Lexus RX. He glided inside the garage and
lowered the skycycle onto the ground between the cars. The garage door closed
behind him.
    He entered the house stealthily, trying not to make too much
noise. The place seemed to echo twice as much now that the kids were gone. He
crept into the master bedroom and was startled to see his wife wide awake,
reading a book by candlelight.
    Her mahogany skin shone in the glow of the small fire. Her long
black hair was pulled into a messy bun. She wore a very concentrated look that
he loved, as if the thing she read had completely entranced her intellect.
    “Hey,” he said.
    She looked up at him and smiled, full lips revealing small,
white teeth. “Hey. Catch the bad guys?”
    Donovan smiled. “I always do. What are you doing up so
late?”
    “Research for the Extinct Species Revival Project.”
    Donovan went into the bathroom and started stripping off his
bloody, sweaty clothes. It was a testament to how long they had been together
that Nona didn’t flinch at the sight of blood on his shirt.
    “I thought you were done with that,” he said through the
door.
    “I was, but the board decided that they need a little more
information on a few of the species before we could continue.”
    Donovan turned on the hot water in the shower. “Don’t stay
up too late.”
    “Okay, Dad,” his wife’s voice sung out. “I’m almost done.”
    Donovan spent a long time under the water, letting the heat
sink into his aching bones. By the time he was ready for bed, Nona was sound
asleep, the book sitting in her lap and her head leaning awkwardly against the
headboard. He smirked.
    He was glad that he would be stationed in Santa Monica for a
while—the city had been his home for a long time. Plus, he missed his wife when
he was called away. He had used his favorable position with the General to
allow him to live in his apartment instead of the temporary headquarters. He
left his First Lieutenant in charge.
    He shook Nona gently and urged her to lay down. She barely
opened her eyes as she responded. She curled up and was asleep again within
seconds. He watched her face for a moment and noticed dark circles forming
under her eyes. He would have to keep an eye on her—make sure she didn’t work
herself to sickness.
    She was so dedicated to her job she could easily stay awake
for seventy-two hours straight working on some project. Once she got started,
it was difficult to pull her away. He had much the same disposition. It was
probably how they had managed to stay together all these years—they had started
and they would finish.
    Donovan stroked Nona’s hair, her forehead. He kissed her
cheek and joined her in bed. As much as he desired to be connected with the
moist warmth of her body, he was asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

Chapter 2
    “Time travel used to be thought of as just science fiction,
but Einstein’s general theory of relativity allows for the possibility that we
could warp space-time so much that you could go off in a rocket and return before
you set out.”
    —Stephen
Hawking
     
    May 4, 2258
    Santa Monica, CA
    Donovan Knight
     
    Donovan always rose with the sun. Even when he wanted to
sleep in, long habit forced his body into wakefulness. He left the cozy comfort
of the bed without disturbing Nona and cooked breakfast.
    She emerged from the room thirty minutes later, yawning and
carrying a stack of papers. The night gown hugged her curvy shape.
    “You’re up early,” he said.
    “Have to work on this report. The Board wants to push it
through by Friday.”
    Donovan looked at her for a moment. Her eyes were bloodshot.
Her face seemed almost shrunken. He hadn’t noticed it last night. “Well,