Veiled Sun (Tomorrow’s Edge #2)
by Brett Armstrong
Genre: YA Sci-fi/Dystopian
Release Date: January 21st 2020
Clean Reads
Summary:
AD 2040: Every day the world slips further into lies. Seventeen-year-old Elliott knows that better than most. Project Alexandria is rewriting history, shaping the world according to sinister goals. To stop it, Elliott must assemble the “Veiled Sun”, a secret program written by his grandfather. The only people he can count on are siegers—outlaws who use their coding skills for purposes almost as nefarious as Project Alexandria. Overcoming the schemes and betrayals all around him, he’s the world’s best hope to save reality, if he doesn’t lose hold of it himself.
Elliott, you wanna lend me a hand here?”
looked a few feet away and found Mesina was bearing up under a wide panel on
the side of the extractor machine. Hurrying over he hoisted it away and sat it
down. Mesina rubbed her hands together and squeezed his arm. “Thanks.”
said nothing. His arm stung a bit from where she had just squeezed him.
Whatever her kindnesses, the pinch was a reminder that even Mesina was on
another side from him.
he had no idea what the warehouse’s layout was like. He needed to see Mesina’s
map.
over to the robot he was to siege, Elliott produced the little interface device
Mesina tossed him and hooked it into a service panel on the hulking machine. As
he began to reprogram it, he knew what he had to do.
a minute or so, he spoke up. “How’s it going over there?”
she answered with a grunt as she twisted loose the last bolt on the extractor’s
controls circuitry. “How about you?”
tapped in a few more lines and said, “Done.”
Seriously?” She stood back from her own work, though it wouldn’t actually show
her what Elliott had done. Which was good, because that would ruin everything.
“Yup.”
put a hand on one hip and leaned away as if regarding him with awe, or perhaps
suspicion. “Nice work,” she said, her voice soft.
Since we’re running behind, want me to go get started on the next robot?”
was quiet for a minute, not moving or speaking. Without adding a word to the
silence, she produced the digital page and pointed to a highlighted location on
a schematic. Elliott’s heart raced. It was along the most direct route to one
of the room’s three exits.
pulled back the map and pocketed it. “I’ll join you soon,” she assured him.
lump formed in his throat for the warmth he heard in her voice. “Okay,” he
managed to reply. He spun around and walked to the next robot. Pretending to
reprogram it, he waited.
heard her yelp of surprise and didn’t look back. Sprinting for a door he’d
chosen, he heard via an earpiece the concerned inquiries as a terrible metallic
crash rang through the room. Elliott’s robot had just zoomed off to crash into
the next shelf’s extractor and tore the huge thing free, tossing it to the floor.
was pretty sure Mesina was okay, but he had other concerns. Ahead was the lanky
form of a MetaDonia team member who had turned toward the source of the sound,
which meant he was looking right at Elliott.
What was—”
blew past him, not even breaking stride. Behind he heard the sieger cursing and
knew he was after him.
to shake him, Elliott cut left at the end of the shelf and pushed himself
faster, skidding into another row, this one empty. A blessing.
had to cut back at the end of the next shelf if he was going to make it to the
door. He spared a glance back and couldn’t see the sieger. As he made the turn
to get back in line with his preferred exit, the man exploded from behind the
shelf. He hadn’t been tricked at all!
sieger tackled Elliott at a full sprint, sending both to the floor in a tumble.
As familiar aches from his last escape attempt flared all over Elliott’s body,
he forced himself to his feet. He couldn’t afford to get into a scuffle now.
“What are you doing? You’ll damage the camera!” he shouted as he edged away
toward his goal.
not stupid,” the man, Lobo, called back.
Guest Post by the Author
TEN THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE READING VEILED SUN:
- It’s A.D. 2039 and the world is filled with wonderful technology.
Mag-lev, self-driving cars controlled by AI systems. All the indexed video and audio and social profiling taken in continuously is used understand just what you need and a holographic salesperson can tell you what you want. Great if you follow the current. A nightmare if the authorities are hunting you, because you know too much.
- Who is Elliott?
The seventeen-year-old prodigy who is in an advanced placement program at a university. He’s an old soul and artist at heart, but started the Tomorrow’s Edge series working in computer science on his family’s legacy, Project Alexandria.
- What is Project Alexandria?
It’s a global software platform/initiative created by Elliott’s grandfather. It promises to give everyone in the world equal access to all human knowledge. To deliver equal access all physical media are recycled. It’s the ultimate playing field leveler and eco-conscious initiative. People love it. By the statistics, crime is down, poverty is down, pollution is down, and social cohesion is up.
- Project Alexandria is up to no good.
With no physical copies to compare against, sinister forces backing it are manipulating it contents. Daily minor changes are made within it to subtly control people.
- Elliott’s grandfather left him a big gift.
The last printed copy of Shakespeare’s complete works. Elliott’s first clue things were off was when Romeo and Juliet didn’t match Project Alexandria’s version.
- Elliott is a hopeless romantic.
And about as awkward as it gets, but Lara seems to love him anyway. Which is good, because her level-headed nature is what he needs and she is the one who discovered an extra sonnet titled “Day Moon” tucked in his grandfather’s book.
- “Day Moon” wasn’t written by Shakespeare.
It’s a sonnet with a secret message for Elliott and invisible code written on it that is part of a program Elliott’s grandfather left him, the “Veiled Sun”, which can bring down Project Alexandria.
- “Veiled Sun” is some assembly required.
Parts of the code for the “Veiled Sun” are hidden in seven print books. Once Elliott finds them he can assemble the program, execute it, and end the lies.
- Elliott failed to put together the “Veiled Sun.”
It wasn’t all his fault. He got stabbed in the back by his cousin, John, and best friend, Terrence. And played by the slick and cruel NSA Agent Hain Amar.
- Terrence stole some of the books from Elliott.
He then ran off to be with his uncle and aunt, a pair of siegers (Tomorrow’s Edge hackers). At least John apologized for his part in it. Elliott forgave him. Lara didn’t. She also was slick enough to save the sonnet “Day Moon”, meaning all is not lost.
About the Author
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