
A hardened operative steps into the heart of the Pentagon, his boots echoing against steel as he navigates a maze of security protocols that feel foreign under Earth's heavier gravity. Clad in the black uniform of the Council’s Security Police, he must convince vigilant guards and a stoic, red‑haired desk officer that he is who he claims to be—all while rehearsing the precise, almost mechanical walk he’s practiced countless times. The tension rises when he learns that a familiar rival, Senator Carl Chambers, is already waiting in the waiting room, turning a routine briefing into a silent showdown.
Inside the stark reception area, the assassin’s augmented body bears the marks of countless missions, and his swagger stick hints at a lethal past he cannot escape. As the secretary summons the Secretary of Defense, the protagonist balances his cold professionalism with a growing, uneasy awareness that the political intrigue ahead may be as dangerous as any battlefield. The stage is set for a high‑stakes game of trust, deception, and the thin line between duty and personal vendetta.
Language
en
Duration
~27 minutes (25K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2019-12-12
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
A World War II veteran and science fiction writer, he is also remembered in magic circles for creating the long-running monthly publication Magick for mentalists. His work bridges imaginative fiction and a lifelong passion for performance and illusion.
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