"A ha!" Liam spun the tome about and pointed at a particular passage. "I knew it! Have a look for yourself."

She picked up the queen from the chessboard. It was as she'd left it years ago -- he'd never moved the pieces after she stormed out. Ari took all of the dust covered study in; it was hers now. "Checkmate," she mumbled as she set the piece down.

The sleek craft circled the skyscraper's roof. Its ionic field hummed and crackled as finally came to a rest. Marcus strode from the skycar but paused when he heard the clamor. “What is that?”

The AI responded as coolly as he was accustomed to: “Over ten thousand demonstrators have gathered around the building.”

Wind and sound raged around him. The blast laid him on his back, and everything went silent.

Goosebumps speckled his arm. “What is that? It sounds like a cello mating with a buzz saw.”

“Its the flare. The particles are causing the hull to resonate.”

The pounding on the door was loud and resonant – books on the shelves juddered. “Open up!”

He slid a fresh clip into his gun. “I'll be right out!”

Sidel gasped and sat straight up in bed. She pulled the covers tighter even though sweat clung to her in the humid air.