Read Fall of the Core: Netcast 01 (The Frontiers Saga) for Free Online

uncontrolled falls after instantly being rendered unconscious by the stunners.”
    The view screen flashed red several times. Hanna could see red, needle-like beams streaking across the screen as the orb zoomed out to capture the events.
    “We’re seeing weapons fire,” Hanna reported. The image shifted to another orb, then another, and another, as a full-on firefight erupted on the elevated decks below them. People ran in every direction seeking cover while federal troops holstered their stunners and reached for their own energy weapons. Personal shields flickered to life as the soldiers attempted to protect themselves from the incoming fire, but several of them were too late, taking energy blasts directly. Fellow soldiers dropped to their knees in front of their fallen comrades, taking the incoming fire with their own shielding to protect the wounded. Then it happened.
    “Oh dear God,” Hanna exclaimed. On the view screen, federal soldiers protected by personal energy shields stepped forward through the ranks, lowered their weapons, and opened fire. Powerful bolts of yellow-orange energy tore through the protesters, cutting them down mercilessly. The barrage only lasted a few seconds, after which the scene fell eerily still. “Federal troops have just opened fire on the crowd, after receiving incoming fire from unknown assailants. Dozens of protesters are wounded, possibly dead…”
    There was another flash of light, this time a reddish yellow. The image from the orb broke up and disappeared.
    “I just lost an orb,” Graham yelled as the shuttle shook violently. “Fuck, I lost three of them, no, four!”
    “Was it the military?” Arielle asked. “Did they disable them?”
    “No, look!” Hanna pointed out the shuttle window. A plume of smoke rose to the left of the hovering shuttle, not more than a few meters away.
    “Bomb!” the pilot shouted. “Hang on!”
    Another flash of reddish yellow light, this time to their right, shook the shuttle again.
    “I’m climbing!” the pilot yelled as the buildings began to fall away.
    “Shit!” Graham grabbed hold of the overhead rail to steady himself. His orb case slid across the floor toward the open side door, but he managed to stick his foot in its path at the last moment.
    The image feed from one of the orbs came back up on the porta-cam’s prompter view screen. Federal troops were firing like mad into the crowd as explosions went off all around them. Those that were not firing were dragging their wounded back from the crowd.
    “Someone in the crowd is throwing explosive devices…” Hanna began.
    “Those are incendiary grenades!” Graham shouted.
    “…possibly incendiary grenades at the federal troops. Soldiers are returning fire with heavy energy weapons. Both sides appear to be retreating, but loss of life is undoubtedly heavy…”
    They heard another explosion, this one closer than the last.
    “This is bullshit!” the pilot exclaimed. “I’m getting us the fuck out of here, now!”
    “…for both sides…”
    The image on the porta-cam’s prompter view screen went dead, replaced a moment later by an image of Hanna’s face.
    “I’ve lost them all,” Graham sunk into his chair, defeated.
    Hanna let loose her hold on the side rail, adjusting her jacket and flipping her hair out of her face. She looked at the porta-cam and began speaking in shaky voice. “I’ve been told by our pilot that it is no longer safe for us to remain over the incident. This is Hanna Bohl, reporting to you live from downtown Brooklyn New York, where federal troops have just opened fire on protesters. Back to you.”
    * * *
    “Good morning, I’m Hanna Bohl. In the headlines this hour- Victim counts increase as the bio-digital plague continues to spread around the globe. World governments are beginning to shut down public transportation. Most major nations are imposing Martial law as rioting and looting continues unabated. Waiting times for removal of neuro-digital