Read Ashlyn Chronicles 1: 2287 A.D. for Free Online Page B

the betterment of humanity. I will not lecture you. I will only say—be a good king. Before I send you off on your journey of self-discovery, though, I must give you one last order. I know that I am powerless to enforce it, but it is imperative that you understand the strength behind my conviction. It pertains to the vial in the case. It contains a critically needed dampener that must be taken several hours in advance of your first physical contact with Ashlyn. The dampener will slow the changes taking place inside you. As each change occurs, you will become stronger both physically and mentally. For your protection, you will lose consciousness for hours or even days at a time. That is why you must put yourself under the watchful eye of a doctor for the next eight weeks.”
    Victor Gregor, Steven’s friend and requested medic, sitting safely in the transport high above, was watching and listening to every word. “Hear that, Steven? Looks like you’re my new guinea pig.”
    Tynabo continued, “Be warned that if for any reason you don’t take the dampener before your first physical contact with Ashlyn, the result will be instant insanity. That first of the many stages is critically important. Should you not take it, all of our centuries of work here will have been for nothing.
    “It should also be told that Ashlyn took the dampener at the same time she received the K9 extender on her 24 th birthday. As for you, due to your personal state of affairs, you didn’t receive the dampener when you took the K9 extender. President Tomlinson said he would discuss the situation with you privately, when next he saw you. But of course, then the attack came. I am truly sorry that things did not work out as smoothly as we had planned for you. I know that Ashlyn’s existence will challenge your loyalty, and make you question your heart. It is unavoidable. Like myself, President Tomlinson was aware of your relationship with Renee. But, we also trust that you will find a solution. Wisdom is one of the things with which you have been endowed.
    “When you take the elevator to the room below, you will find thousands of occupied stasis chambers.” The doctor again paused as emotions overtook him. “Out of them, only Ashlyn still lives. The two of you were the last of our children—as we had finally achieved perfection.”
    The doctor’s head bowed and it was near a minute before he looked up, his tearful eyes full of conviction. “By our choice, we have terminated the life support of our children—our earlier creations. Compared to you and Ashlyn—they were unimportant. As are my wife and I now—unimportant.”
    “He murdered them? The bastard murdered them all?” said Paris, stunned.
    “I don’t expect you to understand our decision, and neither do I ask for your forgiveness. Perhaps someday you will understand that our actions were mandatory, without prejudice. It is imperative that you and Ashlyn survive. It is also why on this day we will join our children in death. We have spent these last months reprogramming the computer. The system no longer requires human interaction. Every ounce of this facility’s power, reserves, and oversight is now devoted to Ashlyn’s preservation, which is also your preservation. It is all we have left to give. We have completed what we set out to do. Few people can make such a claim.”
    Tynabo took a moment to himself, before he again continued, “To conclude, the patch in this box is a symbol, Steven—a symbol of humanity’s need to dream, adapt, and reach for the stars. You are our ‘one small step for man’, but together, you and Ashlyn are our ‘one giant leap for mankind’. Lastly, to open the stasis chamber holding Ashlyn, you need merely find it. You are the key. The electrical field your mind is emitting is keyed to open it. You might say that it is ‘mind over matter’.
    The security system is set to give you 20 minutes from the conclusion of this recording to find Ashlyn.