Read Eye of the Storm for Free Online

hand, then turns to Alex. “Good to have you back, my man.” He nods at Risha. “Planning more work in bio-botanicals?”
    She shakes her head. “I’d rather be in the cloning lab this summer if I can. Tomas was telling me about it, and it sounds interesting.”
    While Risha talks with Van, I reach over my shoulder to get my DataSlate from my backpack. I want to see if Mom answered the message I sent after dinner last night. Reception in the jungle’s probably too spotty for videophone to work, but she should at least have text messaging.
    â€œThey’re going to take that,” Alex says. “No outside technology in the beginning.”
    â€œReally?” I pretend to be surprised.
    â€œGot a drive you can put your stuff on so you don’t lose too much when they destroy it?”
    â€œDestroy it?”
    Alex raises his eyebrows. “Last kid who brought a DataSlate had to watch while they took it out back and ran over it with the Eye on Tomorrow field trip vehicle. They tried to run him over, too, but he was fast.” A smile creeps onto his face.
    â€œVery funny.”
    â€œI’m just messing with you. They
will
take it for now, though. You can get it at the end of the day.”
    Sure enough, Van steps up and holds out his hand. “Sorry, Alex speaks the truth.”
    I give it to him, and he points us toward the auditorium. “Let’s head into orientation and get this show on the road.”
    I end up sitting between Alex and Risha, but all her attention turns toward Tomas when he arrives. “You’re doing cloning again, right? Because that’s what I’m requesting.”
    â€œSo, Jaden,” Alex says. “You and I kind of have the same area of interest.”
    â€œYeah, I’ve always liked weather,” is all I can think to say. My fingers are itching for the DataSlate Van took away. Even if I can’t connect with Mom, having it makes me feel like she’s not so far away.
    â€œAll right, campers! Good morning!” Van bounds down the wide steps to the podium at the front of the auditorium. “I’m going to help you get your bearings. These first few days, we’ll walk through the facilities and review rules and regulations.”
    Van presses a button on the podium, and legs grow up from out of the floor in front of us, materializing from the shiny black shoeson up. I know it’s only a holo-sim, but it still startles me. Within a few seconds, the figure has a torso, arms, a neck. And finally, a face.
    My father’s face.
    And my father’s voice.
    â€œGood morning, Eye on Tomorrow campers.”
    Dad’s American StormSafe employees opened Eye on Tomorrow four years ago, right after he left for Russia, but it doesn’t surprise me that it’s his face and voice greeting the campers. Even from overseas, Dad would have made sure his vision played out the way he wanted.
    â€œWe are so very glad that you’re here,” the holo-sim says.
    It’s just a computer-generated projection, but it makes my hands go cold, as if this picture made of light has Dad’s real eyes and mind. Does it know I brought my DataSlate even though he said not to? That it was confiscated?
    I look up, but the eyes on the holo-sim look like they’re focused on something in the back of the auditorium. No one else seems fazed by Dad’s appearance. Tomas is watching Risha doodle on her notebook, zeros and ones like those on her bracelets. I watch, too, for a second, until Dad’s voice starts up again.
    â€œAs you know, Eye on Tomorrow is a special place. Here, you’ll be provided with the most exclusive data sets, the most advanced technology, the most elite instructors . . .”
    I glance over at Van and catch him mouthing the words that holo-Dad must deliver to every new summer crew.
    â€œAlong with that privilege comes responsibility. Here at Eye on Tomorrow, we expect campers to