Read Ouroboros 2: Before for Free Online Page B

to ever find out that we gave up,’ she whistled through her teeth.
    He chuckled. It wasn’t the best joke he’d ever heard, in fact, it wasn’t even funny, but she’d made it. So he laughed.
    Then they did it, they headed out.
    It was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. It was at once completely different from every proper United Galactic Coalition mission he had ever been on, and yet exactly the same as the incredible adventure stories he’d enjoy as a child.
    Tales that had been filled with crazy scientific explanations, unfeasible amounts of danger, ludicrously violent enemies, and stupidly specific missions.
    Realizing how ironic that was did not, however, dampen how serious this situation was.
    Because nothing could.
    That thought steeled him, and Carson rustled up what determination and courage he would need for what he knew would come next.
     

Chapter 4
    Cadet Nida Harper
    She was strangely distracted.
    It was strange, because she had a lot that should be commanding her attention. An entity from another dimension resided within her body, and if she did not return it to its home, all of reality could be destroyed.
    . . . .
    And yet, she couldn’t help but recall, in exact and exquisite detail, how tenderly Carson had applied the disguise. From the neck ridges, to the spots, to the hair, her cheeks and scalp still tingled from his precise touch.
    Which was just stupid. For one, he was Carson Blake, and for another, hello, she had the weight of the universe on her shoulders. She was allowing herself to be distracted by the most trivial of facts, and she had to push all memory of him away.
    Which was very, very hard, considering he was right by her side.
    They had finally left the house. And it felt strangely like leaving her home, even though she’d only resided in it for half a day. Still, it was undeniably scary to leave those solid stone walls and step out into the world around.
    Dusk was starting to settle in, and it was longer and filled with more vibrant reds and gem-like purples and oranges than its equivalent on Earth.
    She did not have the time to appreciate it though. Neither did she have the opportunity to judge just how lovely the meadow and forests around her were.
    They were lush, and the grass was soft, long, and looked almost exactly like the lawns and pastures of her home world.
    The trees were somewhat different though, taller, lanky, and their foliage was tinged with orange and blue.
    Still, just like trees everywhere, they had a lovely, age old, calming presence.
    She would have adored the chance to pluck Carson’s scanner up, and spend the rest of the night investigating them. That, after all, was what a good cadet of the Galactic Coalition Academy should do. Her primary ream it was exploration. But somehow she doubted that Carson would let her lounge around in the forest for the rest of the day.
    ‘ There is a densely packed populace approximately 20 kilometers from this position,’ he suddenly announced as he regarded his scanner.
    ‘ 20 kilometers?’
    He closed the scanner and nodded at her. ‘If we walk fast, we will be able to make it tonight,’ he said, sounding exactly like a determined Academy lieutenant.
    She made a face though. She couldn’t help it. She was still, despite her eight hours slumber, tired. There was this . . . aching weariness in her bones. Though she could move, and in a pinch, she could run, she was aware she had to be careful.
    Despite the fact Carson was still looking at her, expecting a reply, she suddenly turned her attention to her left hand. Even though it was covered by one of her black gloves, she turned it around, considering it intently.
    ‘ What is it?’ He whispered, despite the fact they were very much alone.
    ‘ Nothing, 20 kilometers? One night? Okay, I guess we can make it.’
    He considered her with pursed lips, and maybe he was about to point out that fitness was a necessary ingredient to a successful cadet. But he