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.Thesurgery had to have been dangerous.If he was unwilling to risk his identity, why help Leviat all? Was it a lingering sense of guilt?Or perhaps Tiergan wanted Levi to go after Surayo Corporation, but not him.After all,Tiergan had filed those official reports.But he was not opposed enough to change jobs.When push came to shove, he workedfor them.The fact that Tiergan was over forty years old was another disconcerting aspect of thewhole affair.Tiergan lived only because of cybernetics and physical enhancements.Therewas something deeply unnatural about Tiergan that made him look so young, and be sostrong.Levi recalled his steady heartbeat, even in the throes of passion, and wondered howmuch of Tiergan was still human, and how much was machine.A man walked past Levi in the alleyway.He gave Levi an odd glance and thencontinued his way toward Washoe Street.Levi realized he did look absurd, wearing a well-pressed suit and hiding behind a dumpster.He had dressed carefully for his first live netcast, A Policy of Lies 129spent a good amount of time that sleepless morning on his hair, and prepared himself for hismajor debut.After this morning, Levi s life would be forever changed.His career would rise,his fame would increase -- his lifelong goal accomplished.With his camera, Levi zoomed in and watched a line of patients form near the entranceof the clinic.Yawning, stumbling, carrying loved ones, the sick of Washoe formed an orderlyline along the wall of the clinic, making themselves as comfortable as possible for the longwait.And then Levi saw Tiergan.He walked to the clinic, a hitch in his step.Using his camera, Levi saw his face.Itlooked as though Tiergan hadn t slept either.His eyes were red and raw, his nose slightlyswollen, and he looked miserable.Good.Levi fought back the instinctive desire to comfort him.Tiergan mumbled greetings to his patients quietly.Kera met him at the door.She tookone look at his face, and suddenly the two of them whispered together as he opened theclinic doors.Levi couldn t hear what they said, but Kera dropped her bag and huggedTiergan tightly.She rubbed his back.Levi felt an unjustified stab of jealousy.And then disgust.How could Kera hug the man who had been part of the regime thathad burned her face, ripped out her eye?Tiergan and Kera entered the clinic, closing the door behind them.They didn tofficially open until nine.Levi knew Tiergan and Kera would be preparing the room for theonslaught of patients.Levi looked toward the end of Washoe Street, toward the shuttle station.The cameracrew would be arriving any moment.Levi s operator beeped in his pocket.He withdrew further behind the dumpster andtook the call.It was Rowan.He smiled at Levi. Hey, star reporter.How are you doing? 130 Astrid AmaraLevi nodded. Fine.Is the crew on its way? Yes.Where are Tiergan and Kera? They just went inside the clinic.The doors to the public will open in a few minutes. Rowan nodded. No problem.The crew should be there momentarily.I want you to goin now, before the patients fill the clinic.I don t want footage of him helping the poor.Itdetracts from the torturer angle. Levi nodded again. I ll be inside in a minute.Tell the crew to meet me at the door. Rowan smiled at him. Everything for the live feed is ready on this end.I have theimplant footage and the report paragraphs ready to be interspersed with the interview. Good. Levi felt sick rather than pleased. I m ready. This is your moment, Levi, Rowan told him.He looked moved. I m proud of you.Sorry I had to be an ass to get us here, but this story is going to shake the system in everyinhabited colony across the universe.In two hours time, Surayo Corporation s name will bedisgraced. The thought gave Levi courage. I won t let you down, he told Rowan.Rowan closedthe connection, and Levi pocketed his operator.Levi stepped toward the clinic but hesitated.This was his moment of triumph, and hefelt like he was going to puke.How disappointing.He had hoped success would taste sweet.But as he thought of what he was about to do to Tiergan, expose him, make him suffer, Levicouldn t conjure any sense of righteousness, only guilt.Remember what he did to those people.Levi hardened his resolve.He had waited too long.It was almost nine, and the camera crew would be there anysecond.Levi craned his neck to look for them.He was so distracted by the thought of theirimpending arrival that he didn t hear the rumble of the helicopter.He only saw it, briefly, asit hovered over the clinic, and then flew away.Levi had never seen a helicab in this part oftown before. A Policy of Lies 131That was the last coherent thought he had before the ground beneath him shook andthe clinic exploded into flames. 132 Astrid AmaraChapter FifteenThe explosion blew Levi backward, slamming his shoulder into the concrete wall of thebuilding beside him.He crumpled to the ground, landing hard on the steel grates of the alley.The metal bit into his palms.He glanced up in time to roll out of the way of debris from thefalling dumpster.Levi s body shook with adrenalin as he fought for breath.Dark gray smoke billowedfrom the clinic.The roof was engulfed in flame.Patients were on fire.Bystanders screamed.Traffic came to a halt.Everything was collapsing, everything in chaos.Tiergan and Kera were still inside the building.Levi ran toward the clinic, his right shoulder pulsing with pain.There were no sirens, no sounds of rescue.Levi pushed past the panicked throngs.Hegagged on the smell of burning hair.Twisted rebar protruded from large crumbling chunksof concrete.Paper and shriveled pieces of plastic fell from the sky like rain.Levi choked onthe dust in the air so thick he could barely see
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Tematy
IndexSexual Awakenings 4 Curtains Angelica Chase
Lachlan M D Synowie boga 01 Synowie boga (2)
Barbara Bretton GdzieÂś w przeszłoÂści
Feliks Koneczny Dzieje ÂŚląska
Koontz R.Dean Twarz
Krzysztof J. Kwiatkowski SURVIVAL PO POLSKU
CzÄ…stka ciebie Ella Harper
PS 20 Tomasz Olszakowski Pan Samochodzik i Arka Noego
Campbell Jack Zaginiona flota 06 Zwycieski
Tomasz Duszyński Produkt uboczny