The government of Earth has one main secret weapon in its cold war against its former colony worlds--telepathic spies. But what even the spies don't know is that once they reach their late thirties, they begin to develop strange symptoms that leave them mentally and physically unstable. The Terran Intelligence Agency routinely terminates these unstable telepaths to keep them from threatening the stability of the project as a whole.
Alain Cheney is one of the best telepathic agents in the TIA's arsenal. For 14 years he's been loyal and dependable. But now that he's showing symptoms of the instability, the Agency decides to eliminate him--and just when a secret development occurs that could change the future of the inhabited galaxy.
To survive, Alain must find safety somewhere. But he can't trust his enemies, and certainly not his friends....
Genre: FICTION / Science Fiction / Space OperaAlain Cheney sat quietly in the spaceliner’s passenger lounge, face buried in his hands. He caressed his forehead delicately with his fingers, as though by massaging the skin outside his skull he could ease the pulsing pain growing within it. His eyes were closed against the bright light of the room, and he had intentionally slowed his breathing down to a steady, rhythmic pattern to help him cope with the pain.
There was a presence approaching him. With a minimum of mental exertion, Alain could read that it was a ship’s steward who had noticed this one passenger left sitting in the lounge. As the man came nearer, a picture of conflicting emotions grew sharper in Alain’s mind. The steward was concerned because the passenger was not looking well; he was also annoyed because he’d hoped to leave the ship early, and this complication could conceivably delay his departure.
As he came within what he considered acceptable limits, the steward spoke aloud. “Are you all right, sir?”
Alain lifted his head and opened his eyes. He looked straight into the man’s face and tried to project both confidence and normality. “Yes, fine, thank you.”
“Almost everyone else has disembarked, sir.” Assured now that the passenger was not ill, the steward’s mood shifted subtly over to impatience. As an afterthought he added, “Were you needing any further services?”
“No, I… I just wanted a few last moments here in the lounge before leaving. It was such a nice trip I wanted to store up my memories of it by sitting here a while longer. I hope I’m not inconveniencing you.”
“Oh no, sir, not at all,” the steward said, while all his thoughts contradicted his words. This was an inconvenience, and the sooner the passenger left, the better the steward would like it.
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Portuguese
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Already translated.
Translated by Alexandra Ouro Rodrigues
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