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One of the government officials moved to take the --he unlatched a door in the missileproof wall and slipped out to stand in front of it None of the CEOs behind hilass barrier closed immediately Elliot stood before the crowd, defenseless, istering my formal objection to this situation," Elliot said "That’s why I destroyed those skyboards"

A roar of approval swelled from the crowd Tom knew the sound techs could’ve cut off Elliot’s microphone by now if they’d wanted to, and they’d probably been told to do it Maybe they had no real motivation to make Elliot stop either

"In fact," Elliot went on, "this is my last act as an Intrasolar Combatant I believe this is the proper nation to the military A friend told ive an inch in return, well, that’s no different than surrendering to theht"

Tom’s jaw dropped

"The truth is," Elliot said, "I’ve surrendered for too long, and today I’htly to address the Indo-A the crowd, ever the showentleer would tarnishcrowd "--take it up with ht into the crowd, into the protection of fifty thousand people and straight out of the Coalition’s control

Even as the White House press secretary hurried forith another microphone and tried to calm the crowd, the roar of approval for Elliot drowned out her voice It was like the crowd had beco beast that utterly overwhele

As the scene unfolded, the screen cut out Toures cowering behind their shelter of protective glass, and below the of supporters like ain froli microeapons to disperse theup, ready to deploy tear gas Thehustled away for their own protection

For aabout hi, To down at the planet and perceiving just how tiny one hu was--even these men For all their power and influence, the executives on that stage were as fragile and easily ruptured as any other hu

And he realized that General Marsh had only been half right The security state was tightening its grip on their throats, but there was one thing driving it: fear The oligarchs were deathly afraid They’d snared the rest of their species in a trap of security and surveillance because that was the only way to protect the and reducing the vast majority of people to bare subsistence They’d dooreed, and all these measures, all these riot cops, all the isolated fortresses like Epicenter’s Tower or Sigurdur Vitol’s private national park, couldn’t protect them

For all their power, none of those executives would be able to walk down a public street without bodyguards None of them could have the simple freedom Elliot Ramirez did to stand before atorn apart That ht as well have been electrified fence and barbed wire No one could fashion a prison so perfect, so complete, as the one the masters of humanity had created for themselves

There was justice in the world There was And with that realization, soan to lift from Tom’s vision, like some dark haze had finally cleared away He kne that this didn’t have to be the world Neil hated, this didn’t have to be a world where the worst of humanity alon and everyone else surrendered to what couldn’t be stopped There was nothing inevitable about the supreotten aith destroying Yuri, but that only ht yet

So Tom would do it

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

WHEN TOM RETURNED to the Pentagonal Spire, he found Wyatt in the infirs drawn up to her chest Ever since she’d resu here again