Elite: The Dark Wheel Page 7

  'Empty,' Alex said, and Rafe Zetter laughed.

  'You'll do for the Dark Wheel, Alex. You'll do…'

  --------------------------------------

  From the Back Cover of The Novella

  READ THE NOVEL/PLAY THE GAME

  A BOY WITH STARS IN HIS EYES

  SHOOTING THE RAPIDS OF HEAVEN

  On his inaugural flight as a 'harmless' combateer, Alex Ryder experienced the sharp divide between Sim-combat and live action in the fast lane of Witch-Space. Seated next to his father, the occasion (a celebration!) was suddenly jarred by the fatal laser fire of a fellow trader…

  Emerging from unconsciousness aboard a Moray hospital ship. Alex's first impression was conditioned by a sleazy holoFac of Rafe Zetter (a friend of

  Alex's father who has blotted his legal status by trading in slaves). As Alex's mind grappled with his senses, his desperate questions seemed to provoke still more perplexing riddles from the old warrior.

  What had the trader hoped to gain (their cargo had been almost worthless)?

  Why had Jason Ryder stayed to engage the attacker, when he could have bailed out with Alex? What had he meant by 'Raxxla! Remember Raxxla!', as Alex slid into his escape pod?

  But gradually, with Zetter's help, Alex began to assemble some pieces of the jigsaw. His father was no simple trader, far from it; he had been one of the few — an йlite combateer. The marauding trader was no bounty hunter, but an assassin programmed to kill.

  As a thirst for revenge spurred the fury of Alex's emotions, he understood that Jason's mission must now become his. To succeed, he too would have to prove himself worthy of — THE ORDER OF ELITE

  a fighting quality far beyond courage, macho and cool precision

  --------------------------------------

  'Elite: The Dark Wheel' is a novella written by Rob Holdstock and inspired by the intergalactic space trading adventure program, ELITE, by David Braben and Ian Bell.

  Elite is a Trade Mark of Acornsoft Limited (c) Acornsoft 1984 (c) BT 1985

  Firebird is a Trade Mark of British Telecommunications PLC.

  --------------------------------------

  Complete Novella typed in by Paul Thompson, March 2003

  Table of Contents

  Robert Holdstock The Dark Wheel Chapter one

  Chapter two

  Chapter three

  Chapter four

  Chapter five

  Chapter six

  Chapter seven

  Chapter eight: Coda

 

 

  Robert Holdstock, Elite: The Dark Wheel

 

 

  Thank you for reading books on Archive.BookFrom.Net
Share this book with friends