The Spy Who Loved Me – Excerpt No. 40

11 October 2026

“Why would that affect this facility?”

Lois reached out with her arm, and Smythe grabbed on. She helped him out of the pod, but his legs began to wobble. Instead of holding steady. She moved away entirely and let him plop to the ground.

“That’s for shooting me,” Lois said curtly. “The insurrectionists have managed to find two of these facilities…”

The word insurrectionist certainly did not inspire confidence. The masses were clearly not going to stand by as the rich and powerful along with their governments left them to suffocate on the dying surface.

Three armed operators in black tactical gear and helmets move down a white cryogenic corridor with rifles raised, advancing past a row of glass-fronted stasis pods. Smoke hangs in the air; a red emergency light glows at the far end. In the foreground a figure in a blood-stained white coat lies on the glossy floor. To the right another body in dark tactical gear lies face-down in a pool of blood, a rifle beside them. A further casualty is visible down the hall. The image is a square photograph with an aged cream border.

Disclaimer: This novel is an work in progress and readers may encounter grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Please view this a draft and not a published work.