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Authors: Holly McCaghren

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While these
acts were criminal and tragic in nature, the individuals responsible will be
held accountable and brought to justice. They will be handed over to law enforcement
immediately.

We extend our
deepest regrets and sympathies to those affected by these cruel and thoughtless
acts.  Nothing can replace what was stolen from them, but we hope that being
set free from the false accusations after all these years will bring peace and
the ability to start fresh, combined with the knowledge that those immoral 
individuals will be swiftly dealt with for their misconduct.

 

Even though EngineerCorp appeared to be cooperating fully
with law enforcement and everyone else involved, there was a move for a formal
inquiry into all proceedings and business dealings that EngineerCorp had for
the past decade.

However, the subsequent support for such a decision
mysteriously vanished, allowing the issue to be dropped just as quickly. 

A few of Eric's clients informed him of their imminent
departure from any and all business dealings with him. They reasoned that they
could not trust their projects to a company whose employees were free to break
the law and cover it up.

It wasn't the ending Alice would have hoped for, but it was
the first step to making the world free from tyrants like Eric. 

It was disgusting to watch the events unfold, but EngineerCorp
was right about one thing. Garrett was finally freed from his past. Reporters
harassed Garrett unabashedly, trying to interview him about his feelings on the
issue, how he thought this could have happened, what his plans for the future
were…

He finally gave them a statement, saying only that he too
was "saddened" by the audacity of greed that some people possessed,
but that he would use his second chance to make Cyberconn the leader in
technology that it was always meant to be.

When things started to settle down again, Alice was unsure
of what to do next. In the end, she chose to work with Garrett and help him get
Cyberconn back in the market.  If she wanted to ensure that EngineerCorp would
not remain a monopoly, the only way to do that would be to provide "healthy"
competition.

Alice thought about her life and how much it had changed in
such a short time. She felt bold, confident, and powerful. Three things that
she never would have imagined feeling.  While it had been a traumatic
experience for her, she found she was glad of how it changed her. It served to
fling her far beyond her comfort zone, to a place she never would have gone
otherwise. She would have never met Garrett, nor been able to do any of the
miraculous things that now seemed second nature to her.

 Going into the future, she was sure of only one thing. No
matter what happened, she would do her best to live up to the calling she had
been given.

 

 

Epilogue

Shortly after Garrett was absolved, he released prototypes
for the Memory Keeper to the market. The technology was unmatched and instantly
became an overnight success.  Cyberconn began to flourish, and Garrett found
himself regaining the enthusiasm and hope he had lost all those years before. 
He had both the means and foundation to become a world leader in technology. Alice
had given him a second chance, and he wasn't about to waste it.

Alice stayed, aiding him whenever she could. Her unique
intelligence continuously allowed her to develop technology that kept Cyberconn
flourishing. Eventually, what began as a friendship of convenience blossomed
into a relationship. Soon after, Alice found herself falling in love with
Garrett. 

She enjoyed her work, but she also found ways to help
others. If people were in dire need of a certain undeveloped technology, more
often than not, they would receive an anonymous "gift," complete with
blueprints and a prototype.

She became known as the "Silent Savior," which
was a source of much amusement between her and Garrett.

Alice never told anyone about her powers. She debated
telling Garrett many times, but then stopped herself at the last moment. She
feared what he would think of her if he knew, so she refrained from telling him
until such a day came when she could no longer hide it. The only person who
knew, or at least who thought he knew, was Eric.

Not a day went by that she didn't think about what could
have happened if Gabriel hadn't shown up. Would she have been buried forever in
some darkened corner of EngineerCorp, never to see the light of day again? She
wondered what her life would have been like if Eric had gotten his way and she
was still his prisoner.  But most of all, Alice wondered what Eric was doing
now and if he ever thought about her. She hoped, for both their sakes, that he
had moved on with his life.

Eric's wound healed, but not without leaving some lasting
damage. Most of the time, he was forced to walk with a cane. He hated his
dependence on it, but he had no choice. Not a day passed that he did not think
of the girl that caused the events leading to his injury. The girl that almost
toppled his empire and somehow managed to slip through his fingers.  When he
wasn't working in his lab, Eric often found himself in his office, staring out
the clear glass across his vast domain.  Leaning on his cane, his thoughts were
filled with vengeance.

Eric would see Alice again one day…that was a certainty.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

 

Holly McCaghren was born and raised in the Houston, Texas
area. "Mind Trace" is her debut novel and first adventure into the
publishing world after years of an overactive imagination at work. With a
background heavy in engineering and technical information, Holly has a unique
viewpoint that helped to inspire the story of Alice McArthur.

 

While "Mind Trace" was designed to be a stand-alone novel, Holly
has expressed tentative plans to continue Alice's adventures in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOOK: Mind Trace
7.62Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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