but I didn’t end up there. You won’t be alone, will you?”
“I’m going with my friends,” I say.
“Don’t trust anyone,” he says. “Just keep yourself safe.”
Is he worried about me? I’m intrigued. I want to wrap myself around him and tell him everything I remember about him. But what excites me the most, are all the things I don’t remember. I want to know more. I want to know if he recognizes me. Is he holding back, or is he clueless about us.
“Did you know that man,” he asks?
“No,” I say, “I’ve never met him before.”
“What’s Benson’s interest in you,” he asks?
“He’s my proctor,” I say.
“That’s all.”
“Yes,” I say.
“Can I trust you to stay here while I go and check on a few things,” he asks?
“Yes, but you need to answer one question for me,” I say, “why me?”
“I saw you this morning,” he says, “you looked pathetic, like you needed an escape, and perhaps, a place to hide.”
“This morning I saw the smoke from the wall post,” I say. “Six students didn’t arrive at the POE today.”
“I saw you leave with Benson,” he says. “You looked terrified, but your scan was unusual. You came up unknown.”
“What’s that mean,” I ask?
“Information unavailable, that’s what the program stated,” he says. “But when I just scanned you; it was normal.”
“I’m okay,” I say
“You can make a complaint,” he says.
“We both know that’s not possible,” I say. “You didn’t answer me.”
“You said my name,” he sighs. “That wall post that was destroyed, it was my home. I use to ride your shuttle, but I don’t know you. I would have seen you.”
“I have perfect attendance,” I say. “I’ve never seen you on my shuttle.”
“But,” he asks?
“But nothing,” I lie. I’m not sure if I should trust him.
“Stay here,” he says. “I’ll be back soon.”
I need a place to hide and figure out what happened between us and what to do next. I’ve learned a lot this morning, but the one thing that will stay with me, is the fact that the Federation is not as perfect, as I believed.
“I’ll stay,” I say.
CHAPTER NINE
Quinn
I leave the room. I need some fresh air. I head up to the exterior balcony. Who is this girl? She knows me; she won’t admit it, but she does. I have never met her before, I would remember. She is beautiful, in a plain and simple manner. I look out over the meadow. I remember standing here as a student. It is one of my favorite spots at the POE.
My visual display beeps, “access text.”
NOTIFICATION: All officers to the security office.
I enter the room. Max, Smith, and all of the other officers are gathered around the monitors. I’m the last one to arrive. Max turns around and waves me over.
“Look,” he points to an image on the monitor, “an off-line life force.”
“Within the wall, in the Federation,” I ask?
“Right here,” he says. “Smith found him.”
“And then I lost him,” he says. “He seems to have some sort of device that scrambles our scanners.”
“Are we ready for this,” I ask?
“Don’t doubt the solidity of the Federation,” Max says. “We are strong.”
“I’m not,” I say, “I have confidence, but the technology of the rebels is exceeding our estimations.”
“We think he’s in the building,” Smith says. “It makes sense; the energy spikes were centralized around the POE.”
“We’ve scanned the entire building,” a tech officer says, “and we’ve found nothing. All life forces are accounted for and within protocol.”
Everyone is busy searching monitors for any unusual activity. It seems we have to rely on our human senses, and not our Federation program. I sit at a screen, but I look up Emma Greene. I need to know who she is, and who she is not.
Her file pops up, and it all looks perfect. I stare at her picture. I know I would remember her, how could I forget her.
The other officers leave. Max orders
“I’m going with my friends,” I say.
“Don’t trust anyone,” he says. “Just keep yourself safe.”
Is he worried about me? I’m intrigued. I want to wrap myself around him and tell him everything I remember about him. But what excites me the most, are all the things I don’t remember. I want to know more. I want to know if he recognizes me. Is he holding back, or is he clueless about us.
“Did you know that man,” he asks?
“No,” I say, “I’ve never met him before.”
“What’s Benson’s interest in you,” he asks?
“He’s my proctor,” I say.
“That’s all.”
“Yes,” I say.
“Can I trust you to stay here while I go and check on a few things,” he asks?
“Yes, but you need to answer one question for me,” I say, “why me?”
“I saw you this morning,” he says, “you looked pathetic, like you needed an escape, and perhaps, a place to hide.”
“This morning I saw the smoke from the wall post,” I say. “Six students didn’t arrive at the POE today.”
“I saw you leave with Benson,” he says. “You looked terrified, but your scan was unusual. You came up unknown.”
“What’s that mean,” I ask?
“Information unavailable, that’s what the program stated,” he says. “But when I just scanned you; it was normal.”
“I’m okay,” I say
“You can make a complaint,” he says.
“We both know that’s not possible,” I say. “You didn’t answer me.”
“You said my name,” he sighs. “That wall post that was destroyed, it was my home. I use to ride your shuttle, but I don’t know you. I would have seen you.”
“I have perfect attendance,” I say. “I’ve never seen you on my shuttle.”
“But,” he asks?
“But nothing,” I lie. I’m not sure if I should trust him.
“Stay here,” he says. “I’ll be back soon.”
I need a place to hide and figure out what happened between us and what to do next. I’ve learned a lot this morning, but the one thing that will stay with me, is the fact that the Federation is not as perfect, as I believed.
“I’ll stay,” I say.
CHAPTER NINE
Quinn
I leave the room. I need some fresh air. I head up to the exterior balcony. Who is this girl? She knows me; she won’t admit it, but she does. I have never met her before, I would remember. She is beautiful, in a plain and simple manner. I look out over the meadow. I remember standing here as a student. It is one of my favorite spots at the POE.
My visual display beeps, “access text.”
NOTIFICATION: All officers to the security office.
I enter the room. Max, Smith, and all of the other officers are gathered around the monitors. I’m the last one to arrive. Max turns around and waves me over.
“Look,” he points to an image on the monitor, “an off-line life force.”
“Within the wall, in the Federation,” I ask?
“Right here,” he says. “Smith found him.”
“And then I lost him,” he says. “He seems to have some sort of device that scrambles our scanners.”
“Are we ready for this,” I ask?
“Don’t doubt the solidity of the Federation,” Max says. “We are strong.”
“I’m not,” I say, “I have confidence, but the technology of the rebels is exceeding our estimations.”
“We think he’s in the building,” Smith says. “It makes sense; the energy spikes were centralized around the POE.”
“We’ve scanned the entire building,” a tech officer says, “and we’ve found nothing. All life forces are accounted for and within protocol.”
Everyone is busy searching monitors for any unusual activity. It seems we have to rely on our human senses, and not our Federation program. I sit at a screen, but I look up Emma Greene. I need to know who she is, and who she is not.
Her file pops up, and it all looks perfect. I stare at her picture. I know I would remember her, how could I forget her.
The other officers leave. Max orders
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