and they took the red corridor. At the end of the hall, clearly indicated with a flashing sign was the transportation room. The huge glass doors showed a brilliant white room, almost blinding in its intensity.
Men were fiddling around, moving like worker bees while women seemed intent over the analysis of a report. Much of the action centered around a table.
“It looks more like an operating room than a transportation unit.” Matthew halted his advance and glanced at Jocelyn. “You want me to go ahead and take a look?”
“No,” she said with conviction. “I want to see Jacob. Whatever’s going on in that room, I want to see him.”
With slow, steady paces they advanced. A worker moved away from the table, giving them a glimpse of a metal object lying atop it. Two tubular shafts were joined together with a spring, a hydraulic system giving it freedom of movement. One shaft ended with an odd looking claw or clamp while the other was bound to a larger encasement of smooth shining metal. Topped with a dome of smoky glass, it made for an enigma.
“What in the world is that?”
“Looks like they are building his transportation device.”
One narrow column sprouted from the large encasement, its extremity a series of small rotating wheels.
“I think Jacob may have gotten his story wrong. This doesn’t seem to have anything to do with transportation at all.”
“Give it time,” Matthew said as they came to the glass.
A sigh of triumph emanated from the gathering around the table and several workers backed away. Four workers took a hold of each side of the large encasement and put the object upright on the floor.
The large wheels gave it mobility, and the large encasement served as the torso while the joined tubular shafts appeared to have the function of arms, with the claw acting as a hand.
However, when they removed the glass dome, Jocelyn let out a scream of horror.
All heads turned toward them as her shouts when on and on. Unable to contain herself, she shrieked helplessly. The sight of her brother, his head, his face, is more than she can bear.
Gone was his body, gone was the skeletal man Jocelyn and Matthew had seen a moment before in the prisoner’s cells. The only thing that remained of Jacob’s body was his head, and they were staring straight out, glassy, almost frozen. And it was affixed to a hideous robotic machine, much like the kind that was shown in old black and white films that played in Main Street Theater. Like a jack-in-a-box, his head looked like it would pop out on a spring. It was ghastly, it was cruel, some kind of sick joke the Enforcers were playing on the prisoners. Transportation indeed!
Jacob’s eyes were wide with disbelief and terror as he’d glanced down at a body that didn’t belong to him.
“What have they done to him?” Jocelyn screamed frantically.
“Get them,” a woman called out.
“Come on.” Wasting no time, Matthew grabbed Jocelyn’s arm and yanked her out of her hysteria.
They ran through the halls, the sound of hard soled shoes following behind. Jocelyn’s logical train of thought slowly made it back to the forefront, digesting what she’d seen of her brother and concocting a plan.
The loud clip clop of heels behind them faded away. Two quick turns and their silent soft soles had brought them well out of sight of the monsters that had transported Jacob.
“In here,” Jocelyn said. She pushed open the door marked custodial and they found themselves in a small cubicle filled with cleaning equipment and detergents.
“You okay?”
“Jacob…did you see what they did to him?” She couldn’t help tearing up. “Did you see what they did to him?” She repeated again, allowing herself a brief moment of weeping before collecting herself.
“We can’t hide here very long, Jocelyn. Mrs. Stone’s little business card isn’t going to be enough to get us out of this one.”
“I know, but we can’t leave Jacob
Men were fiddling around, moving like worker bees while women seemed intent over the analysis of a report. Much of the action centered around a table.
“It looks more like an operating room than a transportation unit.” Matthew halted his advance and glanced at Jocelyn. “You want me to go ahead and take a look?”
“No,” she said with conviction. “I want to see Jacob. Whatever’s going on in that room, I want to see him.”
With slow, steady paces they advanced. A worker moved away from the table, giving them a glimpse of a metal object lying atop it. Two tubular shafts were joined together with a spring, a hydraulic system giving it freedom of movement. One shaft ended with an odd looking claw or clamp while the other was bound to a larger encasement of smooth shining metal. Topped with a dome of smoky glass, it made for an enigma.
“What in the world is that?”
“Looks like they are building his transportation device.”
One narrow column sprouted from the large encasement, its extremity a series of small rotating wheels.
“I think Jacob may have gotten his story wrong. This doesn’t seem to have anything to do with transportation at all.”
“Give it time,” Matthew said as they came to the glass.
A sigh of triumph emanated from the gathering around the table and several workers backed away. Four workers took a hold of each side of the large encasement and put the object upright on the floor.
The large wheels gave it mobility, and the large encasement served as the torso while the joined tubular shafts appeared to have the function of arms, with the claw acting as a hand.
However, when they removed the glass dome, Jocelyn let out a scream of horror.
All heads turned toward them as her shouts when on and on. Unable to contain herself, she shrieked helplessly. The sight of her brother, his head, his face, is more than she can bear.
Gone was his body, gone was the skeletal man Jocelyn and Matthew had seen a moment before in the prisoner’s cells. The only thing that remained of Jacob’s body was his head, and they were staring straight out, glassy, almost frozen. And it was affixed to a hideous robotic machine, much like the kind that was shown in old black and white films that played in Main Street Theater. Like a jack-in-a-box, his head looked like it would pop out on a spring. It was ghastly, it was cruel, some kind of sick joke the Enforcers were playing on the prisoners. Transportation indeed!
Jacob’s eyes were wide with disbelief and terror as he’d glanced down at a body that didn’t belong to him.
“What have they done to him?” Jocelyn screamed frantically.
“Get them,” a woman called out.
“Come on.” Wasting no time, Matthew grabbed Jocelyn’s arm and yanked her out of her hysteria.
They ran through the halls, the sound of hard soled shoes following behind. Jocelyn’s logical train of thought slowly made it back to the forefront, digesting what she’d seen of her brother and concocting a plan.
The loud clip clop of heels behind them faded away. Two quick turns and their silent soft soles had brought them well out of sight of the monsters that had transported Jacob.
“In here,” Jocelyn said. She pushed open the door marked custodial and they found themselves in a small cubicle filled with cleaning equipment and detergents.
“You okay?”
“Jacob…did you see what they did to him?” She couldn’t help tearing up. “Did you see what they did to him?” She repeated again, allowing herself a brief moment of weeping before collecting herself.
“We can’t hide here very long, Jocelyn. Mrs. Stone’s little business card isn’t going to be enough to get us out of this one.”
“I know, but we can’t leave Jacob
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