are on Orbis 2.”
“Why did he break the tank?” I asked.
“I do not know,” she replied. “But I’m sure it doesn’t concern you.”
I wasn’t too sure about that. Something told me that what I saw inside that strange computer had something to do with the Samiran breaching its tank. I just couldn’t figure out what.
“I’m tired,” Ketheria said.
“Yeah, and I’m hungry,” Grace added.
I looked around for something Ketheria could sit on. Some plastic piping ran along one of the building’s walls, and four metallic cylinders sat by themselves as if waiting for someone. I made a space behind them.
“We’ll wait here, Ketheria — until Charlie arrives. C’mon, you can lean against me.”
I plopped on the ground, and the other kids followed after Ketheria sat down. It wasn’t cold, but everyone huddled close anyway.
“I will monitor Charlie’s progress,” Vairocina said.
“Thank you,” I said as the particles of light dispersed, taking Vairocina with them.
The larger of Orbis’s two crystal moons pushed a dark blue shadow across the ring and over Core City. I leaned against the cylinder and wondered about Weegin. Was he dead? Did I care? I felt I should, but he tried to
sell
us. How many other knudniks were sold like that? Maybe I should have gone with Switzer. What was I expecting from Charlie? For that matter, what was I expecting from Orbis 2? I followed the curve of the ring up and over my head. The Rings of Orbis 2 looked different to me somehow. I felt different. I didn’t like it.
“Wake up, split-screen,” I heard Switzer say, but when I opened my eyes I saw Charlie.
“Well, don’t you bunch look like a bucket of fish outta water,” Charlie said.
“Thanks for coming, Charlie,” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes.
“Don’t thank me. Thank these guys,” he said, grabbing Dalton and Switzer by their vests and holding them up for inspection. “I found them trying to sneak on a starship in the spaceport. But they decided they would rather show me where their friends were stranded. At first I thought they might be trying to escape, but I’d like to believe they’re smarter than that.” Charlie glared at Switzer.
“Traitor,” Switzer mumbled at Charlie.
“Just be thankful some
Citizen
didn’t find you and have you both put down for farts and giggles,” Charlie said.
Ketheria laughed, and the little boy who had left with Switzer and Dalton quietly snuck back in with the rest us.
“What should we do now, Charlie?” I asked.
“Yeah, Weegin tried to sell us,” Theodore said.
“And now we think he’s dead,” Max added.
“Well, let’s go, then. Gather up your things. Theylor is waiting,” he said.
“Theylor!” Switzer scoffed. “And you call yourself a human?”
That made Charlie frown.
“Why did you contact the Keepers, Charlie?” I asked.
“Look,” he said. “You didn’t belong to Weegin any more than you belong to me. As far as they’re concerned, you belong to Orbis. Who looks after you is merely a formality. Workers are traded between Citizens all the time on the rings.”
“Some of those aliens we saw weren’t Citizens,” Max told him.
“Understand that you have to do it their way, and it might make it a little easier. You don’t have that long before your first review.”
“Three rotations!” Dalton complained.
“There is no choice, guys,” Charlie said while looking directly at Switzer and Dalton. “You may think there is, but if they catch you, I promise you they will kill you just as easy as they would squash a bug. There are a zillion others who would eagerly take your place.”
“Pfft,” Switzer scoffed. “Let them have my place.”
“Is that what you did?” I said. “Just looked the other way? Did you just wait it out?”
“Not exactly.”
“What do you mean?”
“That’s not important. What’s important is that the Keepers have requested the presence of young Mr. Turnbull here,” Charlie said to everyone.
“Why did he break the tank?” I asked.
“I do not know,” she replied. “But I’m sure it doesn’t concern you.”
I wasn’t too sure about that. Something told me that what I saw inside that strange computer had something to do with the Samiran breaching its tank. I just couldn’t figure out what.
“I’m tired,” Ketheria said.
“Yeah, and I’m hungry,” Grace added.
I looked around for something Ketheria could sit on. Some plastic piping ran along one of the building’s walls, and four metallic cylinders sat by themselves as if waiting for someone. I made a space behind them.
“We’ll wait here, Ketheria — until Charlie arrives. C’mon, you can lean against me.”
I plopped on the ground, and the other kids followed after Ketheria sat down. It wasn’t cold, but everyone huddled close anyway.
“I will monitor Charlie’s progress,” Vairocina said.
“Thank you,” I said as the particles of light dispersed, taking Vairocina with them.
The larger of Orbis’s two crystal moons pushed a dark blue shadow across the ring and over Core City. I leaned against the cylinder and wondered about Weegin. Was he dead? Did I care? I felt I should, but he tried to
sell
us. How many other knudniks were sold like that? Maybe I should have gone with Switzer. What was I expecting from Charlie? For that matter, what was I expecting from Orbis 2? I followed the curve of the ring up and over my head. The Rings of Orbis 2 looked different to me somehow. I felt different. I didn’t like it.
“Wake up, split-screen,” I heard Switzer say, but when I opened my eyes I saw Charlie.
“Well, don’t you bunch look like a bucket of fish outta water,” Charlie said.
“Thanks for coming, Charlie,” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes.
“Don’t thank me. Thank these guys,” he said, grabbing Dalton and Switzer by their vests and holding them up for inspection. “I found them trying to sneak on a starship in the spaceport. But they decided they would rather show me where their friends were stranded. At first I thought they might be trying to escape, but I’d like to believe they’re smarter than that.” Charlie glared at Switzer.
“Traitor,” Switzer mumbled at Charlie.
“Just be thankful some
Citizen
didn’t find you and have you both put down for farts and giggles,” Charlie said.
Ketheria laughed, and the little boy who had left with Switzer and Dalton quietly snuck back in with the rest us.
“What should we do now, Charlie?” I asked.
“Yeah, Weegin tried to sell us,” Theodore said.
“And now we think he’s dead,” Max added.
“Well, let’s go, then. Gather up your things. Theylor is waiting,” he said.
“Theylor!” Switzer scoffed. “And you call yourself a human?”
That made Charlie frown.
“Why did you contact the Keepers, Charlie?” I asked.
“Look,” he said. “You didn’t belong to Weegin any more than you belong to me. As far as they’re concerned, you belong to Orbis. Who looks after you is merely a formality. Workers are traded between Citizens all the time on the rings.”
“Some of those aliens we saw weren’t Citizens,” Max told him.
“Understand that you have to do it their way, and it might make it a little easier. You don’t have that long before your first review.”
“Three rotations!” Dalton complained.
“There is no choice, guys,” Charlie said while looking directly at Switzer and Dalton. “You may think there is, but if they catch you, I promise you they will kill you just as easy as they would squash a bug. There are a zillion others who would eagerly take your place.”
“Pfft,” Switzer scoffed. “Let them have my place.”
“Is that what you did?” I said. “Just looked the other way? Did you just wait it out?”
“Not exactly.”
“What do you mean?”
“That’s not important. What’s important is that the Keepers have requested the presence of young Mr. Turnbull here,” Charlie said to everyone.
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