suggested. “They’ll be our
only link with The Agenda and Teeth, and we need those other time-specs more
than they wanna get hold of mine. Or God’s, rather. I’m certain The Agenda
thinks leaving the specs in our hands is a risk to whatever’s going on in the
Terminus. The specs… and the thing God’s seeking from the past. They’ll have
sussed out he’s onto something... in the past and the future.”
Gary
sat on the edge of his bed and Beetie on hers, each staring intently at the
other, hoping one would get a flash of inspiration… each remembering the kiss.
“Beetie?”
“Uhuh!”
“Do people in
the Retreat have separate roles? Such as catching gee-rats, taking care of the
yucky water, sorting out the electricity, being in charge of computers and
whatnot.”
“Sure!”
“And you?”
Beetie
blushed.
“Guess!”
With her
looks, only one thing came to mind.
“Beautician?”
“What?” she
giggled.
Gary ’s turn to
blush.
“Checking
people are sort of… um… well... good-looking. Girls, I mean.”
“Not far off!
My job’s to make sure everyone’s hair’s okay for going about on the surface. So
no one stands out.”
“Cool! A hairdresser!
But who does that for those zombies up there?”
“The
surfacers?”
“Yeah!”
“No one!
Robots, I’m told. In the eating halls. As they chew on their gee-rat steaks and
veg-eatables. Gets picked up by a sensor if their hair’s a mess and this robot
on wheels comes up and sorts them out. Surfacers never complain, of course, or
they’d end up on the next shuttle-bus to the Hatcheries for recycling. Our
greatest fear, both on the surface and down here.”
“Recycling?
And what about Blinker?”
“Works for the
medicines team.”
“Like a
doctor?”
“A what?”
Beetie asked.
Blinker was
way too young.
“Never mind.”
“There’s a
contact on the surface who gets us medicines,” the girl explained.
“Smuggled
medicines?”
“Not sure, but
whoever it is would end up in the Hatcheries if The Agenda found out. Blinker
and his two friends collect all we need.”
“Anyone in the
Retreat with epilepsy?”
“Epi... what?”
“Epi... lepsy .
Like a boy at my school. Took a fit in class once. Jerked about and blew
bubbles.”
“Definitely
not!”
“Good! I’ll
fake a fit and you tell Arthry I suffer from epilepsy and desperately need
special medicine. This boy took pills and stuff. Ask Arthry to make
Blinker go and get some for me. Bet if we’re right Blinker will take the
opportunity to meet up with Teeth… keep him posted. We’ll follow him. Somehow I
don’t think Teeth will expect us to go seeking him out!”
Beetie reached
forward and patted his knee.
“You’re
brilliant, Gary! I can see why God
chose you to help us!”
Gary
took her hand and held it up against his lips and the girl’s smile told him
this was the right thing to do.
“Remember…
epi- lepsy ! Okay?” he checked as she followed him along the corridor
towards Arthry’s office.
“Epi- lepsy ,”
she repeated, slowly. “Got it!”
“Now!” Gary
whispered.
He emitted a
low grunting sound, fell to the ground, rolled his eyes upwards and began to
violently flail his limbs about.
“EPI- LEPSY !”
screamed Beetie. “EPI -LEPSY !”
He heard her
hurry off in the direction of Arthry’s office as he continued to twitch and
jerk and throw himself around – far more so than his epileptic classmate – but
he needed to create a disturbance. Soon Blinker’s voice joined those huddled
around as he writhed on the floor. A door opened and Arthry boomed out:
“BLINKER!”
“Arthry?”
“Blinker, quick!
Get some special medicine for Gary…
otherwise he might die. This epi… er…?”
“Epi… lepsy .”
Beetie’s
voice! How sweet it sounded with his eyes closed!
“Yeah!”
affirmed Arthry. “Could be dangerous! Hurry! Stop at nothing. Okay?”
Gary
guessed The Agenda would want to keep him alive for the time being since
only link with The Agenda and Teeth, and we need those other time-specs more
than they wanna get hold of mine. Or God’s, rather. I’m certain The Agenda
thinks leaving the specs in our hands is a risk to whatever’s going on in the
Terminus. The specs… and the thing God’s seeking from the past. They’ll have
sussed out he’s onto something... in the past and the future.”
Gary
sat on the edge of his bed and Beetie on hers, each staring intently at the
other, hoping one would get a flash of inspiration… each remembering the kiss.
“Beetie?”
“Uhuh!”
“Do people in
the Retreat have separate roles? Such as catching gee-rats, taking care of the
yucky water, sorting out the electricity, being in charge of computers and
whatnot.”
“Sure!”
“And you?”
Beetie
blushed.
“Guess!”
With her
looks, only one thing came to mind.
“Beautician?”
“What?” she
giggled.
Gary ’s turn to
blush.
“Checking
people are sort of… um… well... good-looking. Girls, I mean.”
“Not far off!
My job’s to make sure everyone’s hair’s okay for going about on the surface. So
no one stands out.”
“Cool! A hairdresser!
But who does that for those zombies up there?”
“The
surfacers?”
“Yeah!”
“No one!
Robots, I’m told. In the eating halls. As they chew on their gee-rat steaks and
veg-eatables. Gets picked up by a sensor if their hair’s a mess and this robot
on wheels comes up and sorts them out. Surfacers never complain, of course, or
they’d end up on the next shuttle-bus to the Hatcheries for recycling. Our
greatest fear, both on the surface and down here.”
“Recycling?
And what about Blinker?”
“Works for the
medicines team.”
“Like a
doctor?”
“A what?”
Beetie asked.
Blinker was
way too young.
“Never mind.”
“There’s a
contact on the surface who gets us medicines,” the girl explained.
“Smuggled
medicines?”
“Not sure, but
whoever it is would end up in the Hatcheries if The Agenda found out. Blinker
and his two friends collect all we need.”
“Anyone in the
Retreat with epilepsy?”
“Epi... what?”
“Epi... lepsy .
Like a boy at my school. Took a fit in class once. Jerked about and blew
bubbles.”
“Definitely
not!”
“Good! I’ll
fake a fit and you tell Arthry I suffer from epilepsy and desperately need
special medicine. This boy took pills and stuff. Ask Arthry to make
Blinker go and get some for me. Bet if we’re right Blinker will take the
opportunity to meet up with Teeth… keep him posted. We’ll follow him. Somehow I
don’t think Teeth will expect us to go seeking him out!”
Beetie reached
forward and patted his knee.
“You’re
brilliant, Gary! I can see why God
chose you to help us!”
Gary
took her hand and held it up against his lips and the girl’s smile told him
this was the right thing to do.
“Remember…
epi- lepsy ! Okay?” he checked as she followed him along the corridor
towards Arthry’s office.
“Epi- lepsy ,”
she repeated, slowly. “Got it!”
“Now!” Gary
whispered.
He emitted a
low grunting sound, fell to the ground, rolled his eyes upwards and began to
violently flail his limbs about.
“EPI- LEPSY !”
screamed Beetie. “EPI -LEPSY !”
He heard her
hurry off in the direction of Arthry’s office as he continued to twitch and
jerk and throw himself around – far more so than his epileptic classmate – but
he needed to create a disturbance. Soon Blinker’s voice joined those huddled
around as he writhed on the floor. A door opened and Arthry boomed out:
“BLINKER!”
“Arthry?”
“Blinker, quick!
Get some special medicine for Gary…
otherwise he might die. This epi… er…?”
“Epi… lepsy .”
Beetie’s
voice! How sweet it sounded with his eyes closed!
“Yeah!”
affirmed Arthry. “Could be dangerous! Hurry! Stop at nothing. Okay?”
Gary
guessed The Agenda would want to keep him alive for the time being since
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