arrived. The patches allowed TL to track us, to know where we were at all times, and to monitor our conversations. But when he felt confident we’d settled into our new lives, he took them away.
He’d taken mine right before the Ushbanian mission, and he’d taken Wirenut’s before Rissala. Which meant TL was probably about to take Beaker’s.
“Beaker, you have proved adept at your cover. You’ve learned how to go throughout your day-to-day activities smoothly, naturally, and without a second thought. You’ve seamlessly merged into this new world.”
TL had said the same thing to Wirenut and me, too.
“It’s time for you to take off your patch.” TL removed the lid and slid the box toward Beaker. “Place it in here, please.”
For a few seconds, Beaker stared at TL and didn’t move. Didn’t even chomp her gum.
She moved her eyes off TL to me and then over to David. I’d never seen her so vulnerable, so full of disbelief, so . . . stunned. I had the unnerving urge to hug her or something.
Gradually, she resumed her gum chomping and pushed away from the table. She leaned over, pulled her baggy pant leg up, and, from the underside of her knee, peeled away the bandage looking device.
She dropped it in the box and slid it back toward TL.
He nodded. “Congratulations.”
Beaker lips curved. “Thanks.”
He got up and opened the door. “You three come with me.”
Filing out behind him, we followed TL around the glass-paneled, high-tech workroom and down the hall with all the locked doors.
I’d bet my next lollipop TL was about to show Beaker her personalized workroom. He’d given me access to the computer lab after taking my patch, and he’d given Wirenut access to the electronics warehouse after taking his.
If history repeated itself, Beaker was about to get the surprise of her life.
At the end of the long hall, we stopped at a steel door that had a large hole in the center.
TL turned to Beaker. “This is your room. You can come and go anytime you want, unless you’re expected to be somewhere else. No one has access to this room but myself, you, Chapling, and David.”
“Why Chapling?” I asked.
“Chapling has access to everything. He monitors the whole ranch.” TL pointed to the hole. “Beaker, insert your hand as a fist. When you’re inside, spread your fingers as wide as they’ll go. You’ll feel a flash of ice and then immediate warmth. It will not hurt. Make sure you don’t flinch.”
“Ice and then warmth? That’s blumeth and parabendichlor.” Beaker put her fist in the hole. “You’re chemically reading all five of my prints.”
One side of TL’s mouth lifted. “Very good. As soon as you remove your hand, immediately step back from the door.”
Beaker slid her hand free, took a quick step back, and the door dropped straight down into the floor.
I jerked. Sheesh, that was quick.
TL stepped through the opening, and we all followed. He showed Beaker a flat, silver disk on the wall next to the opening. “This operates the door from the inside.” He pressed it, and the door whooshed back up, making my hair fly sideways.
Turning, I surveyed the room. Of course, I knew next to nothing about chemistry, but this looked pretty darn cool. And if Beaker’s wide-eyed expression held any indication, she thought so, too.
As she began slowly wandering around the room, I took in the details.
Tall, see-through glass-front wood cabinets bordered the right side, with all sorts of jars, bottles, tubes, and flasks. It seemed like hundreds of them lined the cabinet shelves. A variety of substances filled them: liquids, powders, roots, stems, moss, granules . . . so many different colors and things it was impossible to take it all in.
Matching see-through cabinets
He’d taken mine right before the Ushbanian mission, and he’d taken Wirenut’s before Rissala. Which meant TL was probably about to take Beaker’s.
“Beaker, you have proved adept at your cover. You’ve learned how to go throughout your day-to-day activities smoothly, naturally, and without a second thought. You’ve seamlessly merged into this new world.”
TL had said the same thing to Wirenut and me, too.
“It’s time for you to take off your patch.” TL removed the lid and slid the box toward Beaker. “Place it in here, please.”
For a few seconds, Beaker stared at TL and didn’t move. Didn’t even chomp her gum.
She moved her eyes off TL to me and then over to David. I’d never seen her so vulnerable, so full of disbelief, so . . . stunned. I had the unnerving urge to hug her or something.
Gradually, she resumed her gum chomping and pushed away from the table. She leaned over, pulled her baggy pant leg up, and, from the underside of her knee, peeled away the bandage looking device.
She dropped it in the box and slid it back toward TL.
He nodded. “Congratulations.”
Beaker lips curved. “Thanks.”
He got up and opened the door. “You three come with me.”
Filing out behind him, we followed TL around the glass-paneled, high-tech workroom and down the hall with all the locked doors.
I’d bet my next lollipop TL was about to show Beaker her personalized workroom. He’d given me access to the computer lab after taking my patch, and he’d given Wirenut access to the electronics warehouse after taking his.
If history repeated itself, Beaker was about to get the surprise of her life.
At the end of the long hall, we stopped at a steel door that had a large hole in the center.
TL turned to Beaker. “This is your room. You can come and go anytime you want, unless you’re expected to be somewhere else. No one has access to this room but myself, you, Chapling, and David.”
“Why Chapling?” I asked.
“Chapling has access to everything. He monitors the whole ranch.” TL pointed to the hole. “Beaker, insert your hand as a fist. When you’re inside, spread your fingers as wide as they’ll go. You’ll feel a flash of ice and then immediate warmth. It will not hurt. Make sure you don’t flinch.”
“Ice and then warmth? That’s blumeth and parabendichlor.” Beaker put her fist in the hole. “You’re chemically reading all five of my prints.”
One side of TL’s mouth lifted. “Very good. As soon as you remove your hand, immediately step back from the door.”
Beaker slid her hand free, took a quick step back, and the door dropped straight down into the floor.
I jerked. Sheesh, that was quick.
TL stepped through the opening, and we all followed. He showed Beaker a flat, silver disk on the wall next to the opening. “This operates the door from the inside.” He pressed it, and the door whooshed back up, making my hair fly sideways.
Turning, I surveyed the room. Of course, I knew next to nothing about chemistry, but this looked pretty darn cool. And if Beaker’s wide-eyed expression held any indication, she thought so, too.
As she began slowly wandering around the room, I took in the details.
Tall, see-through glass-front wood cabinets bordered the right side, with all sorts of jars, bottles, tubes, and flasks. It seemed like hundreds of them lined the cabinet shelves. A variety of substances filled them: liquids, powders, roots, stems, moss, granules . . . so many different colors and things it was impossible to take it all in.
Matching see-through cabinets
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