explained.
“Ahhh…well, that makes sense.”
“Congratulations. You managed to use an ancient expression correctly. Now can we please get back to the plan?”
Kai remained silent during the banter. He still looked confused, though I think he gleaned from my change of subject that the prior conversation was now over. He did however ask, “So Brynn isn’t coming with us then?”
“I really wish you could, Brynn.” I took her hands. “I really can’t imagine life without you, but I can’t ask you to leave everything you know behind and come on the run with us.”
“ And what if I said I wanted to come? ” Brynn jutted her chin out and raised her eyebrows.
“ Then I ’ d say you made me the happiest fugitive there ever was. ”
“ In all seriousness, ” Brynn ’ s voice dropped, “ would you really want me to come with you? ”
“ We both would. ” I released one of Brynn ’ s hands and reached back for Kai.
She smiled. “ Well then, when you ’ re safe and all the heat has died down, I ’ ll come see you and we ’ ll talk about it. ” There were tears welling in her eyes that she brushed back. “ Let ’ s get back to the plan. ”
She explained the plan, giving us all the warnings about where we could and could not be seen. Unfortunately, that meant a solitary existence for Kai. Once in my new pod, he would be pretty much a prisoner, which didn’t seem to faze him, though I knew eventually he would become well acquainted with the concept of boredom.
“The polymer on the tram makes us invisible to electronic detection, but it’s not going to stop us from being seen by a person. Kai should probably keep down.”
I ran my fingers through my dark burgundy hair. I had used the instant dye machine in the bathroom. I was actually very put out that no one commented on it.
The streets were bustling with people going about their daily lives. Families said their morning good-byes outside their pods. Since a huge portion of the population worked for The Consortium, the road leading in that direction was lined with trams. It was actually quite brilliant of Brynn, to time our departure so we were going the opposite direction of everyone else, but during the busiest part of the morning. A single tram traveling at night would have raised suspicion. This way we hid in plain sight.
A diverse group of people mulled around the transport. Consortium police, local police, military, civilians and Consortium maintenance surrounded the loaf-shaped vessel. The ship was a strange metallic brown, neither translucent nor fully opaque. You could make out shadows of movement on the inside but no details.
“They’re starting to queue up to leave. You better get going.” Brynn didn’t even look at us when she said it. Through my own tear-clouded sight, I glimpsed a tear falling down her cheek.
“Thank you for everything.” I tried to hug her. “Promise me we’ll see you soon.”
“I promise. Now, no good-byes, please…just go.”
Kai also tried to express his gratitude, but he was met with the same avoidance.
I went up to the transport first. Kai followed behind me like a dutiful android. I made sure he understood the importance of keeping his emotions under wraps. Mine on the other hand were very much out of control. I tried to swallow the tears, and they just kept coming back up as hiccups. Kai put some distance between us as we came up to the check-in station.
“Place your finger on the scanner,” a butch Consortium officer commanded.
With some trepidation, I complied. To my relief the scanner showed my picture with the name Alesta Dysart, designation maintenance, IQ level 4. Anything below 6 was a low-I, so I guessed I should be thankful I wasn’t a 1. At least with a 4, I could possibly one day work in a shop or a restaurant instead of polishing Consortium floors.
The woman looked at my papers. “Transfer to Consortium European Annex. Is this your droid?” She pointed to Kai.
“Yes. I
“Ahhh…well, that makes sense.”
“Congratulations. You managed to use an ancient expression correctly. Now can we please get back to the plan?”
Kai remained silent during the banter. He still looked confused, though I think he gleaned from my change of subject that the prior conversation was now over. He did however ask, “So Brynn isn’t coming with us then?”
“I really wish you could, Brynn.” I took her hands. “I really can’t imagine life without you, but I can’t ask you to leave everything you know behind and come on the run with us.”
“ And what if I said I wanted to come? ” Brynn jutted her chin out and raised her eyebrows.
“ Then I ’ d say you made me the happiest fugitive there ever was. ”
“ In all seriousness, ” Brynn ’ s voice dropped, “ would you really want me to come with you? ”
“ We both would. ” I released one of Brynn ’ s hands and reached back for Kai.
She smiled. “ Well then, when you ’ re safe and all the heat has died down, I ’ ll come see you and we ’ ll talk about it. ” There were tears welling in her eyes that she brushed back. “ Let ’ s get back to the plan. ”
She explained the plan, giving us all the warnings about where we could and could not be seen. Unfortunately, that meant a solitary existence for Kai. Once in my new pod, he would be pretty much a prisoner, which didn’t seem to faze him, though I knew eventually he would become well acquainted with the concept of boredom.
“The polymer on the tram makes us invisible to electronic detection, but it’s not going to stop us from being seen by a person. Kai should probably keep down.”
I ran my fingers through my dark burgundy hair. I had used the instant dye machine in the bathroom. I was actually very put out that no one commented on it.
The streets were bustling with people going about their daily lives. Families said their morning good-byes outside their pods. Since a huge portion of the population worked for The Consortium, the road leading in that direction was lined with trams. It was actually quite brilliant of Brynn, to time our departure so we were going the opposite direction of everyone else, but during the busiest part of the morning. A single tram traveling at night would have raised suspicion. This way we hid in plain sight.
A diverse group of people mulled around the transport. Consortium police, local police, military, civilians and Consortium maintenance surrounded the loaf-shaped vessel. The ship was a strange metallic brown, neither translucent nor fully opaque. You could make out shadows of movement on the inside but no details.
“They’re starting to queue up to leave. You better get going.” Brynn didn’t even look at us when she said it. Through my own tear-clouded sight, I glimpsed a tear falling down her cheek.
“Thank you for everything.” I tried to hug her. “Promise me we’ll see you soon.”
“I promise. Now, no good-byes, please…just go.”
Kai also tried to express his gratitude, but he was met with the same avoidance.
I went up to the transport first. Kai followed behind me like a dutiful android. I made sure he understood the importance of keeping his emotions under wraps. Mine on the other hand were very much out of control. I tried to swallow the tears, and they just kept coming back up as hiccups. Kai put some distance between us as we came up to the check-in station.
“Place your finger on the scanner,” a butch Consortium officer commanded.
With some trepidation, I complied. To my relief the scanner showed my picture with the name Alesta Dysart, designation maintenance, IQ level 4. Anything below 6 was a low-I, so I guessed I should be thankful I wasn’t a 1. At least with a 4, I could possibly one day work in a shop or a restaurant instead of polishing Consortium floors.
The woman looked at my papers. “Transfer to Consortium European Annex. Is this your droid?” She pointed to Kai.
“Yes. I
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