In the back of most books, you will find a short thing thanking all the people who helped the author with the story. So, I figured I might as well do that here.
Unequivocal appreciation to my magnificent older sister, Amber, for giving me the idea of writing a story on my blog.
Praise to my stupendous older brother, Court, for taking the time to be a ghost writer for some of my chapters.
Many expressions of gratitude to my fantastic mother, for nagging me to complete it.
And thanks to anyone else who might have helped out somehow.
Showing posts with label Freegans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Freegans. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Freegans Ending
Epilogue
Cara
And that is how we made it home. Everyone, even people who didn't know us particularly well, was overjoyed to see us. The celebrations and joy lasted for days, if not weeks. As Madiza had expected, Mom and Dad were more than willing to take her and Ben in. A couple of years later, they married, and moved into a home next door, so we still got to see them every day.
Ben and Madiza now have twins, a boy and girl, named Samuel and Ivy. For two-year-olds, they are incredibly smart. They learn at twice the speed of other children, and are very good thinkers. Madiza explained that we can thank Project 112 for this, too. Apparently, it was set that the new intelligence would be hereditary, so that there would be no need for school ever again. Speaking of Madiza, she has improved a lot. Granted, she still mutters to herself, and can be found scrawling on scraps of paper at odd hours of the day, and cackles a lot. She will never fully get over the brain damage done by the government. But we can have semi-normal conversations now, and since she goes out in the sun more often, her skin has lost that ghastly whiteness.
Ben is still silent and kind, but that's to be expected. Lucy, soon after we were rescued, finally got over her crush on him. Now that we were heroes, there were plenty of young men around to attract her attention. She has become rather close to Paris too; they like to flirt and gossip together.
And as for me and Matt? Well, when we were eighteen, we joined up with the Resistance! After all, this war isn't going to win itself, and one liberation of prisoners isn't going to change things any time soon. If you don't mind the fact that you're risking your life virtually every minute of the day, it's quite fun. And we get to visit the hide-out on our days off.
Considering all that we've gone through, I'd say our lives have turned out pretty good. Hopefully it will last.
Cara
And that is how we made it home. Everyone, even people who didn't know us particularly well, was overjoyed to see us. The celebrations and joy lasted for days, if not weeks. As Madiza had expected, Mom and Dad were more than willing to take her and Ben in. A couple of years later, they married, and moved into a home next door, so we still got to see them every day.
Ben and Madiza now have twins, a boy and girl, named Samuel and Ivy. For two-year-olds, they are incredibly smart. They learn at twice the speed of other children, and are very good thinkers. Madiza explained that we can thank Project 112 for this, too. Apparently, it was set that the new intelligence would be hereditary, so that there would be no need for school ever again. Speaking of Madiza, she has improved a lot. Granted, she still mutters to herself, and can be found scrawling on scraps of paper at odd hours of the day, and cackles a lot. She will never fully get over the brain damage done by the government. But we can have semi-normal conversations now, and since she goes out in the sun more often, her skin has lost that ghastly whiteness.
Ben is still silent and kind, but that's to be expected. Lucy, soon after we were rescued, finally got over her crush on him. Now that we were heroes, there were plenty of young men around to attract her attention. She has become rather close to Paris too; they like to flirt and gossip together.
And as for me and Matt? Well, when we were eighteen, we joined up with the Resistance! After all, this war isn't going to win itself, and one liberation of prisoners isn't going to change things any time soon. If you don't mind the fact that you're risking your life virtually every minute of the day, it's quite fun. And we get to visit the hide-out on our days off.
Considering all that we've gone through, I'd say our lives have turned out pretty good. Hopefully it will last.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Freegans part 61
Matt
There was a long, awkward silence. When Cara finally spoke, it was in a strangled tone, as if she had a mouthful of marbles.
"How-how do you know?"
"I remember you!" said Madiza brightly. "I can remember, when I was young, playing with my little cousin Cara. Well, you weren't that little. Just a year younger than me. But to me that was very little. And you look just like her, only older. I even checked your hand, and it has the same scar on it from when you were two and cut it on a sharp rock!"
Cara looked down at her hands, and Madiza pointed to the left one. There was indeed a scar, on the knuckle of her index finger.
"I wondered how it got there," Cara murmured. Suddenly, her head snapped up, and she stared straight at Madiza.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME BEFORE?!"
"You didn't ask," was the mild reply.
Cara stood up. For a moment, I thought she was about to hit Madiza, and I started to intercede. To everyone's surprise, she hugged her instead! I felt my jaw drop, and saw that Lucy's had too. In all the years we had known her, Cara had never, never hugged anyone. However, I guessed she was willing to make an exception for her own flesh and blood. After stiffening in shock for a moment, Madiza hugged her back.
When she finally pulled away, Cara asked eagerly, "Who were my parents?"
"Logan and Sylvia McTavish."
"McTavish?!" we all gasped at once. I asked, "As in-?"
"That's right, as in Angus McTavish. He had a younger brother, Logan, who was lost during the attack by the consumerists that led McTavish to become the leader of the Freegans and take us to safety."
"So- is Mr. McTavish your father?" Lucy wanted to know.
"No." Madiza shook her head and grinned her pointy-toothed grin. We all looked at each other.
Finally, Ben used his hands to sign something at her. I surmised that it was a question, because she said, "Angus McTavish also had a younger sister, Deirdre McTavish Hatter."
"H- So your last name really is Hatter!" Cara exclaimed.
Madiza cackled with delight. "Yes! Hee hee hee hee!"
We all had a good laugh over that. It wasn't that funny, but it was a good way for us to work off stress. After so much time being under pressure, and facing death, we were (hopefully) safe. We needed an opportunity to laugh. Everyone else was busy treating wounds, steering the sub, etc. They were ignoring us. I saw the Ox at the controls, Deep Thought tapping away at the computer system, Kestrel sitting by Max ( I got the impression there was something between them). And then I realized that not everyone was ignoring us. Sitting a few feet away, giving us one of the most wobegone expressions ever, was Paris.
Madiza suddenly noticed her old friend. She stood up, and headed over to her. Paris stood up too. I noticed that they were about the same height, though Madiza's shaggier hair made her look a little taller.
"Ivy-Ivy, I am so, so sorry," Paris whispered. "Can you ever forgive me?"
Madiza didn't say anything. She stood there, practically nose to nose with Paris, staring her intensely in the face. We watched with baited breath, wondering what she would do.
Suddenly, Madiza lifted a finger, and shaking it at the other girl, said five words in a stern voice: "Don't let it happen again!"
Then she smiled, and, taking Paris's hand, pulled her over to join our group.
There was a long, awkward silence. When Cara finally spoke, it was in a strangled tone, as if she had a mouthful of marbles.
"How-how do you know?"
"I remember you!" said Madiza brightly. "I can remember, when I was young, playing with my little cousin Cara. Well, you weren't that little. Just a year younger than me. But to me that was very little. And you look just like her, only older. I even checked your hand, and it has the same scar on it from when you were two and cut it on a sharp rock!"
Cara looked down at her hands, and Madiza pointed to the left one. There was indeed a scar, on the knuckle of her index finger.
"I wondered how it got there," Cara murmured. Suddenly, her head snapped up, and she stared straight at Madiza.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME BEFORE?!"
"You didn't ask," was the mild reply.
Cara stood up. For a moment, I thought she was about to hit Madiza, and I started to intercede. To everyone's surprise, she hugged her instead! I felt my jaw drop, and saw that Lucy's had too. In all the years we had known her, Cara had never, never hugged anyone. However, I guessed she was willing to make an exception for her own flesh and blood. After stiffening in shock for a moment, Madiza hugged her back.
When she finally pulled away, Cara asked eagerly, "Who were my parents?"
"Logan and Sylvia McTavish."
"McTavish?!" we all gasped at once. I asked, "As in-?"
"That's right, as in Angus McTavish. He had a younger brother, Logan, who was lost during the attack by the consumerists that led McTavish to become the leader of the Freegans and take us to safety."
"So- is Mr. McTavish your father?" Lucy wanted to know.
"No." Madiza shook her head and grinned her pointy-toothed grin. We all looked at each other.
Finally, Ben used his hands to sign something at her. I surmised that it was a question, because she said, "Angus McTavish also had a younger sister, Deirdre McTavish Hatter."
"H- So your last name really is Hatter!" Cara exclaimed.
Madiza cackled with delight. "Yes! Hee hee hee hee!"
We all had a good laugh over that. It wasn't that funny, but it was a good way for us to work off stress. After so much time being under pressure, and facing death, we were (hopefully) safe. We needed an opportunity to laugh. Everyone else was busy treating wounds, steering the sub, etc. They were ignoring us. I saw the Ox at the controls, Deep Thought tapping away at the computer system, Kestrel sitting by Max ( I got the impression there was something between them). And then I realized that not everyone was ignoring us. Sitting a few feet away, giving us one of the most wobegone expressions ever, was Paris.
Madiza suddenly noticed her old friend. She stood up, and headed over to her. Paris stood up too. I noticed that they were about the same height, though Madiza's shaggier hair made her look a little taller.
"Ivy-Ivy, I am so, so sorry," Paris whispered. "Can you ever forgive me?"
Madiza didn't say anything. She stood there, practically nose to nose with Paris, staring her intensely in the face. We watched with baited breath, wondering what she would do.
Suddenly, Madiza lifted a finger, and shaking it at the other girl, said five words in a stern voice: "Don't let it happen again!"
Then she smiled, and, taking Paris's hand, pulled her over to join our group.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Freegans part 60
Ben
"What do we do?" cried out one of the members of the Resistance to the Ox. "There's no way we can outrun them!"
"We won't have to!" he called back. "Deep Thought! Can you plug in sequence 82X into the computer system?" Deep Thought gave us one of his crazy grins, and sprinted to the keyboard, where he began tapping feverishly away.
"Everyone, as soon as it goes dark, you need to be very still and quiet!" the Ox said. "It's a matter of life and death!"
What's sequence 82X? I signed to Madiza.
It activates the cloaking device on the submarine, she replied. It's a special modification the Resistance made for this particular vessel, in case of such an event as this. Once it's turned on, it will make the submarine seem to disappear to the people chasing us. But we need to stay quiet, because any movement or noise will show up on their radar. I wondered how she had learned this. Sensing my confusion, she said aloud, "He told me," and pointed at Deep Thought.
Without warning, there was a flash of light, and then the cabin went dark. The only lights came from the computer system.
What happened? I signed to Madiza.
Cloaking device activated, she answered, and covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. It was then I noticed that Cara, Matt, and Lucy were huddled next to us. I guess the fact that it was dark made us feel a need to join together. It was odd that after so much time being locked up, I had become used so quickly to having friends again. Granted, we were joined together in an escape from certain death, but still. I hoped fervently that we were not also about to become dead.
The whole submarine had gone silent. We were afraid even of breathing, not sure if the enemy's radar would be able to pick that up. I was sure that every time my heart beat, it was detected. My eyes flicked from face to face of my comrades, and I could see that they felt the same. Only Madiza seemed unperturbed. She was grinning, and her hand was twitching slightly. I gently put my own over it, wanting her to stop. She complied, and suddenly laced her fingers through my own. I let her.
Hours seemed to pass, though it was only a minute or two. I could hear ragged breathing from the rest of the crew, and slight rustlings, and a few shushing noises. Finally, Deep Thought whispered, "They've gone past us. The cloaking was successful." I breathed again. The lights came back on, and we all gave each other looks of pure relief.
"...So, what now?" asked Cara.
"Now," said the Ox, "we take you children home. I think it is far past time."
"Me too!" Lucy agreed.
"Yay!" Madiza cheered. Everyone chuckled at that.
However, I felt troubled. Where was home for me? The government had told my family I was dead when they failed to fix me, and even created a clone corpse of me for them to take home. Where could I go? Madiza, at least, belonged with the Freegans. But I was sort of an intruder. I looked down at my disguise, frowning.
"Don't worry, Ben-ben!" exclaimed Madiza. "I'm sure my cousin will allow us to stay with her!" I looked up, and frowned.
"Your-what?" asked Matt. Everyone else looked as confused as I did.
"Oh, didn't I tell you?" She looked straight at Cara. "You're my cousin!"
"What do we do?" cried out one of the members of the Resistance to the Ox. "There's no way we can outrun them!"
"We won't have to!" he called back. "Deep Thought! Can you plug in sequence 82X into the computer system?" Deep Thought gave us one of his crazy grins, and sprinted to the keyboard, where he began tapping feverishly away.
"Everyone, as soon as it goes dark, you need to be very still and quiet!" the Ox said. "It's a matter of life and death!"
What's sequence 82X? I signed to Madiza.
It activates the cloaking device on the submarine, she replied. It's a special modification the Resistance made for this particular vessel, in case of such an event as this. Once it's turned on, it will make the submarine seem to disappear to the people chasing us. But we need to stay quiet, because any movement or noise will show up on their radar. I wondered how she had learned this. Sensing my confusion, she said aloud, "He told me," and pointed at Deep Thought.
Without warning, there was a flash of light, and then the cabin went dark. The only lights came from the computer system.
What happened? I signed to Madiza.
Cloaking device activated, she answered, and covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. It was then I noticed that Cara, Matt, and Lucy were huddled next to us. I guess the fact that it was dark made us feel a need to join together. It was odd that after so much time being locked up, I had become used so quickly to having friends again. Granted, we were joined together in an escape from certain death, but still. I hoped fervently that we were not also about to become dead.
The whole submarine had gone silent. We were afraid even of breathing, not sure if the enemy's radar would be able to pick that up. I was sure that every time my heart beat, it was detected. My eyes flicked from face to face of my comrades, and I could see that they felt the same. Only Madiza seemed unperturbed. She was grinning, and her hand was twitching slightly. I gently put my own over it, wanting her to stop. She complied, and suddenly laced her fingers through my own. I let her.
Hours seemed to pass, though it was only a minute or two. I could hear ragged breathing from the rest of the crew, and slight rustlings, and a few shushing noises. Finally, Deep Thought whispered, "They've gone past us. The cloaking was successful." I breathed again. The lights came back on, and we all gave each other looks of pure relief.
"...So, what now?" asked Cara.
"Now," said the Ox, "we take you children home. I think it is far past time."
"Me too!" Lucy agreed.
"Yay!" Madiza cheered. Everyone chuckled at that.
However, I felt troubled. Where was home for me? The government had told my family I was dead when they failed to fix me, and even created a clone corpse of me for them to take home. Where could I go? Madiza, at least, belonged with the Freegans. But I was sort of an intruder. I looked down at my disguise, frowning.
"Don't worry, Ben-ben!" exclaimed Madiza. "I'm sure my cousin will allow us to stay with her!" I looked up, and frowned.
"Your-what?" asked Matt. Everyone else looked as confused as I did.
"Oh, didn't I tell you?" She looked straight at Cara. "You're my cousin!"
Monday, March 26, 2012
Freegans part 59
Lucy
All hell had broken loose. Blasts of plasma whizzed over and around us, dead men and pieces of robot (apparently, even the Drones could only take so much) lay on the ground, and screams permeated the air. I was running after Cara and Matt, with Ben and Madiza behind us. We were headed for the submarine, which seemed our only option for survival. I tripped several times over corpses, which made me shriek each time. I wasn't used to there being so much death.
Suddenly, I found my path blocked by one of the soldiers, his rifle aimed at my heart. I skidded to a halt, and felt the horror of knowing that I was about to die. He was about to pull the trigger- when he disintegrated into a blob of mush. I saw Paris standing there, holding a smoking plasma rifle! All I could think to say was, "Th-thank you."
"No problem. Come on!" She grabbed my arm, and pulled me after the others.
In record time, we managed to get inside the sub. Kestrel was lying in a corner, clutching a shoulder, which was dripping blood; he must have been grazed by a ball of plasma. Max, Tower, and Deep Thought were administering to him. The Ox burst in, hair and glasses disheveled. He was followed by a crowd of Resistance members and ex-prisoners. I couldn't tell how many had been lost, but I did know that there was a lot more room inside the sub than there had been. I felt a pang in my heart for all those who had been lost.
Once the door was shut, Ox staggered to the controls, and with a few parting blasts, began steering us out into open water. Through the viewing screen, I could see that the consumerists were getting into their subs too; they meant to follow us.
"Yip-yip!" exclaimed Madiza.
We all turned to her in surprise. It was the first time she'd spoken in hours.
"Huh?" asked Cara.
"It's the phrase Aang uses whenever he wants his bison to fly!" she explained in a cheerful tone.
"His...bison?" Matt raised a skeptical eyebrow.
"Yes, it's a flying bison! His name is Appa!"
We all looked at each other. It seemed that Madiza was back to normal.
All hell had broken loose. Blasts of plasma whizzed over and around us, dead men and pieces of robot (apparently, even the Drones could only take so much) lay on the ground, and screams permeated the air. I was running after Cara and Matt, with Ben and Madiza behind us. We were headed for the submarine, which seemed our only option for survival. I tripped several times over corpses, which made me shriek each time. I wasn't used to there being so much death.
Suddenly, I found my path blocked by one of the soldiers, his rifle aimed at my heart. I skidded to a halt, and felt the horror of knowing that I was about to die. He was about to pull the trigger- when he disintegrated into a blob of mush. I saw Paris standing there, holding a smoking plasma rifle! All I could think to say was, "Th-thank you."
"No problem. Come on!" She grabbed my arm, and pulled me after the others.
In record time, we managed to get inside the sub. Kestrel was lying in a corner, clutching a shoulder, which was dripping blood; he must have been grazed by a ball of plasma. Max, Tower, and Deep Thought were administering to him. The Ox burst in, hair and glasses disheveled. He was followed by a crowd of Resistance members and ex-prisoners. I couldn't tell how many had been lost, but I did know that there was a lot more room inside the sub than there had been. I felt a pang in my heart for all those who had been lost.
Once the door was shut, Ox staggered to the controls, and with a few parting blasts, began steering us out into open water. Through the viewing screen, I could see that the consumerists were getting into their subs too; they meant to follow us.
"Yip-yip!" exclaimed Madiza.
We all turned to her in surprise. It was the first time she'd spoken in hours.
"Huh?" asked Cara.
"It's the phrase Aang uses whenever he wants his bison to fly!" she explained in a cheerful tone.
"His...bison?" Matt raised a skeptical eyebrow.
"Yes, it's a flying bison! His name is Appa!"
We all looked at each other. It seemed that Madiza was back to normal.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Freegans part 58
Cara
My life, what I could remember of it, flashed before my eyes. I know, that's an extremely cliche phrase, but that's what I experienced. I had memories from when I was seven, doing the project with Matt and Lucy...that time when I was twelve, and Matt accidentally hit me in the head with an old croquet mallet, giving me a concussion...the time when I paid him back (accidentally, I assure you) by breaking his nose with a badly aimed hockey stick...the first time I saw Madiza... There was other stuff too, lots of it, but I don't feel like revealing it all right now. I need to keep some things secret, you know.
Anyway, things looked bad. We were trapped like rats. There was nowhere to go, as we could see the leader of these soldiers (the guy in the red cap again-how I utterly detested him at this moment!) talking into a walkie-talkie, calling the Drones. The Drones! Suddenly, my heart gave a leap of hope. I remembered how Deep Thought kept tinkering around with them. But how many had he got? What if they got overwhelmed? My heart gave a sink of despair.
"Well, well, looks like the Resistance has been run to earth at last," Red Cap was saying. Great. Not only had he captured us, but now he wanted to gloat about it! I gave a small sigh. Why couldn't he just get it over with?!
"You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment. Frankly, I'm surprised there are so few of you." The dude strode forward, surveying us. The soldiers pointed the business ends of their plasma rifles at us, as a deterrent against any funny business.
"There are far more of us than you know," said the Ox coldly. He refused to show any signs of fear, for which I felt a wave of respect.
"Oh, I know that. But the way I see it, if you strike a major blow at the heart of an animal, the rest of it slowly dies."
Oh, now he was making irritating metaphors. I could feel my irritation rising. This was odd. I didn't feel afraid at all. Instead, I was just plain mad. We had not come all this way, and gone through so much, just to be stopped by some idiot who thought he was the next Benjamin Franklin!
Matt looked at me, and I knew that he could see I was planning on doing something stupid, because he gave an anxious shake of his head no.
I gave him a look that dared him to try and stop me. He gave me one in reply that said he would, if he had to pinion me to the floor. I shot back a look saying that we were probably going to die anyway, so what was the harm? Our facial argument was interrupted, when from behind us there was a loud blasting sound!
One of the soldiers fell to the ground, a gaping wound in his chest. We turned, and gasped as around thirty Drones came floating out the doorway, and began firing on the consumerists. I shot a glance at Deep Thought. He had a humongous smirk, like the cat that swallowed the canary. However, I had more important things to think about, like running like heck for the submarine, so I didn't spend much time looking.
My life, what I could remember of it, flashed before my eyes. I know, that's an extremely cliche phrase, but that's what I experienced. I had memories from when I was seven, doing the project with Matt and Lucy...that time when I was twelve, and Matt accidentally hit me in the head with an old croquet mallet, giving me a concussion...the time when I paid him back (accidentally, I assure you) by breaking his nose with a badly aimed hockey stick...the first time I saw Madiza... There was other stuff too, lots of it, but I don't feel like revealing it all right now. I need to keep some things secret, you know.
Anyway, things looked bad. We were trapped like rats. There was nowhere to go, as we could see the leader of these soldiers (the guy in the red cap again-how I utterly detested him at this moment!) talking into a walkie-talkie, calling the Drones. The Drones! Suddenly, my heart gave a leap of hope. I remembered how Deep Thought kept tinkering around with them. But how many had he got? What if they got overwhelmed? My heart gave a sink of despair.
"Well, well, looks like the Resistance has been run to earth at last," Red Cap was saying. Great. Not only had he captured us, but now he wanted to gloat about it! I gave a small sigh. Why couldn't he just get it over with?!
"You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment. Frankly, I'm surprised there are so few of you." The dude strode forward, surveying us. The soldiers pointed the business ends of their plasma rifles at us, as a deterrent against any funny business.
"There are far more of us than you know," said the Ox coldly. He refused to show any signs of fear, for which I felt a wave of respect.
"Oh, I know that. But the way I see it, if you strike a major blow at the heart of an animal, the rest of it slowly dies."
Oh, now he was making irritating metaphors. I could feel my irritation rising. This was odd. I didn't feel afraid at all. Instead, I was just plain mad. We had not come all this way, and gone through so much, just to be stopped by some idiot who thought he was the next Benjamin Franklin!
Matt looked at me, and I knew that he could see I was planning on doing something stupid, because he gave an anxious shake of his head no.
I gave him a look that dared him to try and stop me. He gave me one in reply that said he would, if he had to pinion me to the floor. I shot back a look saying that we were probably going to die anyway, so what was the harm? Our facial argument was interrupted, when from behind us there was a loud blasting sound!
One of the soldiers fell to the ground, a gaping wound in his chest. We turned, and gasped as around thirty Drones came floating out the doorway, and began firing on the consumerists. I shot a glance at Deep Thought. He had a humongous smirk, like the cat that swallowed the canary. However, I had more important things to think about, like running like heck for the submarine, so I didn't spend much time looking.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Freegans part 57
Matt
It was one of the longest walks of my life, even though I knew it had to be less than an hour long. There's something about knowing any moment you could be attacked by evil Drone cyborgs, and possibly killed, that really makes time crawl. I could feel the hair on the back of my neck standing almost completely on end, and I clenched my hands into fists to keep them from shaking. We were in the belly of the beast, and we had to get out soon.
I looked at Cara, to gauge how she was handling the situation. She was staring straight ahead, her teeth clenched. I gathered she was still feeling steamed at Paris. I understood how she was feeling, but thought maybe she should let it go. Don't get me wrong, I felt it had been out of line for her to spy on Madiza like that. But it seemed to me that we shouldn't blame her for Project 112; they probably would have done it to Madiza regardless. Besides, Paris seemed genuinely remorseful for what she had done. Yes, I know, the definitive word being 'seemed'. But I like to think of myself as a pretty good judge of character, and I could see no deception in her face. She was really concerned for Madiza.
Speak of the devil, I looked at her, to see how she was doing. She was still in the crook of Ben's arm, scrawling away on the paper as if her life depended on it. Her big green eyes stared vacantly into space. I gave her another glance; it was funny that I hadn't noticed it before, but her eyes were basically the same color as Cara's! That was odd. You didn't see that many green-eyed people. It almost made me think- I dismissed the idea. That would be waaaay too far-fetched, right? Even for such a convoluted, wild story as ours. It had to be a coincidence.
Kestrel and Ox led us almost effortlessly through the corridors; every time we came across a Drone, Deep Thought would reprogram it, whistling cheerfully. In a way, this was happening a little too easily. I began to wonder if any moment we might get caught, or be heading into an ambush. My fears were confirmed when we got down into the docking bay, and came face to face with an entire squadron of soldiers, surrounding the perimeter, with plasma rifles drawn, and pointed right at us.
It was one of the longest walks of my life, even though I knew it had to be less than an hour long. There's something about knowing any moment you could be attacked by evil Drone cyborgs, and possibly killed, that really makes time crawl. I could feel the hair on the back of my neck standing almost completely on end, and I clenched my hands into fists to keep them from shaking. We were in the belly of the beast, and we had to get out soon.
I looked at Cara, to gauge how she was handling the situation. She was staring straight ahead, her teeth clenched. I gathered she was still feeling steamed at Paris. I understood how she was feeling, but thought maybe she should let it go. Don't get me wrong, I felt it had been out of line for her to spy on Madiza like that. But it seemed to me that we shouldn't blame her for Project 112; they probably would have done it to Madiza regardless. Besides, Paris seemed genuinely remorseful for what she had done. Yes, I know, the definitive word being 'seemed'. But I like to think of myself as a pretty good judge of character, and I could see no deception in her face. She was really concerned for Madiza.
Speak of the devil, I looked at her, to see how she was doing. She was still in the crook of Ben's arm, scrawling away on the paper as if her life depended on it. Her big green eyes stared vacantly into space. I gave her another glance; it was funny that I hadn't noticed it before, but her eyes were basically the same color as Cara's! That was odd. You didn't see that many green-eyed people. It almost made me think- I dismissed the idea. That would be waaaay too far-fetched, right? Even for such a convoluted, wild story as ours. It had to be a coincidence.
Kestrel and Ox led us almost effortlessly through the corridors; every time we came across a Drone, Deep Thought would reprogram it, whistling cheerfully. In a way, this was happening a little too easily. I began to wonder if any moment we might get caught, or be heading into an ambush. My fears were confirmed when we got down into the docking bay, and came face to face with an entire squadron of soldiers, surrounding the perimeter, with plasma rifles drawn, and pointed right at us.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Freegans part 56
Ben
Madiza-or Ivy, I guess, but to me, she was still Madiza- collapsed to her knees, shrieking, "MAKE IT STOP!!!" Her hands flew to her ears, and she began rocking back and forth uncontrollably and screaming. Instantly I went to her side; catching her by the shoulders, I got her to look me in the eyes. She stopped screaming, and began sobbing instead. I gently took her hands from her ears, and wrapped my arms around her, holding her head against my shoulder. I could guess what had happened: seeing her old 'friend' again had brought back all the memories she had tried to suppress for so long. That was why she allowed her brain to be so bombarded with trivia and facts; it kept the pain away. It tore me apart to see her so upset, because-well, because I loved her.
I'm sorry if you are feeling disgusted by the sappiness of that statement, but it's the truth. I needed her to be her usual, happy self. I wished fervently that I could talk, say something, anything that could help her.
"We need to go!" I heard Ox say. I wondered when he had gotten here. I looked up, and saw that the whole team had arrived. They had freed all the prisoners, who were now standing in a huddle, looking as if they expected this to be another trap. I couldn't really blame them. Slowly, I stood up, lifting Madiza with me. She clung to me like a limpet, trembling, with her eyes squeezed shut. With one hand, I began checking my pockets. I knew what she needed. Luckily, I was able to procure a pencil, and some paper. Gently, I pushed them into her hands. After a second, her eyes slowly opened. Her spidery fingers closed around the pencil, and she began writing.
Cara and Matt walked with us, carrying their helmets under their arms. Everyone had them off by now; there seemed to be no more point in trying to pretend. Suddenly, I noticed that Paris was following us, staring anxiously at Madiza. I gave her a cold stare, and motioned her away. She had done enough.
"Please," she said in a small, pathetic voice, "I didn't mean for this to happen to her. They promised they wouldn't do anything to harm her-really, they did. I never thought-"
"Well, you should have!" snapped Cara. "Don't you see? You can't trust the government to keep promises, or tell you the truth! They would have told you anything to get what they want!"
"Cara," Matt said softly, "I think she understands now." He gave her a look, and she turned away from Paris, teeth clenched.
As the crowd of people went down a corridor, they came across a Drone, slumped against a wall. They started back in fright, but Deep Thought came forward fearlessly. He casually opened a panel, rearranged some wires, and then closed it again.
"What did you do?" asked Lucy, who was standing next to him.
"The same thing I did to the last one who got too close to my cell: reprogramming it. Just in case." Deep Thought smirked.
Madiza-or Ivy, I guess, but to me, she was still Madiza- collapsed to her knees, shrieking, "MAKE IT STOP!!!" Her hands flew to her ears, and she began rocking back and forth uncontrollably and screaming. Instantly I went to her side; catching her by the shoulders, I got her to look me in the eyes. She stopped screaming, and began sobbing instead. I gently took her hands from her ears, and wrapped my arms around her, holding her head against my shoulder. I could guess what had happened: seeing her old 'friend' again had brought back all the memories she had tried to suppress for so long. That was why she allowed her brain to be so bombarded with trivia and facts; it kept the pain away. It tore me apart to see her so upset, because-well, because I loved her.
I'm sorry if you are feeling disgusted by the sappiness of that statement, but it's the truth. I needed her to be her usual, happy self. I wished fervently that I could talk, say something, anything that could help her.
"We need to go!" I heard Ox say. I wondered when he had gotten here. I looked up, and saw that the whole team had arrived. They had freed all the prisoners, who were now standing in a huddle, looking as if they expected this to be another trap. I couldn't really blame them. Slowly, I stood up, lifting Madiza with me. She clung to me like a limpet, trembling, with her eyes squeezed shut. With one hand, I began checking my pockets. I knew what she needed. Luckily, I was able to procure a pencil, and some paper. Gently, I pushed them into her hands. After a second, her eyes slowly opened. Her spidery fingers closed around the pencil, and she began writing.
Cara and Matt walked with us, carrying their helmets under their arms. Everyone had them off by now; there seemed to be no more point in trying to pretend. Suddenly, I noticed that Paris was following us, staring anxiously at Madiza. I gave her a cold stare, and motioned her away. She had done enough.
"Please," she said in a small, pathetic voice, "I didn't mean for this to happen to her. They promised they wouldn't do anything to harm her-really, they did. I never thought-"
"Well, you should have!" snapped Cara. "Don't you see? You can't trust the government to keep promises, or tell you the truth! They would have told you anything to get what they want!"
"Cara," Matt said softly, "I think she understands now." He gave her a look, and she turned away from Paris, teeth clenched.
As the crowd of people went down a corridor, they came across a Drone, slumped against a wall. They started back in fright, but Deep Thought came forward fearlessly. He casually opened a panel, rearranged some wires, and then closed it again.
"What did you do?" asked Lucy, who was standing next to him.
"The same thing I did to the last one who got too close to my cell: reprogramming it. Just in case." Deep Thought smirked.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Freegans part 55
Madiza
Ivy. IvyivyivyivyivyivyivyivyivyivyI.V.I.V.I.V.I.V.I.V.I.V.I.V.IVYIVYIVYIVYIVYIVY-
My name.
Hearing it again, for the first time in years, drove the shadows and voices from my mind. I stared at the girl: Paris. I remembered her. She had been a spy, sent to get information from me, pretending to be my friend. Now she was staring at me, and her expression was a combination of horror, pity, and remorse. I couldn't bear it, and turned from her. I looked at my new friends, and saw that they were all staring at me.
"That's your name?" Cara asked. "Ivy?"
I nodded, and whispered, "Yes." Memories flooded my mind, of my childhood, my mother calling me, and catching me in her arms. A memory of looking at myself in the mirror. My hair had once been reddish-brown, before the shocks and tortures had turned it white, and very nice. It was like my mother's, and like my uncle. He was a great speaker, and always willing to spend time with his little niece.
More images and words came crowding in, horrible, nightmarish ones: being captured, and the tortures. Screaming, screaming, and the nights spent in the cell, silently weeping, wanting it all to end. And then-the Project, being hooked up to the machine, all the knowledge being poured in, too much, too much, all voices at once, facts, thoughts, stories, all too loud, can't hear, no no no no NO NO STOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP!!!!
Ivy. IvyivyivyivyivyivyivyivyivyivyI.V.I.V.I.V.I.V.I.V.I.V.I.V.IVYIVYIVYIVYIVYIVY-
My name.
Hearing it again, for the first time in years, drove the shadows and voices from my mind. I stared at the girl: Paris. I remembered her. She had been a spy, sent to get information from me, pretending to be my friend. Now she was staring at me, and her expression was a combination of horror, pity, and remorse. I couldn't bear it, and turned from her. I looked at my new friends, and saw that they were all staring at me.
"That's your name?" Cara asked. "Ivy?"
I nodded, and whispered, "Yes." Memories flooded my mind, of my childhood, my mother calling me, and catching me in her arms. A memory of looking at myself in the mirror. My hair had once been reddish-brown, before the shocks and tortures had turned it white, and very nice. It was like my mother's, and like my uncle. He was a great speaker, and always willing to spend time with his little niece.
More images and words came crowding in, horrible, nightmarish ones: being captured, and the tortures. Screaming, screaming, and the nights spent in the cell, silently weeping, wanting it all to end. And then-the Project, being hooked up to the machine, all the knowledge being poured in, too much, too much, all voices at once, facts, thoughts, stories, all too loud, can't hear, no no no no NO NO STOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP!!!!
Freegans part 54
Lucy
I felt a wave of relief when I saw that Ben was all right. He twisted out of the now inactive Drone's grip, and pulled off his helmet, wiping his sticky hair out of his face. Even out of breath and sweaty, he was still undoubtedly handsome. My oggling of him was ruined by Madiza. Her helmet was off too, and so I knew it was she who darted up to him, and caught him in a tight hug. After a moment of surprise, Ben hugged her back, leaning his head on hers. When she finally pulled away, Madiza scolded, "Don't EVER scare me like that again!" Ben bowed his head humbly, and signed something at her with one hand. She giggled.
"What did he say?" asked Cara.
"Yes, dear," she said, snickering again.
Now that that was settled, I wanted to take off my helmet; I hated feeling constricted inside, and I knew everyone else did too. But Kestrel said, "There are also human guards up here; we can't take any chances." So Ben and Madiza reluctantly replaced their helmets, and we walked off again, only at a less stealthy pace than before. Now we really had to hurry. Thankfully, Kestrel seemed to know where he was going. He led us left, right, forward, left, left, and so on, until I had lost all track of where we were. When we came to a door with a key pad, he quickly punched in a code, and it slid open. We went in, and there it was-a line of cages, with prisoners inside. In a flash of deja vu, I was reminded of our cell back in the basement in Washington D.C, except that instead of locks requiring keys, they had key pads. How long ago had that been, anyway? I didn't know.
My heart felt sick at the sight of those people. When they saw us, they cowered against the walls, looking like frightened animals. They were all drawn and pale, wearing ragged, gray-striped clothes like pajamas. Most of the ones I could see were men, but I caught a glimpse of at least one woman. Their hair was mostly long and stringy, and that added even more to their animal appearance. Unable to stand another moment of their horrified stares, I yanked off my helmet, letting them all see that I was just a young girl.
"We're your friends!" I proclaimed.
"Lucy!" Cara gasped.
Ignoring her, I said, "We're here to help you! Don't be afraid of us!" The prisoner's expressions changed from terrified to confused, and slightly suspicious. Kestrel, after a moment of hesitation, took his helmet off too.
"Where is Deep Thought?" he asked. Nobody answered. They all stared at us out of hooded, shadowed eyes. Suddenly, a voice called, "Present!"
It came from one of the cages in a far corner, separate from the others. It made sense, if this Deep Thought was as smart as I had heard. We walked over to it, and when I saw him, I was temporarily speechless, but for a different reason than when I had first seen Ben. This Deep Thought was just a boy!
Well, more like a teenager. But still, he looked at least 14! I was shocked. This was the great computer genius?! Besides being young, he was kind of small, maybe an inch shorter than me. His shaggy hair was light brown, and fell around his face like a pair of curtains. As for his face, it kind of reminded me of a goblin, but a cute goblin, if that makes sense. He had gray squinty eyes that turned up at the corners, a pointed nose, and a mouth that seemed permanently turned up in a sideways smile. Deep Thought shuffled towards the bars of his cage, and stared intently at us.
"Well, it's about time!" he said in a faux-annoyed tone. "I sent out that distress call two days ago! Where have you been?!"
"Sorry, we had to pick up something." Kestrel smiled. Then he warned, "You might want to step back. I don't know the code for this door." Then he pulled his plasma rifle off his shoulder, and took aim at the key pad.
"No! Don't do that!" He was stopped by Deep Thought's cry.
"Why not?"
"It's been programmed so that you can't tamper with it! If any harm comes to it, the cell will immediately self-destruct!"
Kestrel looked frustrated. "So how can we get you out?"
"Well, you could ask me what the code is, wise guy."
Our leader looked startled, then a combination of annoyed and amused. Finally, he asked, "What's the code?"
"24601." For some reason, Deep Thought snickered when he said it. Even stranger, Madiza did too.
"Jean Valjean!" she proclaimed. The computer genius looked over at her, startled.
"And who is this, then?" he asked.
"This, my friend, is Project 112. She's what we needed to pick up." Kestrel pushed in the number, and the cage door swung open. "How did you know the code, anyway?"
"Oh, I just watched whenever they opened or closed my door, and figured it out that way. It was easy. So, this is Project 112. Wow! Can I see your face? Please? I've been wanting to meet you for forever!"
Looking pleased, Madiza pulled off her helmet, letting her white hair fall down in a long wave. Deep Thought rubbed his hands together delightedly, reminding me even more of a goblin. It didn't help that they had extremely long, skinny fingers, like a pair of pale spiders.
"Wonderful! We have so much to talk about!" They launched into an intellectual discussion that it was impossible for me to follow, as we turned to go let the other prisoners out. Already, he and Madiza were getting along perfectly. It made me wonder if he hadn't had to experience a little of Project 112 himself; his eyes had a similar gleam to hers, and he had the same perpetual sense of humor. It seemed to me that insanity and genius had a lot of parallels.
Suddenly, a voice from one of the cells called out, "Ivy?"
Instantly, Madiza's smile left her face. Her eyes widened, and she turned in the direction of the speaker. It was a girl, about 17, standing by the bars of one cage. I immediately identified her as a consumerist, since she had their perfect looks: long blond hair, that was beautiful even when shaggy and matted, and doe brown eyes with long eyelashes. Her face was heart-shaped, and even through the grime you could see that she had a perfect complexion. She was staring earnestly at Madiza.
"Ivy? Is that you?"
I felt a wave of relief when I saw that Ben was all right. He twisted out of the now inactive Drone's grip, and pulled off his helmet, wiping his sticky hair out of his face. Even out of breath and sweaty, he was still undoubtedly handsome. My oggling of him was ruined by Madiza. Her helmet was off too, and so I knew it was she who darted up to him, and caught him in a tight hug. After a moment of surprise, Ben hugged her back, leaning his head on hers. When she finally pulled away, Madiza scolded, "Don't EVER scare me like that again!" Ben bowed his head humbly, and signed something at her with one hand. She giggled.
"What did he say?" asked Cara.
"Yes, dear," she said, snickering again.
Now that that was settled, I wanted to take off my helmet; I hated feeling constricted inside, and I knew everyone else did too. But Kestrel said, "There are also human guards up here; we can't take any chances." So Ben and Madiza reluctantly replaced their helmets, and we walked off again, only at a less stealthy pace than before. Now we really had to hurry. Thankfully, Kestrel seemed to know where he was going. He led us left, right, forward, left, left, and so on, until I had lost all track of where we were. When we came to a door with a key pad, he quickly punched in a code, and it slid open. We went in, and there it was-a line of cages, with prisoners inside. In a flash of deja vu, I was reminded of our cell back in the basement in Washington D.C, except that instead of locks requiring keys, they had key pads. How long ago had that been, anyway? I didn't know.
My heart felt sick at the sight of those people. When they saw us, they cowered against the walls, looking like frightened animals. They were all drawn and pale, wearing ragged, gray-striped clothes like pajamas. Most of the ones I could see were men, but I caught a glimpse of at least one woman. Their hair was mostly long and stringy, and that added even more to their animal appearance. Unable to stand another moment of their horrified stares, I yanked off my helmet, letting them all see that I was just a young girl.
"We're your friends!" I proclaimed.
"Lucy!" Cara gasped.
Ignoring her, I said, "We're here to help you! Don't be afraid of us!" The prisoner's expressions changed from terrified to confused, and slightly suspicious. Kestrel, after a moment of hesitation, took his helmet off too.
"Where is Deep Thought?" he asked. Nobody answered. They all stared at us out of hooded, shadowed eyes. Suddenly, a voice called, "Present!"
It came from one of the cages in a far corner, separate from the others. It made sense, if this Deep Thought was as smart as I had heard. We walked over to it, and when I saw him, I was temporarily speechless, but for a different reason than when I had first seen Ben. This Deep Thought was just a boy!
Well, more like a teenager. But still, he looked at least 14! I was shocked. This was the great computer genius?! Besides being young, he was kind of small, maybe an inch shorter than me. His shaggy hair was light brown, and fell around his face like a pair of curtains. As for his face, it kind of reminded me of a goblin, but a cute goblin, if that makes sense. He had gray squinty eyes that turned up at the corners, a pointed nose, and a mouth that seemed permanently turned up in a sideways smile. Deep Thought shuffled towards the bars of his cage, and stared intently at us.
"Well, it's about time!" he said in a faux-annoyed tone. "I sent out that distress call two days ago! Where have you been?!"
"Sorry, we had to pick up something." Kestrel smiled. Then he warned, "You might want to step back. I don't know the code for this door." Then he pulled his plasma rifle off his shoulder, and took aim at the key pad.
"No! Don't do that!" He was stopped by Deep Thought's cry.
"Why not?"
"It's been programmed so that you can't tamper with it! If any harm comes to it, the cell will immediately self-destruct!"
Kestrel looked frustrated. "So how can we get you out?"
"Well, you could ask me what the code is, wise guy."
Our leader looked startled, then a combination of annoyed and amused. Finally, he asked, "What's the code?"
"24601." For some reason, Deep Thought snickered when he said it. Even stranger, Madiza did too.
"Jean Valjean!" she proclaimed. The computer genius looked over at her, startled.
"And who is this, then?" he asked.
"This, my friend, is Project 112. She's what we needed to pick up." Kestrel pushed in the number, and the cage door swung open. "How did you know the code, anyway?"
"Oh, I just watched whenever they opened or closed my door, and figured it out that way. It was easy. So, this is Project 112. Wow! Can I see your face? Please? I've been wanting to meet you for forever!"
Looking pleased, Madiza pulled off her helmet, letting her white hair fall down in a long wave. Deep Thought rubbed his hands together delightedly, reminding me even more of a goblin. It didn't help that they had extremely long, skinny fingers, like a pair of pale spiders.
"Wonderful! We have so much to talk about!" They launched into an intellectual discussion that it was impossible for me to follow, as we turned to go let the other prisoners out. Already, he and Madiza were getting along perfectly. It made me wonder if he hadn't had to experience a little of Project 112 himself; his eyes had a similar gleam to hers, and he had the same perpetual sense of humor. It seemed to me that insanity and genius had a lot of parallels.
Suddenly, a voice from one of the cells called out, "Ivy?"
Instantly, Madiza's smile left her face. Her eyes widened, and she turned in the direction of the speaker. It was a girl, about 17, standing by the bars of one cage. I immediately identified her as a consumerist, since she had their perfect looks: long blond hair, that was beautiful even when shaggy and matted, and doe brown eyes with long eyelashes. Her face was heart-shaped, and even through the grime you could see that she had a perfect complexion. She was staring earnestly at Madiza.
"Ivy? Is that you?"
Monday, February 13, 2012
Freegans part 53
Cara
"Is he crazy?!" Matt gasped, when Ben launched himself at the Drone.
"I've probably rubbed off on him," Madiza commented. Kestrel un-slung his plasma rifle, and began blasting at the Drone.
"Hurry! I'll help him!" he cried. Without stopping to argue, we headed to the Computer and ATM. Without pausing, Madiza began typing on the small pad in front, fingers dancing feverishly across the keys. As she worked, doing something too complicated for me to understand on the screen, she was humming feverishly. It was something about a General, and vegetables, as far as I could figure out. We stood around her protectively, in case the Drone should overpower both Ben and Kestrel. The way things were going, it seemed a possibility.
I don't want to insult their prowess in fighting, but the truth is, they were no match for that Drone. Even with one arm, all it had to do was look at them, and make that droning sound, and they fell to the ground, nearly immobilized. Which was why they stood on opposite sides, so it would only get one at a time. Unfortunately, the Drone was apparently not all that dumb, because while it turned on Ben, the rifle thing on its' back unslung itself, and began blasting at Kestrel. He ducked, dodged, and finally went for its' legs. The Drone jumped, and smashed down on his chest. He must have either been very tough, or wearing some kind of protective armor underneath the uniform, because he shoved the Drone off, and got up, without any evidence of being hurt.
Now they were cornered. The Drone, to our surprise, turned its head up into the air, and began making that awful noise upwards.
"It's calling for reinforcements!" Kestrel cried. "We need to stop it NOW!"
"Almost done!" Madiza sung out. Ben leaped onto the Drone's back, and grabbed its' head, trying to wrench it free, as he had with the robots down in the tunnels. But this Drone was made of tougher stuff. It reached up with the free arm, and grabbed him by the neck, pulling him down. And then, just like magic, the light died out of its' eyes, and it slumped down.
"KillCode activated!" Madiza proclaimed happily.
"Is he crazy?!" Matt gasped, when Ben launched himself at the Drone.
"I've probably rubbed off on him," Madiza commented. Kestrel un-slung his plasma rifle, and began blasting at the Drone.
"Hurry! I'll help him!" he cried. Without stopping to argue, we headed to the Computer and ATM. Without pausing, Madiza began typing on the small pad in front, fingers dancing feverishly across the keys. As she worked, doing something too complicated for me to understand on the screen, she was humming feverishly. It was something about a General, and vegetables, as far as I could figure out. We stood around her protectively, in case the Drone should overpower both Ben and Kestrel. The way things were going, it seemed a possibility.
I don't want to insult their prowess in fighting, but the truth is, they were no match for that Drone. Even with one arm, all it had to do was look at them, and make that droning sound, and they fell to the ground, nearly immobilized. Which was why they stood on opposite sides, so it would only get one at a time. Unfortunately, the Drone was apparently not all that dumb, because while it turned on Ben, the rifle thing on its' back unslung itself, and began blasting at Kestrel. He ducked, dodged, and finally went for its' legs. The Drone jumped, and smashed down on his chest. He must have either been very tough, or wearing some kind of protective armor underneath the uniform, because he shoved the Drone off, and got up, without any evidence of being hurt.
Now they were cornered. The Drone, to our surprise, turned its head up into the air, and began making that awful noise upwards.
"It's calling for reinforcements!" Kestrel cried. "We need to stop it NOW!"
"Almost done!" Madiza sung out. Ben leaped onto the Drone's back, and grabbed its' head, trying to wrench it free, as he had with the robots down in the tunnels. But this Drone was made of tougher stuff. It reached up with the free arm, and grabbed him by the neck, pulling him down. And then, just like magic, the light died out of its' eyes, and it slumped down.
"KillCode activated!" Madiza proclaimed happily.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Freegans part 51
Matt
The Tower produced some helmets, and tossed five to us.
"You'll need these if you want to blend in. It's part of the standard dress code." I decided that I liked the Tower. The helmets, I was not so enthusiastic about. It felt like my friends and I were being swallowed up by the black evilness of the consumerists. I felt kind of claustrophobic with the thing on, even though I could breathe just fine. I looked through the viewing lens at my friends, and couldn't even see them. I just saw soldiers; rather small ones, but soldiers nonetheless. It creeped me out.
The one closest to me turned its helmeted head in my direction, and said, "For a group of people obsessed with fashion, these guys sure are negligent when it comes to their soldiers' outfits." Never had I been so glad to hear Cara give a smart-alecky remark.
Ox gave us a final briefing.
"Whatever you do, you MUST not give us away. To do so would be fatal. Do not speak unless you absolutely have to. Try to avoid being seen at all costs. And keep an eye out for Drones."
Then, slowly, he turned the wheel to the submarine door. With a loud, ominous creak, it swung open.
We filed out in a neat, orderly fashion, trying to act as natural as possible. My palms were sweating, and my mouth was incredibly dry.
You are not a spy, I kept telling myself. You belong here.
Yeah, right, my brain replied.
The Prison Sanctum was really big and metallic, kind of like a hospital. Or, at least, like I imagined a hospital to be, never having actually been in one before. I wondered why the consumerists were so fond of long corridors and metal walls. The Ox gave us a silent message with his fingers, splitting us up into three groups. His group headed off one direction, the group led by Le Masque in another, and our group, led by Kestrel, went the third. Our mission was to find the Computer and ATM of Light, and have Madiza type in the KillCode. I was sure it was much easier said than done. For one thing, how would we know it when we saw it? I had seen computers and ATMs in books before, but never in person.
I looked around the corridors as we walked, searching for any clues. I don't know what I was expecting; maybe a sign post with an arrow pointing in the right direction. No such luck. It seemed like we had been walking around for hours upon hours, and my feet hurt. Suddenly, Madiza reached out and yanked on the Kestrel's sleeve. He turned, and she pointed to a passage on the left eagerly. Nodding, he turned our squadron that direction. We walked along, looking confident and self-assured. And then, we stopped short. The Computer and ATM of Light was there, all right. It looked like the two machines morphed together somehow, which was pretty weird. However, we had a small problem. The entrance was being guarded by a Drone.
The Tower produced some helmets, and tossed five to us.
"You'll need these if you want to blend in. It's part of the standard dress code." I decided that I liked the Tower. The helmets, I was not so enthusiastic about. It felt like my friends and I were being swallowed up by the black evilness of the consumerists. I felt kind of claustrophobic with the thing on, even though I could breathe just fine. I looked through the viewing lens at my friends, and couldn't even see them. I just saw soldiers; rather small ones, but soldiers nonetheless. It creeped me out.
The one closest to me turned its helmeted head in my direction, and said, "For a group of people obsessed with fashion, these guys sure are negligent when it comes to their soldiers' outfits." Never had I been so glad to hear Cara give a smart-alecky remark.
Ox gave us a final briefing.
"Whatever you do, you MUST not give us away. To do so would be fatal. Do not speak unless you absolutely have to. Try to avoid being seen at all costs. And keep an eye out for Drones."
Then, slowly, he turned the wheel to the submarine door. With a loud, ominous creak, it swung open.
We filed out in a neat, orderly fashion, trying to act as natural as possible. My palms were sweating, and my mouth was incredibly dry.
You are not a spy, I kept telling myself. You belong here.
Yeah, right, my brain replied.
The Prison Sanctum was really big and metallic, kind of like a hospital. Or, at least, like I imagined a hospital to be, never having actually been in one before. I wondered why the consumerists were so fond of long corridors and metal walls. The Ox gave us a silent message with his fingers, splitting us up into three groups. His group headed off one direction, the group led by Le Masque in another, and our group, led by Kestrel, went the third. Our mission was to find the Computer and ATM of Light, and have Madiza type in the KillCode. I was sure it was much easier said than done. For one thing, how would we know it when we saw it? I had seen computers and ATMs in books before, but never in person.
I looked around the corridors as we walked, searching for any clues. I don't know what I was expecting; maybe a sign post with an arrow pointing in the right direction. No such luck. It seemed like we had been walking around for hours upon hours, and my feet hurt. Suddenly, Madiza reached out and yanked on the Kestrel's sleeve. He turned, and she pointed to a passage on the left eagerly. Nodding, he turned our squadron that direction. We walked along, looking confident and self-assured. And then, we stopped short. The Computer and ATM of Light was there, all right. It looked like the two machines morphed together somehow, which was pretty weird. However, we had a small problem. The entrance was being guarded by a Drone.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Freegans part 50
Lucy
We were right below the Prison. It was on an island, out in the middle of the ocean, and it did, indeed, look like a giant squid from below. The giant mass overhead had several branches out in different directions, like giant tentacles. As we floated up, I saw that some were actually hollow tubes, big enough for some kind of underwater transport to pass through. We all stared, goggle-eyed. Finally, Matt asked, "So, how do we get in?"
"We need to park in one of the docking bays."
"Isn't that a little risky? After all, they may recognize the fact that we don't belong to them," Cara pointed out.
"We'll enter on the far right bay, where we're least likely to be noticed. Besides, almost all submarines look the same nowadays."
"But won't they ask for some kind of code or something?"
"That's where I come in," the Kestrel replied.
We slowly began to rise up toward the docking bay. Cara, Matt, Ben and I looked at each other nervously. Madiza was smiling, as if this were the best day of her life. Without saying anything, we took each other's hands, and squeezed hard, in a reassuring way. I felt as if there were something in my throat, and imagined that it was probably my heart. Looking at my friends, I realized that the same was true with them. It was nice to know that they were as afraid as I was. Except Madiza, that is. Even if she had been looking scared, she probably would not have reassured me.
Finally, the submarine was parked at the docking bay. On the viewing screen came the phrase, Password? Walking to the keyboard, Kestrel quickly and efficiently typed something in. After a tense second, we saw the words, Password confirmed. Everyone let out a breath of relief. We were in.
We were right below the Prison. It was on an island, out in the middle of the ocean, and it did, indeed, look like a giant squid from below. The giant mass overhead had several branches out in different directions, like giant tentacles. As we floated up, I saw that some were actually hollow tubes, big enough for some kind of underwater transport to pass through. We all stared, goggle-eyed. Finally, Matt asked, "So, how do we get in?"
"We need to park in one of the docking bays."
"Isn't that a little risky? After all, they may recognize the fact that we don't belong to them," Cara pointed out.
"We'll enter on the far right bay, where we're least likely to be noticed. Besides, almost all submarines look the same nowadays."
"But won't they ask for some kind of code or something?"
"That's where I come in," the Kestrel replied.
We slowly began to rise up toward the docking bay. Cara, Matt, Ben and I looked at each other nervously. Madiza was smiling, as if this were the best day of her life. Without saying anything, we took each other's hands, and squeezed hard, in a reassuring way. I felt as if there were something in my throat, and imagined that it was probably my heart. Looking at my friends, I realized that the same was true with them. It was nice to know that they were as afraid as I was. Except Madiza, that is. Even if she had been looking scared, she probably would not have reassured me.
Finally, the submarine was parked at the docking bay. On the viewing screen came the phrase, Password? Walking to the keyboard, Kestrel quickly and efficiently typed something in. After a tense second, we saw the words, Password confirmed. Everyone let out a breath of relief. We were in.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Freegans part 49
Cara
We were in a submarine! I had never seen one before, except in books, so this was a really exciting experience for me. As I peered out one of the portholes, I saw several species of fish; this was unusual, since I'd assumed they'd all be extinct by now. Then again, maybe the consumerists needed them as a food source.
Us kids (well, all except Madiza) sat on a bench in front of the Ox, who explained what was going to happen when we got there.
"We need to go in quickly, and quietly. If any Drones catch us, it will be disastrous."
"Why?" asked Lucy.
Kestrel pressed a button on his watch, and a hologram appeared. It was a giant creature, about 8 feet tall, and because it had some kind of levitation boots, it wasn't touching the ground, making it look even taller. I craned my neck, getting a look at its face. The Drone had a hard face that looked vaguely like a human's, except it had no mouth. That, and something about it just looked creepier. Probably the fact that it was obviously not human. It's arms reached down past it's knees, sort of like a chimpanzee. The hands on those things looked incredibly strong. I was not liking this thing already. My low opinion increased when the hologram slowly turned to reveal the guns on it's back. I was reminded of a scorpion's tail. The overall effect of this Drone gave me the creeps.
Suddenly, Matt said, "Doesn't look too bad." I gave him an 'Are you insane?' look.
"What?!" he protested. "All we have to do is-blast them with plasma rifles or something! I mean, it's not like they have secret weapons or anything, right?"
"Why do you think they're called Drones, Matt?" asked Kestrel.
"...Like the male bees?"
"No. It's because of the low moaning noise they make. It messes with your inner ear, making it impossible for you to run away. If you try, you stumble and fall, every time. Also, these Drones are incredibly strong. Once one grabs you, it would be nearly impossible to make it let go. They are the ultimate capturing machines."
Matt sat silently for a moment. Finally, he said, "I would like to retract my previous statement."
"So, what do we do about them?" asked Lucy.
Kestrel pressed another button, changing to a different hologram. It looked like a cross between two different machines.
"This is the Sacred Computer and ATM of Light," announced the Ox. "We need to get to it, and then Madiza needs to punch in the KillCode. That will give us an extra hour in which to find Deep Thought, and any of our other comrades, and set them free. If we don't manage it in the alloted amount of time, we are lost."
Something in the finality of his words sent chills running along my spine. I knew he wasn't talking about not finding the way back. I involuntarily shivered.
We were led to separate rooms, and given new clothes. They were in black, and made out of some weird material. I wondered if they were mithril, and had a small chuckle with myself. I changed clothes, but kept the levitation boots. Call me sentimental, but since they'd saved my life at least twice, I felt a kind of attachment to them. When we came back, I smirked at how Matt and Lucy looked: like little kids playing at being ninjas. At least, until I realized that I probably looked the same way. The dark coloring made Madiza look even paler than she was, so that she was practically the color of snow. Ben, despite his emaciatedness and matted hair, looked dashing, but that was what came of coming from the consumerist community. There was no such thing as an ugly person there, at least on the outside.
Matt asked, "Do we get any weapons?"
"You shouldn't have to. At all times you will be protected," was the Ox's reply. Matt looked crestfallen. At that moment, Madiza cried, "Ooh, it's a giant squid!" We went to see what she was looking at, and realized that we were here. At the Prison Sanctum.
We were in a submarine! I had never seen one before, except in books, so this was a really exciting experience for me. As I peered out one of the portholes, I saw several species of fish; this was unusual, since I'd assumed they'd all be extinct by now. Then again, maybe the consumerists needed them as a food source.
Us kids (well, all except Madiza) sat on a bench in front of the Ox, who explained what was going to happen when we got there.
"We need to go in quickly, and quietly. If any Drones catch us, it will be disastrous."
"Why?" asked Lucy.
Kestrel pressed a button on his watch, and a hologram appeared. It was a giant creature, about 8 feet tall, and because it had some kind of levitation boots, it wasn't touching the ground, making it look even taller. I craned my neck, getting a look at its face. The Drone had a hard face that looked vaguely like a human's, except it had no mouth. That, and something about it just looked creepier. Probably the fact that it was obviously not human. It's arms reached down past it's knees, sort of like a chimpanzee. The hands on those things looked incredibly strong. I was not liking this thing already. My low opinion increased when the hologram slowly turned to reveal the guns on it's back. I was reminded of a scorpion's tail. The overall effect of this Drone gave me the creeps.
Suddenly, Matt said, "Doesn't look too bad." I gave him an 'Are you insane?' look.
"What?!" he protested. "All we have to do is-blast them with plasma rifles or something! I mean, it's not like they have secret weapons or anything, right?"
"Why do you think they're called Drones, Matt?" asked Kestrel.
"...Like the male bees?"
"No. It's because of the low moaning noise they make. It messes with your inner ear, making it impossible for you to run away. If you try, you stumble and fall, every time. Also, these Drones are incredibly strong. Once one grabs you, it would be nearly impossible to make it let go. They are the ultimate capturing machines."
Matt sat silently for a moment. Finally, he said, "I would like to retract my previous statement."
"So, what do we do about them?" asked Lucy.
Kestrel pressed another button, changing to a different hologram. It looked like a cross between two different machines.
"This is the Sacred Computer and ATM of Light," announced the Ox. "We need to get to it, and then Madiza needs to punch in the KillCode. That will give us an extra hour in which to find Deep Thought, and any of our other comrades, and set them free. If we don't manage it in the alloted amount of time, we are lost."
Something in the finality of his words sent chills running along my spine. I knew he wasn't talking about not finding the way back. I involuntarily shivered.
We were led to separate rooms, and given new clothes. They were in black, and made out of some weird material. I wondered if they were mithril, and had a small chuckle with myself. I changed clothes, but kept the levitation boots. Call me sentimental, but since they'd saved my life at least twice, I felt a kind of attachment to them. When we came back, I smirked at how Matt and Lucy looked: like little kids playing at being ninjas. At least, until I realized that I probably looked the same way. The dark coloring made Madiza look even paler than she was, so that she was practically the color of snow. Ben, despite his emaciatedness and matted hair, looked dashing, but that was what came of coming from the consumerist community. There was no such thing as an ugly person there, at least on the outside.
Matt asked, "Do we get any weapons?"
"You shouldn't have to. At all times you will be protected," was the Ox's reply. Matt looked crestfallen. At that moment, Madiza cried, "Ooh, it's a giant squid!" We went to see what she was looking at, and realized that we were here. At the Prison Sanctum.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Freegans part 48
Madiza
We all live in a yellow submarine, yellow submarine, yellow submarine! Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink! Lots and lots of water! Going down! Ooh, fishies! Little little fish, Cynoscion nebulosus, spotted seatrout! Where where where are we going? Ask the Professor, he'll know. Ox is the Professor. Does that make me Ginger or Mary Ann? Hee hee hee hee!
"We're going to the Golden Church's Prison Sanctum, out in the middle of the ocean."
Gold gold gold all that glitters is not gold. Still really pretty, though. That's the place of the KillCode, need to remember that. Of course I can, not hard at all. Wonder how far we are under the sea. Not quite 20,000 leagues. Under the sea, under the sea! Nobody beat us, fry us and eat us, in fricassee! Wouldn't put it past them, nope, nope, nope. Ooh, bright shiny lights! All in gold...
We all live in a yellow submarine, yellow submarine, yellow submarine! Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink! Lots and lots of water! Going down! Ooh, fishies! Little little fish, Cynoscion nebulosus, spotted seatrout! Where where where are we going? Ask the Professor, he'll know. Ox is the Professor. Does that make me Ginger or Mary Ann? Hee hee hee hee!
"We're going to the Golden Church's Prison Sanctum, out in the middle of the ocean."
Gold gold gold all that glitters is not gold. Still really pretty, though. That's the place of the KillCode, need to remember that. Of course I can, not hard at all. Wonder how far we are under the sea. Not quite 20,000 leagues. Under the sea, under the sea! Nobody beat us, fry us and eat us, in fricassee! Wouldn't put it past them, nope, nope, nope. Ooh, bright shiny lights! All in gold...
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Freegans part 47
Matt
Finally, we came to a stop. I looked ahead, and saw the reason was a dead end. 'O-kay,' I thought. 'How is this helpful?' My unspoken question was answered when Kestrel reached up, and pushed on the ceiling. It shifted! Some of the others moved to help him, and after a moment, that part of the ceiling lifted up. With a few grunts, they moved it, leaving a square hole over our heads. I could see the night sky, with sprinklings of stars decorating the dark blue. Suddenly I felt very emotional (ssh, don't tell Cara or Lucy). How long had it been since I had last seen that sky?
I could hardly wait to get boosted up out of the hole, just so I could see more. I felt cool breezes over my face, which was really nice. I could feel soft, wet grass beneath my worn-through shoes. Even though there was no moon, I could still see almost everything. I looked at my friends, and saw they were looking happy too. However, our reactions were nothing compared to those of Ben and Madiza. They were actually crying, Ben silently, Madiza in loud, unashamed sobs. They were hugging each other, staring at the stars, the ground, even the shadowy trees, as if they wanted to drink in everything at once.
"They're still here!" Madiza cried out jubilantly. She pointed at the stars, joy written all over her face. "The white coats didn't drain them! They're still out there!"
The Resistance members anxiously shushed her, plasma rifles cocked. That reminded me that we were not out of the woods yet.
As soon as the last of the team was out, they pushed the rock which served as the trap door back into place.
"Come on, we have to get going," directed the Ox. He handed out a few sets of goggles. I put them on, and discovered they were for night vision. Awesome!
"Can we keep these?" I asked Kestrel.
He smiled. "Maybe. We'll see if we survive first." I figured that would suffice for now.
Finally, we came to a stop. I looked ahead, and saw the reason was a dead end. 'O-kay,' I thought. 'How is this helpful?' My unspoken question was answered when Kestrel reached up, and pushed on the ceiling. It shifted! Some of the others moved to help him, and after a moment, that part of the ceiling lifted up. With a few grunts, they moved it, leaving a square hole over our heads. I could see the night sky, with sprinklings of stars decorating the dark blue. Suddenly I felt very emotional (ssh, don't tell Cara or Lucy). How long had it been since I had last seen that sky?
I could hardly wait to get boosted up out of the hole, just so I could see more. I felt cool breezes over my face, which was really nice. I could feel soft, wet grass beneath my worn-through shoes. Even though there was no moon, I could still see almost everything. I looked at my friends, and saw they were looking happy too. However, our reactions were nothing compared to those of Ben and Madiza. They were actually crying, Ben silently, Madiza in loud, unashamed sobs. They were hugging each other, staring at the stars, the ground, even the shadowy trees, as if they wanted to drink in everything at once.
"They're still here!" Madiza cried out jubilantly. She pointed at the stars, joy written all over her face. "The white coats didn't drain them! They're still out there!"
The Resistance members anxiously shushed her, plasma rifles cocked. That reminded me that we were not out of the woods yet.
As soon as the last of the team was out, they pushed the rock which served as the trap door back into place.
"Come on, we have to get going," directed the Ox. He handed out a few sets of goggles. I put them on, and discovered they were for night vision. Awesome!
"Can we keep these?" I asked Kestrel.
He smiled. "Maybe. We'll see if we survive first." I figured that would suffice for now.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Freegans part 46
Lucy
Once again, we were off. I felt about ready to drop. What's more, I was kind of annoyed with Madiza. We'd gotten an excuse to finally go home, and she insisted that we be dragged along on another crazy trip, which had a possibility of us getting killed! I felt so angry I wanted to-to- to do something violent! However, what with all the plasma rifles around, that would probably not be a good idea, so I just walked and stewed in silence.
You'd think Cara and Matt would notice I was upset, maybe try to make me feel better, but did they? No! They were perfectly happy to be chatting away with some of the Resistance members, palling around! Madiza was speaking in French with Le Masque again, and as for Ben? He walked along by her side, looking a little anxious, but perfectly willing to go along with this. For some reason, his compliance annoyed me more than anything else. I glared at the ground sullenly.
I don't know how long we walked. It could have been days, or just a few minutes. Suddenly, a pair of bloodshot green eyes were staring right into mine, and a voice shrieked, "Boo!"
I screamed, and jumped back, bumping into one of the new people. Blushing, I apologized, and turned to see Madiza standing there, cackling her silly head off.
"That wasn't funny!" I cried indignantly.
"Oh, come on! Don't you know what day it is?"
"No. Why should I?"
"Friday, October 31st. This is Halloween, everybody make a scene!" Madiza grinned, and ran to the front of the line, where Ox and Kestrel were.
I looked at Cara and Matt, nonplussed, forgetting I was mad at them.
"Hallow-what?"
"Halloween. It's an old holiday, before the government took over. People dressed up in costumes, and went to people's houses for candy. It was something called trick-or-treating," said Cara.
"Oh."
"The rule was the scarier, the better, I think."
"She can keep track of the days of the week?" I asked, bemused.
Cara and Matt both looked at me.
"You're actually surprised by that, Luce?"
Once again, we were off. I felt about ready to drop. What's more, I was kind of annoyed with Madiza. We'd gotten an excuse to finally go home, and she insisted that we be dragged along on another crazy trip, which had a possibility of us getting killed! I felt so angry I wanted to-to- to do something violent! However, what with all the plasma rifles around, that would probably not be a good idea, so I just walked and stewed in silence.
You'd think Cara and Matt would notice I was upset, maybe try to make me feel better, but did they? No! They were perfectly happy to be chatting away with some of the Resistance members, palling around! Madiza was speaking in French with Le Masque again, and as for Ben? He walked along by her side, looking a little anxious, but perfectly willing to go along with this. For some reason, his compliance annoyed me more than anything else. I glared at the ground sullenly.
I don't know how long we walked. It could have been days, or just a few minutes. Suddenly, a pair of bloodshot green eyes were staring right into mine, and a voice shrieked, "Boo!"
I screamed, and jumped back, bumping into one of the new people. Blushing, I apologized, and turned to see Madiza standing there, cackling her silly head off.
"That wasn't funny!" I cried indignantly.
"Oh, come on! Don't you know what day it is?"
"No. Why should I?"
"Friday, October 31st. This is Halloween, everybody make a scene!" Madiza grinned, and ran to the front of the line, where Ox and Kestrel were.
I looked at Cara and Matt, nonplussed, forgetting I was mad at them.
"Hallow-what?"
"Halloween. It's an old holiday, before the government took over. People dressed up in costumes, and went to people's houses for candy. It was something called trick-or-treating," said Cara.
"Oh."
"The rule was the scarier, the better, I think."
"She can keep track of the days of the week?" I asked, bemused.
Cara and Matt both looked at me.
"You're actually surprised by that, Luce?"
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Freegans part 45
Cara
The woman in the mask cried out jubilantly, "Monsieur Boeuf! You and the rest are alright! It is magnificent!" She nearly threw her arms around Ox, who quickly took a step back.
"Yes, Masque, I'm quite alright, thank you. It's very fortunate that you came to us so quickly."
"Oh, it was not all my doing, non? It was mainly due to the ingenuity of La Tour, and his knowledge of the tunnels." She indicated a small, dark man with a small, scruffy beard. I noticed that Kestrel gave an involuntary smile upon seeing him.
"Tower," said Ox in a relieved-sounding voice. "You made it, too."
Le Masque, Tower, and the others peered over at us curiously. When she cast her eyes on Madiza, Masque gasped.
"Is that-"
"Mais oui, c'est moi, Le Projet 112!" Madiza exclaimed, in perfect French. I can't say I was surprised; nothing she could do surprised me anymore. Looking delighted, Masque broke into a rapid conversation with her.
Though his face seemed more accustomed to smiling, Tower looked very grim as he sidled up to Ox, Kestrel, and Max. He said, "There is no more time. We need to get to the Church and free Deep Thought and the others now." He spoke in a foreign, but very nice-sounding accent.
Ox nodded. "Alright. Kestrel, you and I will take 112 and a few others, and go to the Church. Max, you can take the others back home-"
"What?!" It took us a moment to realize that the shocked cry had come from Madiza. She had evidently finished talking to Masque, and was behind us, listening in. Her green eyes were wide with shock, and slight terror.
"You're going to take them away? You can't! I need my friends! I need them!"
"The Church of Golden Light is no place for them. They can't help us. You can," said Ox.
Then I was forced to eat my words. Madiza did something that completely surprised me (and probably Lucy, too, since she was so hostile towards the looney). She folded her arms stubbornly across her chest, and said, "Not without my friends!" Then, even though they didn't say anything, a conversation passed between Ox and Madiza. The problem was plain. He needed her, and didn't want to try to force her to give the code. He didn't want us in danger, but saw that she wasn't willing to be separated from us. It was a struggle for power that only one of them could win. Finally, he sighed and nodded.
"Alright. They may come too."
The woman in the mask cried out jubilantly, "Monsieur Boeuf! You and the rest are alright! It is magnificent!" She nearly threw her arms around Ox, who quickly took a step back.
"Yes, Masque, I'm quite alright, thank you. It's very fortunate that you came to us so quickly."
"Oh, it was not all my doing, non? It was mainly due to the ingenuity of La Tour, and his knowledge of the tunnels." She indicated a small, dark man with a small, scruffy beard. I noticed that Kestrel gave an involuntary smile upon seeing him.
"Tower," said Ox in a relieved-sounding voice. "You made it, too."
Le Masque, Tower, and the others peered over at us curiously. When she cast her eyes on Madiza, Masque gasped.
"Is that-"
"Mais oui, c'est moi, Le Projet 112!" Madiza exclaimed, in perfect French. I can't say I was surprised; nothing she could do surprised me anymore. Looking delighted, Masque broke into a rapid conversation with her.
Though his face seemed more accustomed to smiling, Tower looked very grim as he sidled up to Ox, Kestrel, and Max. He said, "There is no more time. We need to get to the Church and free Deep Thought and the others now." He spoke in a foreign, but very nice-sounding accent.
Ox nodded. "Alright. Kestrel, you and I will take 112 and a few others, and go to the Church. Max, you can take the others back home-"
"What?!" It took us a moment to realize that the shocked cry had come from Madiza. She had evidently finished talking to Masque, and was behind us, listening in. Her green eyes were wide with shock, and slight terror.
"You're going to take them away? You can't! I need my friends! I need them!"
"The Church of Golden Light is no place for them. They can't help us. You can," said Ox.
Then I was forced to eat my words. Madiza did something that completely surprised me (and probably Lucy, too, since she was so hostile towards the looney). She folded her arms stubbornly across her chest, and said, "Not without my friends!" Then, even though they didn't say anything, a conversation passed between Ox and Madiza. The problem was plain. He needed her, and didn't want to try to force her to give the code. He didn't want us in danger, but saw that she wasn't willing to be separated from us. It was a struggle for power that only one of them could win. Finally, he sighed and nodded.
"Alright. They may come too."
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Freegans part 44
Matt
'Figures,' I thought. The Ox, Kestrel, and the red-haired woman pulled out plasma rifles, and began blasting, making it hard for me to see who it was that we were even fighting. Dodging a plasma ball that nearly took my head off, I grabbed the crowbar that Cara tossed to me from her knapsack (I was beginning to wonder if that thing was bottomless), and joined in to the fighting. As soon as I got involved, I could see that these weren't the Junkmen, since they were of ordinary height, and they weren't robots, since they were humans. The conclusion? They must be from the government. This had an odd effect on Kestrel. He had set his beret very low over his face, and looked like he was trying to hide somewhat. I figured he had been a spy, or something like that.
Sadly, we were outnumbered, and out-gunned. In almost no time at all we were surrounded. One of them stepped forward, smirking. He was dressed in the same uniform as the rest of the soldiers, except that his beret was bright red. I assumed this meant he was the leader. He addressed the Ox:
"You have some things that belong to us." The man indicated us kids. "We'd like to have them back now."
"I'm afraid that you can't," said the Ox in a dignified voice.
The soldier looked annoyed. "Perhaps I am not making myself clear." He made a gesture, and almost every soldier pointed his gun at the Ox's chest.
"You aren't in any position to say what we can or can't do. We are taking them now, and if you try to resist, you-"
He was interrupted by a blast of electricity, knocking him sideways into some of the other ranks, like a set of dominoes.
Madiza then turned her tazer on the group next to them, before they could come to their senses and start shooting her. Unexpectedly, more help emerged, in the form of another small group of people, who shot up the tunnel towards us with more plasma rifles. Their leader was a woman wearing an elaborate mask, as if she were about to go to a costume party. Madiza looked down at the man with the red beret, and said contemptuously, "Baaaad old putty-tat!"
'Figures,' I thought. The Ox, Kestrel, and the red-haired woman pulled out plasma rifles, and began blasting, making it hard for me to see who it was that we were even fighting. Dodging a plasma ball that nearly took my head off, I grabbed the crowbar that Cara tossed to me from her knapsack (I was beginning to wonder if that thing was bottomless), and joined in to the fighting. As soon as I got involved, I could see that these weren't the Junkmen, since they were of ordinary height, and they weren't robots, since they were humans. The conclusion? They must be from the government. This had an odd effect on Kestrel. He had set his beret very low over his face, and looked like he was trying to hide somewhat. I figured he had been a spy, or something like that.
Sadly, we were outnumbered, and out-gunned. In almost no time at all we were surrounded. One of them stepped forward, smirking. He was dressed in the same uniform as the rest of the soldiers, except that his beret was bright red. I assumed this meant he was the leader. He addressed the Ox:
"You have some things that belong to us." The man indicated us kids. "We'd like to have them back now."
"I'm afraid that you can't," said the Ox in a dignified voice.
The soldier looked annoyed. "Perhaps I am not making myself clear." He made a gesture, and almost every soldier pointed his gun at the Ox's chest.
"You aren't in any position to say what we can or can't do. We are taking them now, and if you try to resist, you-"
He was interrupted by a blast of electricity, knocking him sideways into some of the other ranks, like a set of dominoes.
Madiza then turned her tazer on the group next to them, before they could come to their senses and start shooting her. Unexpectedly, more help emerged, in the form of another small group of people, who shot up the tunnel towards us with more plasma rifles. Their leader was a woman wearing an elaborate mask, as if she were about to go to a costume party. Madiza looked down at the man with the red beret, and said contemptuously, "Baaaad old putty-tat!"
Friday, July 8, 2011
Freegans part 43
Lucy
Madiza and Ben looked very sweet, snuggled up together like that. He couldn't use his voice to say 'ssh, ssh', so he was softly hissing through his teeth. It was all very cute to watch. So why did I have bile rising in my throat, and feel churning in my stomach? I turned away, only to see Cara and Matt smirking at me, and looking as though they were trying not to laugh.
"Shut up!" I snapped.
"What?" asked Cara, her green eyes going wide and innocent. I just glared, and looked for somewhere else to look. My options were becoming smaller by the second. From behind me I heard small explosions of giggles.
It was a relief to me when Kestrel announced that it was times to go. We got up, and began to quickly pack our things. I tried to carry as much as possible, but didn't do very well, I'm afraid. Most of it had to be taken from me, and distributed among the others. But I didn't mind much. I was used to being the weakling. The tall woman, Max, opened the secret door, and we slipped out. To my dismay, I found myself walking near Madiza, who was mumbling and humming to herself, perfectly happy again. I tried to ignore her, instead focusing on the sides of the tunnel, or my friends, or anything else.
Suddenly, Madiza looked right at me and said, out of the blue, "I've been considering words that begin with the letter J. Jealousy. Jaundice. Jack-in-the-box. Juvenile."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" I demanded, stung by the first word.
"Oh, nothing, nothing at all," she replied lightly, looking up at the ceiling as if there were something interesting there. "Just-beware of the green-eyed monster. Oh, and you can't lose what you never had."
Then she went back to her demented mutterings. I felt flustered and angry. Had she just given me a threat? My wonderings were interrupted-by an attack suddenly made on our small group.
Madiza and Ben looked very sweet, snuggled up together like that. He couldn't use his voice to say 'ssh, ssh', so he was softly hissing through his teeth. It was all very cute to watch. So why did I have bile rising in my throat, and feel churning in my stomach? I turned away, only to see Cara and Matt smirking at me, and looking as though they were trying not to laugh.
"Shut up!" I snapped.
"What?" asked Cara, her green eyes going wide and innocent. I just glared, and looked for somewhere else to look. My options were becoming smaller by the second. From behind me I heard small explosions of giggles.
It was a relief to me when Kestrel announced that it was times to go. We got up, and began to quickly pack our things. I tried to carry as much as possible, but didn't do very well, I'm afraid. Most of it had to be taken from me, and distributed among the others. But I didn't mind much. I was used to being the weakling. The tall woman, Max, opened the secret door, and we slipped out. To my dismay, I found myself walking near Madiza, who was mumbling and humming to herself, perfectly happy again. I tried to ignore her, instead focusing on the sides of the tunnel, or my friends, or anything else.
Suddenly, Madiza looked right at me and said, out of the blue, "I've been considering words that begin with the letter J. Jealousy. Jaundice. Jack-in-the-box. Juvenile."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" I demanded, stung by the first word.
"Oh, nothing, nothing at all," she replied lightly, looking up at the ceiling as if there were something interesting there. "Just-beware of the green-eyed monster. Oh, and you can't lose what you never had."
Then she went back to her demented mutterings. I felt flustered and angry. Had she just given me a threat? My wonderings were interrupted-by an attack suddenly made on our small group.
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