My shoulder throbbed, but that was a good sign. Sort of. It meant that rather than being dead, as I expected, I was alive. Still fighting, but probably in a whole lot of trouble. Even in my semi-lucid state, I could tell that the wound was infected. Who knew what kinds of bacteriological nasties that monster had laced on his hook?
"Mama, he's awake!"
I heard steps approach and felt a cool hand on my brow. "Toby? Can you hear me?"
Sure, hearing is easy. It's the only sense that doesn't require me to voluntarily move something.
Responding to what I heard, on the other hand... that takes a bit more effort.
I let out a low sound, somewhere between a grunt and a moan. The hand moved away and something cold and wet was put in its p
Despite my best efforts and Candy's constant, tender care, my fever continued to get worse. I started to hallucinate, crying out in pain and fear. She had to gag me to keep my screaming from scaring the children or drawing attention from the outside. I moved in and out of reality, my dreams full of terrible visions. In one, the world seemed to implode, taking both Candy and Mirele into a swirling vortex of hellish flames, desperately screaming my name as they fell. I had the faces of the various controllers scream at me, condemning me and my very existence. I found myself trapped in a small enclosure like one of the zoo animals, starving and weak, fed only when the zookeeper came in to use me for his sick, sexual fantasies. I heard the cries of dying children, the screams of the little girl I'd saved, and the roar of lions that pursued me relentlessly. The dr
I used Candy's replicator over the course of a day to replenish some supplies in my bag. Then, during the quiet hours of the night, I prepared to leave the orphanage again. This time, I knew I wouldn't return, and so did she. I held her for several minutes before she could bring herself to let me go. "Be careful," she whispered in a voice choked with tears. "If I were careful, I'd just stay here," I quipped as I caressed her face. "I promise, I'll do what needs to be done." She nodded. After one final kiss, I hurried away from her alley and made my way through the shadows. I'd replicated some new, darker clothes, and a parka for my next destination. The dark side. If I did this just right, I'd be able to hop a transport directly to a storage unit at my destination, and that would be underground. I'd be safely awa
It's time... I look down the long hallway that leads to the outside world. I reach into my pocket for my tablet to confirm my orders... It's not there. I bite back a curse. This isn't exactly the most auspicious start to my mission. I don't even have my most important tool with me! I trudge back to Grandfather's office to pick it up, hoping that he has already left so that I can covertly snag it and still manage a graceful exit. No such luck. He's still in there, and now, someone else is with him. "...mean you didn't tell him?" "Of course not! Would you?" That's Grandfather's voice... tell who what? Something tells me they're talking about me, so I just pause to listen. "For
"Hey."I blinked and looked up. It had been several hours since I'd been thrown in here, and out of sheer exhaustion, I couldn't help falling asleep. No one was in the room except myself and Christa, so I looked over at her. "You talking to me?" I muttered.She quirked her eyebrows at me. "No, I'm talking to the rat in the corner. His name is Clancy."I looked around. There was a carcass in the corner that looked like it might once have been a rat. "Hmm... he looks more like a Gus to me."She laughed or at least attempted to. "Nice one... actually, I was talking to you."I nodded. "I figured, after your joke. So... uh... hi?"She nods at the door. "What do you think of our host? H
Once I had left the prison, I hurried down the hallway to a cross hall. Still empty. I had done my best to count the corners and turns on the way in here. I took a few wrong turns, but eventually, I found the entrance.There were guards here, of course. They gathered around a computer screen, watching something and snickering. I had to get to the door, but they would see me as I ran past.It was time for my diversion. Grabbing a handful of the pills, I hauled back, then chucked them as hard as I could into another hallway. They skittered loudly along the slick floor into the darkness.The guard station erupted. Several ran into the hallway, guns in hand, shouting about intruders. Only two remained at their station and they had their eyes riveted on the chase.I bolted to
"How long have you two known each other?""Since we were kids. Ever since he... started everything. All of this."Mirele... that was her voice... I was back with Mirele!"I guess you two are close, then?""Very... we're engaged.""You are? I wondered why you were always in here. I thought you were avoiding me... I didn't know he had a fiancee. He never told me."That was... Candy! She was here... wherever here was... but I had left her at the orphanage."Well, yeah... why? Does it matter?""Uh... damn, this is so embarrassing. We got... close. Really close. I pretty much tricked him into it
The room fell silent as Dr. Hansen told the others I was awake. Drat. No more spying. Of course, it wasn't like I could have stopped him from spilling the beans. I couldn't move at all. I waited through a long, uncomfortable silence, then I heard a fit of giggles. "Good grief, Mirele... take a breath, girl, you're turning purple!" "Toby... he's... oh my, I think I'm going to be sick." "No, just take a breath. Deep breaths, that's right..." While Candy tended to Mirele's panic attack, I heard the two sets of steps approach me. Something brushed up against my bed, on either side, then hands clasped around each of my hands. "Toby? Can you hear me?" Grandfather. I still couldn't
I heard something a while later, something that woke me up. I got the impression that it had only been a few hours. Evening, maybe. My time sense was still trying to do its job even after all the long weeks of recovery, and I knew it wasn't the middle of the day.I tried to wake up, but the medication was too strong. All I could do was lay there and try to figure out what was going on."Toby... I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I don't want to do it... I wish I couldn't... I wish... my dear Toby, please forgive me."The voice was so strained and broken, interspersed with hoarse sobs, I almost couldn't understand what he was saying. Despite that, I knew very well who it was. Grandfather. My poor, dear, broken grandfather. I felt worse for him than for myself.I had to do somet