Read Online Fixed by Beth Goobie - Free Book Online Page A

above the top drawer appeared inside their heads.
    “File this incident in drawer three, file nine,” said the man. “When you have done this, you will not remember my presence, nor will youremember Phillip Grennin Bolderveen being here this afternoon. You are working on your assignment alone, just the two of you. Now close drawer number three, lock it and put cabinet forty-seven away. Is it done?”
    Eyes glazed, both girls nodded again.
    “It is done,” the man in the Detta uniform said crisply. Stepping around the barricade, he left the room. On the bed Nellie and Lierin sat, staring blankly as filing cabinet forty-seven faded from their minds. A long slow breath coursed through each of them.
    “Uh,” said Nellie, rubbing the back of her hand across her mouth. Where was she? Oh yeah, her bedroom. And what was she doing? Um, there was a book in her lap and Lierin was sitting beside her with a laptop. Okay, she had it — they were working on a Star Class assignment that had to do with the death of the Goddess’s sons and the build-up to the Great War. Yeah, it was all coming back now. They were at the part where a group of Outback rebels killed the warrior-priest twin in the Battle of the Northern Stars. Then, several days later, another rebel group mistook the pedlar twin for his brother and killed him in the Ambush of the Morning Light. For the death of both the Goddess’s sons, the ten cities of the Interior never forgave the Outbacks. Banding together in outrage, they officially renamed themselves the “Interior” and sealed themselves off from all outsiders. From this point on they developed fast and furious, outstripping the Outbacks in commerce, technology and culture. But for all that, they were never able to subdue the Outbacks. One hundred and fifty years later, the Great War was ongoing and Outbackers continued to live in waywardness, blasphemy and squalor.
    “Some day,” said Lierin fiercely, staring at her laptop screen, “when I get my full-class agent status, I’m going to ask to be sent to the Outbacks. And when I get there, I’m going to nail every one of those pagans.”
    Taking a quick breath, Nellie nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “In honor of the Goddess.”
    They were silent a moment, and then Lierin sighed. “C’mon,” she said. “Let’s get this finished so we can go to the gym.”
    “Yeah,” echoed Nellie, “the gym.” She flipped to the next page in her book, then paused. Something seemed to be shifting inside her brain, as if trying to get out. Get out of what? Annoyed, she gave her head a shake. If this kept up, she was going to have to pay another visit to the Mind Cleanser. “Okay,” she said. “Next, the Goddess ... “
    They continued with the assignment.
    “WHERE’S MY 99 Badge?” Crowded into the space between her dresser and free-standing closet, Tana glared at Nellie. “I left it right here, next to my brush, and now it’s gone.”
    “Dunno,” shrugged Nellie, keeping her eyes fixed on the monitoring screen. A half-eaten package of oolaga candy sat on her stomach and Star Heat was on. Nothing else mattered.
    “No one’s been in this room except you,” insisted Tana, her voice rising. “C’mon Kinnan, tell me where you put it.”
    “It’s just a stupid badge.” Nellie belched loudly and patted her stomach. “Don’t get so uptight. Probably one of your friends borrowed it. Or Duikstra.”
    “Why would Duikstra take it?” demanded Tana.
    Nellie could hear her roommate starting to hyperventilate. Sneaking a satisfied grin, she continued to stare at the monitoring screen. She hadn’t taken the badge, but she certainly understood why Tana was upset about losing it. The 99 Badge was one of the most coveted awards an Advanced cadet could earn. Bestowed upon those who’d made ninety-nine maze runs without substantial errors, only a small minority achieved it. Nellie was keeping careful track of her own successful runs and was currently at