Read Online Grey by Jon Armstrong - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jon Armstrong
Tags: Science-Fiction
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had hair all over his face. "That kid was the richest pill ever. He'd never be here."
"Yeah," concurred Bunny. Wiping his dripping nose with one of his huge sleeves, he asked, "Who are you, and who do you shit for?"
"I need to get back to the families," I said, as a ripple of fear, like gamma rays passed through me.
"I don't want to hear any families !" The thing on his forehead oozed a yellowish puss, and he smelled like rancid frying oil.
"If he came off the Loop," said someone. "Could be soaking with p'thylamine!"
"Satins will zap a slubber dead if you get up there," said one of the others. "They electrocuted my uncle. Half his body was burned away. Couldn't get anything for him."
I retreated a step from Bunny and tried to make eye contact with the other men. "Will someone help me?" No one spoke. "I could assist you," I suggested. "I know we're supposed to be foes, but I could have some clothes tailored for you." They looked at each other and laughed again.
"What's wrong with our knits?" Bunny wanted to know, as he primped his sleeves and smoothed the stiff spunlaid material over his belly.
"No, nothing," I said, taking another step backwards. "Sorry. Um . . . my family company keeps information . . . and . . . identity and . . . " Bunny glared at me as if I wasn't making any sense. My voice trailed off.
"Michael Rivers," said a female voice from farther back in the group. A short, chubby woman in red shorts, a sparkling red bra, and a small, white plastic jacket stepped forward. Her hair reminded me of Mother's from last time—a stiff, multi-colored muddle shaped like a garden shrub—only hers was so laden with tiny silvery trinkets, it sparkled and tinkled like an enormous charm bracelet. Around her otherwise naked belly was a wide red plastic belt with a large button in the middle. "I heard he's getting married to that Gonzalez-Matsu girl next week."
"I was going to," I said, "but there were complications."
"Complications!" roared Bunny. "There's going to be more than complications when they grind your ass into pâté and spread you on bunny crackers!"
Everyone laughed except the woman. Instead, she peered at me suspiciously.
"I am Michael Rivers," I told her, and thought I saw a glimmer of recognition in her eyes. I quoted, " The moment became her life ." Her expression darkened, and I cursed myself for thinking she knew Pure H.
Tilting her head to the right as if sizing me up, she said, "You look like that boy."
"If he is," said one of the men, "he is a big pill."
Bunny said, "Pay for all of us to do Kandi's hole."
"Shut up!" she snarled.
"I was playing!" he said. "Next time you're at the clinic, get a humor implant!"
Curling a lip, she said, "No more for you. Never again!"
"I was just joking!"
While the other men made cooing sounds, Kandi stepped forward and asked, "What are you doing here, honey?"
"I don't know," I said, glancing at her belt. The thing in the middle wasn't a button but a plastic lid attached to her stomach.
She noticed my eye-line. "You want it?" she asked, with a sly grin. "You have to wash, honey." She licked her lips and smiled.
It felt like the cooling system in Mr. Cedar's suit had given out. "No, thank you," I stammered, ashamed. I knew what it was: she had a vagina implanted where her bellybutton had been. Back when I danced, some women had it done, but it was terribly out of fashion in the cities now.
Meanwhile, the men were laughing at me again. Someone had said virginity. Another said spilling Grandma's gravy , whatever that meant.
"Can't you help me," I asked the woman. "Please?"
"You got money?" she asked. "You with Segu or Bunny or what?"
I glanced at the logo on the front of Bunny's shirt, but didn't know what she meant. And since I didn't carry any money, I didn't know what to offer. Touching my chest, I said, "What about my Mr. Cedar jacket?"
She curled a lip. "That thing?"
It was Bunny who touched the fabric. "Weird thing is," he said,
"Yeah," concurred Bunny. Wiping his dripping nose with one of his huge sleeves, he asked, "Who are you, and who do you shit for?"
"I need to get back to the families," I said, as a ripple of fear, like gamma rays passed through me.
"I don't want to hear any families !" The thing on his forehead oozed a yellowish puss, and he smelled like rancid frying oil.
"If he came off the Loop," said someone. "Could be soaking with p'thylamine!"
"Satins will zap a slubber dead if you get up there," said one of the others. "They electrocuted my uncle. Half his body was burned away. Couldn't get anything for him."
I retreated a step from Bunny and tried to make eye contact with the other men. "Will someone help me?" No one spoke. "I could assist you," I suggested. "I know we're supposed to be foes, but I could have some clothes tailored for you." They looked at each other and laughed again.
"What's wrong with our knits?" Bunny wanted to know, as he primped his sleeves and smoothed the stiff spunlaid material over his belly.
"No, nothing," I said, taking another step backwards. "Sorry. Um . . . my family company keeps information . . . and . . . identity and . . . " Bunny glared at me as if I wasn't making any sense. My voice trailed off.
"Michael Rivers," said a female voice from farther back in the group. A short, chubby woman in red shorts, a sparkling red bra, and a small, white plastic jacket stepped forward. Her hair reminded me of Mother's from last time—a stiff, multi-colored muddle shaped like a garden shrub—only hers was so laden with tiny silvery trinkets, it sparkled and tinkled like an enormous charm bracelet. Around her otherwise naked belly was a wide red plastic belt with a large button in the middle. "I heard he's getting married to that Gonzalez-Matsu girl next week."
"I was going to," I said, "but there were complications."
"Complications!" roared Bunny. "There's going to be more than complications when they grind your ass into pâté and spread you on bunny crackers!"
Everyone laughed except the woman. Instead, she peered at me suspiciously.
"I am Michael Rivers," I told her, and thought I saw a glimmer of recognition in her eyes. I quoted, " The moment became her life ." Her expression darkened, and I cursed myself for thinking she knew Pure H.
Tilting her head to the right as if sizing me up, she said, "You look like that boy."
"If he is," said one of the men, "he is a big pill."
Bunny said, "Pay for all of us to do Kandi's hole."
"Shut up!" she snarled.
"I was playing!" he said. "Next time you're at the clinic, get a humor implant!"
Curling a lip, she said, "No more for you. Never again!"
"I was just joking!"
While the other men made cooing sounds, Kandi stepped forward and asked, "What are you doing here, honey?"
"I don't know," I said, glancing at her belt. The thing in the middle wasn't a button but a plastic lid attached to her stomach.
She noticed my eye-line. "You want it?" she asked, with a sly grin. "You have to wash, honey." She licked her lips and smiled.
It felt like the cooling system in Mr. Cedar's suit had given out. "No, thank you," I stammered, ashamed. I knew what it was: she had a vagina implanted where her bellybutton had been. Back when I danced, some women had it done, but it was terribly out of fashion in the cities now.
Meanwhile, the men were laughing at me again. Someone had said virginity. Another said spilling Grandma's gravy , whatever that meant.
"Can't you help me," I asked the woman. "Please?"
"You got money?" she asked. "You with Segu or Bunny or what?"
I glanced at the logo on the front of Bunny's shirt, but didn't know what she meant. And since I didn't carry any money, I didn't know what to offer. Touching my chest, I said, "What about my Mr. Cedar jacket?"
She curled a lip. "That thing?"
It was Bunny who touched the fabric. "Weird thing is," he said,
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