Read Online High Pressure System: First Season Underground by K.D. Kinney - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: K.D. Kinney
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are looking into why the storms were so severe this time. Please be prepared for potential relocation to lower floors during subsequent lockdowns for everyone’s safety.”
I took Yodel from Jim and went for the door. I glanced back at Micah. He was watching me leave. I wished I was able to say something to him before I left but if I had never seen him before and he already knew what an infamous celebrity I was, I needed some space. I was better off alone.
8
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The lockdowns over the next few days were more intense but nothing as severe as that one day. I still didn’t leave my apartment much. I could handle eating a big meal once a day and I varied when I showed up at the cafeteria, never going at the same time ever.
Jim finally caught up with me. “You still in hiding?” He patted my back.
I shrugged.
“Brandon thinks the damage done the other day was because someone had to be doing something they shouldn’t. He can’t quite figure it out. At least he knows it wasn’t you.”
“That’s a relief. At least my little mess up didn’t cause all the damage that one did.”
“Yeah. You know that young man that was visiting with you the other day? He’s been on the cleanup crew on the stairs and he keeps asking about you when I go meet with Brandon.”
I shrugged again.
“You need to snap out of this. Even when we got here and had to leave everything we knew behind, you weren’t like this.”
“I guess I don’t see the point. I’m sure we will eventually wind up like the other bunkers, dead. It’s just a matter of time.”
“We are all going to die eventually, that’s true. It doesn’t mean that it will be tomorrow and it could be years from now. You are a valuable person in this little community. What do I need to do to show you that?”
“I want to go outside. I miss the sun and I miss the stars.” I sighed, grasping at something to feel sorry about.
“That’s not it.” He shook his head and tried to look deep into my soul when he looked into my eyes. He shook his head again in bewilderment. “You need a job. Come with me to talk to Brandon.”
My eyes filled with tears and I slumped in my chair.
“Let’s go. This isn’t going to get you anywhere.”
“What? We are going somewhere? Did this suddenly become a space ship?”
“Ha!” Jim laughed. “Come on, maybe we’ll run into that kid on our way. You need more people in your life and less dog hair.” He plucked a few hairs off my sweatshirt. I let him pull me up a dozen or so flights of stairs heading for Brandon’s control room.
Of course, we ran into Micah. He held a welding torch and wore a Sci-Fi looking helmet on top of his head, standing near the railing where it was badly bent far away from where it should have been. He was very distracted from whatever he had been doing as he watched us. However, he quickly diverted his attention to the dogs, kneeling on the stair and patting his leg. Even though he was giving the dogs lots of love, he kept glancing up at me.
“How you been?”
“I’m fine.” I didn’t want to talk about me. “Was there a lot to fix?”
“Yeah, but that’s a good thing. I think the boss was just inventing crap to do before all this happened.”
I climbed a few steps even though I was sure Jim would have waited all day for me if I wanted to keep talking to Micah.
“See you around?” he asked, hopeful.
I just nodded and maneuvered around tools and other debris on the stairs. A few of the other construction workers acknowledged us as we passed.
Jim led me down the hall muttering about me missing out on life and then he suddenly stopped. “If something did happen tomorrow or the next day, you want to live your life dreading everything? I mean, this isn’t all that bad. This place is nice, we have plenty to eat, we aren’t in some tunnel like in World War II. The bonus going for you right this minute, there is someone that wants to get to know you that isn’t an animal. Are you
I took Yodel from Jim and went for the door. I glanced back at Micah. He was watching me leave. I wished I was able to say something to him before I left but if I had never seen him before and he already knew what an infamous celebrity I was, I needed some space. I was better off alone.
8
Options
The lockdowns over the next few days were more intense but nothing as severe as that one day. I still didn’t leave my apartment much. I could handle eating a big meal once a day and I varied when I showed up at the cafeteria, never going at the same time ever.
Jim finally caught up with me. “You still in hiding?” He patted my back.
I shrugged.
“Brandon thinks the damage done the other day was because someone had to be doing something they shouldn’t. He can’t quite figure it out. At least he knows it wasn’t you.”
“That’s a relief. At least my little mess up didn’t cause all the damage that one did.”
“Yeah. You know that young man that was visiting with you the other day? He’s been on the cleanup crew on the stairs and he keeps asking about you when I go meet with Brandon.”
I shrugged again.
“You need to snap out of this. Even when we got here and had to leave everything we knew behind, you weren’t like this.”
“I guess I don’t see the point. I’m sure we will eventually wind up like the other bunkers, dead. It’s just a matter of time.”
“We are all going to die eventually, that’s true. It doesn’t mean that it will be tomorrow and it could be years from now. You are a valuable person in this little community. What do I need to do to show you that?”
“I want to go outside. I miss the sun and I miss the stars.” I sighed, grasping at something to feel sorry about.
“That’s not it.” He shook his head and tried to look deep into my soul when he looked into my eyes. He shook his head again in bewilderment. “You need a job. Come with me to talk to Brandon.”
My eyes filled with tears and I slumped in my chair.
“Let’s go. This isn’t going to get you anywhere.”
“What? We are going somewhere? Did this suddenly become a space ship?”
“Ha!” Jim laughed. “Come on, maybe we’ll run into that kid on our way. You need more people in your life and less dog hair.” He plucked a few hairs off my sweatshirt. I let him pull me up a dozen or so flights of stairs heading for Brandon’s control room.
Of course, we ran into Micah. He held a welding torch and wore a Sci-Fi looking helmet on top of his head, standing near the railing where it was badly bent far away from where it should have been. He was very distracted from whatever he had been doing as he watched us. However, he quickly diverted his attention to the dogs, kneeling on the stair and patting his leg. Even though he was giving the dogs lots of love, he kept glancing up at me.
“How you been?”
“I’m fine.” I didn’t want to talk about me. “Was there a lot to fix?”
“Yeah, but that’s a good thing. I think the boss was just inventing crap to do before all this happened.”
I climbed a few steps even though I was sure Jim would have waited all day for me if I wanted to keep talking to Micah.
“See you around?” he asked, hopeful.
I just nodded and maneuvered around tools and other debris on the stairs. A few of the other construction workers acknowledged us as we passed.
Jim led me down the hall muttering about me missing out on life and then he suddenly stopped. “If something did happen tomorrow or the next day, you want to live your life dreading everything? I mean, this isn’t all that bad. This place is nice, we have plenty to eat, we aren’t in some tunnel like in World War II. The bonus going for you right this minute, there is someone that wants to get to know you that isn’t an animal. Are you
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