Read Online Immortal by Kelvin Kelley - Free Book Online

specified time
frame, they would be notified automatically when the second embryo
was ready for implantation. The rule was every family had two
children. One male, and one female.
    “I still like Bit.” Gabrielle said, as she
smiled, just as Rebecca sat down. Sarah laughed.
    “Still nothing.” Rebecca said, her face still
a picture of worry.
    “Nothing from your dad?” Asked Gabrielle.
    “Nothing. But I haven’t seen him since this
morning.” Rebecca said. Her face suddenly lit up. “There he is!”
She exclaimed as she jumped up and waived at Jericho as he entered
the building.
    She did not notice as the Guardian nearest
them turned towards her, as it instantly reacted to her outburst.
From across the room, Jericho had seen the subtle movement of the
Guardian, and motioned for her to sit down and put his finger to
his lips in a shushing motion. Rebecca caught the signal and shut
up and sat down, but still did not notice the Guardian, which had
not moved in their direction, but was obviously now focused on
them. Gabrielle had not noticed the Guardian either, but gave
Jericho a quick discreet wave, which he stealthily returned, and
continued in line. Jericho had seen the Guardian’s quick reaction,
and it had seemed like the room had been completely empty except
for himself and Guardian. Had they always reacted so quickly, he
wondered to himself. Had they always been so fast to lock in on a
loud voice, or fast motion? Had they always silently began to move
towards him and his friends, and they had never noticed it? Or was
it his newly heightened sense of their presence, that he now
noticed these things. One thing he that knew for sure, was that it
did not matter. His new rule was to do nothing to attract the
attention of a Guardian, and it was a rule that he would teach
Gabrielle as soon as possible.
    Once Jericho finally had his tray, and was
seated beside Gabrielle, she knew that her life would be okay. He
was alive. He was safe. And he was hungry. He began to shovel his
food into his mouth as fast as he could, and paused only to burp
and nod at the questions that he was being peppered with.
    “Did they hurt you?” Rebecca asked. He
nodded, and chewed.
    “Are you okay?” Gabrielle asked. He nodded,
and took a drink.
    “Did they just let you go?” Sarah asked. He
nodded, burped, and put more grey mush into his mouth.
    Finally, his hunger satiated, and he slowed
down, as he remembered that once he was done, he must exit the
building. He toyed at the wafer, nibbled a piece off and chewed. He
chased it down with a bit of red liquid, and began to tell them the
whole story. He cut out all of the worst parts. The agonizing pain.
The tears. And especially the urine soaked pants. He was quickly
able to get to the last part. The part he still could not quite
believe himself.
    “And so a door opened, and the Guardian says
that I’m free to go.” He said as he shook his head. “I mean there I
am sitting on the floor, my heart’s beating through my chest. Its
reaching for me, and I think its gonna control me again.” He took
another swallow of his drink. “But it was helping me up. Telling me
I was free to go.” He said.
    “How?” was all that Gabrielle, or anyone at
the table could think to ask.
    “That’s exactly what I said.” He laughed a
little. “How?” He asked as he put his cup into its holder on the
tray.
    “Well?” Rebecca asked expectantly.
    “Its picking me up by the arm, and I’m asking
how, and it says in that mechanical voice, that the other had
admitted their disobedience.” He said.
    “Other?” Gabrielle asked. “As in Donovan?”
She asked in disbelief.
    “Exactly.” Said Jericho. “I asked it, if
Donovan had admitted, but it just repeated the same thing. The
other, it said. But it has to be Donovan. There’s no one else it
could have been talking about.” He said, just about finished with
the last of his meal. They were all almost finished.
    “Well if he admitted