Read Online Radio Hope (Toxic World Book 1) by Sean McLachlan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sean McLachlan
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radio?”
“Really?” Pablo turned to his mother. “Can I?”
“Sure,” Annette said. She had hoped something like this would happen.
Ha-Ram stood up. “Sit here in my seat. Can you read?”
Pablo nodded.
“Great! See this piece of paper here? This is an ad spot for Marcus Callahan’s market stall.”
The child looked up at him. “An ad spot?”
“It’ s to tell people what he has to trade. Now read over that while I get everything ready,” Ha-Ram fiddled with a few buttons while Pablo read the piece of paper and Annette stood to one side beaming. “OK, ready? Now when I push this button here I want you to read what’s on the paper slowly and clearly. Just speak in a normal voice. Get right up to the microphone. You don’t have to shout or anything; they’ll be able to hear you.”
“But the music is still on,” Pablo said.
“Oh, we’re recording. I’m storing your voice on this computer so I can play it back anytime. People are going to hear you every day until the market closes. Ready?”
“OK.”
“Go.”
Pablo stood up straight, put on a serious face, and announced, “Marcus Callahan has a great selection of items for trade at stall fifteen. Items include apples from his personal orchard, walnuts gathered from clean trees in the mountains, five sun hats, a civilian issue gas mask with spare filter, a variety of pens, several kilos of raw wool from his personal herd of sheep, and several kilos of flour. Other items are being added daily. Come on over to stall fifteen for a good deal.”
Ha-Ram hit a button and smiled. “Wow! You read great! Better than a lot of adults I know.”
Annette grinned. She’d made sure he wasn’t illiterate and ignorant like so many of the kids in the Burbs.
“Did they hear it?” Pablo asked eagerly.
“Not yet, but they will. Listen.”
The song played out and Ha-Ram hit a button. Pablo’s voice sounded through the studio. Annette grinned as her child pumped his fists in the air and bounced up and down in his seat.
A woman whose name she didn’t know came into the front half of the room. Ha-Ram put on another song and turned to them , suddenly serious.
“That’s my replacement. I’ll get my gear and me and Mitch will meet you at the gate. ”
A cold feeling settled in Annette’s stomach. Ha-Ram didn’t look too happy either.
“All right,” she said.
Annette led her son out of the studio as he chattered on about how he was going to talk on New City Radio all the time, and how he was going to drive a fork lift too, and maybe he should go up in the mountains to tap maple trees so he could make his own candy, and on and on until she led him to Marcus and Rosie’s house. She kissed him goodbye but he was too excited to really notice what was going on, that the moment he’d been sad about all day had finally arrived, and he was too busy chattering to Rosie about all his adventures to notice that his mother was crying when she left.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Doctor was in good spirits. After Marcus helped him back to his quarters for his noon rest he sat down at his desk and pulled out a little vial, holding it up between his thumb and forefinger and grinning.
“Know what this is?” he asked.
Marcus shook his head. “Saw you trade four Blue Cans for it. Must be something good.”
“It’s a blanket antiviral. One of the late batch they produced with extended shelf life. Just as reliable as Blue Cans but for medicine instead of food. Good as the day it was made.”
“Will it cure you?” Marcus exclaimed.
A shadow passed over The Doctor’s face. “There’s no cure for what I have. This only works on common viruses, but if I get sick this winter it will take it away.”
“And if you get sick a second time?”
The Doctor rolled his eyes. “Jesus Christ, Marcus, can’t you see the positive side to anything?”
“Well, it’s good news, I guess. But we still need to find you some meds. And you still need to eat.”
“I ate
“Really?” Pablo turned to his mother. “Can I?”
“Sure,” Annette said. She had hoped something like this would happen.
Ha-Ram stood up. “Sit here in my seat. Can you read?”
Pablo nodded.
“Great! See this piece of paper here? This is an ad spot for Marcus Callahan’s market stall.”
The child looked up at him. “An ad spot?”
“It’ s to tell people what he has to trade. Now read over that while I get everything ready,” Ha-Ram fiddled with a few buttons while Pablo read the piece of paper and Annette stood to one side beaming. “OK, ready? Now when I push this button here I want you to read what’s on the paper slowly and clearly. Just speak in a normal voice. Get right up to the microphone. You don’t have to shout or anything; they’ll be able to hear you.”
“But the music is still on,” Pablo said.
“Oh, we’re recording. I’m storing your voice on this computer so I can play it back anytime. People are going to hear you every day until the market closes. Ready?”
“OK.”
“Go.”
Pablo stood up straight, put on a serious face, and announced, “Marcus Callahan has a great selection of items for trade at stall fifteen. Items include apples from his personal orchard, walnuts gathered from clean trees in the mountains, five sun hats, a civilian issue gas mask with spare filter, a variety of pens, several kilos of raw wool from his personal herd of sheep, and several kilos of flour. Other items are being added daily. Come on over to stall fifteen for a good deal.”
Ha-Ram hit a button and smiled. “Wow! You read great! Better than a lot of adults I know.”
Annette grinned. She’d made sure he wasn’t illiterate and ignorant like so many of the kids in the Burbs.
“Did they hear it?” Pablo asked eagerly.
“Not yet, but they will. Listen.”
The song played out and Ha-Ram hit a button. Pablo’s voice sounded through the studio. Annette grinned as her child pumped his fists in the air and bounced up and down in his seat.
A woman whose name she didn’t know came into the front half of the room. Ha-Ram put on another song and turned to them , suddenly serious.
“That’s my replacement. I’ll get my gear and me and Mitch will meet you at the gate. ”
A cold feeling settled in Annette’s stomach. Ha-Ram didn’t look too happy either.
“All right,” she said.
Annette led her son out of the studio as he chattered on about how he was going to talk on New City Radio all the time, and how he was going to drive a fork lift too, and maybe he should go up in the mountains to tap maple trees so he could make his own candy, and on and on until she led him to Marcus and Rosie’s house. She kissed him goodbye but he was too excited to really notice what was going on, that the moment he’d been sad about all day had finally arrived, and he was too busy chattering to Rosie about all his adventures to notice that his mother was crying when she left.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Doctor was in good spirits. After Marcus helped him back to his quarters for his noon rest he sat down at his desk and pulled out a little vial, holding it up between his thumb and forefinger and grinning.
“Know what this is?” he asked.
Marcus shook his head. “Saw you trade four Blue Cans for it. Must be something good.”
“It’s a blanket antiviral. One of the late batch they produced with extended shelf life. Just as reliable as Blue Cans but for medicine instead of food. Good as the day it was made.”
“Will it cure you?” Marcus exclaimed.
A shadow passed over The Doctor’s face. “There’s no cure for what I have. This only works on common viruses, but if I get sick this winter it will take it away.”
“And if you get sick a second time?”
The Doctor rolled his eyes. “Jesus Christ, Marcus, can’t you see the positive side to anything?”
“Well, it’s good news, I guess. But we still need to find you some meds. And you still need to eat.”
“I ate
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