Read Online The softwire : Virus on Orbis 1 by PJ Haarsma - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: PJ Haarsma
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said with a snarl.
“No, I mean I just —”
“I’m aware of what you have and don’t have. It shouldn’t matter, if you are what they say.”
Weegin waved the wand where my implant would have been and shrugged his leathery shoulders. The two thick bones poking out of his back twitched in unison.
“Females first onto the lift,” Weegin ordered.
I was staring at the sharp spikes that seemed to grow from Weegin’s temples when Ketheria grabbed my arm.
“Don’t worry, Ketheria, I’ll just be down the hall. Besides, I couldn’t leave even if I wanted to,” I said, tugging at my vest.
Ketheria only held on tighter. She wouldn’t let go. Grace came up behind us.
“Well, Ketheria, I guess we’re roommates,” she said.
“See?” I said to Ketheria. I gently tried to pry her fingers from my arm. “Grace will be here with you, and you can come see me whenever you want.”
Grace reached out and took Ketheria’s hand.
“Go — it’ll be fine.”
Ketheria’s grip loosened, and she let Grace lead her onto the lift. But her eyes never left mine. Even though she didn’t say anything, somehow I knew what she was feeling — neither of us wanted to be separated. When Ketheria finally looked away, I boarded another lift, one of at least twenty that skimmed the outer walls. I watched Ketheria’s lift stop in front of her room. A little farther down, my lift stopped and an opening appeared in the seamless metal wall.
“I guess this is home,” I said.
Switzer pushed past me. “Get out of the way, roomie.”
“This is your room, too?”
“Better get used to it, freak.”
I followed Switzer inside the small, narrow room. The smell of grease was just as dreadful as in the factory. There were lockers on both sides and a simple door at the far end. I waited for Switzer to choose a locker, and then I selected one on the other side of the room. Inside I found some clothes, some sort of light source, clean sheets for my sleeper, and a pair of used work boots.
“I wonder where Weegin found these,” I said, holding the boots up.
“What do you care?” Switzer said as he headed for the door, which disappeared when he stood in front of it.
The next room contained four sleepers and nothing else. It seemed that our provisions barely exceeded the minimums required by the Keepers.
The sleepers looked different from the ones on our seed-ship. These were built into the walls and stacked one on top of another. I figured Switzer would try to take any sleeper I took interest in, so I stood next to the sleeper farthest from the door. Switzer pushed me out of the way.
“That one’s mine,” he said, right on cue.
That was easy. I turned and took the top sleeper near the door, just in case Ketheria needed me.
Dalton Billings entered the room behind Theodore. “We have to sleep with them?” he said to Switzer.
He took the sleeper under Switzer, while Theodore immediately grabbed the sleeper under mine. Sides were drawn once again. This felt familiar. I was afraid of Switzer, but I would never admit it. He would use my fear against me. On the
Renaissance
I had avoided him and lived in the shadows. I did not want to do that here. I decided right then and there that I would not live that way on Orbis. Somehow I would have the life I dreamed of.
“Everyone, gather in the common area. Now.” Weegin’s voice rang out through some sort of cent-com.
First I needed to learn to live with Weegin. He controlled the quality of my life now far more than Switzer ever could. I would win Weegin over. That was a must. I moved to the door in the other room and stood in front of it. It would not disappear.
“Get out of the way,” Switzer said as he moved in front of the entry sensor. Nothing happened. “Great. I bet Freak’s fakewire screwed the room up.”
Dalton banged on the door. “There must be a computer glitch.”
“That’s impossible,” I said, banging on the door also.
“Use your . . . thing,” Theodore
“No, I mean I just —”
“I’m aware of what you have and don’t have. It shouldn’t matter, if you are what they say.”
Weegin waved the wand where my implant would have been and shrugged his leathery shoulders. The two thick bones poking out of his back twitched in unison.
“Females first onto the lift,” Weegin ordered.
I was staring at the sharp spikes that seemed to grow from Weegin’s temples when Ketheria grabbed my arm.
“Don’t worry, Ketheria, I’ll just be down the hall. Besides, I couldn’t leave even if I wanted to,” I said, tugging at my vest.
Ketheria only held on tighter. She wouldn’t let go. Grace came up behind us.
“Well, Ketheria, I guess we’re roommates,” she said.
“See?” I said to Ketheria. I gently tried to pry her fingers from my arm. “Grace will be here with you, and you can come see me whenever you want.”
Grace reached out and took Ketheria’s hand.
“Go — it’ll be fine.”
Ketheria’s grip loosened, and she let Grace lead her onto the lift. But her eyes never left mine. Even though she didn’t say anything, somehow I knew what she was feeling — neither of us wanted to be separated. When Ketheria finally looked away, I boarded another lift, one of at least twenty that skimmed the outer walls. I watched Ketheria’s lift stop in front of her room. A little farther down, my lift stopped and an opening appeared in the seamless metal wall.
“I guess this is home,” I said.
Switzer pushed past me. “Get out of the way, roomie.”
“This is your room, too?”
“Better get used to it, freak.”
I followed Switzer inside the small, narrow room. The smell of grease was just as dreadful as in the factory. There were lockers on both sides and a simple door at the far end. I waited for Switzer to choose a locker, and then I selected one on the other side of the room. Inside I found some clothes, some sort of light source, clean sheets for my sleeper, and a pair of used work boots.
“I wonder where Weegin found these,” I said, holding the boots up.
“What do you care?” Switzer said as he headed for the door, which disappeared when he stood in front of it.
The next room contained four sleepers and nothing else. It seemed that our provisions barely exceeded the minimums required by the Keepers.
The sleepers looked different from the ones on our seed-ship. These were built into the walls and stacked one on top of another. I figured Switzer would try to take any sleeper I took interest in, so I stood next to the sleeper farthest from the door. Switzer pushed me out of the way.
“That one’s mine,” he said, right on cue.
That was easy. I turned and took the top sleeper near the door, just in case Ketheria needed me.
Dalton Billings entered the room behind Theodore. “We have to sleep with them?” he said to Switzer.
He took the sleeper under Switzer, while Theodore immediately grabbed the sleeper under mine. Sides were drawn once again. This felt familiar. I was afraid of Switzer, but I would never admit it. He would use my fear against me. On the
Renaissance
I had avoided him and lived in the shadows. I did not want to do that here. I decided right then and there that I would not live that way on Orbis. Somehow I would have the life I dreamed of.
“Everyone, gather in the common area. Now.” Weegin’s voice rang out through some sort of cent-com.
First I needed to learn to live with Weegin. He controlled the quality of my life now far more than Switzer ever could. I would win Weegin over. That was a must. I moved to the door in the other room and stood in front of it. It would not disappear.
“Get out of the way,” Switzer said as he moved in front of the entry sensor. Nothing happened. “Great. I bet Freak’s fakewire screwed the room up.”
Dalton banged on the door. “There must be a computer glitch.”
“That’s impossible,” I said, banging on the door also.
“Use your . . . thing,” Theodore
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