Read Online Tracy Tam: Santa Command by Krystalyn Drown - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Krystalyn Drown
Tags: Science Fiction And Fantasy, Christmas, Holidays, Snow, santa claus, middle grade, North Pole, Chinese American, ethnic, diverse book
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everything else in this building was fake? And why did her stomach feel so tingly when she looked at the mirror?
No, it wasn't tingles. She was just tired. The computer back in the other room had said it was around 2 am. No wonder the chair, with its fuzzy overstuffed cushions, looked so inviting.
But the presence of a comfy chair didn't explain why the room and the mirror were there in the first place. She knew in her gut the answer had to be important. Think, Tracy, think. What does this room have to do with Santa Command?
All of the people she had met seemed more interested in computers than in how their workplace looked. And if any of the Santas saw it, they wouldn't remember anyway. Besides, Tracy had the feeling the Santas weren't shown anything besides the dressing room and their sleighs. Get them in and out. Have them do their job, wipe their minds, then send them home, with stupid, fake memories.
Tracy had a crazy urge to step through the mirror just to feel what it was like in that library. It wasn't curiosity. It was more like a pull in the center of her body, tugging at her from the other room.
She put her hands on the sides of the frame in order to stop herself. She had other priorities—get to her Santa's sleigh and get home—but her body wasn't listening. Her breath came in quick little bursts. She tightened her fingers around the smooth wood. She shook her head, but instead of clearing her mind, her thoughts grew fuzzier.
One by one, her fingers let go of the frame, and her arms dropped loosely to her side. All on its own, her right foot stepped through the mirror, and the rest of her body had no choice but to follow.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Santa Command—Main Frame
December 25 th
0205 hours
Phil's fingers flew across the keyboard. The entire Southeastern sector was frozen in time, Santas included. Fortunately, those inside Santa Command were immune to it, and he was able to work. He'd already restored the system. A virus had been uploaded to the computer, and he was pretty sure who had done it. His heart hammered wildly in his chest as he wondered how one little girl had managed to screw everything up so thoroughly.
Beth stood behind him and watched over his shoulder. She had come back to confirm that she'd gotten him the extra time. Erlek had not come back with her, and Walt had gone back to his office. Beth's presence, along with the others' absence, calmed him enough to focus on his task.
There were nine systems to reboot. He did the most critical ones first—sleigh power, navigation systems, and the Santa program. When those were done, and he had verified that all of the Santas were back on track, he activated the GPS in the Santa coats. That had been added a few years back as a security feature when one of the Santas fell out of his sleigh, and it had taken twenty-five minutes to find him. They'd stopped time that night too. Phil remembered with a shudder how close they'd come to disaster.
“Okay, I think we're good,” Phil said. “Can you get time started again?”
Beth stepped out of the room, then returned a few moments later. “We're back.”
As the GPS came on line, Phil watched the United States map on the screen light up with dozens of red, blinking dots, including his own sector. He exhaled with relief, hoping that he hadn't created another slew of problems.
Now, to find Tracy. He zoomed in on their area, focusing on Santa Command. Most of the dots in the building were motionless—those were the coats still hanging in the dressing room closets— but there was one dot moving through a room at the other end of Command.
Moving. Moving. And then it was gone.
Phil blinked, hoping his tired eyes were playing a trick on him. Of course he knew it wasn't a trick. There was only one room in Santa Command where Tracy could disappear like that, and no adult could follow her.
He slowly turned to Beth and saw the same panic on her face that he felt in his gut. That little girl had
No, it wasn't tingles. She was just tired. The computer back in the other room had said it was around 2 am. No wonder the chair, with its fuzzy overstuffed cushions, looked so inviting.
But the presence of a comfy chair didn't explain why the room and the mirror were there in the first place. She knew in her gut the answer had to be important. Think, Tracy, think. What does this room have to do with Santa Command?
All of the people she had met seemed more interested in computers than in how their workplace looked. And if any of the Santas saw it, they wouldn't remember anyway. Besides, Tracy had the feeling the Santas weren't shown anything besides the dressing room and their sleighs. Get them in and out. Have them do their job, wipe their minds, then send them home, with stupid, fake memories.
Tracy had a crazy urge to step through the mirror just to feel what it was like in that library. It wasn't curiosity. It was more like a pull in the center of her body, tugging at her from the other room.
She put her hands on the sides of the frame in order to stop herself. She had other priorities—get to her Santa's sleigh and get home—but her body wasn't listening. Her breath came in quick little bursts. She tightened her fingers around the smooth wood. She shook her head, but instead of clearing her mind, her thoughts grew fuzzier.
One by one, her fingers let go of the frame, and her arms dropped loosely to her side. All on its own, her right foot stepped through the mirror, and the rest of her body had no choice but to follow.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Santa Command—Main Frame
December 25 th
0205 hours
Phil's fingers flew across the keyboard. The entire Southeastern sector was frozen in time, Santas included. Fortunately, those inside Santa Command were immune to it, and he was able to work. He'd already restored the system. A virus had been uploaded to the computer, and he was pretty sure who had done it. His heart hammered wildly in his chest as he wondered how one little girl had managed to screw everything up so thoroughly.
Beth stood behind him and watched over his shoulder. She had come back to confirm that she'd gotten him the extra time. Erlek had not come back with her, and Walt had gone back to his office. Beth's presence, along with the others' absence, calmed him enough to focus on his task.
There were nine systems to reboot. He did the most critical ones first—sleigh power, navigation systems, and the Santa program. When those were done, and he had verified that all of the Santas were back on track, he activated the GPS in the Santa coats. That had been added a few years back as a security feature when one of the Santas fell out of his sleigh, and it had taken twenty-five minutes to find him. They'd stopped time that night too. Phil remembered with a shudder how close they'd come to disaster.
“Okay, I think we're good,” Phil said. “Can you get time started again?”
Beth stepped out of the room, then returned a few moments later. “We're back.”
As the GPS came on line, Phil watched the United States map on the screen light up with dozens of red, blinking dots, including his own sector. He exhaled with relief, hoping that he hadn't created another slew of problems.
Now, to find Tracy. He zoomed in on their area, focusing on Santa Command. Most of the dots in the building were motionless—those were the coats still hanging in the dressing room closets— but there was one dot moving through a room at the other end of Command.
Moving. Moving. And then it was gone.
Phil blinked, hoping his tired eyes were playing a trick on him. Of course he knew it wasn't a trick. There was only one room in Santa Command where Tracy could disappear like that, and no adult could follow her.
He slowly turned to Beth and saw the same panic on her face that he felt in his gut. That little girl had
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