Limbo (The Last Humans Book 2) by Anna Zaires, Dima Zales Page A

hawkish features are calm, as though he’s taking a nap. His hair is mostly black, with only the beginning of gray at his temples. Like the other Guards, he looks like a younger Elderly. I hope that’ll allow him to survive the boatload of Stun Stick zappings coming his way.
    I put aside the helmet and work on taking off the rest of his suit.
    Phoe’s plan, for all its craziness, is simple: to make sure no one recognizes me as I make my way to the Elderly section, I’ll dress as a Guard. It worked for Fiona and Jeremiah, so the same idea should work for me. The crazy part was the cursing-assisted Quietude, plus the actual act of getting the Guard to give up his suit.
    When I finish with the man’s boots, I begin to undress instead of disappearing my clothes with a gesture, so I can leave the Guard dressed in something rather than naked.
    Before I put on the Guard’s suit, I zap him with the Stick to make sure he stays knocked out.
    I put on the helmet, and the world becomes dimmer but with a bunch of overlaying visualizations. This helmet has something like a Screen built into the visor. As cool as it is, I don’t dare play with it , at least not until I bring Phoe’s plan to its conclusion.
    Haphazardly, I put my old clothes on the unconscious man. Then, using his handcuffs, I cuff his hands behind his back and make a ‘close’ gesture.
    The restraints seem to stay put.
    Now the hardest part begins. I drag the unconscious Elderly by his legs and pause every so often to zap him. I’m not sure if it’s from my adrenaline or the Respirocytes, but backtracking to my room isn’t as exhausting as I imagined.
    When I get back to my designated Quietude room, I drag the Guard inside and thoughtfully put him on the bed. I zap him one last time, put the Stun Stick on my belt, and exit the room.
    This is the last part of Phoe’s plan.
    I make a door-closing gesture, and the door slams shut.
    There’s a locking sound, then an unusual crunching noise. Phoe said she would jam the door once it was closed, so I assume that’s what the crunch was about.
    The ghostly Screen comes to life and confirms that the door is jammed. It also informs me of where I should go to make sure I don’t run into any of ‘my fellow Guards.’
    I run the whole way, which makes my trip out of the Prison last about a minute.
    “Phoe?” I think as soon as I exit the final door. “Is this helmet preventing you from talking to me?”
    “Not at all,” Phoe says, her voice coming from my right.
    I turn and see her standing there, grinning as she looks me up and down.
    “Your helmet isn’t attached,” she says and makes a closing motion with her hand.
    I hear a click around my neck, and the controls in my visor really come to life.
    A map of Oasis appears in my peripheral vision, as well as a million other inputs I don’t understand.
    To top it off, the air smells different, ozone-like.
    “That’s because you’re wearing an actual space suit.” Phoe’s voice sounds like it’s coming from somewhere inside my helmet. “My guess is, a while back, the Elderly repurposed the spacesuits that came with the Ship. It makes sense. Unlike most other clothes in Oasis, these suits were manufactured on Earth and not via nano assembly, so no one ‘malicious,’ like you or I, can recreate one with a gesture. I guess they also figured it would be helpful for the police force to have a distinctive look, not to mention the many helpful functions of the suit.” Her grin widens. “These suits take care of the wearer’s bodily functions and needs so a Guard can focus on—”
    “Yuck.” I wrinkle my nose. “You’re telling me the Guard used this suit as a bathroom?”
    She looks thoughtful for a moment, then says, “I just examined the suit’s sensors. It’s as close to a sterile environment as it gets. You have nothing to worry about.”
    “Okay,” I say, trying hard not to think about the suit as a toilet. “What now?”
    “Walk toward the