we
wake you?”
“Maybe. But it doesn’t matter.” He got up, walked across the
room and sat beside me. “Any new ideas?”
“No. Just can’t sleep.”
Elos gradually lifted his hand. “It is, Robert , yes?”
Robert nodded.
Elos pointed at his neck. “You have blood.”
Robert reached up and felt around his neck. He pulled his
hand away and checked his fingers, showing some blood. “Oh, don’t worry. This
happens sometimes when I sleep. The collar presses into my skin and cuts me.”
I looked at his neck and stared for a moment, blinking my
eyes. “You said the collars are unbreakable, Elos?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?” I glanced at him. “What about the lasers?
Could they break them?”
“Yes. However, the correct blast would be necessary. Perhaps
a small, rapid shot.”
I narrowed my eyes. “A rapid shot?”
“The sija can adjust to different firing speeds and ranges.”
Robert quickly cut in. “Guys, we’re jumping the gun here.
The only way we can get our own laser is if we get the ozlon.”
I felt a sharp pain my chest, afraid of what I was about to
say. “They bring one to us every day.” I looked at Robert, then Elos.
I saw Robert shaking his head from the corner of my eye.
“No. Forget it, Andrew.”
“I do not understand,” Elos said.
I stood up and looked around. “We’re going to kill one of
them and take their sija.”
“Have you lost your mind? We might as well kill ourselves
first,” Robert barked.
I looked down at him. “You’re wrong. We’re prisoners, right?
So let’s start acting like prisoners.” I walked to the wall and pulled out one
of the flat, stone candles.
“What are you suggesting, Andrew?”
“Well you see, Elos. Here on Earth, there was this TV show
called Lockup. It was a documentary series about prisoners from around the
world. I used to watch it sometimes, and on the show, the prisoners would make
weapons out of just about anything.” I blew out the candle and turned around.
“Remember, they’re just flesh and blood like us.”
Robert stood up. “No. We are not doing this.”
Elos stood up. “The proposal is most interesting.”
I smiled. “Indeed it is.”
Robert lowered his head and walked to me. He put his hand on
my shoulder and looked up, giving me a serious stare. “My friend, listen to me.
This is not the way. They will kill us.”
“No, Robert. It’s the only way.” I reached up and took his
hand off my shoulder. “Look, I know you’re terrified. And so am I. But that’s
exactly what they want. They control their victims with fear and intimidation.
We have to overcome that and fight back.”
Elos came over and stood by me. Robert crossed his arms and
held his head down, sighing. I stood there, staring at him, waiting for him to
join in.
Finally, he looked up and shrugged. “All right. What the
hell. Might as well go out swinging,”
I smiled and nodded, looking back and forth between Robert
and Elos. “Let’s sharpen some gears.”
Chapter 47
I was jogging through the forest with the girls. Linas, the
Mamluk who designed everyone’s attire, made us some pretty cool running shoes.
They looked like go-go boots, but the bottoms were flat like sneakers and made
of a rubber-like material. Along with the shoes, we wore skintight bodysuits.
We came across a mountain and hiked to the top. I looked
into the distance and saw a sea of slaves working on an open landscape. Katie
and Bridget noticed them, too—and we all stopped and stared for a moment.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it? We’ll never have to work another
day in our lives,” Bridget said.
I smiled just thinking about it. Then, unexpectedly, I
looked away and thought about Juozas. I was still troubled by the question he
asked me—afraid he would continue asking about my past.
“ Hey , you OK?” Bridget said, reaching out and rubbing
my shoulder.
“You’ve been acting strange lately,” Katie said, crossing
her arms.
I sighed.
wake you?”
“Maybe. But it doesn’t matter.” He got up, walked across the
room and sat beside me. “Any new ideas?”
“No. Just can’t sleep.”
Elos gradually lifted his hand. “It is, Robert , yes?”
Robert nodded.
Elos pointed at his neck. “You have blood.”
Robert reached up and felt around his neck. He pulled his
hand away and checked his fingers, showing some blood. “Oh, don’t worry. This
happens sometimes when I sleep. The collar presses into my skin and cuts me.”
I looked at his neck and stared for a moment, blinking my
eyes. “You said the collars are unbreakable, Elos?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?” I glanced at him. “What about the lasers?
Could they break them?”
“Yes. However, the correct blast would be necessary. Perhaps
a small, rapid shot.”
I narrowed my eyes. “A rapid shot?”
“The sija can adjust to different firing speeds and ranges.”
Robert quickly cut in. “Guys, we’re jumping the gun here.
The only way we can get our own laser is if we get the ozlon.”
I felt a sharp pain my chest, afraid of what I was about to
say. “They bring one to us every day.” I looked at Robert, then Elos.
I saw Robert shaking his head from the corner of my eye.
“No. Forget it, Andrew.”
“I do not understand,” Elos said.
I stood up and looked around. “We’re going to kill one of
them and take their sija.”
“Have you lost your mind? We might as well kill ourselves
first,” Robert barked.
I looked down at him. “You’re wrong. We’re prisoners, right?
So let’s start acting like prisoners.” I walked to the wall and pulled out one
of the flat, stone candles.
“What are you suggesting, Andrew?”
“Well you see, Elos. Here on Earth, there was this TV show
called Lockup. It was a documentary series about prisoners from around the
world. I used to watch it sometimes, and on the show, the prisoners would make
weapons out of just about anything.” I blew out the candle and turned around.
“Remember, they’re just flesh and blood like us.”
Robert stood up. “No. We are not doing this.”
Elos stood up. “The proposal is most interesting.”
I smiled. “Indeed it is.”
Robert lowered his head and walked to me. He put his hand on
my shoulder and looked up, giving me a serious stare. “My friend, listen to me.
This is not the way. They will kill us.”
“No, Robert. It’s the only way.” I reached up and took his
hand off my shoulder. “Look, I know you’re terrified. And so am I. But that’s
exactly what they want. They control their victims with fear and intimidation.
We have to overcome that and fight back.”
Elos came over and stood by me. Robert crossed his arms and
held his head down, sighing. I stood there, staring at him, waiting for him to
join in.
Finally, he looked up and shrugged. “All right. What the
hell. Might as well go out swinging,”
I smiled and nodded, looking back and forth between Robert
and Elos. “Let’s sharpen some gears.”
Chapter 47
I was jogging through the forest with the girls. Linas, the
Mamluk who designed everyone’s attire, made us some pretty cool running shoes.
They looked like go-go boots, but the bottoms were flat like sneakers and made
of a rubber-like material. Along with the shoes, we wore skintight bodysuits.
We came across a mountain and hiked to the top. I looked
into the distance and saw a sea of slaves working on an open landscape. Katie
and Bridget noticed them, too—and we all stopped and stared for a moment.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it? We’ll never have to work another
day in our lives,” Bridget said.
I smiled just thinking about it. Then, unexpectedly, I
looked away and thought about Juozas. I was still troubled by the question he
asked me—afraid he would continue asking about my past.
“ Hey , you OK?” Bridget said, reaching out and rubbing
my shoulder.
“You’ve been acting strange lately,” Katie said, crossing
her arms.
I sighed.
Similar Books
