turned his tank and grabbed Switzer by the skin.
“Hey, let go of me!” Switzer protested.
“Where were you?” Odran asked.
“Uh . . . we were watching the big fish,” Dalton said.
Odran twisted Switzer around and pushed him toward me.
“Is this the one you told me wanted to escape?”
What?
“I never told you that. I mean, I know . . .”
“Figures,” Switzer mumbled under his breath.
“Any knudnik caught trying to escape can and
will
be killed. There is not a Keeper on these rings that can stop me,” Odran said to everyone.
“I wasn’t trying to escape,” Switzer protested, glaring at me.
“And a liar, too?” Odran said. “Controller, come here.”
What did I have to do with this?
I moved toward Odran.
“Controller?” Switzer scoffed. “Him?”
Odran handed me the same device he had electrocuted me with and said, “Administer the punishment.”
I looked at the prod and I looked at Switzer. I couldn’t do this, even to Switzer.
“No,” I said.
“How can you expect to be in charge if you’re not willing to punish those who disobey?” Odran demanded.
Suddenly I didn’t want to be the controller anymore.
“I can’t,” I said. “I won’t.”
“Pathetic creatures,” Odran spat. “Fine. Then I will administer the punishment to each one of you as a lesson.” He turned to me. “You have a sibling here, do you not? We can start with her. Bring her to me.”
“No! Stop!” I shouted, putting my hand against Odran’s floating tank. It was warm under my skin, like I was touching a warm-blooded person. “You can’t do that. He’s the only one that should be punished.”
Odran grinned and handed me the prod. “It’s your choice.”
I stood between Switzer and the other kids with the black metal stick at my side. Everyone’s expression was the same:
What’s he going to do?
I already knew what I was going to do. It wasn’t a choice for me. I knew what a zap from that thing felt like. There was no way on Orbis I was going to let Odran touch Ketheria.
I thrust the metal prod at Switzer, striking him in the chest. Switzer cried out in anguish and dropped to his knees. Someone else screamed, too. I looked at Odran. He was smiling — I think he enjoyed it. But I couldn’t look at the other kids. I had attacked a human at the orders of a Citizen. I hated myself at that moment more than I hated Odran.
I stared at Switzer shaking on the ground. His eyes were filled with tears, but he fought to prevent a single tear from hitting the floor. Letting the others see him cry was a worse punishment than getting zapped by the prod, I figured. I wondered which Switzer would make me pay more for — the zapping or making him cry in front of everyone.
“Make sure all of the work is completed on time. This is the rotation of the Harvest, and you have no time to waste,” Odran said, and turned away. “I’ll leave the
enabler
with you in case you need it again, Softwire.”
I looked down at the device, then let it slip from my hand. It clinked against the stone floor.
Enabler.
What an ironic name, I thought.
After Odran left our room, Dalton tried to help Switzer to his feet.
“Leave me alone,” Switzer told him.
“I don’t care what’s on that scroll. I’m not doing anything for that bucket of sewer water,” Dalton said.
“Yes, you are,” Switzer replied, and pushed himself off the floor, sitting up slowly.
Another kid, one who always avoided Switzer at all costs, asked, “You all right?”
Switzer nodded and tried to stand, but his knees wobbled. Dalton grabbed his arm.
“You’re hurt,” Grace said as she helped steady Switzer. “Why don’t you sit on my sleeper?”
Several of the kids moved aside, making room for Switzer. Where were the insults, the threats? I waited for some forewarning of the damage he was going to inflict on me, but none came. Then Max walked over to Switzer and said, “No, use my sleeper; it’s closer.”
I think I hated that the
“Hey, let go of me!” Switzer protested.
“Where were you?” Odran asked.
“Uh . . . we were watching the big fish,” Dalton said.
Odran twisted Switzer around and pushed him toward me.
“Is this the one you told me wanted to escape?”
What?
“I never told you that. I mean, I know . . .”
“Figures,” Switzer mumbled under his breath.
“Any knudnik caught trying to escape can and
will
be killed. There is not a Keeper on these rings that can stop me,” Odran said to everyone.
“I wasn’t trying to escape,” Switzer protested, glaring at me.
“And a liar, too?” Odran said. “Controller, come here.”
What did I have to do with this?
I moved toward Odran.
“Controller?” Switzer scoffed. “Him?”
Odran handed me the same device he had electrocuted me with and said, “Administer the punishment.”
I looked at the prod and I looked at Switzer. I couldn’t do this, even to Switzer.
“No,” I said.
“How can you expect to be in charge if you’re not willing to punish those who disobey?” Odran demanded.
Suddenly I didn’t want to be the controller anymore.
“I can’t,” I said. “I won’t.”
“Pathetic creatures,” Odran spat. “Fine. Then I will administer the punishment to each one of you as a lesson.” He turned to me. “You have a sibling here, do you not? We can start with her. Bring her to me.”
“No! Stop!” I shouted, putting my hand against Odran’s floating tank. It was warm under my skin, like I was touching a warm-blooded person. “You can’t do that. He’s the only one that should be punished.”
Odran grinned and handed me the prod. “It’s your choice.”
I stood between Switzer and the other kids with the black metal stick at my side. Everyone’s expression was the same:
What’s he going to do?
I already knew what I was going to do. It wasn’t a choice for me. I knew what a zap from that thing felt like. There was no way on Orbis I was going to let Odran touch Ketheria.
I thrust the metal prod at Switzer, striking him in the chest. Switzer cried out in anguish and dropped to his knees. Someone else screamed, too. I looked at Odran. He was smiling — I think he enjoyed it. But I couldn’t look at the other kids. I had attacked a human at the orders of a Citizen. I hated myself at that moment more than I hated Odran.
I stared at Switzer shaking on the ground. His eyes were filled with tears, but he fought to prevent a single tear from hitting the floor. Letting the others see him cry was a worse punishment than getting zapped by the prod, I figured. I wondered which Switzer would make me pay more for — the zapping or making him cry in front of everyone.
“Make sure all of the work is completed on time. This is the rotation of the Harvest, and you have no time to waste,” Odran said, and turned away. “I’ll leave the
enabler
with you in case you need it again, Softwire.”
I looked down at the device, then let it slip from my hand. It clinked against the stone floor.
Enabler.
What an ironic name, I thought.
After Odran left our room, Dalton tried to help Switzer to his feet.
“Leave me alone,” Switzer told him.
“I don’t care what’s on that scroll. I’m not doing anything for that bucket of sewer water,” Dalton said.
“Yes, you are,” Switzer replied, and pushed himself off the floor, sitting up slowly.
Another kid, one who always avoided Switzer at all costs, asked, “You all right?”
Switzer nodded and tried to stand, but his knees wobbled. Dalton grabbed his arm.
“You’re hurt,” Grace said as she helped steady Switzer. “Why don’t you sit on my sleeper?”
Several of the kids moved aside, making room for Switzer. Where were the insults, the threats? I waited for some forewarning of the damage he was going to inflict on me, but none came. Then Max walked over to Switzer and said, “No, use my sleeper; it’s closer.”
I think I hated that the
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