Grace Wilkerson
“What the hell Jill?” Grace moved away from the crowds at TethTech as she shouted through her earpiece. “Why did you rig it so Emmie won the competition?”
Jill Blackwood heard the shouting through her rack of monitors back at The Deck’s base. She rolled her chair over to the monitors, sending her short black hair whipping over her eyes. Her rounded red glasses almost fell off as she stopped in front of a large speaker. She motioned to Chris to come over and listen to the call.
“Nice to hear from you too Grace,” replied Jill. “It was the boss’ orders. Emmie wants answers and this is the only chance she’ll have of entering the building. Hacking their website was far easier than hacking their keycards and this way she can travel safely.”
“Boss’ orders,” Grace was beginning to feel a little sick of these orders, especially when she always found out about them after they’d happened. “Then why didn’t you rig it so I would be able to go in with her? She’s completely on her own in there!”
“It’s too risky,” replied Jill, moving her hair away from her eyes. She wished she had a fringe. “Just yesterday you had your body pressed up against Tobias and if there’s even a chance he could recognise you then that’s a risk we can’t take.”
“But you can risk Emmie’s life? Why?” replied Grace.
“She’ll be fine Grace. We can watch her through the security cameras,” she lied. “Emmie is still our number one priority. We won’t get a better chance than this.”
“So you are just using her for answers?”
“We all want answers Grace. We all want revenge for what Tobias did.”
Grace knew this was true and knew there wasn’t another way. “If anything happens to her…”
“I know, don’t worry,” Jill hung up and turned to Chris.
“It’s up to Emmie now,” said Chris.
--<><>--
Emmie Keyes
I walked through the large double doors into the TethTech building with the other contest winners who seemed far happier to be there than I did. In front of us stood a wide golden staircase waiting to usher us into the factory.
“Can you believe this,” said Glenn, a thirty-something man with rimmed glasses and a receding hairline.
“It’s amazing. We’re one of only a handful of non-employees to ever see inside this building. Eeep,” Tina squealed, showing far more enthusiasm than you’d expect from someone visiting a science factory.
“I knew he’d never kill someone,” said Finn in a deep Scottish accent.
“It was just an act,” replied Tom, a short man with a low cut brown fringe. “The guy never really died. It was all faked.”
The three other winners stared at Tom, amazed that someone would actually question Tobias. “Are you insane?” asked Glenn. “What about all the doctors who checked?” said Finn.
“Easily faked. Tobias is a conman,” I had a feeling I’d like Tom. Finally someone with a brain. The other winners were less impressed. Glenn walked back to the guard at the double doors and exclaimed “This man is not worthy,” pointing his finger directly at Tom. “He doesn’t deserve to enter this sanctuary.”
“What is this, a house of God? Don’t be ridiculous,” exclaimed Tom. “Look, I like Tobias ok? But you have to admit we shouldn’t just believe everything he tells us on faith.”
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Tethered Twins
Science FictionA world filled with twins, tethered together in life and in death. When Emmie Keyes lives through every agonising moment of her brother's death she knows with certainty that her life is over. In her broken world everyone is born with a twin, that th...
