What if Christina never recovers? Would they kill her too?
I stare at Christina’s dull eyes, slumped position. If it wasn’t for the slight rise and fall of her chest, I would think she was dead already.
Is it right to kill for the safety of everyone?
Michelle says, “Don’t worry too much about Christina. A lot of Eekes are like this when they first arrive. They are in so much shock, mental and emotional pain, they don’t know how to react. They retreat into the safety of their own mind. There’s also a drug in the food the messes with your emotions. It basically boosts every emotion so you feel extreme pain, fear, regret, hatred, desperation. The drug makes it a lot harder for your body and mind to function.”
“They drugged us?”
“They did a lot of horrible things to you. The effects have worn off by now, though.”
“How do you know there were drugs in the food?”
“We’ve always been a little suspicious that there might be drugs, but an Eeke happened to smuggle a piece of food with them when they disappeared. I don’t think they meant to, they just got lucky. We ran some tests on the food and found the traces of the drug in it.”
I’m silent. The Ecru were apparently not terrifying enough, they had to double our fear by messing with our emotions. Everyone I met there could act entirely different without the drug messing up their thoughts.
Had the drug not been in their blood, the two kids who murdered Tooth might have let him go. The Distress might be less controlling and humbled without the serum in his veins. Tooth might have allowed me to escape from The Distress if his emotions had been clear.
Michelle says, “We should probably be getting back to your room. You need rest, too. Harry will come to talk to you sometime today to tell you about the Unknown. Other than that, you have to do nothing, just sleep.”
“Can I see other parts of the Unknown?”
“Maybe tomorrow, when you’re in a wheelchair I can give you a short tour. Rolling these cots around is a pain. Once you get entirely better, Charlotte will be your R.I.”
“R.I.?”
“Rivie Introducer. You’re a Rivie, a new ar-riv-al. An R.I. is a person who takes you around and shows you the Pros, or professions, of the Unknown. She’ll explain everything in more depth and you’ll get to try each Pros a day.” Michelle rolls me out the door.
“When can I do that?” I want to learn as much about the Unknown as I can. Piper is crazy enough to say that I’m going to escape the Unknown. I want to learn whether that’s possible. I still don’t understand where we would escape to.
“We normally wait to do Rivie Tours until the Eekes have healed. But, if you really want to do it, I’m sure Charlotte would be fine with you still in a wheelchair. You might not be able to help as much with some of the Pros, but you could still learn.”
“I would love that.”
“You could probably start the day after tomorrow at the earliest.”
“Do you think I could start then?”
“Sure, I’ll contact Charlotte today or tomorrow.”
We arrive in my room. Michelle brings me a small bowl of delicious oatmeal. She explains that people in the Unknown make the food, and they add extra flavor.
Michelle fixes wires before dimming the lights and leaving the room, demanding that I get some rest.
I don’t think I’m tired, but fall asleep within minutes.
YOU ARE READING
274 (Complex Series, #4)
Science Fiction-fourth book in the Complex series- Claire, known to most people only by her Complex number as 274, has always obeyed the Official's rules. You have to, unless you want to be sent away to the Unknown. Until, she meets Marie and everything changes. ...
