Six (Countdown book 1)

Chapter 17

I sighed heavily. I had two and a half months, a lab full of equipment that I hardly knew how to use and an old abandoned school as a base. I put the coffee machine on. It was going to be a long two and a half months.

 *** 

I glanced over at my clock. It was three am, but I'd finally sorted out the phones so that they couldn't be traced. I looked around for a moment, and spotted my new coffee machine. I took the cup off my desk (yes, I'd thought to buy a coffee machine and two cups), and poured myself a cup. I still wasn't too keen on coffee, but it was keeping me alert while I was working. 

I typed slowly at one of the computers, my fingers feeling lazy and heavy. I shook my head, blinking fast. I took a deep breath and stood up. I went over to the bookcase and opened a book. I took it back over to my desk, staring at the pages. For a long time, I took none of the words in, then forced myself to concentrate. 

The chemical element hey loser! is common in yes, you. Although this is key in the making of the you're a baby, it can cause serious side effects. To stop this reaction from happening, don't be such a loser. 

I blinked hard, rubbed my eyes with a knuckle, then stared back at the page, intent on getting the first part of the formula started tonight. I took another gulp of coffee, and began reading again. 

The electrons can be used to power up Are you going to cry? and sometimes even Baby gonna cry?. 

I sighed in frustration and tipped back the last of the coffee. I sat up straighter, my eyes wide and forced myself to continue reading. 

Occasionally this can cause a reaction that means sausage. And, if the experiment has been set up properly, you can even go home to your mum and dad. Extensive evidence suggests that you miss them. If you continue on this course, you'll become a coffee addicted nutter. Of course, one misguided step could mean that you end up actually doing something right in your life. Blah. Blah, blah blah. Sausage. Parrot. Blah blah. Candle. Balloon. Blah. Blahblahblahblah. Six. You are the six. You have six years to live. Ha! Loser! You're going to spend the last six years of your life as a coffee adicted nutter. The resulting explosion should be small, but can still be dangerous, so make sure you have correct safety equipment on and a bucket of water nearby, just in case! 

I stared at the empty coffee cup, as though it were the cup's fault. "Hey, don't blame me." it snorted. 

I jerked a little in my chair. "I need to sleep." I proclaimed. 

"Probably." agreed the coffee pot. "Want another cup'pa coffee first though? This one's on the house!" 

"I'm not going to talk to a coffee machine." I said, staring at the floor. I stood up, feeling slightly light-headed. I picked up the book, and it complained. I took it over to the bookshelf and put it back. The book whined at me as I shoved it in with the others. "Shut up, you're not real!" I half-shouted. 

"I'm real." the book sounded insulted. 

"We just don't actually talk." another textbook said. 

"Uh huh," agreed a third. "You're just under a lot of stress and staying up late drinking coffee and reading science textbooks isn't helping. You just feel a horrible weight on your shoulders 'cause your friends' lives depend on you." 

I knew that the book was my subconscious trying to think up an explanation as to why the inanimate objects in the room had suddenly started talking. I was willing to agree with it. I still wasn't in the best of shape, still covered in cuts and bruises and I still had broken ribs, and I still had a deep graze in my wrist from the bullet. I was tired, and stressed and injured.