984 (Complex Series, #2)

Chapter Fourteen

Luckily, a hologram pops up with the message on it. It's from Dana. All it says is, "I'll explain later."

I click the same button again and the hologram disappears. 

Charlotte looks at me questioningly. 

"Dana." I say.

Charlotte nods even though it doesn't really explain anything. She seems to understand that I don't really want to explain.

"So," Charlotte says, clearly changing the subject, "Now that Christopher is out of the Eating Hall, do you want to go back in? I don't know about you, but I am offie starving."

I laugh, "Sure, why not?"

We walk back into the Eating Hall. 

There are a couple other people in the scattered inside. Charlotte calls out to a group of five in the back of the room. 

They smile weakly in response and wave us over. 

"What's wrong?" Charlotte asks once we get over by them.

"Didn't you hear?" A boy questions.

"Hear what?" Charlotte frowns.

A girl answers nervously, "We got a new Eeke today."

Charlotte speaks, "What's so bad about that? We get Eekes all the time." 

She swallows hard. "The Eeke, he was dead."

Charlotte reacts quickly. "What? We have never gotten a dead Eeke before. Ever."

"I know. Miranda is having an emergency meeting with the Council right now. They don't even know what to offie do.”

Everyone glances around, unable to focus on a single thing.  Nobody knows what to do with themselves.

Charlotte bites her lip, "I thought the Ecru couldn't kill people. I thought they are only there to scare people."

"They can't kill. They never have before, anyway. They don't even attack if there is more than one person nearby."

A boy, who has been quiet up until now, says, "Ellen could have created a new type of Ecru that can kill. Or, maybe, the Ecru didn't kill him. Maybe the Windsors or an Official did, just to send a message to us."

Everyone's eyes widen.  Which one is worse?  A new type of Ecru that can kill or Ellen killing someone just to send a message?

Charlotte shudders, "Is it possible that the Eeke could have just died in the room after the Officials left and before the R.I. got there?  Some Eekes are in terrible condition and..." 

The same boy responds, "Martin, the Tech Council, and Camilla, the Nurse Council, looked at him. Together they confirmed that the boy had been dead for five hours.  We know that Rivies are only in that room for an hour or so. The boy was dead when the Officials put him in the room."

A girl with black braids says, "But, Jake," She address the boy, "Why would they send him to the Unknown? Why not just dispose of his body?"

"That's why the Council and Miranda are having a meeting. Everyone who's heard the news doesn’t know what to think.”

I speak, for the first time, "Maybe that's exactly what Ellen wanted to happen.  Maybe she just wanted to scare people away from getting too confident or she wanted to keep us on edge.  Maybe she's just trying to mess us."

Everyone seems to consider this.  Beeping echoes across the room.  Everyone looks down at their Notices.  A message has appeared from Miranda on my Notice.