I nod uncertainly. Miranda didn’t necessarily seem mean, just unreadable, unapproachable.
Michelle says, “Miranda told us that you had a lot of questions about the Unknown. She said she’s going to have a meeting with you tomorrow so you can ask your questions.”
When I don’t speak, Michelle smiles brightly, “Miranda’s always really involved with Rivies. That’s one of the things I’m going to miss.”
“Why would you miss it?”
“Miranda’s going to be a twenty year in a couple days. She’ll be sent to her death and we’ll elect a new Leader.”
“The Heads would kill their own Leader?”
“Oh, Miranda doesn’t work for the Heads. We elected her ourselves. The Heads have no choice as to who our Leader is.”
“But…how?”
Michelle grins, “This is my favorite part to tell Rivies and Eekes. The Unknown is the closest thing to freedom that you’ll ever get. There is not a single Official here. They honestly don’t care about us. As long as we do the jobs they give us, they leave us alone.”
“Wouldn’t they want to control you?”
“There are cameras all over. Well, there used to be. We’ve disabled all of them. We’ve kept a few up and play long loops of fake footage over them, so it looks the camera is still working.”
“Don’t the Officials know that you’ve disabled everything?”
“We don’t really know. Either they don’t know or they don’t care. Whichever way, we still are unmonitored.”
I can’t believe this. It’s too good to be true. The horrible Unknown can’t be free of Officials.
A person I don’t recognize sticks their head through the door, “Um, Michelle? Charlotte is here to see Claire.”
Michelle nods, “Tell her to come right in.”
A girl with fiery red curls bounces through the door. After she sees me, her face lights up, “Claire, I’m so glad you are here.”
She runs forward. I instinctively want to raise my hands to defend myself. After spending time with the Ecru, my natural response is to protect myself. My one arm is still strapped to the bed, but my other hand is free. I hold it up as Charlotte practically charges me.
Charlotte wraps her arms around me. After a couple seconds she releases me, quickly apologizing, “I’m so sorry. I forgot that, oh, I’m offie sorry. It’s an Unknown thing, a hug. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
I give her a weak smile. She’s exactly and nothing like I remember. Her appearance is completely different. Where she used to have soft brown hair, there bright red curls around her face. Her hair isn’t even secured back into a braid. She’s nothing like the orderly Charlotte the Complex made her to be.
But her attitude is just the same. Her face brightens with smiles and giggles. Her legs bounce with impatience and excitement.
Charlotte smiles, “How’s Lillie?”
“Fine. We didn’t talk much after Sarah got sent to the Unknown.”
Michelle addresses the two of us, “I’ve got to check on another Eeke, so I’ll be back later, okay?”
I nod to show its okay.
Michelle exits the room, leaving just Charlotte and I.
Charlotte claps her hands together, “I’m just so glad you’re here. How’d you get sent here?”
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. ...
Chapter Twenty
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