Chapter Five

He sat on the edge of his dormitory bed: with no family to speak of, and nobody who would have him, he had no choice but to spend his free time at cyberschool. School was the least place he wanted to be. He gazed at the glistening wall in front of him, glad that the large built-in plasma viewing screen had been disconnected. Being unable to afford his lodgings had its advantages: he couldn't have accessed the computers even he'd wanted to.

He thought about the girl. He was intrigued by her, and although he'd told himself to keep himself to himself as much as possible, he couldn't stop himself wondering when their paths would cross again.

He knew it was important not to be noticed; his secrets were too deep. The cheap white sheets rustled as he slipped from his bed and crept towards his wardrobe: the one item of furniture in his room besides the bed, a small desk and the lifeless computer and screen. The wardrobe door creaked as he opened it; the noise made the boy jump and his breath quicken. Slowly, silently, he moved his fingers down a hollow space between the two door panels until he found what he was looking for and drew it out.

Back at his bed, he unfolded a piece of crumpled plastic-coated paper...carefully, carefully; this form of document had stopped being used at least twenty years ago. He smoothed the thin paper out until he could read the words imprinted into its surface. His whole body seemed to freeze as he gazed raptly at the strange words that he lived by...although he did not know what they meant.

But then, all too soon, the feeling of satisfaction was gone. He jumped stiffly to his feet, trembling. Raised voices drifted down the corridor towards him. He tensed, and his eyes flicked desperately around the room. They were here! They'd found him! But he'd made absolutely sure that he'd never be identified...so how...? The girl!

Scared, betrayed, he drew his last straw. He flung the door open, trying to compose himself and to conceal his valuable document. Scuffling noises could be heard, closer now. He began to walk, seemingly calmly, down the corridor.
His head pounded as he caught his first glimpse of the men who had finally come to take him, but he continued towards them. He passed them as they knocked on a door to his left: two black-uniformed heavies, and a tall, impeccably-dressed figure with a leer on his otherwise grim face.
Miraculously, they had eyes only for the unfortunate Ga Ga kid on the opposite side of the door, and he couldn't help grinning slightly as he turned the corner at the end of the corridor. 'Tough guys, maybe,' he thought, 'but not exactly bright!'