Christine and Nina walked forward into the servants' room. Matthew/James Roberts and already signed in. Matthias/Roger Symmes joined up with the commander again as Trey worked his way around through the vents. A thin lady walked up to them.
"Nina Ida, eh? The commander and Roger like you. Says you're a good worker. Well, you're working in the kitchens," the thin lady ordered sharply.
Nina nodded and scurried off. Christine waited for her orders.
The thin lady scratched the tip of her nose, "you, Christine, get to work as a servant to these three people. The commander, Roger Symmes, and Jason Barstow."
Christine nodded quickly.
"You get to have this phone to carry around. They'll call you if they need anything, but normally you're supposed to follow one of them around," the lady said quickly as she tossed Christine a cell phone.
Christine caught it deftly as it rang. She opened it to hear Matthias order her to his room. She quickly ran up to his room and knocked on the door. Matthias opened and pulled her in quickly. He slammed the door shut, pulling out a notepad.
I need you to come here whenever I ask. I'll slip you notes for you to hand to Nina, alright? Matthias wrote rapidly.
Christine nodded. Matthias smiled as he handed Christine another note.
"Have you heard from the commander? I didn't see him when I came here," Matthias said quickly as his eyes darted around.
"No, sir, but perhaps I will see the commander. I am also a servant of his. You see, sir, I'm new," Christine replied in a small voice as she pocketed the note.
Matthias nodded, "Really? Anyone else?"
"An officer named Jason Barstow, sir. That's all. You're the first I've met so far, sir," Christine answered, hinting.
Matthias blinked, surprised. Suddenly, the commander burst into the room.
"Servant! Get out! Servants do not talk unless spoken to," the commander said sharply as he pointed at the door.
Christine bowed her head and curtsied, murmuring, "Forgive me, sir. I forgot my place, sir. I won't forget it again, sir. Good day, sir."
Christine hurried out of the room and slammed into Nina who was holding a basket full of laundry. Nina jumped, surprised. Christine bent out and helped Nina pick up the laundry. Christine's hand brushed against Nina's only to separate with Nina holding a note in her hand. Nina gave a small nod and hurried off. Christine's phone rang. Christine opened to hear her brother's voice bark through it.
"Girl! Get to my room with a tray of food! I have the commander visiting with Roger Symmes. I can't afford to loose their respect for me! You'll be serving us too," his voice rapped out.
Christine gulped and replied, "yes, sir. Immediately, sir."
Christine slammed the phone shut before rushing off to the kitchen and picking up a tray of fruits and other food. She hurried to Jason's room and knocked on the door.
"Come in!" Jason snapped.
Christine scurried into the room and closed the door behind her. She noticed that the commander and Matthias were there already. Christine set the tray down on the table in the middle of the room quickly and stepped back. With that, the commander and Officer Jason Barstow started talking. Christine listened while watching Matthias' face intently. He was memorizing what the two were saying. Christine pulled her thoughts back to the conversation.
"How long until everything is sorted out with the ID papers?" the commander demanded roughly.
"About a month at least," Jason said hesitantly as he shifted nervously.
"And what is the maximum?" the commander asked dangerously.
Christine bit her lip. If Jason was punished for the maximum, he would start hurting her. He always took out his anger and frustration when he beat up people.
Jason bit his lip, "er… the, uh, reports I received from the lab says that we might, er, never, uh, get the, uh, system going… again."
The commander grew stiff and stared hard at Jason. Matthias frowned and glanced at Christine who pretended to scratch her throat. Matthias' eyes grew wide and fearful.
"Officer Jason Barstow, could you say that again without stuttering, please?" the commander growled, spitting out Jason's title.
"ThereportsIrecievedfromthelabsaysthatwemightnevergetthesystemgoingagain," Jason muttered rapidly.
The commander lashed out, hitting Jason full across the face. Jason fell to the floor with a bruise growing on his face. The commander stood.
"I WILL HAVE ALL THE ID PAPERS SORTED OUT!" the commander shouted with spittle flying from his mouth.
Jason whimpered. The commander growled and stomped out of the room with the fearful Matthias on his heels. Jason rolled onto his belly, groaning. He pulled himself up, gripping the couch tightly. Jason glanced around the room to find his victim. Christine silently cursed herself for not leaving the room in time. Jason grabbed Christine by her throat and shook her.
"Spy on him! Spy on him! Tell me how to soften him so that I can be on his good side! Spy on him! Don't tell him anything about me or anything dealing with me!" Jason hissed.
Christine froze, not knowing when she should whimper or fight him off. Jason released Christine and turned away abruptly. Christine put on a blank expression quickly. Jason whipped around.
"GET OUT! GET OUT!" he screamed as he hit her harshly.
Christine bit her lip, furious that she could not kill him there and then. She strode out of the room stonily as the commander called her on the phone ordered her into his room. She raced into his room and curtsied as she closed the door behind her.
"Sit down," the commander ordered as he pointed at a chair.
Christine sat down in it quickly.
"I heard some screaming and shouting from Barstow's room. What did he say?" the commander asked gently.
Christine bit her lip and said quickly, "I can't, sir. The officer forbade me to tell anyone anything about him or dealing with him, sir. I don't want to be punished, sir."
The commander sighed and called in a guard.
"Go bring Officer Jason Barstow into this room," the commander commanded sharply as the guard bowed.
The guard nodded and left. The commander stared at Christine who chewed her lip nervously. Jason entered the room, slamming the door behind him. His bruise gave him a strange, yet fierce look.
"Barstow, is it true that you ordered this servant girl not to tell anyone anything dealing with you?" the commander asked dangerously, "now, don't lie because I can ask the man who guards your door if it is true."
Jason looked emotionless, "you trust a mere servant girl who might be revolting against us? You trust a servant girl's word?"
"I didn't say whether this servant told me if you told her. For all you know, your guard might have told me or I find out by myself," the commander said quietly.
"Commander, sir, I did-"
"SILENCE!" the commander roared.
Jason stared at Christine. His jaw dropped. Christine knew that he realized who she was. The commander frowned.
"What's wrong, Officer Jason Barstow?" the commander demanded.
Jason pointed at Christine, "my parents had a third child named Maria Barstow. I tried to get rid of her, but my parents refused to let her go. When I finally joined the Population Police and gained enough respect, I told everyone about her. The Population Police raided the house, but they only found James, Mother, and Father."
The commander shouted out an incoherent sentence that brought ten guards into the room. The commander stood and jerked Christine to her feet.
"Your ID paper," he ordered.
Christine reached into her pocket and pulled it out. She handed it to him.
"What is your name?" he asked sharply.
"Christine O'Donnell, sir."
"Birth date?"
Christine hid a smile. Remembering her birthdays was the easy part. Her real birthday was December 7th, the anniversary day Pearl Harbor was attacked. But is not it nice to be 'born' on an important day such as the anniversary of the official ending of the First World War?
"November 11th," Christine replied quickly.
"Eye color, hair color?"
"Gray eyes and dark brown hair."
The commander nodded approvingly as he handed the paper back to Christine. He waved his hand and the guards left. Jason gaped.
"I swear that she is an illegal third child!" Jason exclaimed.
The commander chuckled and turned to Christine, "are you an illegal third child?"
"The very idea, sir, is revolting! If I were in a higher position than him, I'd kill him for the insult! My family is law-abiding citizens! How dare he accuse me!" Christine exclaimed as she placed a hand on her heart, pretending that she was shocked.
"Well, of course, she won't admit it! No one is that stupid to say that they are an illegal third child in front of us!" Jason exclaimed, angry.
The commander sighed and ordered, "guard, bring me the man who guards Officer Jason Barstow's room."
There were a few muffled thumps to indicate that the guard was going off. Jason glared at Christine who looked at the commander who, in turn, looked at the door. There was silence until a man walked into the room.
"You called for me, sir?" the man said quietly.
"Yes. Did you hear any noises or words when I left Officer Jason Barstow's room?" the commander asked quickly.
"Yes, sir. I even looked into the room. Jason stood and grabbed the girl by her throat and shook her. Then he said, 'spy on him! Spy on him! Tell me how to soften him so that I can be on his good side! Spy on him! Don't tell him anything about me or anything dealing with me!' Then he released the servant girl and turned away. After a few seconds, he whipped around and said, 'GET OUT! GET OUT!' he hit her. She, of course, left," the guard said.
The commander turned to Jason, eyes burning, "Officer Jason Barstow, you will no longer have the privilege of having a servant and you will be demoted -"
"But, sir, I made the ID test go through -"
"But you have failed when you said, 'we might never get the system going'. You've failed! Failed! Now all those rebels and exnays are loose! You have failed!" the commander shouted.
Jason quailed. The commander reached forward and pulled off some badges on Jason's coat.
"Dismissed," the commander rapped out.
Jason saluted feebly and hurried out of the room everyone left with Christine following them. She received a call from Matthias. Christine hurried up into Matthias' room.