Ch. 7

With his thoughts buzzing about a sudden future, an actual future, Evan couldn't pay attention to the rest of the tour. He only came back to reality when they stopped at a pair of double white doors with metal rectangles at either side of the close in the center.

"Through here you will find the rest of your training group."

"Wait, you're not the one training us?"

He felt a sudden pinch at his elbow as Rosie dug in and pulled him down to her 5'2" height. "What are you? Deaf? That's what he's been explaining for the past ten minutes, Ev. Het your head out of your ass."

The Recruiter chuckled. "Well, thank you Rosaline, but I'm sure Mr. Collins was paying attention at some level. He probably got caught up at some point in the tour, most people do after all. It's the mix of finding out the big secret organization that's been running your entire life is starting to crack open to you, plus plus the whole 'having a real future' thing too." The guy shrugged. "Besides, Dr. Connor will explain everything I've said plus more to the entire group. I doubt any of them were able to pay much attention to their guides either."

"Still rude." Rosie glared.

"Fine, sorry. I'll try to pay better attention." Turning to Rosie, "Better happy?"

"Give it a bit."

Evan rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, as I said. It will all be explained again. Now, if you don't mind I have other work I have to attend to. Good luck, and maybe we'll see each other on the other side." The guy gave a half wave and turned to go.

"Wait a sec." He turned back at Rosie's voice. "What was your number again? I mean, if we're to meet up again, it would be a good thing to know how to contact you, right?" She gave the winning smile that had usually gotten her out of the messier chores and annoying obligations.

"Good try, I hadn't. And one other piece of advie? Never give out your number to someone, it's easier to go with neutral terms, like comrade, compatriot and the like. After all, how often do you actually use a person's name in daily conversation?"

Evan had to agree, he barely used Rosie's name out loud, only in his thoughts really.

"I will give you this though. Outside, I was Charlie." He nodded then left them finally.

"Charlie?" Rosie asked when he was far enough to be out of hearing. "What kind of name is that?"

"An old fashioned one and probably not what he actually went by. He probably actually went by his last name, like Susu." Almost no one wen by their full names anymore, only mono or dual syllable nicknames of either their first or last given name. Knowing a full name was tantamount to knowing an entire secret of a person.

"Still, he didn't have to be so stiffy. I mean, he was trying to slang us half the time, what with all the doubles."

"Give him a break, he's probably new." Rosie raised an eyebrow at Evan's defense of the carnivore. "Yeah, I know, that felt weird to say too. Come on, let's go."

He pushed open the doors and let Rosie go in first. Inside were neat rows of long tables with bench seats on either side of the length of the table. There were probably ten tables and among them about fifteen kids, all around Rosie and Evan's age. Most were sitting at the tables, two were in a back corner, speaking to each other now and again, although they both paused to survey Rosie and Evan as they entered. One girl was even sitting on one of the tables, her feet resting on the bench seat, elbows resting on her knees, hands limp in between. She cocked her head, catching Evan's eyes with her black ones as they passed to an empty table near the back.

No one was logged onto their pictage.

In his life, Evan couldn't remember a room being this filled with people without pretty much all of them being logged on simultaneously. Now being in a room where no one was, he felt vulnerable. He acutely felt that they could see every nuance of him, from his tattered, dirt-stained jeans, old black t-shirt and FEC issue jacket to his beat up black combat boots that he had gotten lucky with when an old army vet had died. Fiddling with the zipper of his jacket for the first time in years, he wondered at the intelligence of opting to go with Charlie again.

"God, I feel exposed." Rosie muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. Evan saw her as the others did, wearing pretty much the same thing as him, substituting boots for FEC issue sneakers, and crazy curly red hair pulled back into a ponytail instead of his chin-length messy black hair. She zipped her jacket up. "Never thought this would be what it would feel like, you know?"

Evan nodded. Normally quiet, he felt like his vocal cords had shrunk to pinky finger length and if he opened his mouth, he might get a super manly squeak out at most. Not even being a new kid at school would be like this, he figured. Because then most kids probably would, no, definitely would be logged in and the new kid would have the advantage of a pictage shield in between them and the people around them.

"I wouldn't bother."

Evan jumped at the voice and looked towards it, his right, to the girl that had been sitting on the table was now standing next to him.

"What?" He asked.

"Your TVMH. It won't work. He already tried." She tilted her head back towards a blue-haired kid with a dark blue, almost black jacket, his back to Evan due to how he was sitting. "Got a nasty shocky when he tried to." She made a sparking motion with her fingers.

"And who're you?" Rosie asked.

"Kara Lynn, Lynny if ya want." The girl said, swinging first one leg, then the next over the bench across from Rosie and Evan. "Hailing from the great Growth Zone 303, former Rochester, NY. Pleasure." She stuck out her hand.

Evan and Rosie both eyed the hand, looked at each other, then the hand.

Lynny rolled her eyes, "I swear I'm not gonna do anything. God I'm not an underlord or something."

Rosie shrugged and put her fist in Lynny's hand. "Rosie, and yea, mainly cuz the hair. And this is Evan, Ev if ya want." Evan nodded at the blonde haired, black eyed girl. "We're from here, cuz why not keep the shit where it stains, ya know?"

Lynny grinned, "Oh I know, just no good good carnie shop in the 303. All shady and shit."

"Underlord?" Rosie asked.

"Sommet like that." Lynny looked squarely at Evan. "You mute Ev?"

"Nah, just don't like speakin." He shrugged. "Too iffy."

"True too." She extended her hand to him. "You gonna stay good close through this?"

Looking at her, Evan saw every other almost friend he'd tried to keep. Because pretty much every one of them had been a street rat, none had survived. This girl, Lynny, she talked like a street rat and had the same easy friendship to offer as all of them had. But she had survived the streets, she had gotten here to 298, and from 303 too. She might be a snake for all he knew.

He slapped her hand with his fist and she closed her hand over it. "Yea I'll stay good close, but only if ya do the same for me and Rosie."

"Course, why'd I offer it if I wasn't planning it?" She gave him the sideways grin he was already starting to think of as hers.