New to Space Traveler Fargone? Start at the beginning.
“You can’t be serious,” Em said. “I’m not staying on a shopping mall planet. I demand that you release us.”
“I have already explained why that is not possible.”
“What about Wilson and Baxter? They know the truth. They will tell others.”
“They have been threatened with demotion to the videocassette rewinder position if they tell anyone what they know. They will not talk.”
“Do you plan to keep us locked up for the rest of our lives?” Em asked. “Because I will shout the truth to anyone who will listen.”
“I expect you will. Which is why, tomorrow morning, you will be taken to the pretzel manufacturing facility along with the next group of elderly citizens.”
“Soylent Green,” I said.
“What?” Em asked.
“Ever since Harold said the pretzels were made of dead people, I have been trying to remember the name of the movie Soylent Green. It was a 20th-century movie where they turned old people into crackers.”
“I’m going to be sick,” Em said. Then she jumped up and lurched at the councilman, grabbing him around the neck.
Immediately, two guards came through the door, grabbed Em, and pulled her off the councilman. Two more entered and grabbed me. The councilman stood and left the room. The guards bound our wrists together behind our backs with some kind of locking band. Then they pushed us onto the bench and left the room.
As we were facing our ordeal in the security office, Flow, Leonard, and Harold were plotting how to break us out.
“I have to get into the security office and rescue Fargone and Emma. Do you have any advice?” Flow asked Leonard.
“The only way you can get in is to work there. Or get arrested,” Leonard said.
“You could turn into an alien person, and they would bring you in.”
“That is a good thought, Harold, but I am afraid it would attract too much attention. I would like to get in without them knowing about it.”
The three of us looked at each other for a few moments, then Leonard spoke.
“I have an idea. I will get myself arrested, and you can go in as my walker.”
“That could work, but I cannot ask you to get arrested to help me rescue my friends.”
“Let me tell you something. I have been in this zone my whole life. I have seen everything there is to see. I have done everything there is to do a hundred times. My life is boring. Helping you will be exciting.”
“Yeah. And it won’t be long before they make us into pretzels anyway,” Harold added.
“Stop with the pretzels,” Leonard said.
“It’s true,” Harold replied.
Flow bounced the bench a little to get Leonard and Harold’s attention. “That is a debate for another time. You are sure you want to do this?”
“Absolutely. But I want you to do something for us.”
“What is it?”
“Take us to, what do you call it? Outside?”
“Yes.”
“I want to go outside. I want to see something new before I die.”
“Me too,” Harold said.
“Alright. We are going to need a power source,” Flow said. “Do you have a store where we can get a motor or some powerful batteries?”
“Sure. Electronic Shack,” Leonard replied. “What are the batteries for?”
“Carbon-based lifeforms don’t react well to strong electric current. And Metallum is a good conductor.”
“We’re going to shock them?” Harold asked.
“Just enough to incapacitate them.”
“Now we’re talking! I can’t wait to shock the smug looks off their faces,” Leonard said.