as in tomorrow?"
Jenn shook her head. "Where can I get some food?"
"Oh, um." The girl started towards a door at the back of the empty hallway. "Follow me. I know someone who can help you."
Jenn started behind her after a short hesitation.
"He's very kind. He's actually my dad, even though you may think it's kind of weird when you meet him. He's not exactly like me."
The door opened and she walked through to the door just beyond. She held out her hand for Jenn to take.
"Here, he's just in this room."
Jenn took her hand. "What do you mean he's not like you?"
"You'll see." The girl smiled up to a giant orb that sat in the center of the room. "Hello computer." She said.
"Hello Seven Twenty Five. I see you've brought someone with you. Would you like to know her profile?"
"No thank you." Seven Twenty Five said. "I think she'd rather keep that a secret." Seven Twenty Five turned to Jenn. "He calls me Seven Twenty Five, but I'd rather go by Seven."
Jenn thought for a moment. "Seven Twenty Five... I've heard of you."
Seven seemed surprised. "How have you heard of me?"
"I met someone who talked about you. They said they knew you.
"Knew me? I really don't think I know many people."
"Ah. Well, they said I could talk to you."
"About what?"
Jenn shrugged. "I'm not sure. I didn't listen."
"Oh." Seven seemed put off by this. "Who was this person?"
"Some pilot. He wore a black uniform of some kind."
"A black uniform." Seven thought. "Oh. One of the enforcers."
"Yeah."
"Did he tell you anything else?"
"Well, not really. You mind explaining what your story is?"
Seven seemed upset. "I don't want to talk about it." She turned towards another door behind the orb. "I'm going down. If you want anything ask the computer. I need some time to be alone." There was a tear in the corner of her eye when she left.
"Well?" Jenn said, addressing the orb. "Do you have any food?"
"I have a lot of food."
"Can I have some?"
"Yes."
There was a pause.
Jenn rolled her eyes in frustration. "May I have some food?"
"Yes."
A third door opened.
"You will find a dispenser and dining quarters through that door."
"Thanks." Jenn said. She went past the orb and through the door. Beyond was just a panel alongside a table for one. She sat down at the table. She recognized this kind of eating arrangement from her time in the simulator. She pushed her hand against the panel and waited.
When the bowl appeared she ate ravenously until nothing was left. She went back out to the orb.
"Where do I sleep?"
"Beneath the tower." The door through which Seven exited opened.
Jenn went through. The door closed and she started moving down until the elevator stopped, opening into a small, efficient living space.
There was a single sleeping pad at the other end of the room. The only other defining entities were the table, with its touch panel, and a door that Jenn guessed led to the rest room. She sighed. This was probably going to be her home for a while. At least, she was planning on making it her home until she was ready to leave.
On closer inspection of the room, there was a single drawer that contained a set of clothes. She changed quickly before setting herself down on the sleeping pad. She closed her eyes, letting her thoughts drift until she fell into the nothingness of a deep, undisturbed sleep.
It was dark when she awoke as it took the lights a moment to adjust to their normal levels upon her return to consciousness. There was no indication of time other than the taught feeling n her muscles as she stretched. She guessed she'd been out for at least eight hours. She smiled, the corners of her lips making a fascinating curve.
She sat up and went to the drawer in the wall. Her prison uniform was gone, replaced with another suit; a grayish white jumpsuit. She grabbed it and went through to the other room.
On the other side of the door was a simple toilet, a wash basin, and an overhead shower. She washed quickly, changed, and dozed off on the floor. It seemed to her that she was in the perfect position to relax considering her track record with an uptight universe that always played by a set of rules she couldn’t fully understand. At least, that’s how she thought of her long imprisonment in the computer prison.
In her thoughts she felt the touch of a gloved hand as it pulled her from her pit of relaxation. She frowned, thinking it just an unpleasant part of a dream she was having, but soon the rough jolt of being pulled up on to her feet. She opened her eyes. A black helmet greeter her.
"Jennifer Black, we are to escort you to the nearest prison facility. If you are to resist, we suggest you attempt now. Otherwise, your full cooperation will be appreciated.
Jenn looked between the masked man and another who was standing just behind. Both were armed, their guns aimed and ready.
"I'm coming." Jenn said, standing up. "At least give me the decency to prepare myself."
The man holding Jenn nodded to the other. They backed out into the other room.
Jenn rolled her eyes and put a fist against her forehead. She stood up, the moisture in the air had gone to be replaced with a cold, stale feeling.
"Why would you guys come in to arrest a women while she's taking a nap on the bathroom floor?”
"Do the words 'we're both women' mean anything to you?"
"Not really. That just makes this whole situation awkward. What does that even mean by the way?"
"It's all perspective."
Jenn rolled her shoulders and started getting all the kinks out.
"So says you." Jenn said.
"So what are you in trouble for?" The first helmeted woman asked. She spoke in a voice that was distorted by the helmet she wore.
"Just the usual: Living at the wrong time, lack of empathy for society, illegal integration into overseer society..."
"Sounds minor."
Jenn opened the door to the bedroom. "Yeah, well, that's what happens when you mess up and take a ride with strangers."
"I see." The helmeted woman tapped her fingers against the gun in her hand. "You took the injection didn't you?"
"Well, why wouldn't I? Eternal life sounds great. Especially for someone who wants to live a long, long life."
"How long were you under? You're an escaped convict right?"
"Convict is a strong word. But yes, I escaped. And to answer your question, I've been under for over seven thousand years."
The door to the elevator opened and the girl, Seven, came in.
"Is something wrong?" Seven asked. Her expression was unreadable when she saw the enforcers.
"Not really." Jenn said. "You know, seriously though, I'm really starting to get ticked off by all this 'enforcer' stuff. Don't you guys have anything better to do?"
"That's not my call to make. Are you coming or not?"
"Yeah. Just give me a second. I feel like I'm being sentenced to a loony bin or something." Jenn went over and sat at the table. The first enforcer watched carefully. "Relax." Jenn said. "I'm just getting something to eat. That's allowed right?" She pressed her hand against the panel and picked up the bowl when it appeared. "I'm getting tired of this charade. Here, have some mush on me." She threw the bowl at the first woman and a handful of the stuff at the other, hitting them in the faceplate.
Jenn grabbed Seven by the arm and ran into the elevator. "Get us out of here now!" She yelled at Seven.
Seven was tight lipped when she put her hand against the elevator plate. The doors started to close.
"Stop where you are! You need to come with us!" The first enforcer said, firing randomly into the elevator.
Jenn curled up into a ball behind the door frame, but Seven just stood there, confused by the speed in which the situation had changed. Even when she was hit, the on
ly thing that passed over her was a look of shot as she crumpled to the ground.
Jenn just hit her head against the wall until they made it back to the main computer room. She was torn between leaving Seven behind and taking her with. Eventually her compassion won out and she grabbed her under the arms and started dragging her around the giant orb.
"There is transportation waiting outside. “The computer said. "This craft, you will find, is untraceable. Keep Seven Twenty Five safe. I will hold off the enforcers for as long as is necessary."
Jenn made a short nod of gratitude to the computer and shuffled backwards down the hall.
Upon reaching the door, a robot, humanoid in form, reached down and took Seven in his arms.
"Follow me. There's not much time before others will arrive." He said, starting a light jog towards a small craft around the backside of the spire. Jenn was out of breath by the time they reached it.
"Get in. I'm going to fly you out of here."
Jenn didn't question him. Instead, she got on and sat down on a row of seats towards the back. The robot set Seven down next to her, gently resting her head on Jenn's knees, before going up front.
"Ready. Lift the ramp Crystal." The robot said, addressing another, more feminine robot in the copilot's seat.
"Lifting the ramp. Everything is set."
"Let us leave this place." The robot said.
The ship took off, leaving the planet and the tower behind in a flash.
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere safe." The Crystal said. "Just take care of Seven until she wakes up."
Jenn grimaced and turned back to Seven who was still unconscious. There wasn't much she could do except keep her head elevated.
"So who are you people?" Jenn asked.
"I'm Ricky and this is Crystal."
"Great names." Jenn said sarcastically. "So what've you two done to go against