“So, what now?”
“Now? Now you and your father go home. Now I have the audio listeners removed from your room. And tomorrow, you start getting ready. You start getting ready for the Scavenging.”
There’s something about that. Something about how he says it. I just… I have to smile.
“Yeah… yeah, okay. This is… this is great.”
“Is there anything else before you go?”
“Actually, yeah,” I say, my mind racing as I think about what’s coming next. “You don’t happen to know what happened to a guy named Mike, do you? He was part of the last Scavenging.”
“I am aware of him. Unfortunately, even as great as my knowledge is, it’s not infinite. All contact with the team was lost following an incident deep inside the Tower. I could not tell you whether he’s alive or not.”
“Oh.” Dammit. “Okay, that’s… that’s okay. Is it all right if I make part of the exploration a search for them? For Mike and his team?”
“Hm. A rescue story? That would certainly please viewers. Yes, I think that would work. The council would be even more willing to approve that. We’ll call it the Second Scavenging.” He shakes his head, tapping on the desk. “A wonderful idea. Yes, Jackie. I’ll make sure it’s all approved. And believe me, as callous as I may sound, I do hope with all my heart that you find your friend.”
I’m biting my lip as I nod, and then I just kinda get up to go. I don’t have anything else to say as I shuffle off beneath the lights of images broadcasting down on me from throughout Tower Pisa. Huh. Tower Pisa. For the first time in my life, I know what this place is called. Anyway, I’m just starting to put my hand to the door when I hesitate and look back toward the director. Pygmalion’s already working at something on his desk when I interrupt him with a final call. “Director? Edward?”
He looks up from his work, like he’s surprised that I’m still here. “Oh? Yes, Jackie?”
For a second I don’t know whether to ask it, but I have to. “I’m just… I was just wondering. You’ve got eyes all over the Tower, right?” I pause one more time before I ask. “So, what are the Angels?”
Pygmalion laughs and looks back down at his work. “Jackie,” he says, “you should know better. Angels don’t exist.”
Recording Forty-Three
It took exactly one day for the Morale officers to have flyers pasted up and down every floor proclaiming “The Second Scavenging,” starring the first girl from Floor 4 to ever go on a mission. Better? It was to be a daring rescue into the bowels of the Tower to find the last scavenging team.
Whatevs.
But… I kinda liked it.
Don’t get me wrong. Mom and Dad aren’t thrilled… but I think they kinda knew, somehow, that it’d always turn out weird with me. I have a pair of weirdos for parents in the first place, so, of course, I turned out the same way. Dad’s a little less worried than Mom. He says my batting skills are gonna come in handy.
I don’t know about all that.
Funny thing, though. I decided I really am going to take that bat. I named it Lil’ Slugger just because I’m a cheeseball like that.
Jokes aside… it’s pretty freaking serious business. I’m about to go into a two-week training course. They say they’re gonna build on everything I learned in the basic combat training we all get, so, who knows, I may turn out to be a real beast. Maybe even tougher than Janet Amato.
I don’t know. There’s a lot of things I don’t know.
I do know that in a little over two weeks, we’re expected to head down. I’ll be going with Abbott, who is still a major pain in my… well, I shouldn’t insult him since he’s gonna, you know, be my commander. But, that’s cool. I’ll put up with it. I’m heading into the Creep with a bunch of vets, plus a few rookies, if I understand it all. They say they’re not too worried about the psychological aspect with me.
Remember, I’m the girl that would go down into the lower levels for fun, not to mention batted the head almost clean off of Creepy Sally. I got some guts.
It’s weird, though. It was just a few weeks ago that I was recording these things to keep my sanity. Now… I dunno. What you leave behind is important. It reminds you what you are, or were. It helps you know who you are, or want to be. And you never know, maybe someone else comes along one day and learns from you.
Psh. That’s way too deep for me right now.
I’ve got more important things to think about at the moment. Like, I need to get my hair braided. It’s a bit too natural for my liking at this second, so it’s basically everywhere. That mess just isn’t going to work in the Deep Creep. Never know when something’s going to grab at you, right? So, I don’t need my hair making me an easy target. Anyway, after that, I feel like I should, I dunno, spend time with Allison. I know I can’t really tell her anything… but, dang. Maybe I really should just, you know, have one more dance party with her.
I mean, I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again once I go. And suddenly the experiences I take with me seem more important than ever.
Man. I kinda feel… I dunno… scared… depressed… something.
Change can be scary.
But this is it. I’ve been asking for it, one chance to see what’s out there. If we’re the only ones. Now it’s coming true, and I can’t stop thinking about my life here.
Life’s funny like that.
Anyway, I don’t know if I’ll be able to record much anymore. I mean, I’m going to be training, then there’s the whole situation of being dozens of stories down inside of living muscle tissue. Not exactly lots of time to record, I’m guessing.
Not that I know for sure.
You know, I remembered something today. I hadn’t thought of it in a while. I’m glad I did. It reminds me of why I’m here, at this point in my life, in the first place. Actually reminds me that it has a lot to do with my parents and how they turned out to be, well, the people I remembered.
I was with my dad and mom, and I must have been around eleven at the time. Guess it doesn’t make much of a difference. Anyway, we’re at the baseball field on Floor 9. The big lights are glaring overhead. We’re there early, before anyone else, and Mom’s behind home plate. Dad’s on the pitching mound, and he winds up. Guy throws the quickest fastball I’ve ever seen.
Thing is, when I swing the baseball bat… I connect. Ball goes flying until it bangs off the back wall and goes bouncing into the outfield. Mom and Dad freak. I mean, they just completely lose their heads. Dad runs over to me, and him and Mom are just, you know, being parents. They’re hugging me and jumping. I’d never hit a home run before.
Mom drops down behind me and squeezes my shoulders. “That’s amazing! You’re going to be so great when you get older!”
Then Dad takes a knee and slides off his only “NY” baseball cap. He slaps it on my head and pulls it until it’s snug on my skull. Goofball’s just smiling like he’s nuts. “Knock ’em out of the park, Jackie.”
Yeah… I will, guys. I’m going to make you proud of me.
I’m a Scavenger now.
So, Mike? If you’re down there in the Tower? I’m coming. It’s my turn to save you.
And then?
Then we find out what’s down there.
Way past Floor 21.
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