I could tell by Jack’s wry expression that he doubted we would be down there long enough to need new identities. “You’re making it more complicated.” He tapped on his computer. “Laundry?”
“Fine.”
“And for me…” He continued to tap on his computer. “Definitely not sewage… Mines. I can work in the mines. So we need names. I’ll be Benjamin. According to the records, every other guy down there is Benjamin, so I’ll blend right in. And for your name… lots of girls named after the seasons… Summer, Winter, Autumn… weird, there’s no Spring.”
“The Cull happens every spring. Who’s going to name their daughter after that? Use Autumn.”
“Okay… so Autumn and Benjamin Jones are now employed, and they need a place to live.”
“What? We’re going to pretend we’re married?” I needed to live with my father. And it was bad enough Reyes saw me marry Jack on television without actually dragging a “husband” down to the Pit with me. How was I going to explain it was all a mistake while Jack was living with me?
“Well, technically we’re not pretending. We actually are married,” Jack said absentmindedly as he continued to tap away on his tablet. “And you’re not leaving me on my own down there.”
“Your presence will… complicate my life.” I hoped to change his mind. I was sure I could find someone to take him in so we didn’t have to live together.
“Boyfriend?”
I nodded.
“Don’t worry. I’ll stay out of your way.” Somehow I wasn’t reassured. “Okay, your chip is ready.”
Jack took a Spritze out of the bin and felt the back of my right hand until he found my chip. He placed the device over my chip and extracted it. It was painless. He fitted the new chip into the Spritze and injected it into the back of my hand.
He placed a new chip into his computer and programmed it.
“My turn,” he said, handing me the device. “Just press this button for extraction and this one to insert.”
I did to his right hand what he had done to mine. Jack took our old chips and crushed them on the floor with the heel of his boot. “There go Jack Kenner and Sunny… I don’t even know your last name, although now that we’re married, I guess it’s Kenner. Anyway, say goodbye to them.”
“O’Donnell. My name is Sunset O’Donnell.” I looked down where he had kicked our chips under the shelf and was struck by sadness. Why did it feel like a little death to see my chip destroyed?
Jack gave me a strange look. “Sunset?”
“My mother named me Sunset because of the color of my hair. I always hated it… until now. Now my name seems like a gift she gave me… something that was special to her… and it’s all I had left.” I needed to shake off the melancholy that suddenly gripped me. I was still Sunset O’Donnell. I didn’t need a chip to tell me that.
“I remember that the night we met you were interested in a painting of a sunset. Why? Did the picture mean something?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. I guess I was wondering how my mother knew what a sunset looked like.” Why was I confiding in him? Why did I even bring this up? We were in the middle of an escape. “Forget it. We’re running out of time.”
“You lead the way.” Jack held the door open for me. The hallway was still busy, and once again we joined the moving crowd.
I was halfway home.
Chapter Eleven
The big steel double doors were our only way out of the Dome and into the Pit, and to get to them we were going to have to walk through main reception. The whole area was still in a state of pandemonium after that morning’s wedding debacle. Jack was hoping we could slip into a service elevator unnoticed to get to the main floor, but there were long queues at every elevator. We were going to have to go down the grand staircase in full view of everyone.
I followed the same path I’d taken that morning as a bride and approached the top of the staircase. I hesitated for a moment, the memory still fresh in my mind, but Jack didn’t miss a beat. He wrapped an arm around my waist and swept me along with him.
Traffic on the staircase was thick, but Jack didn’t let go of me until we reached the last step and began our trek across the busy room. Both steel doors were open for the servants wheeling carts back out to the kitchens. I noticed that none of them were wearing kitchen uniforms and then remembered the Pit was on lockdown. The bourge had to do their own work during lockdowns. I decided that we could easily act like we’d been sent to help. I led Jack over to the line-up of carts waiting to go and motioned for him to take one. I grabbed one and started wheeling it toward the door. I looked back and saw that he was following me.
I kept an even pace, resisting the urge to run through the doors. There was a line, and I realized with a sinking feeling that they were going to make us scan-in to pass through the doors. I stared down at my hand where Jack had inserted the new chip. I bit my lip, wondering if it would work. I was so close to being home. Just through those doors, then I could get back to the Pit. Beeps sounded up ahead as people passed the scanner before they filed out. Armed guards stood on the other side of the door. They were always there to keep the urchins out of the bourge’s domain.
One more to go, and then it was my turn. The person ahead of me scanned and continued on his way. I began to sweat. I moved forward and waved my hand in front of the scanner. Nothing. I tried again. Nothing. My heart pounded harder. Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at Jack. He looked nervous, too.
“Wait a minute,” said one of the guards as he walked toward me. For just a second, there was no doubt in my mind that I had been caught, but I couldn’t run. My legs were too weak and my feet felt like dead weights. “Scanner’s been acting up all morning,” he said, hitting the side of it a few times. “Try it again. I might have to find a new one.”
The guard watched as I raised my hand to try again. My hand was trembling ever so slightly, and I focused on getting it under control. I passed my hand over the scanner. A beep, and then a green light flicked on. The guard waved me through and motioned for Jack to come forward. I heard the beep behind me.
It took all of my energy to walk on my weakened legs. I hung onto my cart tightly in case they gave out on me. Then I was through the steel doors and out into the lobby and the entrance to the Pit. The other people with carts were well ahead of me, but I knew my way to the kitchen. This was familiar territory. I walked down the hall and joined the line for the kitchen. I looked behind me and Jack was there. I gave him a worried look. Someone was bound to recognize me in the kitchen. In fact, I was sure I heard Supervisor Bailey instructing people on where to put their carts. She would know me for sure.
A few more carts pulled up behind Jack. I shuffled ahead as the queue moved, and my panic rose with each step. I cast Jack another look.
“Hey, buddy,” Jack said to the guy behind him in line. “Can you do us a favour and take these carts in? We were told to get back ASAP to start tearing down that altar. I guess it’s offending the president.”
The guy rolled his eyes. “Can’t imagine why. Although you can’t blame Kenner. Leisel’s not much of a looker even if she is the president’s daughter. That urchin he married isn’t hard on the eyes, though. What’s her name?”
“Sunny O’Donnell.” Jack grinned. “Hard to forget the pretty name that goes with the pretty face.”
I couldn’t believe how brazen Jack was being. He was going to get us both killed.
“Sunny O’Donnell,” the man said. “That is a pretty name. Yeah, sure I’ll take your carts for you. See you back in there.”
“Thanks.” Jack turned and walked away.
He didn’t wait for me, so I walked quickly to catch up. The hall we needed to go down was coming up on the right, and I pulled Jack into it when we came upon it. We hurried down the hall and turned left, toward the old mine shaft. No one was back there, so I broke into a run. I could see the small door to the shaft. When I reached it, I took a deep breath and pulled it open. I was relieved. They usually forgot to lock the shaft doors when they did a lockdown, and I was glad this time was no different. We went in, and I shut the door. It was dark.