Echo

14. Evacuate

After dinner, Scotch gets my attention and we go into the sitting room.

"I'm sorry."

"I don't think it's your fault. I didn't know people would pretend to be me. I'm sorry too, but I didn't lie about anything. It'll be interesting going forward. I'm going to have to lie and pretend not to be me for anyone new I meet. Then I will be a liar. Maybe it's not worth the hassle." I shrug my shoulders. "I guess I could still go skydiving."

He chuckles. "Will you go on a date with me? I'll take your suppra out. I'm fine with that. It's still you and won't cause any drama for the real you. I didn't lie about anything either. I do like you."

I give him a hug. "I would love to."

"You want to go somewhere fancy?"

I don't know about getting fancy. "What's a regular date like?"

"By regular, you mean poor?" He crosses his arms.

I shake my head. "That's not..." I don't know why, but that hurt. I don't think he's poor. I don't know anything about him. "Just go." I leave him standing in the sitting room.

I go to the suppra room and lay down. The servants link me into my suppra on the spaceship. It should be fine. I think.

I open my eyes, and I'm in the box. I hit the front and it flies away. There are rows of suppra. It's a container ship. Big storage area. There shouldn't be any people on this ship. It's automated.

I find a door. It makes a Pshhh sound when I push the button. The next room seems like a tunnel with rooms off it. The first room is full of materials to build something.

I explore a bit and come to a window. I sit on the floor and watch outside. It's so amazing. I can see so many stars from here. I can see the planet we're going towards. It's still small in the window. I can't believe we'll be there in a couple of days. I'm going to leave my suppra here and check it often. I bet it'll be amazing to watch the planet get bigger.

I watch out the window for another hour, then I lay on the floor and close my eyes. I get off the hospital bed and go to bed. I need some sleep.

I get ready in the morning then check the suppra. I'm at the same window, but I'm in a chair. I thought no people were here. I shrug my shoulders and watch some more. The planet is a lot bigger now. Still far away though. Maybe tonight I'll see us land.

I drive myself to work and sit at my desk. I snuck a school book in with me. I read when nobody is paying attention.

Malax actually needs things all morning. He keeps asking for files and the phone keeps ringing. Now I understand how he could need 2 secretaries.

Eriska brings us lunch. I take some to Malax and tell him to eat this time. He's on his computer doing something.

Then I sit and talk with the girls.

"So, what happened with Scotch? Did you get a date set up?"

"No. We're not going to do that."

"Why?"

"We're very different."

"People aren't that different. What did he do?"

"He asked me if I wanted to have a fancy date. I wanted to go on a real date. I didn't know about fancy." Her and Kai nod. "I asked him about a regular date. He asked if by regular I meant poor."

"Oh, what a dumbass."

Kai coughs. "That was stupid. Dates are dates. There are no poor dates. Rich people like having a picnic in the park or stargazing. Those dates don't cost anything. It doesn't make it a poor date. It's still a date. He needs to grow up. Find a new boy to like. That one is too dumb."

"Yea, but he actually liked me. Maybe dumb wouldn't be so bad. I'm smart enough for both of us."

They crack up laughing.

Eriska steals a chip. "You could spend your entire life not talking to him. Every time you try, you're going to be pulling your hair out."

"Hope you enjoy silence. Every time he tries to talk you're going to stare at him and wonder how a person can be that stupid."

I laugh and shake my head. "So glad I'm going to school soon. I hope I'll meet some boys there."

"You'll meet lots, sweetie."

Eriska nods. "Maybe some will take you on poor dates."

I laugh. "I never heard of such a thing. I only wanted a real date."

"He was too stupid to even understand that. Let that boy go."

"Yea, that's for the best."

I give Malax his afternoon coffee. He's on his phone and his computer now. But he did eat the food. That's good. I clean up his desk while he searches through the papers mixed with trash. Then I go back to my desk. They're gone now. I pull out my book and read.

The phone rings and they still aren't back.

"Phade Enterprise, Center of Operations, Malax office. How can I help you?"

"Echo Kinnik will die."

I slam down the phone. That wasn't nice. It rings again and I run away. I find the girls outside of Rye's office. I shake off the eerie feeling and see what they're doing. Turns out they're talking about boys. Then Rye shoo's us away because he doesn't need this many secretaries. Kai goes back up so I check on the suppra.

The planet is so big now. I can see the land masses. The stars are still so beautiful too. I relax and watch out the window.

Then I get picked up from the hospital bed. I feel the sticky pads getting pulled off me. Malax hugs me and I wrap around him. The tube gets pulled out of my mouth. "What is happening?"

"There was a threat to your life."

"Was that who called?"

"What?"

"I answered the phone and someone said Echo Kinnik will die."

"What did you say?"

"I slammed it down and ran away."

He hugs me closer and walks to the elevator.

"I can walk, Malax."

"This is fine."

I let my feet hang, and he holds me up by my butt. I guess this is fine. We get to his level and there are so many police and security guards.

I hide my face against his chest, and he carries me into his office. "I have her."

"Miss Kinnik, you are safe. We are searching everywhere."

Rye says, "Her dad is landing in 2 minutes, Ax."

"It's already on the news. How did they get it so fast?" Eriska looks out the window. "There are news people everywhere."

"Evacuate the building. Everyone but security out. The police and investigators can do the searches." Malax sways back and forth with me.

"Explosives found."

Malax sits in his chair. I make shapes on his chest with my fingers.

"The police are shoving everyone back and people are flooding out."

"Ax, the helicopter pilot refuses to land Mr. Kinnik here. It's evacuating the area."

I snuggle him. "What do we do?"

"Evacuate everyone you can. Her dad will send another helicopter."

"You can't be sure of that, Ax."

Malax looks at Rye. "Get out."

Rye throws Eriska over his shoulder and grabs Kai's arm. Everyone is gone so fast.

Malax relaxes a little, and we sit there for a few minutes.

I make a circle. "You can go too. I'll wait."

"I'm not leaving you anywhere. I'll carry you out the front door if I have to."

"Helicopter Eta 60 seconds, Mr. Phane. It's the Kinnik helicopter. Mr. Kinnik is not on it."

"We're going to have to find daddy before we go home."

He laughs and carries me to the roof. "Maybe he'll find one of the missing cars while he's out."

He puts me on the seat beside his, then straps me in before he sits. Then he puts the communicator helmet on. I lay my head on his shoulder. "Pick up Braxtin. He's probably fuming." Then he laughs. I don't know what the pilot said. Malax relaxes and kisses my head as we lift off.