Chapter 2 #2
“What’s so fascinating?” Max asked at his back.
Kaden took his hand from his pocket. “Nothing. What do you do with this material when you’ve finished with it?”
“Incinerate it.”
Confirming what Harris had said. “What if…?”
“What if what?”
“What if it’s a sentient substance?”
Max stared at him, then burst out laughing. By the time he’d repeated what Kaden had said, everyone in the room was chuckling. And of course, Harris walked in.
“Something funny?” Harris glared at him.
“Kaden was just wondering if the substances we deal with can feel pain, joy, fear, luuurve.”
“I didn’t actually say…”
Harris’ mouth tightened and Kaden was immediately defensive.
“You can’t be sure,” he spoke more loudly than he’d intended to.
“Oh yes we can,” Harris said. “You know that beings without centralised nervous systems are not sentient. That includes archaea, bacteria, fungi, plants and certain animals. Basic biology. You did it at GCSE, didn’t you? There is nothing in this lab that is sentient.”
“Not even you?”
That caused some titters. Harris took hold of Kaden’s upper arm and squeezed so hard, Kaden almost yelped.
“Have you seen all you need to?” Harris’ smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“Not yet.”
“You can have another hour.” Harris let him go and it was all Kaden could do not to rub his arm.
He walked away and thought about what Harris had said and about what he had in his pocket. That showed Harris didn’t know everything. Except if Kaden said anything, they’d take the blob off him and… Isn’t that what I want?
He explored the building from top to bottom all over again.
He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, somewhere to leave the blob?
Or cupboards full of food for animals he’d not spotted?
There weren’t many rooms he couldn’t access.
He even went down to the basement and found himself in the engine room of the building.
There was an incinerator. Oh. Could I?
When Kaden put his hand in his pocket, the blob came out and stayed still on his palm. Then one tendril came out and stroked his finger. Kaden looked at the incinerator, then at the blob.
“I can’t do it. Guess I’m taking you with me. You need to hide under my shirt, higher up my arm.”
The blob slithered under his cuff, rippled up and wrapped around his arm above his elbow. Kaden went back to Harris’ office and knocked on the door.
“Come in.” Harris frowned when he saw him.
Now what had he done?
“Shut the door.”
Kaden closed it. “I’ve finished, thank you.”
Harris pushed to his feet and came round his desk. “You asked ridiculous questions.”
“I didn’t. They weren’t.”
“You made me look a fool.”
“A fool to be going out with me?” The words slipped out before he could stop them.
“I wonder why I do.”
Say it. “Then don’t.” Kaden stared straight at him.
He wanted to keep talking, to tell him they were over, but he was suddenly scared. He felt the blob squeezing his arm. If I’m brave enough to take the blob out of here, I’m brave enough to tell Harris I’ve had enough.
“We need to talk,” Kaden said. “I don’t—”
“Not now. Get an Uber back. I’ll see you later.”
There was a knock on the door and Alysha came in. “Oh sorry.”
“It’s okay. Kaden’s just leaving.”
He exchanged his lab coat for his jacket and left the room, his heart pounding.
He dropped off his pass and even when he was out in the car park, he kept expecting to feel a hand grab his shoulder, or hear a call for him to stop.
But nothing happened. Kaden booked an Uber and the blob curled tighter around his arm.
It was hard now to remember why he’d gone out with Harris in the first place.
But he’d been fun, once upon a time, or maybe pretending to be fun.
Kaden wasn’t sure. Maybe it had to do with work because Harris was definitely more stressed.
And the more successful Kaden had become, the worse Harris behaved.
Kaden shouldn’t have put up with it all.
He’d spent too long giving Harris the benefit of the doubt.
They were done. They really were.
The blob squeezed his arm. Agreeing with me. Kaden smiled. Just wishful thinking. The blob wasn’t reading his mind.
There were a lot of reasons why he shouldn’t be doing this, but he had to admit, it was the most exciting thing to happen to him in a long time.
~~~
294 couldn’t believe it. The human had saved him.
Not just from the container, but from this place, this…
laboratory. Once he’d dropped him into his pocket, there had been hope in 294’s heart that maybe, just maybe, he could survive.
More than survive. Live on this planet. Though he wasn’t yet sure how.
He could feel the fury of the others as he’d been taken away.
Lanu in particular. 294 hoped his other died slowly and painfully.
I have a chance to live!
Not only had the human rescued him, but he’d fed him too.
Not that tasteless substance in the container where he and the rest had stupidly taken shelter, Gash’s idiotic idea, but food that was beyond his dreams. 294’s grasp of the language was still inadequate but he’d understood when he’d been asked questions and been able to make a response.
Enough of a response that he was now being taken to the human’s home.
294 was desperate to experience life on this planet. He wanted to walk under the blue sky, dive into the water, feel the ground beneath his feet…
This was the most exciting thing to happen to him—ever.