Kaarina thinks of the stack of papers next to her AR-glasses on the table in her room. Nurse Saarinen did give them to her: she had placed them on the tray in a plastic folder, tucked under the dinner plate and a mountain of pills. She had finished her meal but flushed the pills down the toilet as soon as Nurse Saarinen had exited her room.
“I’m afraid I haven’t had a chance to look at the papers just yet.”
The doctor’s smile reaches her eyes. She places her hand on Kaarina’s shoulder, gives it a pleasant squeeze. “You take all the time you need, dear. The Unchipped are special, you are special. There’s no need for rushing. Eat, rest. Let the pills balance your mind and body. Enjoy the wellness channels. We’ve got all the time in the world.”
“But don’t I need to work? To earn my keep?”
Her laughter is soft, soothing. “Ah, what did I tell you? Honest, hardworking, and loyal. You truly are a model citizen of East-Land. Don’t rush, you have the rest of your life to pedal that bike. The only thing you need to do is check in at the lab. They’ll take a few quick tests, just the standard procedure so we can make sure the chipping left you in good health. The rest will come when the time is right.”
A muffled scream echoes from the direction of the Chip-Center. Nurse Saarinen starts, makes a short swipe at the air with one hand, and takes off her AR-glasses. Hurried and edgy, she taps the doctor on her shoulder. “Laura, I think it’s time to get back now.”
“Was that someone screaming?” Kaarina says, her eyes wide at the sudden sound.
Doctor Solomon’s eyes never leave Kaarina’s. It’s like she’s oblivious to their surroundings, one hundred percent focused on Kaarina and her well being. “A scream?” she chuckles a little. “I didn’t hear anything of the sort. Did you, Nurse Saarinen?”
The nurse forces a smile and shakes her head.
“The main fan on the Chip server has been making this high-pitched noise for the last two days.” One more squeeze of Kaarina’s shoulder sends a warm sensation through Kaarina’s body. She’s safe, she can feel it. So why can’t her gut get with the program?
“I must get back to the lab now. Make sure you stop by before dinner is served. I will be there and will personally take your blood sample. Because you are special, Kaarina, and I feel very connected to you. You’ll be such a great success here at the Chip-Center and later on in the city.”
Then she lets go of Kaarina’s shoulders, turns around, and follows Nurse Saarinen back into the building.
Kaarina kneels down to investigate the stone wall more closely. Her fingers find another carving, this one smaller than the first one. “Katso laatikon ulkopuolelle.”
“Does it say “Doctor Solomon can suck it?”
No, it does not.
“Then what does it say?”
Kaarina stands up and looks at the tree line rising across the field. A shadow moves in the woods, then disappears into the gloom before she can tell if it was a deer or a person or a hallucination. The blanket of clouds covers the sun. Arms wrapped around her Chip-Center jacket, she shivers and stares at the tree line longingly.
“Kay? What does the damn carving say?”
“It says to think outside the box.”
CHAPTER 4 — AMONG THE SHEEP
Kaarina walks into the remote part of the city, her socks damp but not soaked in her summer sandals. She hasn’t found her shoe, but would look again on her way back. She sits down on the frost-covered park bench, shifting restlessly from side to side.
The crooked pharmacy sign is unlit. No blue suits stroll down the blue tile road. The moon shines its weak yellow light through the wispy clouds. It’s too early to be here. She knew it would be, but she couldn’t stop herself from running through the woods and back into the city as quickly as she could.
Leaving Rocky alone at the barn made her chest hurt. If the Yeti and his black market crew were to come back, the gelding wouldn’t stand a chance. Yesterday, Rocky’s fight against the uninvited visitors had saved his life, but it had also sapped his energy and worsened his infection. It might be too late, even if Kaarina could somehow succeed in tracking down Markus and getting another batch of antibiotics. And food. Her stomach aches when she thinks of her nightly crisp bread.
But how is she to find Markus? Knocking on the Chipped’s doors would be the quickest way to get the attention of the guards. To get her on the troublemaker list.
Going into the pharmacy herself is not an option either. The building glows with blue light because it’s connected to the city’s CS. It would shock her until she passed out or even died. It’s hard to tell what the blue light would do to her in the long run; she’s never tried to find out.
She’s stuck on this park bench. Sitting in the dim blue light. Waiting.
She taps her foot on the concrete ground. When the wind picks up, she tightens her hoodie strings to protect her neck and forehead from the icy breeze. The humming of the tile road fills her ears. Both sandals now tap rapidly against the hard ground.
When the park lights flicker on, blue light mixing with yellow, Kaarina jumps up. It’s almost morning. She paces around the bench.
Markus lives here, in this part of the city, but there’s more than one road leading to the downtown area and the Server-Center where he works. She’ll need to catch him before he gets there. Just a quick pop into the pharmacy, maybe one or two vegan granola bars, that’s all she’ll ask. She’ll pay him later–next week, or even tomorrow. Hell, she’ll spend a day with him if that’s what it takes, but it has to be later. Do the Chipped get days off from work?
