Epiworld Read Online Free PDF

Ignoring the command to stay in line he marches towards me. ‘What’s that you’ve just put in your gob?’
    ‘Nothing. Sod off, Kappelhoff!’
    ‘Get back in line, Mr Kappelhoff,’ barks a nun.
    ‘He put something in his mouth, Sister!’
    ‘Listen to the guy, will you?’ snaps Hudson. ‘There’s nothing in his gob.’ He grabs his wrist tightly. ‘Get lost, creep! You’ve got nothing on him, so bugger off!’
    The nuns separate us, and we part, reeling from our shocks. I try to keep calm as a Sister inspects my mouth with the detector. At last she says, ‘Clear.’
    Sister Augusta frowns at Kappelhoff. ‘I will talk to you later, Mr Kappelhoff.’
    Kappelhoff watches us closely for a few days, but we give nothing away. We’re able to chat without being spied on. The only thing we have to do is make sure we don’t crap the pods down the bog!
    And I don’t fancy swallowing mine again after that!
    My screams make Chase angry.
    ‘Shut him up,’ he barks at Mother Superior. ‘Use more Valerian.’
    ‘It’s all right,’ says Dr Alexander. ‘I’ll do it.’
    He fills the syringe, and Chase and Mother Superior watch as he feeds the needle into my arm. I try to fight sleep long enough to tell Hudson about the surgery before the drug finally takes hold. His voice comes through faintly.
    ‘What’s going on?’ he asks. ‘How are you? I’ve just seen Alexander and Chase, but they won’t tell me anything. Hey, man, that seizure you had was something else!’
    ‘You could feel my seizure?’
    ‘Not only feel, but see. Your mind was empty, but at the same time it was like you were seeing people in your head, and talking to them, holding a conversation. It was fantastic!’
    ‘What was I saying?’
    ‘I couldn’t make sense of a lot of it, but I heard the words “two thousand and nine”. The pictures were a bit jumbled, but I think I saw the sea, and a beach.’
    Two thousand and nine is just a number; it means nothing to me. I lie back on the pillows, staring into space, feeling myself getting drowsier.
    ‘I’m OK; still weak, but better. They’ve sedated me, so I haven’t got long. Chase wants to operate on my brain. Epileptic surgery, it’s called. Alexander disagrees. He says it’s dangerous, because a lot of people died from surgery years ago. The doctor at the hospital said that, too. It’s outlawed, but Chase wants to do it, and soon, I think. I need...’ my eyes are closing, ‘...to get away...’
    ‘Travis! Travis!’ calls Hudson, but I’m drifting away.

3. Escape
    I open my eyes and see the droid nun, still sorting out the linen.  It seems like only a few minutes have passed since falling asleep, which makes me believe that the drug Alexander has given me is not strong enough to send me off completely. I’m surprised when he suddenly appears at the door.
    ‘Leave the linen, Sister Eugenie,’ he says to the droid. ‘Professor Chase wants to see you.’
    When I see the nun looking at me I close my eyes to make her think I’m fast asleep.
    ‘Don’t worry. I’ll stay with Travis. I need to do some tests on him, anyway.’
    I open an eye slightly, and watch her leave the ward. Alexander comes to my bed. I may not feel sleepy any more, but I’m still dazed. I sit up. ‘What’s...?’
    ‘Quiet,’ he mouths, placing his finger on my lips. He puts his mouth close to my ear, but he doesn’t speak. ‘Where is it?’ His thoughts penetrate my mind. ‘The pod, Travis; where’s the pod? I know you have one.’
    I hesitate. I don’t trust Alexander, but I don’t feel strong enough to lie to him, either.
    ‘Swallowed it. How did you know?’
    ‘One pod can track the thoughts transmitted by another if the signal is strong enough. Since they went missing I’ve been trying to track them. I’ve been able to pick up on bits of your conversations with Hudson. Oh, don’t worry,’ Alexander adds as I try to interrupt, ‘I’m not going to report you. The droids can only detect