Interlude- Brandon Read Online Free PDF Page A

have to pass on this partnership.”
    The General said nothing as Thorn left the room. After a few moments he reached for the phone and dialed a number. “Thorn just left. It seems that he’s willing to walk away rather than concede control to us.”
    “Is there no one else with this type of technology?” asked a woman’s voice.
    “No,” the General said.
    “Do we need Thorn alive, Donovan?” she asked.
    “It appears that the answer to that question is yes, at least for now.”
    “Okay, then. Get him back on board,” she said.
    “He has other offers on the table,” the General said. “I think after what just happened he’ll decide to explore them first.”
    “We can at least eliminate the others who are making offers, right? Don’t tell me we can’t kill anyone right now; I don’t need to hear that kind of negative talk from you.”
    The General smiled. “Yes, we can do that.”
    “Excellent.” The General could hear the pleasure in her voice. “Then get to work, Donovan, and let me know when he’s back in line. I’d like to see things moving forward in less than a month.”
    “Yes, Madame President,” the General said, and hung up the phone.

 
    Chapter 8
     
    Brandon’s first day in the Games Facility was not what he had hoped for.
    There were no games to be played; instead the children spent both the morning and afternoon touring the facility and listening to their guides. The wealth of information on the details of the Facility and its procedures were a bit overwhelming; Brandon was positive that he would forget most of it, and from the looks on the other kid’s faces, he guessed he wouldn’t be the only one. By day’s end they had learned everything they would need to live in the Game Facility. Brandon knew where he would sleep, eat, learn, play, and compete. Their guides were very thorough in their orientation.
    Cadet Walsch and the other senior gamers from the train were their tour guides for the day. The recruits learned that there would be minimal adult involvement during a normal day in the facility. Adults acted primarily as instructors and referees for the older gamers. The new kids, or Baggers as they were called, were to be kept together. Baggers were expected to learn from the older and more experienced Gamers about the basics. They could expect help getting started in the simple, entry level games.
    After dinner they were shown to their barracks where each kid selected a bunk that would be theirs until they moved up in rank. There were a dozen newcomers in Brandon’s group, eight boys and four girls. The beds were standard, military issue bunks with thin mattresses and rough woolen blankets. At the foot of each bed was a small locker. Brandon opened his  and found a bar of soap, two towels, underwear, socks, and some plain pants and shirts. 
    Lights out occurred not long after that. Brandon lie down on his bunk, closed his eyes, and promptly went to sleep.
     
    ===
     
    A strange sound caused him to open his eyes. Brandon sat up in his cot and looked around the room. It was dark; everyone else was asleep. A faint light shone from the bathrooms at the far end of the barracks where the sounds seemed to be coming from. Brandon stood up and walked carefully toward the source of the noise.
    He walked through the doorway and stood in the center of the room. Suddenly, the doorway behind him became a solid wall, and the lights dimmed. The floor began to shimmer, taking on a dark silvery colour, like black sand on a beach. Brandon heard a skittering sound, and three small whirling patterns formed on the floor in front of him. They darkened in colour as they spun and began to emit a high pitched whine. The whining stopped abruptly, followed by a distinct popping sound as the circles on the floor exploded upwards. A black rat emerged from each hole. They looked uglier than normal vermin, with ragged, oily fur, long claws, and yellowed teeth. Brandon noticed that their eye sockets were