The Arrival Read Online Free PDF Page A

glare.
    “Sorry, Miranda. May I open the panels
for you?”
    “Sure, at fifty percent, please.”
Slowly, the dark panels covering the wall of plate glass lightened, and the
morning sun filtered through. I walked to the bathroom, washed my face, and
brushed my teeth. I took a few minutes to run a brush through my hair before
deciding to pull it into a pony tail. Pressing my ear against the door in the
bathroom that led to Kate’s room, I listened. Silence filled the air. I lifted
my hand, about to knock, when I decided not to wake her.  Even though I really
needed to talk to her before I saw Dimas.
    The pounding of my heart, along with thoughts
swirling in my head, made me dizzy. Why did Dimas want to see me? I had met
with him before in his office, and it made me delirious with nervousness. Maybe
because I feared the worst. After the last round of dead fetuses, he told me
that we would create a baby together, even if it meant we had to copulate. I
knew what that meant. Ughhhh. My stomach balled into a knot, and I
wanted to puke. I swore to myself that I would never have sex with him. Ever.
    I fumbled through my wardrobe, trying to
remember what outfit he required, when Shiloh spoke again.
    “Dimas has ordered you to wear something
else to the meeting.”
    “Okay, what?” Before Shiloh responded, a
buzz sounded. I walked to the door and pushed the answer button on the digital
pad fixed to the wall. The door turned an opaque color and then clear,
affording a view of the opposite side. Thanks to the nifty setting that I
learned to override, all they could see of me was my face.
    “A package has arrived for you.” A
silver robot, which resembled a leopard, waited outside, with a black box in
its hands. Oddly, the machine stood upright and had to be at least six feet
tall. Ebony splotches of fur covered the shiny armor and its huge, bear-like
feet.
     “Okay,” I said before hitting the
button that slid the door open. The Leopard Bot lowered its head, and its neon
blue eyes brightened and then lightened, as a pupil adjusting to a glare. Even
after nine months at Nidus, I still found it hard to get used to the creepy and
somewhat annoying robotic animals.
    “Miranda Mays, a package for you.” Its
short arms lifted to hand me the box.
    “Thanks.” I retrieved the mystery item.
The Eslites favored reusable containers for multiple things. They took
recycling seriously and claimed they did everything to help save our planet.
However, I think they were more concerned with saving their planet, Ephesus,
and not Earth.
    The tailless bot trailed off, and I
closed the door. I walked to the built-in dresser along the wall and placed the
box on the countertop. Grasping the edge of the lid, I hesitated to open it. I
hoped he didn’t send something freaky like lingerie. I’d die if he had. As I
removed the lid I found a sheer black shirt, with a black tank underneath,
paired with black skinny jeans. Whew. Thank, God. At the bottom was a
pair of black, patent ballerina slippers.
    I couldn’t hold back my excitement over
my new clothes. As part of the requirements, I had been confined to the scrub
uniforms every day for the past nine months. I needed something different, even
if the clothes were black.
    “Miranda,” a sleepy voice called out.
    I turned as Kate, still wearing her
black nightshirt and boxer shorts, shuffled into the room. “Hey, Kate, glad
you’re awake.”
    “I heard you in the bathroom. Do you
have to go to work?”
    “No, I, um, have an appointment.”
    She rubbed her arms and said, “It’s
freezing in here,” before crawling into my bed and pulling the covers over her.
    “Should I adjust the temperature?”
Shiloh asked.
    “Sure, bring it up two degrees,” I
instructed and then said, “Oh, and Shiloh, please go into rest mode.”
    “Yes, of course,” the digital assistant
replied, following my orders. Although it was nice to have a personal
assistant, I didn’t trust her. I feared she would