Allies: An Insignia Novella by S. J. Kincaid

Author:S. J. Kincaid
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, School & Education, Science & Technology
ISBN: 9780062285096
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2013-05-07T00:00:00+00:00

HER CHANCE CAME sooner than she expected.

Tom had somehow managed to make another enemy in Karl Marsters, a large Combatant who frightened most people with common sense into staying clear of him. As soon as Wyatt emerged from the elevator that Sunday, she found Tom in Karl’s death grip in the middle of the plebe common room, Karl’s friends encircling them. She felt a ripple of sheer happiness, because this was her chance, finally! This was her opportunity to pay him back for covering for her—and accomplish with a program what her attempts at saying thanks never could.

When her computer virus hit Karl and his friends, Tom jerked to his feet. She realized with some surprise that he was as tall as her now. He threw a frantic look around, obviously trying to put the pieces together about where his attackers had gone.

Then he saw Karl and his friends on the ground, and Wyatt explained, “They’re chickens.” She’d tried to mimic the computer virus Blackburn had used on Tom a few days earlier, the one that convinced the victim they were a dog. She’d modified it a bit, and just for fun, changed it to a chicken, but she hadn’t had the chance to test it out on anyone yet.

Tom looked at her with an amazed smile, like she’d just offered some present he’d always wanted but never expected to obtain.

“Wyatt, you seriously helped me out there. Thanks, I owe you big-time.”

She squirmed inwardly, uncertain how to handle genuine gratitude. Some part of her was soaring; another part of her knew she’d say the wrong thing from here and just wanted to flee. She settled with, “I just wanted to try the program. It’s not like I went out of my way to save you.”

But when she raised her eyes, expecting Tom to have cooled, she found him laughing, still gazing at her like she was something incredible. “This is where you say, ‘You’re welcome.’ It’s okay to take credit.”

The situation grew better when Heather Akron strolled out and tried to play innocent, even though she’d apparently handed Tom over to get beaten up by Karl. Wyatt stared on, amazed, as Heather spun the situation, claiming she’d actually tricked Karl by agreeing to help him grab Tom for beating-up purposes, but planning all along to call some of Tom’s friends to come help him.

She even had an excuse for not letting Tom in on her grand scheme beforehand. “You had to look all hurt and betrayed for Karl to trust me,” Heather simpered, gazing at Tom from under her lashes. “I didn’t know how good of an actor you were.”

Wyatt couldn’t stand to listen to another word; she couldn’t stand here and just watch someone get suckered by Heather the way she had once.

“That’s so easy for you to say now that it’s all over,” Wyatt cut in, “but if you were going to call one of Tom’s friends to tell them he needed help, why didn’t you do it

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