Out of the Seam by C. P. James

Author:C. P. James [James, C. P.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B08KPGWGWF
Goodreads: 56340844
Published: 2020-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

27

Defying Guthrie in a live broadcast to the whole Dome was empowering. Thrilling, even. Even staring out from her plastic holding cell in silence, Maggie had never felt so alive. But she’d also had plenty of time to think, and in this case, that wasn’t good.

For starters, her parents would be frantically trying to reach her. Yes, she was on her own, but Guthrie couldn’t keep her family from seeing her, could he? How would they reconcile all this?

And as for Guthrie, whether he was serious about skipping due process and putting her straight into the Box, she couldn’t yet know. Ingliss was leaning her way, but the way Guthrie cowed him didn’t inspire confidence. Surely the Council wouldn’t let him go rogue for long.

At least they gave her a blanket and pillow along with a bowl of multimeal she didn’t touch, but sleep was impossible. What if Guthrie dragged her into the Box in the middle of the night?

No, he just wanted to scare her. No point getting worked up about it.

Maggie dozed restlessly in the corner of her cell and facing the narrow window along the ceiling on the opposite wall. Simulated moonlight from the roof projected a faint bluish rectangle on the concrete floor.

Just as she nodded off, the room’s IDA display flicked on, bathing the holding room in the cold light of the screen. The booming echo of Guthrie’s voice poured in from both it and the loudspeakers in the Agora.

Maggie jolted upright, startled and confused.

“Attention, citizens.” His voice carried its usual gravitas, yet the inflections weren’t quite right. His had more of an edge to it. “Yesterday morning, you saw a video of a woman claiming to be from outside. The Authority has confirmed the video is authentic, and that its description of the environment, as near as we can tell, is accurate.” He smiled, a shit-eating, toothy smile that radiated insincerity. “We’ve also confirmed that the other Domes are alive and well.”

What the hell? Maggie got up off the floor and pressed her nose to the thick plastic wall of the cell, her eyes peering through the air holes, wide as saucers. She’d just seen Guthrie hours earlier, but his hair was different.

“On one hand, this is extraordinary news. It means the world outside is survivable, and that finally, after a century, we can start planning for life after Dome Five. The implications are tremendous. However, if there are really people out there who want to help us, why haven’t they? What have they been waiting for?”

Maggie’s brow furrowed. She hadn’t asked herself these questions. But she trusted she’d someday know the answer.

“But back to the matter at hand. The question we should all be asking ourselves right now is, ‘How do we know the video is authentic?’ Well, I’ll tell you. Earlier today, we were contacted by Cytocorp leadership for the first time in eighty-seven years.”

Her jaw hit the floor. What was she watching? She could practically hear the gasps through the window.

“Here’s what we know.

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