Chapter 5 Communications Problem

  “Lee—” my little brother is yanking on my arm. Again. "—would you stop!” I yank my arm back forcefully, the sand on the shore sprays as my leg finds purchase. My shoulder is throbbing. My brother looks back at me blankly. Does not compute. Clearly the shiny seashell is more important than my arm.

  Sometimes I really want to clobber this kid.

  "Lee, remember we are on reporting duty. We need to set up the e-ink communications relay. Then we need to set up a campsite. Then we should cook dinner. Then, if we have time," I smack a fist on my palm to punctuate the point, "—we can go exploring."

  "But, Gēgē…” Lee tries to use his best puppy dog impression on me. He only ever tries this as a last resort to get his way. He can never get the lower lip right. It makes Mom laugh every time. I’m made of sterner stuff.

  “No buts!" I shout back, my own lips trembling a bit with restrained laughter.

  I stomp off, sand spraying with each angry step, to find a good location on the beach for the e-ink receiver. The little brat could follow me for once. After a few minutes I look back to see if Lee is following. He’s picking up shells several meters behind me, left in my wake. Well, it beats having to chase the kid down.

  It takes a few more minutes to find a good spot away from the shoreline. It looks like the remains of a bungalow periodically patched up by locals. We are near the remnants of an old hotel. We’re lucky there are still some structures stable enough to prevent any weather damage to the receiver. In fact, this might make a great place to camp. Something feels familiar about it.

  Was I here before? I’ve been to lots of beaches and coasts. I forgot to check the town’s name thanks to Mr. pain-in-the-butt.

  In the present, we’ll check if any humans are using the place. You never know if some random gang of teens is using a base out in the middle of nowhere. No adults able to rein them in creates some interesting situations.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  One time I found a bunch of kids playing with trading cards. They had found a hidden collection in a house and were making up rules. They seemed fine with me hanging out at first. The leader didn’t like me or was trying to pull a fast one though. She tried to pin me as a thief when I saw her palm a card. This didn’t go over well since the trading cards were used as currency with local adults. Especially the engineers.

  I got real world practice in parkour that day. I lead them all around the neighborhood before sneaking back in for their cards. If you’re going to be pinned for something you didn’t do, might as well make it true. I think Lee still has a pack in his desk. Fun times!

  Some colonies can provide for adults indoors. Holos avoid locations which stop sunlight since it prevents their batteries from recharging. Especially if there are no electronic signals for them to search for. They track electrical signals very well. Including hearts. The Triad thinks that’s how the hackers originally reprogrammed them to attack electronics. I still wonder why they don’t attack each other. They have their own tiny nuclear battery hovering within their solid light projections.

  Holos no longer have IDs to reference in their ancient database. A forty-year-old database means some humans skirt the age restriction. Facial hair went out of style quickly for anybody trying to move around outdoors. Some women try to get away with chest bindings. It’s still a gamble. Electronic signals are also a gamble. One time, Reggie was chased by a flock of Holo sparrows when he was checking if a walkie-talkie still worked. It did.

  That's one reason why our e-ink receiver is designed only to receive messages. Faster signals. Less chance of Holos or Malos going out of their way to track the brief electric charge.

  When the receiver collects the data, ink covers the surface. Then whoever mans the receiver presses the ink onto a page. A fax machine could work, but it requires a lot more preparation. Plus, faxes are noisy, inefficient and prone to breaking down. Holos aren’t the only problem outside Sojourn. Preventing any unnecessary noise is usually a good idea.

  As I pull out the receiver and start hiding it in the bungalow, I hear a crinkling noise under my foot. I pull the strange foil off my shoe. Bright text and a list of ingredients are written on the other side. I sniff it. Candy wrapper. Gum? Shouting with Oakley earlier may not have been a good idea. Hairs on my neck stand straight.

  "Lee," I finish storing the receiver in a somewhat intact cabinet, stand up slowly and quietly turn around, "we are not alone here."

  “That’s right, Ese.” I stare at a slick grin on a tanned face. Then I spot the stranger’s arm around Oakley’s shoulder. Several other teen boys are grouped around them.

  “Gēgē, I’ve made some new friends!”