Read Socket 1-3 - The Socket Greeny Saga for Free Online

S C O V E R Y
     
Faceless
     
    His egg-shaped head was featureless. No eyes
or nose, mouth, ears or chin. Just a smooth, egghead with an
eyelight pointed at me.
    “Welcome to the Garrison, Master Socket.” He
waved a silver hand. “Do you need help exiting the vehicle?”
    If I didn’t see the colors move on his face,
I would’ve sworn a real person said it. He looked like he was from
a movie, standing six feet tall on two legs: A humanoid mech. The
arms and legs were sinewy like an Olympian. And to top things off,
he wore a loose plum-colored overcoat, sleeveless, cinched at the
waist. But sure, why not. This was already shaping up like a dream,
why not send in the flying dragons.
    Mom was out of the car, explaining something
to him. The servys repositioned themselves around her. One went to
the back of the car, returned with her briefcase firmly gripped by
an arm that had grown from its spherical body. The robe-wearing
silver mech pointed at me. I was still grabbing the door. So far
I’d looked at everything through the safety of a window. Getting
out was another level. I reluctantly opened the door.
    I’ve been here before.
    It was the smell. Pleasantly musty and wet.
Ancient. I was here long, long ago. Maybe it was
take-your-kid-to-work day. I always thought it was a dream. Same
cave, same smell.
    “Socket,” Mom said. “This is Spindle.” The
silver mech placed his hand on his belly and gestured with a small
bow. “He’s my assistant. He’ll be your guide for the day.”
    “You’re leaving?”
    “I have to attend an urgent meeting.” She
touched my arm, like an apology. “Afterward, we’ll meet in my
office.”
    “Are you kidding me? You’re just going to
leave me here with… with…” Spindle’s eyelight stared at me. “You
can’t do this to me, Mom. This isn’t right. I’ve got crazy things
in my head and you’re flying a car and then there’s the wormhole.”
I paced around, thought about taking a hit from her moody. “This is
bullshit.”
    “Don’t curse.” Her left eye ticked. “We’ll
discuss it later. In the meantime, Spindle will escort you to
security assignment. You’re going to like him. You’ll be safe.”
    Oh, great. Telling me I’ll be safe meant I
was in danger, like when someone says they ain’t scared means
they’re really scared shitless. But Mom wasn’t prone to signs of
affection. It didn’t happen often, so I was caught by surprise when
she gently placed her hand on my cheek. “I’ll see you in a couple
hours.”
    [It’ll be all right.]
    That’s what she was thinking. Instead of
telling me where I was and why, she just wanted me to know it was
all going to be all right. The last time she said that, she took me
to the doctor for shots. While I waited, the nurse told me we were
waiting on a little stick, then rammed a needle in my ass. I
would’ve preferred a better explanation, then and now, but her
touch and smile seemed to be enough for the moment. What else was I
going to do? I didn’t know how to fly that car and even if I did,
where the hell was I going?
    Mom was off to the only door in the cavern.
The door slid open and closed behind her, leaving me with the
muscular android.
    “Do you have any questions?” Spindle
asked.
    His posture was friendly, his face bubbly
yellow and orange. He was completely unaware I had just been
squeezed through time and space for the first time like a birthing
canal. But he waited patiently, the eyelight glowing, like a video
game character waiting for my response.
    “Okay. Ummm… where I am?”
    “You are in the Garrison. It is one of many
global training grounds of the Paladin Nation.”
    “Right. The Paladin Nation.” I glanced
around the cave. “Why haven’t I heard about this place until about
three minutes ago?”
    “There are many things you have not heard
of.” He gestured to the servys still bobbing around us.
“Nano-plastine technology, for instance. These servys are composed
of cellular-sized