Read The Burn for Free Online Page A

become.
    I clear my throat. “Um, Mr. Klein, I was wondering if
you could help me?”
    “Mmm,” is all he says as he puts a bookmark between
two pages, closes the book, and then glances up at me. He drops his
coffee, spilling it all over the tile.
    “Terra! What in the world?” He picks up his mug, then
grabs the napkins that are neatly stacked on the edge of his desk.
“Did you go out on the field without a suit?”
    I nod, and I’m not ashamed in front of him. I felt
mortified when faced by my dad, but I know Mr. Klein will
understand.
    He opens the small silver laundry chute and throws
the napkins in it. His stack of napkins will be refreshed by this
evening.
    “I would ask why, but I think I know.” He sits back
down. He glances at the watcher, reminding me not to say anything
out of turn. He clears his throat and laces his fingers together. I
remember our conversation a year and a half ago. Once again, he
will choose his words carefully.
    “Nothing too serious that the infirmary needs to take
a look at. I think that’s why your father didn’t send you there. I
have something that will help that burn feel better.” He stands up
and I start leaving the office.
    “No, no.” He ushers me back in and motions me into
his chair. He rolls it into position so I face his laptop and my
back conceals it from the watcher.
    “If you wanted to get started reading about what
we’re covering in class today, that would be great. I had it open
before you came in. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
    Then he walks out and carefully shuts the door behind
him. The lock slides automatically in place.
    I turn to the laptop. There’s something on here he
wants me to see, and I have a feeling it’s about escape. But as far
as I know, Mr. Klein has never left the colony, and he doesn’t seem
the type to actually do it in the future. So what will I find on
here? And then I realize I am here, where I wanted to be tonight,
doing exactly what I wanted to do, and Mr. Klein has set it up so
perfectly for me—he won’t get in trouble and neither will I. My
heart lurches.
    I open the laptop and the screen flickers on. First
glance: a messaging window and a list of past communications.
They’re all from someone named Gaea. The name sounds familiar. I’ve
heard it recently, but where? Then the computer blips at me. The
message window is still active. Mr. Klein was messaging with Gaea
when I interrupted.
    Rint. Are you still
there?
    My fingers hover over the keyboard, not sure what to
do. Should I respond? Maybe Gaea is who I needed to talk to all
along, and here is my chance. So why am I frozen in this position,
my fingers inches from writing a message to this person?
    If I do not hear from you in ten
seconds, I will terminate our connection.
    Ten seconds. Agony. My mind races, reaching
out. Gaea. Who could it be? Someone in the colony? Surely not.
Messaging connections are all routed through the watcher servers
where they can be documented forever.
    Nine . Who is Gaea? Think! No one has enough
control to terminate a connection themselves. This is an
independent connection. It has to be an outside source.
    Eight . The name Gaea is from Mr. Klein’s
class. Someone ancient. Before modern Burn History.
    Seven . A suspicious thought flutters into my
head before I can even stop it. Would Mr. Klein set me up? And why
would I even think such a dumb thing? So what do I type?
    Six . Don’t I want to escape this insane
asylum? All these people whose lives are scheduled, meals are
prescribed, recreation, exercise,…
    Five …vocations all assigned to them. The
field, the stupid corn field that is hell for me when it’s my job,
but a mystical, magical place when I’m not working and is burning
my skin from my bones. The smell of the corn, the smell of the
soil. Dirt. Earth. Gaea. Greek mythology. The earth goddess. Which, for Mr. Klein, translates into the Burn goddess.
    Four . My fingers start typing before I even
realize it.
    Three .
    Two