Pearl's Number: The Number Series

by Bethany Atazadeh

  “Ahh,” Vector said sympathatically, turning to Olive too, who composed her face into a sad, sickly frown. “Jet lag. I see it all the time.”

  Olive nodded agreement, rubbing her stomach and making a retching sound. Bile rose in Evalene’s own throat at the noise.

  “So sorry Vector,” Jeremiah said, playing along. At his nod, Sol stepped out of the office into the hall, and the girls followed. When Evalene spied the printer up ahead, she whispered to Olive, “Keep him in his office for a minute?”

  Olive wiggled her brows in response, “You got it.” She whirled around and began coughing and retching in earnest. Back inside the office, she was begging Vector for a trashcan in an urgent tone, but Evalene ignored her, moving to snatch the newly printed map from the printer. Sol stepped up behind to block her from view as she folded it quickly and shoved it into her pocket.

  At her signal, Sol stepped back to the door of the office, taking Olive gently by the arm, “Let’s get you back to the room so you can lay down.” She played along, leaning into him and moaning.

  “Ah, sure, sure… no problem at all,” Vector said, taken aback. His baffled expression swung to Jeremiah. “I’ll make sure to do some digging for when you come back.”

  “Thank you,” Jeremiah said, shaking Vector’s hand as they filed back out into the waiting area.

  Vector trailed after them, “Are you sure there isn’t anything else you need?” he asked.

  “Just our rooms,” Jeremiah said with a smile to take the edge off his words.

  “Of course, of course. I’ll get you set up right now, just two seconds.” Vector smiled, back to his front desk persona. “Just look right here at the machine…” He held up a scanner and it flashed in Evalene’s eyes. “Perfect. Next?”

  He flashed Olive, Sol, and Jeremiah’s eyes in just a few seconds. Touching a button on the scanner made the printer release four papers. Vector handed one to each of them. “You’re all set! These are your room numbers. You simply touch the door handle and let it scan your eyes to enter. Top safety feature in Overnights. You’re welcome!” His salesy grin turned to the next person in line, who’d stepped up behind them as they were being scanned in, and they were dismissed just like that.

  13

  Jeremiah

  “NICE TEAMWORK,” JEREMIAH laughed, once they’d entered the elevator. He felt oddly proud of the group’s quick thinking, smiling as Evie pulled out the map and dangled it for everyone to see.

  They cheered as Olive pushed the button and the elevator flew them up to the 109th floor at a speed that made everyone grab the railing to hold on. Evie looked a little green.

  Through the glass walls of the elevator, the view from this vantage point was incredible. Jeremiah peered down at the ground while the others leaned on the far wall against the elevator buttons. The moment the doors opened, they piled out into the bright, red-carpeted hallway.

  The walls were filled with cheap gold accents and red-flowered wallpaper, imitating a rich décor, but mostly just overpowering the senses. They found their rooms and sure enough, when Olive touched the door handle it led to the same flash across her eyes as the scanner downstairs, before the door clicked open.

  Evie and Olive grinned in excitement as they disappeared inside, and Jeremiah and Sol followed them in.

  Two little beds just large enough for one person each took up the majority of the room. A small television nestled inside the wall. But Jeremiah’s eyes caught on the floor to ceiling window across the room. Just like the elevator, the view was stunningly beautiful. He dropped his bag by the door, crossing the room in a few steps to stare down at the city stretching out far below in all directions as the sun set.

  Sol didn’t look nearly as excited about the vertigo-inducing view, choosing to stand near the door and avoid the heights, while Jeremiah leaned right up against the window, admiring the swirls etched in the city’s glass ceiling from the other side.

  Jeremiah hadn’t stayed in Vector’s newest hotel before, but he wasn’t surprised to find the room was tiny. The man used every inch of space.

  Olive grinned, coming to stand next to him. “Isn’t this amazing?” Jeremiah couldn’t help but nod. From this height, the domes stretched out endlessly in all directions, bright colored homes showing through beneath, and sunlight sparkling and dancing along the city’s glass roof.

  Evie lounged on the bed by the door, and Olive plopped down next to her, leaning against the headboard.

  Jeremiah moved to sit on the opposite bed, “Do you still have the map?”

  Evie pulled it out and handed it to him, “Right here, thanks to Olive.” They smiled at first, then Jeremiah narrowed his gaze at Olive. “Speaking of, how exactly did you learn to do that? Farm tech isn’t advanced enough for you to know how to hack such sophisticated software.”

  Olive blushed beet red, picking up a pillow and hugging it to herself like a shield. “Okay, alright… maybe I exaggerated a little.”

  Even Sol snorted from where he still stood by the door and shot Olive a skeptical look. “A little?”

  Evie said, “Olive, I saw your farm. The tech is fancy, but besides programming it to water and sun the plants, how much else does it really do?”

  “Well,” Olive blustered, “I mean, I did technically learn the basics from the tech there first. But, you’re right. I mostly taught myself hacking on appointment days.” She shrugged as if it was only a slight difference. “I just got so bored,” she whined. “They would leave me alone for hours. All those tests—waiting, and more waiting. I just wanted something to do!”

  Sol was easing his way into the room slowly, far enough inside now to lean against the tiny desk by the wall. “Appointment days?” he asked.

  Olive bit her lip, and Jeremiah got the sense that she hadn’t told him this before. “I used to have three to four doctor’s appointments a week because… I’m kind of unique on Hofyn,” she said slowly. “I’m one of the ‘babies after the bombings,’ you know?”

  Sol shook his head, looking to Jeremiah and Evie for a better explanation.

  “Ever since the third world war, Hofyn has struggled with infertility,” Jeremiah filled him in. “That’s one of the main reasons they’re so dedicated to BioGrading. If not for the biological upgrades, the population would’ve dropped drastically. Olive is one of—how many is it now?” he turned to her.

  “I haven’t been home in a while,” Olive said, “but last time I hacked the database, there were nearly 300 babies born this past year, and every year it’s getting better. I think they’re finally making progress.”

  “You’re telling me you could hack a government database?” Jeremiah asked her, scowling. “What else did you hack? And why didn’t you tell me sooner? I could’ve used your skills in the revolution.”

  She blushed again. “I was kind of in trouble,” she whispered. “I was looking at sensitive information, I guess…” She shivered a little, lost in thought. “They upgraded their security within an hour of my appointment because they thought they had a spy. They seemed really angry and I got scared…” She shook her head at the idea, splaying her fingers over her heart in innocence and throwing her other hand in the air at the ridiculousness of the idea. “I’m not a spy!”

  Even Sol cracked a grin, impressed.

  “They never suspected me–” Olive chuckled wickedly. “It’s not my fault everybody assumes a girl can’t work a computer.”

  Jeremiah shook his head, but he couldn’t hold back a smile. “You’re lucky the revolution was successful,” he told her, “or I’d hold you accountable.”

  “Sorry.” Olive hugged her pillow tighter, ducking her head. “I didn’t want to go to jail… Please don’t tell my parents or Grandma Mae?”

  Jeremiah shook his head, turning back to the map. “No promises,” he teased her. Using the little table between the beds to smooth the creases out of the map, he changed the subject. “Let’s focus on making a plan.”

  Sol finally moved in
to the room far enough to perch on the foot of the bed next to Evie and Olive. Jeremiah held the map in front of them. “I can’t tell from looking at it how far that is,” he said after a moment of silence. The others looked up, equally uncertain. “Why don’t you all stay here and rest, while I go out and gather more intel and supplies?”

  “Do we still have enough money?” Evalene asked. “I was hoping to take the fastest route to this ‘Seguro Falls’ place…”

  “We should be all right,” Jeremiah reassured her with a nod. With only a foot of space between the beds, she was sitting directly across from him, so close he almost reached out to squeeze her hand in comfort without thinking. He stood instead. “There’s a gate in the wall fairly close to us. I’ll see what I can find out.”

  “Faster would be better,” Olive agreed, “I promised Grandma Mae and my parents I’d be home by Christmas.” She smiled cheekily, “I didn’t exactly tell them about this trip. Didn’t want to worry them.”

  Frowning, Jeremiah sat back down. “You need to reach out to them immediately. Before we go any further.”

  Olive rolled her eyes. “C’mon, you know they’ll just get upset. Why can’t I tell them afterward, when it’s over?”

  Jeremiah crossed his arms. “Olive, if anything happens to you, God forbid…” The responsibility weighed heavily on him at the thought of having to tell Mae something had happened to her only granddaughter. Had he really done the right thing by agreeing to help?

  “Nothing will happen.” Olive waved away his concerns.

  But Jeremiah stood once more, pointing a finger at her as he moved to the door. “Call your family before you leave this room.”

  “There’s an eight-hour time difference,” Olive argued, rolling her eyes. “They’re probably sleeping.”

  “Well then.” Jeremiah shrugged from the entry. “Guess you’re staying here until you call her.” When Olive opened her mouth to argue, Jeremiah cut her off. “Evie hired me to be your guide on this trip, and a big part of that means keeping you safe. If I feel like you’re not letting me do my job, I won’t take any of you any further. You understand?”

  Evie’s head whipped around to face Olive. Jeremiah couldn’t see her face, but she must’ve been silently pleading, because Olive sighed. “Yes, I understand. Geez. You’re all worrying too much.”

  “I’m not,” Jeremiah said simply. “Call in two hours. Mae gets up at dawn; she’ll be awake. I should be back shortly after. If all goes well, we could leave by noon tomorrow, maybe sooner.”

  Evie lit up at the idea. “I’ll make sure she calls home, I promise.”

  Sol stood. “I’ll go with you and help.”

  “Sol gets to go, and I don’t even get to explore?” Olive pouted a little from her side of the room.

  Jeremiah just shook his head at her. “Stop trying to get out of that phone call.” He laughed at her expression as he and Sol left, letting the door close softly behind them.

  He and Sol rode the elevator to the ground floor. “Let’s start with the Art Section,” he told the quiet man as they entered the glass ceilinged halls once more, this time with the night sky overhead and stars winking down at them. He hadn’t had a chance to get to know Sol hardly at all; maybe this little expedition was a good time to change that. “I have a trade contact there who won’t be as difficult as Vector.”

  Sol tilted his head quizzically at the mention of art. “What exactly did you trade?” he asked, watching the passersby around them, not missing a single detail. It was a fair question. As they walked through the different sections, all brightly lit with neon signs, guiding, advertising, demanding, pushing their products on passersby—they didn’t seem to lack anything here.

  But Jeremiah grinned. “I know, Eden doesn’t have much to offer right now, but we have talented artists. My last few trips I’ve been selling artwork done by former low Numbers. There’s a pretty high profit, actually. You’d be surprised. Just one painting or design sold usually helps a whole family move out of their former households and begin lives of their own.”

  Sol’s raised brows showed he was impressed. “Did you bring something to trade this trip?” he asked, waving back in the direction of their overnight and their baggage.

  “Not this time.” Jeremiah shook his head. “But we won’t tell him that right away,” he added, grinning at Sol as they reached the Art section. “We just need some info and then we’ll go get supplies.”

  Stepping into the brightly lit art store, the atmosphere immediately changed. A soothing melody played overhead, taking over as they moved into the store and away from the blaring music and chatter of the halls.

  Barely a dozen steps into the large store, a tall, thin man with glasses approached them from the side, hands clasped, “Hello there, welcome. Anything you’re looking for in particular today? Oh, Mr. Bloom!” His hands briefly twirled in excitement before clasping again in front of him. “What a pleasure it is to see you again.”

  “Hey Theo,” Jeremiah nodded, smiling at the man. “Good to see you too. This is my friend, Sol.”

  The art store owner, ever the professional, extended a long, bony arm to shake Sol’s hand, introducing himself when it became clear Jeremiah was skipping the formalities. “Theorum Reck the Second, at your service.” Sol shook his hand, his muscled arms standing out in contrast to Theo’s thin, bony ones, as he nodded in return. “How can I help you two fine gentlemen today?” Theo asked, once again clasping his hands together in front of him.

  Jeremiah reached into his back pocket, pulling out the folded piece of paper serving as their map. “We’re going to do some exploring outside of Old York, and we’re hoping you might be able to give us a few pointers,” he said, unfolding the map quickly and continuing before Theo could politely bow out. “Have you heard much about this territory over here—” Jeremiah pointed at Seguro Falls “– and any chance you know how far it is? We’re looking for the fastest route.”

  “Ah… hmmm…” Theo accepted the small map, holding it up closer and lowering his glasses to the tip of his nose. “Seguro Falls. Yes… It depends on if you leave from the north gate or the south gate, really,” he said, turning the map to show Jeremiah and Sol as he pointed with one bony finger. “We’re right next to the south gate here. That would make the trip about three days driving, versus six or seven days from the north gate, depending on the weather.”

  “The weather?” Sol was quick to ask.

  “Mmhmm,” Theo shifted his glasses a centimeter higher on his nose. He jabbed a finger at one of upper section of the map, “These two territories never fully resurfaced after the bombing. With so much underwater, you’ll be forced to take the long way around or take a boat. And that’s where the weather comes in.”

  “Perfect,” Jeremiah thanked him. “That makes our decision easy.” He glanced at Sol, who nodded. “South gate it is.”

  “Oh my. Well. I’m sure you’ve already been told, but you simply cannot take the south gate,” Theo said, shaking his head at the idea, hands fluttering anxiously, he pressed them both to his chest.

  “Why not?” Jeremiah asked. “Is it closed?”

  “No, no. Not closed,” Theo said, still shaking his head. “Just risky.” He tsked, distressed at being forced to discuss it. “The people in Rider territory are complete savages. Not that the Lakelands or Dakotas or any of the northern territories are much better,” he said half to himself. “They’re all heathens, the lot of them. I’ve never left Old York myself.” He brushed some invisible lint off his jacket shoulder. “I really wouldn’t advise going on this trip. Just my personal position. I hope you don’t mind my saying.”

  Jeremiah frowned. Theo’s constant theatrics made it so difficult to know when his warnings were legitimate. “Are you saying that the south gate is dangerous?” he pressed. “More so than the north gate?”

  Theo huffed, turning to straighten one of his paintings along the wall as if he didn’t even want to think about it. “In my humble opinion,
it’s foolish to leave the city at all. The other territories are all so barbaric in comparison, it’s just not worth the risk.” He tsked to himself, dusting off a speck of nothing.

  Jeremiah rolled his eyes at Sol behind Theo’s back. That answered that question.

  Theo turned back to face them, hands clasped eagerly. “Will you be bringing a new delivery while you’re here?” He tilted his head toward Sol, leaning in as if sharing a secret. “Mr. Bloom brings me the most wonderful artists. So unique. So much emotion in them.”

  Jeremiah shrugged. “The artists have been through a lot.” That was an understatement. “Unfortunately, I didn’t bring any with me this trip.”

  “You mean to say you didn’t bring me any new products?” Theo was aghast, hands flailing. “But I sold everything you brought me last time within a week!”

  “I’m sorry,” Jeremiah said, trying to look it. “Next time, I promise.” They thanked him again and turned to leave.

  Theo’s grumbling followed them out, until Sol and Jeremiah left the peaceful store and re-entered the hubbub of the hallways.

  “Anything to worry about?” Sol spoke up after they’d gone past a few more stores.

  “I don’t think so,” Jeremiah chuckled. “Theo’s used to comfort and routine. I think he’d tell us going back to our own overnight was risky.”

  Sol laughed at that. Jeremiah found himself liking the man. “How did you meet Evie and Olive, anyway?” he asked as they walked.

  When Sol grew unreadable at the question, Jeremiah frowned. “I’m sure you know I used to be a Regulator,” Sol began after a long pause. Jeremiah simply nodded. He’d seen the tattoo the day they’d met.

  Sol sighed, staring with a clenched jaw at a distant spot ahead of them. “I was actually part of the unit that arrested the girls upon their arrival in Eden.” He stopped in the middle of the walkway, forcing Jeremiah to stop and face him, while strangers flowed around them. “I never wanted to hurt them, I swear. I was doing my job. There was no other option.”