The Wally Hole (IQ Testing Book 3)

by ipam

  I smile and nod. “I am your new master. Call me, master.” I giggle. “Me-chee, can you run?”

  The me-chee drones. “Yes, master! I can run in ten different pacing forms.”

  I nod and smile, viewing Jara. “Excellent! Jara, run and find along with the me-chee, the row of barns…”

  Jara frowns. “I wanna go inside Montag and shop…”

  I exhale, frowning with annoyance, staring at the me-chee. “Okay. Please, Jara, go and find the rows of barns, first. I wanna to go back into the bakery and invite Lamis to our party on Saturday. She was kind enough to provide both the cakes and dresses.”

  Jara frowns. “We purchased them with Buffo’s chips.”

  I frown with annoyance. “I know that, too. Please, Jara. Find the barns, first. I’m going to get some more cakes and desserts from the bakery and then return, here, inside Burrville. Then, I’ll take over your job function. You and Hatch can spend the rest of the night, picking out and decorate the soaring colorful sizzling star ships with real tails. Okay?” I giggle and nod.

  Jara frowns with annoyance then smiles. “Okay. But, hurry up? I don’t wanna be there all night, either.”

  I say in my natural soprano timber. “Me-chee, find the rows of barns, next to the river, which is next to the cow pastures. Then, locate the barn with the hay stacks. Then, remove the hay stacks into the barn with the tractor parts. Then, sweep and clean out the barn with the empty hay stacks and remove all spiders, spider webs, bird, bird nests, snakes, snake nests, rats, rat nests, roaches, bugs, and any other non-human critter. Then, wait for me inside the barn. Go, me-chee!”

  The me-chee blinks with red lights, scanning the infrared rays at the landscape. It targets the rows of barns then runs into a south by southwestern direction.

  I giggle. “Fly with the me-chee, Jara. It might be finished, before you get there.”

  “I hope so. And, hurry back, Ketona, I wanna go shopping.” She powers the flier, soaring away from Hatch, Ketona, and the barrier wall.

  I giggle, walking to the wall. I kneel. “Okay. Let’s try this, again. Do ya think the garbage me-chees have, finally, left for the evening?”

  Hatch nods, kneeling next to Ketona.

  I stab the first magnet into the wall, when a shadow passes by the tiny opening. I gasp, jerking the magnet from the hole. I stand, wiping the orange dust from the wall, cupping my hands. “I don’t see it.”

  Hatch stands next to Ketona, wiping the orange dust, too. “You can’t see on the other side of the barrier wall. These walls are much thicker than the Cubby Hole walls. We could see some of the park places, when we were closer to the barrier wall. I really didn’t wanna, thou. I really messed up, not paying attention to the warning.”

  I study Hatch. “What warning?”

  “My parents told me about the fun time inside each park place. You could become wrapped up in the moment, forgetting about your duty to answer the academic questions with a 75 percent passing rate then advancing into the next color tone…”

  I gasp. “Your parents told you that secret information.”

  He shrugs. “It’s not secret; it’s shared.”

  I nod, frowning. “O, yeah! It’s shared by a set of loving parents. My parents didn’t share that information with me. They told me to study and study and study. That’s it!”

  Hatch smiles. “You’re really smart, Ketona. Ya studied, good.”

  “Okay. Let’s use my brainpower. The garbage me-chees are working, coming from my right and then to my left. So, if we two step more to my right, then we will miss them. I wanna start collecting all the decorations, now. Then, we will have plenty of time, tomorrow night to finish.”

  “The me-chee can finish the decorations.”

  “Ya gotta be present to give the me-chee the vocal instructions. It’s a dumb machine. I can’t be in two places, at once. So, I’m going to get a few more trays of cookies and cupcakes, showing off Jara’s fantastic baking skills and befuddling Buffo’s grandmother. I don’t think his grandmother likes me. And, I’m going to invite Lamis to the party.”

  “I…I didn’t say anything in front of Jara. She gets kinda sensitive about things, lately. But, you shouldn’t brag about your new skill, skimming between the barrier walls.”

  “Why, not?”

  “And, you shouldn’t invite Lamis to the party, either. We failed and fell into one particular color tone inside the Cubby Hole. Now, we’re locked and trapped inside a barrier wall for a particular reason.”

  “What reason?”

  Hatch frowns. “We…you and me and Buffo and the others…work for the Establishment, providing all our goods and services to the Colfaxians, living inside Colfax.”

  I nod, frowning with fury. “I know that. And, I know that I can change that, too, over time. Right now, I can only do one thing at a time. So, we go and get some pretty nifty and fiery decorations for the birthday party, on Saturday. Tomorrow, we work on modifying the barrier wall, permanently, without the permission of the Establishment.” I pierce the wall with the first magnet.

  The opening reveals a pair of blue boots, blocking the entry hole.

  I jerk the magnet from the wall, gasping. “Okay. That is really strange. These are boots from another me-chee in blue. I thought the garbage me-chees went home or powered down, inside their home base unit, like the garbage center for the evening hours. We didn’t see them, last night.”

  He nods. “Me, too!”

  I exhale, shaking my hat. “Okay. The garbage in Montag smelled terrible, last night. I guess the me-chees are doing some overtime, since they don’t get paid any chips and they’re free laborers. I have four magnets strips.” I hand Hatch two of the magnets.

  He chuckles, studying the magnets. “These are refrigerator door strips. Ya stole them from the refrigerator, last night.”

  I giggle, nodding. “The other night. Okay! You need three of the strips to make a right angle, but we need, first, a clear exit point through the barrier wall, before creating the right angle and then getting the birthday stuff. I wanna stay below their waistline. So, squat in the dirt and then stab the magnet into the wall. The ions will scatter, but you won’t be able to see much within the tiny hole. Then, stab the second magnet about three inches below the first one, giving ya a good viewing portal. You go to my right, stopping five, ten, fifteen, every five feet and look for any more me-chee boots. I’m going to my left, stopping negative five, negative ten and every negative five feet on the mathematical ruler line.” I giggle.

  “The me-chee garbage men are working down there on that end.”

  “I know. I’m going to see how many me-chees are there on that end. You find a clear exit point for the four or more e-field karts.” I giggle.

  Hatch laughs, scooting five feet from Ketona.

  I slide five feet from my original position. I squat, stabbing the first magnet into the wall. I listen for any sounds.

  Clear.

  Then, I smell the garbage, wishing I had a nose clip.

  I stab the second magnet five inches below the first one. I listen then hear munching noises. I jerk the two magnets from the wall.

  The munching noise was the boots of the me-chee, crunching into the garbage as the bags of trash slide down the hillside, due to gravity.

  I exhale with frustration. I wanted to finish our shopping spree, today. Then, I wanted to finish decorating the barn, tomorrow night. Then, I wanted to surprise the little girls, on Saturday night.

  I stand, walking five feet from my previous position. I squat and stab the first magnet into the wall then hold my nose. I hear more munching sound. I release my nose, hearing a better munching sound. Then, I jerk the magnet from the wall.

  I view Hatch.

  He is moving fast, almost fifty feet from my position.

  I stand, walking five more feet then squat. Then, I stab the magnet into the wall. I smell the nasty trash then hear the munching noise of more booted feet. I jerk the magnet from the wall then stand
.

  I turn, waving to Hatch.

  He stands, waving back to Ketona.

  I trot towards him, when we meet. I frown with confusion. “I have lots of booted feet, doing nothing, but munching the trash. They don’t seem to be working on collecting the garbage, based on their stationary positions.”

  He smiles. “I worked my way down about fifty feet, every five feet, from our original position along the wall. There’re not any visual signs of one me-chee or its booted feet on this part of the line, going south. So, we can go and get the decoration supplies…”

  I frown with puzzlement. “I guess.”

  “Why do you guess? What’s wrong?”

  “Why are there numerous me-chee machines stationary on this end of the barrier wall? That’s about the place, where I stabbed the wall with the…”

  Hatch drops his mouth. “Ya stole the cakes and dresses.”

  I shake my curls. “Naw, I paid for the cakes, and dresses, and cookies. And, I give Lamis a nice chip bonus, being a good sales girl, too. No. That’s not at issue, here, but there’s something different from last night.”

  Hatch nods. “Okay. Me and Jara go inside and scout out some of the open shops. We can ask the shop clerks about the me-chee machines, lining the garbage hillside.”

  I exhale, viewing the dirt. “I feel strange about this. And, you shouldn’t inquire about the me-chees, either. The machines might have been there, since this morning. We don’t know all the current facts.”

  He nods. “Good point! Okay. We don’t ask about the me-chees. We go and get the decorations then leave…”

  “We go and check on Jara. The me-chee should be finished, cleaning out the barn, needing more work assignments, before I kill it, again.” I walk to my flier.

  Hatch loads into the flier.

  We fly over the landscape, easily spotting the barn then land.

  Buffo’s grandparents’ farm and row of barns

  I stand at the closed barn door with Hatch.

  We listen, hearing nothing inside the barn.

  I slowly open the door.

  The me-chee stands in the middle of the spotless room, following my last command. The barn walls and floor are both clean of any and all debris, consisting of hay particles, insect bodies, and any type of farm equipment or implementation.

  Jara sits in the corner, playing with fingers.

  Hatch dashes to Jara, smiling and nodding. They hug and kiss.

  I walk to the me-chee then scan the naked red lumber nailed around the floor, the walls, and ceiling. I say. “Me-chee, I want to present an outer space theme inside the empty room. What is your suggestion?”

  The me-chee says. “Master, I suggest, painting the floor in a silver color for the twinkling interstellar clouds, orbiting around the galaxy. The walls and the ceiling should appear in a black color, representing the darkness of outer space. Then, you could add an array of colorful stars and red flaming comets nailed to the ceiling, faking out the party persons. This would satisfy the party theme show for the interior of the barn.”

  I nod. “Good idea! Walk 4.6 miles to the house. Then, enter the rear door. Then, collect all steel metal items from the house, but the kitchen appliances. Then, walk back to the barn, bringing the collected steel metal items. You will make many trips. Then, go into the garage and quietly gather the soldering equipment. Bring the soldering equipment to the barn. Then, solder, together, a steel metal piece for the hundred percent of the floor, the three walls, not including the barn doors, and the ceiling. If you exhaust of steel metal, then stop working and stand in the middle of the barn for my next order. Go, me-chee!”

  The me-chee walks to the door then exits.

  Hatch cuddles Jara, frowning at the me-chee. “Where’s it going?”

  I view Jara. “For its next assignment...”

  Jara smiles and nods. “Let’s go and get the decorations…”

  “We found an array of me-chees, lining the hilltop of the garbage pile.” I view and study Jara.

  She drops her mouth then views the floor and then views Ketona. “We didn’t steal the merchandise from Montag. We paid for both the dresses and the cakes. Lamis is the intern for the shop owner. She didn’t do anything wrong, either. She sold us the merchandise that we paid for. And, we also paid her with a nice bonus of chips, being a good clerk. Interns always get rewards. Something is very wrong, inside Montag…”

  “Ketona said, the same thing.” Hatch nods.

  Jara exhales. “We need to see, if there, also, are some posted me-chees inside the barrier walls of Dandine.”

  I nod, frowning with worry.

  Hatch frowns with annoyance. “What for? The merchandise for the party lives inside Montag. Dandine doesn’t have any fireworks.”

  Jara holds Hatch by the hand, saying and nodding to Ketona. “Let’s go and see, if there are any me-chees posted, inside Dandine barrier wall. Then, I’ll feel much better.”

  We load onto the fliers, flying inside the orange dust of the dark night, across the vast dirt of crop fields.

  We land along the orange barrier wall, which is directly behind the city of Dandine.

  Buffo’s grandparents’ farm and the northwestern orange barrier wall

  I remove my flier then walk towards the orange barrier wall.

  Hatch and Jara walk next to Ketona.

  I say and finger the wall. “This is the exact spot, behind the old tractor plow, where Buffo and I tore through the barrier wall, inside Dandine.” I stand at the wall. I don’t bother wiping the orange dust from the wall, because I can’t see the interior of Dandine. I nod to Hatch and Jara.

  We squat in the dirt.

  Hatch is on my left side. Jara is on my right side.

  I exhale. “Okay. The last time, when me and Hatch were on the opposite side of the Montag barrier wall, I placed the first magnet into the wall, then the ions separated the hole, a tiny bit. However, I, first, observed for any type of noise or smell. We all know that Dandine doesn’t smell, like Montag. So, after I place the first magnet into the wall, then we wait and see if there is any action.

  Hatch and Jara nod.

  I exhale, holding the first magnet strip near the wall. My hand shakes with both nervousness and fear. I stab the wall. The magnet slowly penetrates. I wiggle the magnet around side to side, expanding the ions for a better look-see.

  I gasp with shock.

  The expanded peek hole shows a single standing leg of yellow tinted color inside a jumpsuit, stationary, not moving.

  I jerk the magnet from the wall.

  Jara shakes her curls, viewing her hands. She whispers. “No. It can’t be. This can’t be happening, not now, not here.”

  Hatch frowns with confusion, leaning over the wall. “What can’t be happening, babe? I don’t understand, what you’re saying.”

  I exhale, standing. I back step and then two step over ten more feet from my original position.

  Jara and Hatch stands beside Ketona. Jara nods.

  I stand then stab the magnet strip into the barrier wall. I wiggle the ions to separate.

  The opening shows a yellow jumpsuit connected to the back muscles of a me-chee.

  I jerk the magnet out, before the me-chee is alarmed.

  Jara exhales, shaking her curls. “Do you remember the location, where we all exited from Dandine, the other night?”

  I nod, turning and jogging towards the spot. “It probably isn’t exactly the same exit point, but it will be close enough.” I pant then stop. I stand in front of the barrier wall then squat.

  Jara and Hatch hug each other, squatting in the dirt, next to Ketona.

  I view Jara.

  She nods.

  I stab the magnet into the wall.

  The opening reveals another standing leg in the color of yellow tinted color, wearing a jumpsuit.

  I jerk the magnet from the wall. “Dang!”

  Hatch stands, parking both hands on his hips. He frowns, shaking his curls. “What the fudge is
going on here? There are me-chees, holding post inside the barrier walls of both Dandine and Montag. I don’t get it.”

  Jara stands, standing in front of Hatch, touching his collar bone. She says. “They, the me-chees, are looking for us, honey. We’ve escaped from Dandine. The me-chees are, like police officers, looking for us and then we are to be returned back into Dandine. I guess.”

  Hatch frowns. “Naw. We didn’t escape from Dandine. We left on our own free will with Buffo and Ketona. Now, we’re farmers, instead of dookie workers. That’s all!”

  Jara nods. “Yes. The me-chees are posted at the exact entrance points of our exit. We left our jobs and our house and our township. We don’t live inside Colfax or Burrville or Hamlin. We failed and fell into the yellow color tone, then. Now, we will live in Dandine for the rest of our lives…”

  Hatch exhales, shaking his curls. “I…am not going back to Dookie Town, ever. I…like living here, in Burrville, being with Buffo and Ketona. Yeah! I wanna be a farmer, here, forever. And, how do you explain the lineup of me-chees inside Montag? We don’t live, there. We don’t know anyone, there. Look, I don’t know, why the me-chees are guarding the barrier wall. And, I don’t care…”

  Jara nods. “I know why. We exited from Dandine. Then, we entered through Montag. We were wearing the cat suits from the Cubby Hole. The cat suits are tracking our signature, or heat, or something. The Establishment is after us. We should turn ourselves, into the mayor…”

  “Naw.” I giggle and nod. “The cat suit had been deactivated, after we left the Cubby Hole. Well, actually, it’s made from charged electrons, which protected us, passing through the different park places inside the Cubby Hole and which were surrounded by e-fields. Just like, now, the jumpsuit is protecting, or allowing, us to pass through the barrier wall into Dandine and Montag. It’s not being tracked. You can’t track an e-field. Electrons are everywhere in the sky, on the ground, and in your curls, Jara. Anyways, I think, I supply another quick eye test, seeing what is actually going on here.”