Scarlet's Escape

by Katrina Cope

Matt finished up with a few more spectacular moves. The loudest cheer they had heard all day sounded, and Gemma put her fingers to her mouth and let out a big ear-splitting whistle. Matt waved to the audience and exited with a playful bow.

  The loudspeaker sounded. “Attention, everyone! Matt Honeywell was our last competitor for the day. Please stick around while we set up the platform for the trophy stage.” The crowd muttered among themselves as the organizers set up the center microphone and a three-level stage for the winners.

  Liam could see Matt up in the competitors’ stand, waiting for the final result.

  Gemma followed his gaze. “I so hope he wins.”

  “Me too,” Liam said. “But win or not, he certainly did us proud.”

  An athletic-looking man entered the central area. Liam thought he looked to be in his thirties and was slightly shorter than the average man. He had ginger hair that had tight little curls sitting close to his scalp. He lowered the microphone and cleared his throat.

  “Wow! How awesome were these performances today, people?” A rowdy cheer with whistles sounded throughout the crowd. Liam held a hand over his ear, afraid Gemma would blow one of his eardrums.

  “That’s right,” the man continued. “These guys rocked!” The cheer erupted even louder from the crowd. “Let them hear your appreciation more!” roared the little man, lifting his hands to show the crowd how high to cheer. That time, even screams sounded to bring the noise level up further. After a while, he indicated to finish by lowering his hands. “That’s right. And how awesome is the crowd?” More screams and cheers sounded.

  Satisfied he had the full attention of the crowd and that they were fired up, he started his announcement. “I suppose you want to hear the winners now, don’t you?” The cheer was so loud that even he had to put his hands over his ears. He smiled happily at the result. “Okay, in third place we have”—he opened an envelope and studied the contents briefly—“Owen Radcliffe.”

  Owen ran to the stage as the crowd cheered him on. He accepted his trophy from the announcer and stood on the third-place pedestal, smiling at his achievement.

  “Right. For second place...” He opened another envelope as the crowd waited impatiently and read, “Sandy Peters.”

  A girl with long blond hair tied back firmly stepped forward to accept her trophy then stood on the second-place spot.

  “Wow!” Hayley said. “She actually looks like a girl. Normally the girls look so much like the boys that you can’t even tell that they are girls.”

  “Shhh!” Liam hushed her as the announcer put the microphone to his mouth again. His fingers were crossed tightly by his side.

  “Okay, the last winner and definitely not the least…” He paused, dragging out the announcement. “First place goes to Matt Honeywell.”

  The crowd roared, and Liam, Gemma, and their small group of friends jumped up and down, hugging each other madly, not noticing the people around them, who were being shoved around by their movement, giving them dirty looks.

  They were so excited that they didn’t see the commotion on the stage as the announcer suddenly turned serious. He retrieved the microphone he had replaced on its stand and started to speak, trying to get the attention from the crowd he had just spent time firing up in excitement.

  “Attention, everyone!” He cleared his throat, as the crowd was still too loud to hear him. “Attention, everyone!” he repeated with more seriousness and the determination to be heard. Finally, the noise level reduced so that he could speak and be heard. “I have just been passed on some grave news.” Silence hit the once-excited crowd, and Liam was sure if a pin dropped it would be heard. “We have been informed that our Prime Minister, Richard Baskins, has been shot.”

  - Chapter Sixteen -

  What’s Gotten into Shelly?

  A few days had passed since Aaron stressed over potentially being discovered by Dr. Ernest. The four students had been keeping an eye out for Avando, who had been away for a few days. They didn’t know where he went, but he was due back that morning.

  Eva, Aaron, and Jayden were waiting around the garden in the common room when Robert stomped up to them, clasping the glasses that let him see through Shelly’s vision.

  “Morning, sunshine!” Eva chirped.

  Robert ignored her. “Have any of you seen Shelly?” he grumbled.

  When they shook their heads in response, he let out an aggravated cry. “The vision isn’t working again.” He held up the glasses, giving them a shake. “These things are driving me nuts.” He shoved them into his pocket. “Have you seen Avando yet?”

  Jayden shook his head. “No, he hasn’t come. We were waiting for you before we went to check the office.”

  Aaron looked toward the dining room and spotted Professor Anna approaching them. “Well, we have one of the people we need to see coming this way.”

  Before the others had a chance to look at what he was talking about, Professor Anna had already reached them. “Robert, just the person I wanted to see.”

  Robert looked dumbfounded. “Really?”

  “Yes. I wanted to congratulate you on such a clever idea.”

  “You do?” Robert remained stunned.

  “Look at you acting so modest,” the professor said. “Here you are, having your little robot doing chores to help you get through your day. I wish you’d make one for me.” She gave him a side hug in a manner to convince him to do her a favor.

  “I am?” When he realized she was talking about Shelly, he asked, “Have you seen Shelly?”

  She nodded. “Well, what else would I be talking about? Have you made another robot?”

  Robert shook his head. “No. Where is she?”

  Professor Anna looked confused. “I saw her before in the external workshop. She was working on the simulator like she knew what she was doing.”

  “Why, that sneaky little terror! She shouldn’t even be touching that stuff,” he grumbled, balling his fists by his side. “I’ve got to stop her.” He stomped in the direction of the workshop.

  “Good luck with that!” Professor Anna called to him. “It’s fun having to be a parent and having to put your naughty children into line.” She chuckled, watching Robert’s irritation over his naughty child.

  “Oh, I’ve got to watch this!” Eva said, racing after Robert.

  “Well, I’m not missing out on the action.” Jayden ran to follow them.

  “I’m coming too.” Aaron joined the three friends.

  “Have fun!” Professor Anna giggled to herself as she watched them go.

  For a large boy, Robert made it to the workshop in record time. He didn’t even fall over like he often would when it came to physical activity. His hazel eyes burned furiously as he burst into the simulator room. “Shelly, what are you doing?”

  Shelly’s cute curls bounced as she spun round to look at Robert at the doorway. Innocence radiated from her face mixed with enthusiasm. “Robbie!”

  “Shelly,” Robert continued angrily, “I asked what you were doing.”

  Her cute blue eyes opened wide, and her mouth dropped open in shock. “Oh! Robbie’s mad at Shelly.” Her adorable three-year-old voice made it hard to be mad at her. “Did Shelly do something wrong, Robbie?”

  “Shelly!” Robert’s voice remained harsh. “You know you’re not allowed to play with the computers.”

  Shelly tilted her head to the side in confusion and with all innocence said, “But I wasn’t, Robbie.”

  “Don’t lie to me, Shelly.” He shook his head and scowled.

  Her sweet blue eyes were filled with sadness, and her bottom lip stuck out in a sulk. She even let out a little sniffle. Jayden marveled over the brilliance of Robert’s personality programming. He then had a little cackle, thinking about how it had backfired to make Robert into a parental figure.

  Shelly stuck out her bottom lip. “But I wasn’t playing with the ‘puters, Robbie.”

  Robert stomped to where she was sitting. “Then what do you call this, She
lly?” He pointed to the simulator screen and then to the operating board in front of her.

  She spun around in her chair and looked at the operating board then to the screen and back to the operating board. “Uh oh!” she said. “How did I get here?”

  “What do you mean how did you get here? You would’ve walked here yourself. How else would you have gotten here?” Robert’s face had turned completely red.

  Jayden was almost sure he had seen puffs of steam coming out of Robert’s ears. His heart melted when he saw the pleading, sad look on Shelly’s face, begging Robert to believe her.

  Shelly’s tight blond curls had been partially pulled back into a light-blue bow to match her dress. Her open, honest face tilted up to look at Robert, and she pleaded, “But I honestly don’t know how I got here, Robbie.”

  It was then that Eva looked distraught. “Robert, I think she’s telling the truth.”

  Robert spun around and gave Eva a disapproving glare. “How could she be telling the truth? Only I can operate her or she walks by herself, and I know for sure I didn’t put her here.”

  “All that I can suggest is that you often have dropout times where we have no connection with her and you can’t see what she is doing,” Eva said. “I’m starting to think this is a little suspicious.”

  “Suspicious how?” His words were snappy. “It can only be a glitch. There is nothing suspicious about that, only that I haven’t been able to fix it yet.”

  “Robert, you are brilliant at things like this.” Eva spoke calmly. “You would normally have been able to fix these glitches by now. I’m starting to think that perhaps she has been hacked.”

  “Don’t be absurd!” Robert spat. “Who would know about Shelly, let alone hack her?”

  Eva shrugged.

  “You know, man, she’s got a point.” Aaron ran a hand through his hair.

  “What’s she even doing on a simulator?” asked Jayden.

  “I don’t know!” Robert snapped. “It’s just a simulator.” He turned and looked at the screen. He paused for a moment then stiffened. His movements suddenly became rigid and panicked.

  Noticing the change, Jayden asked, “What is it?”

  Robert didn’t answer but continued to fiddle with the controls in front of Shelly as she sat very still, watching him with a look of horror on her face. “Why’s that man lying on the ground, Robbie? And what’s all that red stuff all around him?”

  Robert didn’t answer her either, as he was concentrating too hard on what was on the screen. Jayden, Aaron, and Eva peered over to the screen to have a look.

  Before they could focus on the screen, Robert said, “Uh, guys?”

  “Yeah?” they all said in unison.

  “What is the name of the Prime Minister of the country of Alamania?”

  “Richard Baskins,” Eva said instantly. “Why?”

  All three stepped forward to have a look, as Robert’s shoulders slumped forward. Eva let out a gasp, and Jayden and Aaron were in a state of puzzled shock.

  On the simulator screen in front of them, a man was lying on the ground with crimson red on and around him. Still placed on the man was a virtual target, and on the screen up in the top right were the words, “Man identified: Richard Baskins.”

  Several men in black suits, wearing earpieces attached to their ears with spiraling cords coming from them, were circling the man on the ground. Some of the men were crouched down, trying to revive him, and others stood straight and tall, searching frantically for the assassin.

  “Wow! That’s freaky! That looks too real.” Aaron looked at the screen and frowned.

  “That does look real. It can’t be real! But it looks authentic!” Eva kept repeating in shock.

  “Doesn’t it?” Jayden agreed. “This is just the simulator, isn’t it?”

  “It is supposed to be just a simulator,” Robert said, his brow creased in the center. “But this… I’m not so sure. It looks way too real.” He looked at Shelly. “What have you done?”

  Shelly’s little face puckered up, and Jayden was sure that if she were able to leak tears, she would. “I don’t remember doing anything, Robbie,” she said, sobbing. “I really don’t.”

  Robert’s shoulders slumped further while looking into Shelly’s eyes. “You know, I actually think I believe you.”

  “Hey, just a thought,” Jayden began. “If what Shelly’s done here is actually real, what about that time we were in that village and we left with a concussion?” He looked at Aaron. “Was that a simulation, or was it real?”

  “I don’t know!” Robert sounded dismayed. “Who would even be making this live? It can’t be Niles, surely?”

  They heard a loud banging at the entrance of the external workshop. The students turned to see what the cause of the noise was. The simulator room they were in was darkened, but the office at the entrance of the workshop was well lit, and they could see Niles running around absentmindedly. He looked almost mentally disturbed. He was pacing back and forth as though he’d forgotten what he was supposed to do, muttering to himself.

  The students glanced at one another with a puzzled look then edged closer to the door to listen to what he was saying.

  “Oh my lord, Richard Baskins has been shot.” He threw his open hands up, clasping each side of his face in shock and continued, “Oh my lord, he’s been shot! Richard Baskins has been shot. He’s been shot!”

  The four students looked at each other in disbelief. “I’m pretty sure that answers your question, Robert,” Aaron whispered.

  “Yep. I’m pretty sure it does too,” Robert whispered back. “I’m certain he doesn’t know we’re here.” He then cleared his throat loudly, purposely trying to get Niles’s attention.

  Niles jumped, backing away from the noise and giving off a scream that would make a girl proud. He looked in the direction the sound had come from and realized that he had company. “Oh my lord! You scared the heebie-jeebies out of me.” He picked an eraser up off the desk and threw it at Robert. Since Niles was the least sporty person around, his throw was pathetic, and it made Jayden and Aaron laugh. Niles straightened his back and slapped his hands on his hips. “Go on, then, laugh at me. See if I care! What are you all doing in here, anyway?”

  “We have a situation with Shelly.” Robert’s serious voice was a contrast to the past lightheartedness.

  “Oh, really? What sort of situation could you have with the little cute robot?” Niles looked cynical.

  “Quite a big one, actually,” Robert said. “Have you noticed her doing anything weird, like fiddling with the computers or anything?”

  “No, but whatever she’s done, it can’t be as bad as the news that the Prime Minister has been shot,” Niles said.

  “Uh… Why don’t you come and look at this?” Robert indicated the simulator room. Niles did as instructed and stood behind Shelly, who waited behind the controls of the simulator.

  “Hello, Niles.” Shelly’s blue eyes were sad as she greeted him.

  “Hi, sweetie.” Niles smiled at her. “Why the sad face, darling?” Without waiting for an answer, he glanced up at the simulator. Surprise and recognition spread across his face within a few moments. Before anyone could say anything, he fell backward to the floor. He had fainted.

  Eva looked at the crumpled heap on the floor that was Niles. “That was helpful!” Sarcasm oozed from her words.

  “Wasn’t it.” Jayden shook his head in disbelief. “I think that definitely rules him out as a suspect.”

  “Help me put him out of the way a bit, would you, Jayden?” Aaron grabbed Niles by one arm.

  Jayden grabbed the other arm, and they pulled him along the floor and out of the way.

  Jayden turned around to see Robert sniffling. He gazed down at Shelly, the edges of his mouth downturned. “What’s going on, Robert?”

  “Well, I’ve been thinking.” Robert paused. “I’m going to have to shut her down until we get to the bottom of this.” He wiped his nose on his sleeve as he wa
tched the meaning of the words register on Shelly’s face.

  “I won’t do it again, Robbie. I promise.” Shelly’s voice was endearing, her cute little face pouting, and her blue eyes big and sad.

  “I’m sorry, Shelly, but you don’t even remember doing it,” Robert said, shaking his head sadly. He wiped the tear on his sleeve.

  Jayden watched, dismayed by the scene unfolding in front of him. He knew how much effort Robert had put into the little robot and how proud he was of his achievement. He understood how hard it was for him to say goodbye. Robert’s brilliance made her into a little person with her own personality. He watched Robert, who was almost in tears, reach down behind Shelly’s neck under her hair and switch her off by pulling a small chip from her neck.

  The little blue eyes immediately closed, and her tiny form slumped forward, lifeless and unmoving.

  “I promise I will find the solution soon,” Robert whispered to Shelly.

  “Oh, Robert, that’s so sad,” Eva said, placing a hand on his back. “We’ll help you as much as we can, won’t we, guys?” She turned to Jayden and Aaron for support. The boys nodded in agreement, also saddened that Shelly was gone.

  Robert remained silent as he scooped up Shelly’s little frame and carried her into the lab at the workshop. He delicately propped her in the corner of the bench in a sitting position.

  ~~~~~

  JAYDEN COULDN’T BELIEVE it. It was only ten-thirty in the morning, and it had already been an eventful day. They hadn’t even had a chance to see if Avando had arrived back at the Sanctum yet. Aaron, Eva, and a grieving Robert had agreed to meet down in the common room. Jayden was on his way down and decided to stop at the bathroom on the way. He scanned his hand, absentmindedly thanking Scarlet, and entered the bathroom, heading straight for a stall. After closing the door, he dropped his pants, sat down, and prepared for an extended stay.

  “Hello, Jayden!” To his horror, Scarlet’s hologram was standing right in front of him inside his stall. He jumped, immediately pulled his T-shirt down as far as it would go, and cupped his hand on his lap to protect any private parts.