Trouble Ahead, Trouble Behind

The next few days were calm but busy ones and Sedona had no chance to hang out with anyone. She ran data checks for a few days, while two new scout trainees were taken out on patrol. They were learning to use the trikes.

Sedona grinned, thinking of her first few rides on the trikes. They were tricky to maneuver and she had several spills before she got the hang of it. Now, her trike felt like it was part of her.

There was still no data to verify those weird underground fluctuations she had been tracking. Maybe … thinking hard, she decided to check out the food and farm sections. Their production areas ran all around the outside ring of the city. Could they be using some underground facilities? Sedona reported to her commander, Athens, that she was following up on data, and she got onto one of the moving walkways.

She headed to where the main office for food production was located at the end of a maze of tunnels and narrow hallways. She only saw a few people there – mostly orphans who were pushing wheeled food containers. Entering the final hallway, she saw Oslo, the big roofer, walking toward her. It was strange seeing him here. Just as she started wondering what he was doing there, he walked past her, staring aggressively into her face.

Slightly freaked out, Sedona turned and watched as he walked past and turned into a doorway. Breathing a sigh of relief, she continued onward. Only to hear footsteps behind her. Loud and Fast! Looking over her shoulder, she saw Oslo coming her way again.

Sedona sped up. So did he. He soon caught up with her, brushing up against her hard, nearly knocking her into the wall. As he passed, he turned his head to look into her face again. Then he disappeared into yet another doorway. Sedona was alarmed at the strange looks he had given her. And why did his eyes look so unfocused and crazy?

She was close to the farming section office now and she checked over her shoulder once more, making sure the roofer wasn’t following her again. She walked past a door marked ‘Classified – No Entrance’. Puzzled she wondered why it was marked that way. As a scout, she should have access everywhere! What could they be growing there that needed such security? She had a bad feeling about it – more secrets!

Reaching the office, Sedona met with Lahore, the faming section manager. They spoke together while walking past farmers tending to growth vats. Robotic German Shepherd dogs walked around the vats, sometimes stopping for a pat on the head from a farmer. Or barking an alarm when a vat full of cultures needed an adjustment.

Sedona quizzed Lahore about possible sources for the underground vibrations she’d been tracking. He assured her they had nothing going on that might cause anything like that. They spoke politely for a few more minutes, then Sedona left to head back to the scouting center.

She had to walk back past all the farmers, stepping around a group of them talking about what sounded like a serious problem with some of the cultures. However, she noticed that none of them seemed very concerned. Nor did any of them offer any suggestions or creative solutions. In fact, a couple of them just shrugged their shoulders – those farmers were slack-jawed with eyes half-shut. Just from what she overheard; Sedona felt like even she could suggest a few things to try. How hard could it be? And why did some of them look … so strange?

She was very glad to get out of there, not really wanting to know if there were problems with the foot supply. Her moment of relief ended quickly though when she was back in the hallways. Because there he was again – the big roofer. As she approached the place where he was leaning against the wall, she could see a menacing look on his face.

Just as she began to tense up, another door opened and a slender man came out into the hall. One glance at the roofer’s face and he grasped the situation. He walked close to the big man and spoke to him sharply. Oslo stomped away and the second man mumbled to himself “That one’s going to be a problem.” He sighed and turned toward Sedona.

“He won’t bother you again.” He introduced himself as Pariss! He knew who Sedona was and congratulated her on surviving her recent close call. And on her successful scouting missions. He smiled widely, thanking her for the stone that Accra’s friend had passed along to him.

Then … he invited her to attend a concert at Tower Two in several days. Success! Sedona now had her foot in the door. But she still didn’t like it.