The Creative Fire: 1 (Ruby's Song) by Brenda Cooper Read Free Book Online Page B

empty room while she waited.
    “I’ll change this. I’ll stop it. I’ll do it for you. I’ll change this. I’ll stop it. I’ll do it for you. I’ll change this. I’ll stop it. I’ll do it for you . . .”
    The rhythm of the mantra matched the rhythm of the train, the rock and murmur of the cars, as they slid across tracks in the darkness between pods. Ruby whispered the words again into the near dark, feeling Onor’s hand on her shoulder and hearing Lya whisper something into Hugh’s ear. Ruby whispered, “I’ll change this. I’ll make them stop. Nona.” Then she added, “Hugh.”

 
    6: Kyle
    Ruby jolted awake, blinking at bright light, surprised she’d passed so deeply into her daydreaming that she hadn’t felt the train stop.
    Ben stood in front of her, his arms crossed, using his best red voice. “Off.”
    Beside her, Marcelle had already gathered her things, and Onor looked anxious.
    Ben gestured toward the door. Ruby clutched her bag to her chest. Where was her family? Why hadn’t she asked Ben about them?
    The B-pod transport station looked like theirs, except painted mostly blue instead of mostly orange. It smelled cleaner than the train, and far more sterile.
    As soon as they stepped off, a red called them over, squinting at them as his journal queried their chips. After a moment, he identified them by name. Apparently satisfied, he launched into a few sentences that he seemed bored of repeating. “You will remain here until told to go anywhere else. Travel between pods is currently restricted. Resettlements are based on order of evacuation.”
    So she wouldn’t see her family. She swallowed hard, listening for the red’s next words.
    “You will be expected to contribute to B-pod. Your ration allotments have already been switched in case you have immediate needs. Logistics will resettle you based on skills and family needs in the future.”
    “My aunt is here,” Ruby said. “We can stay with her.”
    “If you have family who were settled to other places, logistics will try to resettle you based on skills and family needs in the future.” The red repeated exactly.
    She pursed her lips. “Maybe you didn’t hear me. I’d like to find my aunt. Her name is Daria.”
    The red blinked at her as if she’d sent him into full stop. “Do you know where she lives?”
    She hadn’t seen her since she was ten. A long time ago. Maybe Daria wouldn’t even remember her. “No.”
    “Then we’ll try to help you find her . . . in the future.”
    Great. “In the future” meant don’t bother me now. He looked at his journal. “Ruby and Marcelle, you’ve been placed with Kyle Gleason.”
    Ruby reached for Onor’s hand and did her best to look lost. “Onor should stay with us. We’re a family group.” Their chips would tell the guard something different if he was paying attention. She held her breath, waiting, smiling.
    The red’s eyes had already been drawn to Hugh and Lya, who were coming off the train right behind them, Hugh’s head bandaged and his clothes stained with dried blood.
    A tall man came forward to take Ruby’s bag. The man, who must have overheard, said, “I’ll make room.” He held a hand out toward them all. “I’m Kyle.”
    “Thank you,” Ruby said.
    Kyle’s dark hair hung long over dark eyes, and his skin was the brown of used robot oil. She held her hand out to him. “I’m Ruby, and these are my close friends, Marcelle and Onor.”
    “One of you will need to sleep on the floor.”
    Ruby nodded. “We’ll manage.”
    Marcelle said, “Onor will sleep on the floor,” and then, a few seconds later, she squeaked.
    Ruby didn’t turn around to see what Onor had done to Marcelle. “Thank you. I hope we won’t be here long.”
    “Might be a while.”
    It turned out that this part of the Fire had felt only small shudders, and no more. But they’d been told to expect refugees for weeks. They filled Kyle in on the barest details of their experience as they