The Key to Fear - Kristin Cast Page 0,18
his next words carefully. “What if I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing? What if I do have an aptitude for this, but it’s buried under the desire to do something else entirely?”
She scrunched her small face. “That’s stupid. How can you not know what you’re supposed to be doing? The corporation literally tells you.” Another scrunch. “I can tell by your age that this is a punishment, not a serious aptitude-based life decision.”
Octavia turned and pointed down the end of the hall to the vending machine packed with individual vacuum-sealed blue scrub sets, a row of thicker orange packages, and plain white orthopedic sneakers. “Holly will get you what you need. And don’t listen to her when she says to call me Octavia. It’s Tavi. Holly’s just being a birth record–quoting bitch. Also, you should for sure size up your scrubs.” Scrunch. “You look like you squeezed yourself into your little brother’s uniform.”
Aiden’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean you can tell by my age that this is a punishment? I’m not that much older than you.”
With a groan she tilted her head back. “So tedious.” She leveled her glitter-rimmed eyes at him and crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re what? Eighteenish?” She was correct … ish, but didn’t wait for a response. “Well, I’m sixteen and have been working in the ELU for three years. In two more years, I’ll probably be in charge of my own examiner bot. Not starting fresh.”
Aiden hooked his thumbs into his pockets. “I don’t think ‘fresh’ is an appropriate description for anything down here.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t think I like you.” With a final scrunch of her face, Tavi spun on her heels, her pink and blond hair firmly helmeted to her head as she stomped back toward the reception hall.
“Then it’s a good thing we’ll be working together. Every day. For the foreseeable future.” He called after her as she turned the corner, her sneakers squeaking on the tile as she disappeared from sight.
Aiden dragged his calloused hands down his face. “Unfucking-believable.”
Haunting Holly chose that moment to return. “Hello again, Aiden. I see that you’re in need of my assistance.”
Aiden grimaced. “Unfortunately.”
“Great! What can I help you with?”
“I guess I need a new pair of scrubs.” He looked down at his boots. “And shoes.”
She followed his gaze down to his feet. “Ah, yes.”
For an instant, Holly’s warm and knowing smile was a balm on the chapped and irritated surface of his heart. It was easy to understand why the citizens of Westfall and beyond would want to trust that face … that voice. What he couldn’t comprehend was how they could believe her words.
“Scan your cuff, and I’ll get you taken care of.”
Aiden’s plastic cuff flashed, and Haunting Holly’s eyelids fluttered as she sorted through the data. “Looks like you’ve been approved for five pairs of scrubs, two biohazard suits, and one pair of shoes. Would you like to collect all of these items now?”
Aiden stared at the orange biohazard suits all neatly folded and tucked innocently away in their plastic sheets. “This assignment keeps getting better and better.”
“If you would like, I can give you a detailed explanation as to the uses and features of the ELU’s biohazard suits.”
Aiden held up his hands. “Nope. I would not like. If you tell me, I’ll probably run out of here.”
“Unless an emergency arises, running in the End-of-Life Unit is prohibited.”
“I didn’t mean—” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Never mind. Go ahead and give me a pair of scrubs, a suit, and the shoes.”
Haunting Holly noiselessly clapped her hands together. “Excellent. Anything else?”
Aiden slouched against the wall. “You wanna tell me the secret to working with dead people?”
“Tea tree oil right here.” The hologram brushed her finger across her upper lip and winked.
Aiden rolled the back of his head from side to side against the wall. “You can make a joke, but you can’t understand an exaggeration?”
Haunting Holly flashed another perfect smile and vanished.
The vending machine spit out a tray holding the scrubs, biohazard suit, and sneakers. Reluctantly, Aiden scooped them up and followed the signs to the unit’s locker room. The door slid open automatically, and Aiden’s palms went clammy before stepping through the haze of purple light. In the locker rooms, there was always at least one person in a stage of undress. To the Key, bodies were just that—bodies.
No touching today for a healthy tomorrow. One of the corporation’s favorite phrases. One of their favorite