Botanicaust

office, Vitus occupied her desk chair, his head bent over her gamma pad.
    “ What are you doing in here? ” She hoped her words were not as slurred as Mo ’ s sometimes were after a day on the Burn.
    “ Dr. Macoby. So glad you could attend work today. I ’ m checking on your progress with that mongrel in Confinement. Seems he ’ s a bit opposed to cooperating. ”
    “ I ’ ve been making great strides overcoming the language barrier. ”
    “ Mmmm, yes, I see he has learned how to tell you how lovely your eyes are. ”
    “ Parts of the face are the first thing any convert learns. Facial expressions are the universal form of communication — ”
    “ Yes, yes, I know all that. ” The multi-colored nuvoplast bangles at his wrist clicked together as he waved her off. “ But the real question is have you found out where he comes from? That was your directive from Councilwoman Arnica, I believe? ”
    “ I have to gain his trust before he ’ ll tell me where his family is. Once he ’ s converted, I ’ m sure he ’ ll — ”
    “ I have yet to see reason to dedicate the resources to his conversion let alone CFTR therapy, Sertularia. Especially when you can ’ t even monitor the converts you have in your care right now. ”
    The smug look on his face made Tula ’ s heart drop into the pit of her already churning stomach. “ What do you mean? ”
    “ While you were out on your non-business related jaunt, the Garden paged you. ”
    “ Oh, no. Who? ” She stepped forward and reached for the gamma pad still in Vitus ’ s clutches.
    He twitched the pad out of her reach. “ All three of your latest converts have disappeared, it seems. One — Jobie — and the newest additions to the class. Rho and Nika? ”
    She didn ’ t wait to hear any more. Turning on her heel, she fled toward the Garden.

    If the children had left the protective nuvoplast of the classrooms, they could be unconscious or dead from the UV exposure. The high from her afternoon sunbathing disappeared in a rush of adrenaline. She ran six blocks to the Garden, her eyes scanning every mirrored alleyway for signs of the missing children.
    When she reached the building, Albert was conducting lessons as usual. She gulped air and rested her hands on her knees as the group of wide-eyed children stared at her.
    Albert didn ’ t need her to ask. He nodded toward the glass walls at the desert outside. “ Burn Ops has lookouts scouring the fences. ”
    A strangled sob escaped Tula ’ s lips.
    Rising from his desk, he directed the students to read from their gamma pads and cupped Tula ’ s arm to lead her aside. “ I ’ m sorry, Tula. I had no idea they were conspiring to escape. The girls developed an obvious crush on Jobie from the start. They seemed content in each other ’ s company. I thought there were no issues. ”
    “ Didn ’ t you get the transfer request? He wasn ’ t supposed to be in this class anymore. ”
    “ He was to be moved today. That ’ s probably why they ran away. ”
    “ I should have spent more time here on their Integration. ” She paced a few steps away, wrapping her arms around herself.
    “ Let Burn Ops find them, then we ’ ll assess the damage. ”
    Tears blurred Tula ’ s vision. “ I can ’ t stand around and do nothing. ” She barely saw the door as she exited the building with Albert calling after her.
    The multiple classrooms didn ’ t have privacy screens, so she could see inside at every angle. Where would three cannibal children think was safe? The Garden was in the center of the city, surrounded by a maze of mirrored walls. A skimmer whooshed past, the woman driving staring intently out the side, into the transparent walls of the classrooms.
    Glancing down the paved street, Tula saw the front edge of the skimmer yard several blocks away. The skimmer equipment rose in hulking, solid forms, perfect to hide among. She stumbled that direction, aware of every ray of energy penetrating her skin. The children must be beside themselves by now.
    She reached the yard and the attendant smiled at her, checking his gamma pad. “ Another Burn emergency, Dr. Macoby? Heard the last one was a doozy. Sorry again about that skimmer pooping out on you. ”
    “ Have you seen any strange things around the yard today? Any signs of things not where they should be? ”
    “ Uh, I just came on duty. You ’ d have to ask Koil. Over there. ” The attendant pointed to a skimmer underneath a metal frame of wires and