Z 2134

possible that Ana and Liam, a man he thought of as a son, had wound up in The Games together?
    Jonah chose to ignore the “lovers” remark almost entirely, save for the nagging buzz rattling at the back of his head. Everyone knew Liam was a ladies’ man, and of course Jonah saw Ana being attracted to someone like that, especially since he’d been absent for large patches of her life — first working too many long hours for City Watch, then for The Underground — but it seemed more like a manufactured way of selling the players than like the truth.
    “You said she was put in the barn; what do you mean?”
    “They fell ’sleep in a cave, and woke in a barn. The TV man said they’d start ta’ mornin’ with a brand new mini-game, but they weren’t awake.”
    Sweat beaded Jonah’s brow. Nothing about a new mini-game was good. Mini-games usually meant death for at least one player, and often pitted players against each other. Liam clearly held an advantage over two girls, and Jonah knew the Network crafted games for only two reasons: to manipulate results and viewer reaction.
    “Will you let me know what happens?” Jonah asked, trying to keep his voice from cracking.
    “Yes,” Calla nodded. And then almost immediately, she followed with, “What’s it like in Ta’ City?”
    Jonah again tried to place her accent, wondering where it was from and why he’d never heard anything like it. Was this what a life spent in The Barrens sounded like? While that seemed like an obvious answer, no, it didn’t make sense. Her father, Egan, spoke like anyone else from City 6. And surely their community had to be filled with countless others who had once lived behind The Walls. Why would the girl’s speech be corrupted if she wasn’t living in isolation?
    Jonah smiled, not wanting to scare her, deciding to start his story soft, playing up the better stuff and gauging her reaction, tailoring his description to what he thought she wanted to hear.
    “It’s fun,” he said. “At least most of the time. The City is centered around clusters of entertainment, with giant arcades, bars, libraries, theaters, and even live music. Of course, The Games are everywhere — on TVs in our homes, in public meeting places, and even in the break rooms in some jobs. There are smaller cafes and restaurants, with two types of food: rationed and wonderful. The wonderful tastes like heaven but costs far too many credits — those are funds issued by The State.”
    “I know what credits are,” she said. “What is the food like?”
    Calla looked like she was about to drool thinking of the food, making Jonah wonder if the mush and water she pushed through his mouth was any worse than what she ate herself.
    “It’s OK,” he shrugged, “depending on your ration level. For the higher flats, I hear it’s wonderful, and the few times my tongue got a taste, I’d have to agree.”
    Jonah smiled for Calla’s benefit, but also at the memory. She stared, wide-eyed and waiting for more. “There’s little variety in the food, and the cafes are mostly the same. The Social is The City’s biggest gathering spot, a bar with food, drinks — both alcohol and sugar water, card games, and monitors broadcasting The Games. There’s several of these bars, with at least one every few blocks. It’s where most adults and some of the older kids meet up and spend time together.”
    “That doesn’t sound so bad,” Calla said. Jonah noticed that she was taking her time, speaking her words slowly, as if trying to mimic a more proper English. “Daddy says it’s awful behind The Wall. There’s lots of crime, poor people, and disease. An’ you always hafta’ work hard, at jobs you don’t choose.”
    “Well,” Jonah didn’t want to disagree with whatever Egan had said. “It can be hard. But I’m guessing you have to work hard here, too, right?”
    The girl nodded.
    Jonah continued, “But yes, there’s lots of bad stuff, too. And bad people. Though the Watchers try to keep peace and order…well, the good ones, anyway. Your father’s right that it’s probably best to be outside The Wall, as long as you can keep clear of the zombies. You’re lucky you have this place.” Jonah nodded, gesturing around him. “You have a safe place. You’re protected from the zombies. And you have a community of good people to look after you.”
    “People?” Calla repeated.
    “Yeah, in your village here, or whatever you’re calling it.”
    “There’s not