"I guess," Frank said as he kept scanning the landscape through the scope. "But you know, I get the feeling like this is a chance to really do something important. They don't just throw us in here for entertainment value."
He believed that partially. He knew some people got a kick out of watching kids kill each other. But he wasn't here for them. He was here to do a civil service. Unfortunately, through the scope he couldn't see anyone that he could take a shot at. Not anyone that deserved it, anyway.
The parties question threw him a little. He didn't attend so many of them. Usually he was too busy with football to do much of anything else. "It's your ticket to higher education", was what his mom would say. Though he was sure his dad could afford it.
Then again, he didn't often get invited. Sometimes it happened. He assumed people just figured he'd be too busy to attend.
It never occurred to him, even now, that people might not have wanted him to attend.
He lied, anyway.
"Yeah. I guess we're just gonna have to settle for this." He looked away from the scope, down at Audrey. "You been to any real good ones?" There was hint of genuine curiosity in his tone.
Every Cloud
Audrey shot Frank a bemused glance, then smiled with one corner of her lips. "Of course. I mean, most of them were pretty cool." She shot a glance over her shoulder for cameras but didn't see any. She was fairly sure that she was being recorded, but after further consideration, she didn't really care. Let that government jerk think what he wanted; it wasn't like she was a traitor. "If you were into that sort of thing, I heard some had cheap beer, um, vodka. Drinking games."
She had never personally gone to one of those, but she had heard they were fun. Well, as fun as it could get living on the edge of the law, always having to be ready to pack up the alcohol and run when the cops came or risk getting arrested and press-ganged into community service. She wasn't enough of a thrillseeker for that.
She shrugged, then kept going. "That did it for some people. I remember one party, though, where they put on a really good movie. There wasn't any alcohol, but we had soda, and we made popcorn. When it got late, we all curled up on the couches and the floor and stayed up until two in the morning. Just talking, you know, about whatever."
She felt a slight chill run down her back, not the alpine breeze, but cold nostalgia.
"I think it had everything to do with the people who went." Her smile had turned sad. "People matter, not the drinking or anything else."
She had never personally gone to one of those, but she had heard they were fun. Well, as fun as it could get living on the edge of the law, always having to be ready to pack up the alcohol and run when the cops came or risk getting arrested and press-ganged into community service. She wasn't enough of a thrillseeker for that.
She shrugged, then kept going. "That did it for some people. I remember one party, though, where they put on a really good movie. There wasn't any alcohol, but we had soda, and we made popcorn. When it got late, we all curled up on the couches and the floor and stayed up until two in the morning. Just talking, you know, about whatever."
She felt a slight chill run down her back, not the alpine breeze, but cold nostalgia.
"I think it had everything to do with the people who went." Her smile had turned sad. "People matter, not the drinking or anything else."
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Frank finally let the rifle dangle, done with looking over the valley. The party sounded interesting. Not the one with the alcohol. He couldn't drink, anyway. It was against the law; and it would ruin his health for football.
But the second party, the one where people just hung around talking. He supposed he could have gotten into that kind of thing. Maybe when he won Program someone would ask him to come along to such a function.
A slight breeze picked up, ruffling his clothes. "I wonder what this particular group of people is gonna do, then." He said, extending a hand out to the valley.
"We should probably get going. Don't think there's much else for us here." He was eager to get on with his service, but in truth, he had no idea how he should start. Especially not while he was running around with Audrey.
But the second party, the one where people just hung around talking. He supposed he could have gotten into that kind of thing. Maybe when he won Program someone would ask him to come along to such a function.
A slight breeze picked up, ruffling his clothes. "I wonder what this particular group of people is gonna do, then." He said, extending a hand out to the valley.
"We should probably get going. Don't think there's much else for us here." He was eager to get on with his service, but in truth, he had no idea how he should start. Especially not while he was running around with Audrey.
She wasn't sure what her classmates would do either. That was what had her worried. She couldn't even really get a handle on Frank, who seemed ready to leave to go down and do... something.
"Should we even leave?"
Audrey looked away from him, back over the valley.
"I don't mean to be a downer," she said. "But what's down there that we don't have up here?"
She didn't want to be lonely, but it was people that would eventually mean her death. Her best chance was staying away from people. This plateau was high, and good for doing that. It hurt, knowing classmates she knew were out there, and she couldn't do anything to help them, couldn't find them or talk to them or comfort them.
But she couldn't even help herself.
Despite it all, she hoped Frank had a better answer.
"Should we even leave?"
Audrey looked away from him, back over the valley.
"I don't mean to be a downer," she said. "But what's down there that we don't have up here?"
She didn't want to be lonely, but it was people that would eventually mean her death. Her best chance was staying away from people. This plateau was high, and good for doing that. It hurt, knowing classmates she knew were out there, and she couldn't do anything to help them, couldn't find them or talk to them or comfort them.
But she couldn't even help herself.
Despite it all, she hoped Frank had a better answer.
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The question gave him pause. He couldn't well tell her the truth, could he? He might lose some of that good will that he worked so hard to engender.
"I..."
He stopped, staring down into the valley. It was an idea. Just stay up here, let everyone sort each other out. It seemed like a coward's way out.
Still, it was tempting. Stay up here. Maybe build a picket fence, get a garden. The American Dream, right?
But then again, she had spent the time to talk to him. Hadn't run away from him. He guessed he owed her a little truth.
"We're not getting out of here until almost everyone's gone." He said.
He looked down at her.
"I want to get down there and start taking care of the more dangerous ones. The ones that might not have the country's best interests in mind."
He turned back to the valley. "I thought I might be able to get a shot up here, but I can't. Not sure I could even hit anything from up here."
Frank squatted and then took a seat next to Audrey.
"You already saw what our classmates are capable of. Senders made sure of that." He fiddled with the gun. "I don't think I can do this alone. I need someone watching my back, an ally, a spotter. Will you help me?"
"I..."
He stopped, staring down into the valley. It was an idea. Just stay up here, let everyone sort each other out. It seemed like a coward's way out.
Still, it was tempting. Stay up here. Maybe build a picket fence, get a garden. The American Dream, right?
But then again, she had spent the time to talk to him. Hadn't run away from him. He guessed he owed her a little truth.
"We're not getting out of here until almost everyone's gone." He said.
He looked down at her.
"I want to get down there and start taking care of the more dangerous ones. The ones that might not have the country's best interests in mind."
He turned back to the valley. "I thought I might be able to get a shot up here, but I can't. Not sure I could even hit anything from up here."
Frank squatted and then took a seat next to Audrey.
"You already saw what our classmates are capable of. Senders made sure of that." He fiddled with the gun. "I don't think I can do this alone. I need someone watching my back, an ally, a spotter. Will you help me?"
Frank made some good points. To get rid of the danger, to be a patriot. Patriotism appealed to her, at least in what she had always thought of it as. America was her country. Sure, dropping her in the Program wasn't something she liked about it. It was still her country, and even though she hated the situation she found herself in, it seemed natural to want the best for America. Her parents and her stupid brother were still out there, after all.
She made a note to herself, that if she ever got out of the Program, to recommend an end to this ridiculous death trap. That didn't seem likely, because no one ever reappeared after the Program was over. But she could hope.
Audrey had her reasons for not leaving, the ones that said to stay there, turtle it out until she just couldn't anymore, then to run or fight. Then she had Frank, telling her they could get rid of people like Maxim, risk it all to do something important, something for the good of the country.
She looked to her side, where Frank was sitting, asking her to help him.
Against her own judgment, she opened her mouth, closed it again, and nodded. There didn't seem to be anything else to say.
Then she got up.
She made a note to herself, that if she ever got out of the Program, to recommend an end to this ridiculous death trap. That didn't seem likely, because no one ever reappeared after the Program was over. But she could hope.
Audrey had her reasons for not leaving, the ones that said to stay there, turtle it out until she just couldn't anymore, then to run or fight. Then she had Frank, telling her they could get rid of people like Maxim, risk it all to do something important, something for the good of the country.
She looked to her side, where Frank was sitting, asking her to help him.
Against her own judgment, she opened her mouth, closed it again, and nodded. There didn't seem to be anything else to say.
Then she got up.
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Frank smiled, pleased that he had chosen his friends wisely. He stood up as well.
"Let's do our country proud."
He turned, found the safest route back down and started descending.
((Frank Callahan continued in Trial and Error))
"Let's do our country proud."
He turned, found the safest route back down and started descending.
((Frank Callahan continued in Trial and Error))
Audrey straightened the wrinkles in her skirt, and then followed Frank, hoping that she'd chosen correctly.
Only time would tell, she supposed.
((Audrey McKee continued in Trial and Error))
Only time would tell, she supposed.
((Audrey McKee continued in Trial and Error))
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