Broken Pixels (Broken Realms, #4)

CHAPTER 23-1

CHAPTER 23Sam bent down in front a chrome cabinet, opened its glass door, releasing a gust of warm air that flowed over his arms. He extracted a plate from the top wire shelf that held a large round waffle at its center. Inhaling the toasty aroma, he straightened and turned to the miniature table where Mara and Ping sat somewhat uncomfortably. They were turned sideways because the tabletop was too low to accommodate their legs.

“You guys need any more butter or syrup?” Sam asked. When they shook their heads, he crossed the room, placed his second helping of breakfast on the table and rejoined them.

Shortly after they had awakened that morning, a lab worker had stopped by the tiny room, containing two sets of bunk beds, and showed them where the bathroom and cafeteria were located. They found the furnishings in both rooms smaller than they had expected.

Pouring maple syrup on his second waffle, Sam said, “I guess we’re lucky that at least the kids around here eat normal food or we’d be starving to death. It was a little weird using a pint-size commode in the bathroom though. Hard to imagine being a ten-year-old kid one day, and then, zap, you’re a synthetic person. No more waffles for you, kid.” He stuffed a dripping forkful into his mouth.

“You’re assuming they can’t eat regular food after they transition,” Ping said. “That may not be correct.”

“Cam never ate anything when we were in our old realm,” Sam said around the food he was chewing.

Mara said, “We only knew him as a disconnected head in our realm. Where would his food go after he chewed it?” She laughed.

Sam nodded, smiled and swallowed. “That’s true.”

Ping looked around the room at the lowered counters and miniature furniture, and said, “I suppose they address the biological needs of children who are about to make the transition. I wonder what kind of preparation they must go through before that happens.”

“Children receive extensive preparatory courses as part of their primary schooling. By the time they get here, it’s just part of growing up—a rite of passage they look forward to,” Cam said, as he leaned against the frame of the entryway to the cafeteria. “And, by the way, we can eat waffles. It’s just not required for us to sustain ourselves.”

Mara smiled. “Cam! Look at you—you’re in one piece finally!”

Patting himself on the chest with both hands, he approached their table. “Yes, and I have you to thank.”

“And to blame,” Mara added.

Sam pointed a fork at Cam and asked, “So, if you don’t have to eat, where do you get the energy to keep your body going?”

Cam held out one hand, rubbed the back of it with the other and said, “Our skin can convert light into energy, and we can tap into the power net, the wireless power grid that’s ubiquitous in this world.”

“That’s how my phone has been recharging itself,” Mara said.

He nodded and walked over to them. “I don’t mean to ridicule, but you three look a bit strange sitting at that little table.”

“I suppose we are like fish out of water around here. Oddly I feel like some sort of remedial person who has failed to mature properly,” Ping said.

Cam laughed. “Believe me, I can relate. I felt the same my first few days in your realm. Hopefully you won’t have to stay here long enough to get used to it.”

To Mara he asked, “How long are you planning to stay?”

Mara glanced at Ping and said, “We haven’t had time to discuss it, but, if Abby exhibited symptoms of the dissoluendo virus after being in this realm for a couple weeks, we have to assume the same will be true for us. At a minimum, I’d like to find out what Dr. Canfield has learned about the crystal we gave her. Maybe we can do something to counter its effects before we go.”

“The three of you should get the Quintivir treatment as soon as possible and go back to your realm. I would hate to see something happen to you,” Cam said. “I’m sure the authorities here can come up with a way to deal with whatever is happening.”

“I’m not so sure. I don’t get the impression that people around here are especially open-minded about things beyond their experience. When you first got back and told them about your adventures traveling to other realms and seeing a dragon, they didn’t seem too receptive to the ideas,” Mara said.

“Somehow, if the roles were reversed, I doubt you would be either,” he said, smiling. “However, you figured out a way to embrace these strange metaphysical concepts. So will they. This may be something that you let someone else fix.”

Sam dropped his fork to his plate with a clatter and wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. “She’ll never do that. She’s always got to be in there, making everything right.”

Ping chuckled but didn’t add anything.

“Let me find out what’s going on with the crystal, and then we’ll talk about going home,” she said. She glared at her brother. “Besides, I thought you were in no hurry to spend a day in one of those receptacle tubes.”

“Not looking forward to it, but it’s better than having my organs melt.”

Cam grimaced for a second but quickly shook off the expression. “Anyway, the doctor said she could meet you in the conference room in about thirty minutes. I’ve got to return to the diagnostics lab for a few more tests, but I’ll stop by when I’m done.”

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