"It's no use," Kevin said. "It-" Then he got Ron's f<strong>is</strong>t in h<strong>is</strong> face and that shut him up.Julian took a step towards <strong>the</strong>m. "Hey-"The reception<strong>is</strong>t gazed calmly at everything. Griffin was busy pacing aimlessly around <strong>the</strong> room and inand out of <strong>the</strong> doorway, hands in h<strong>is</strong> pockets. Scott leant against <strong>the</strong> doorway attempting and failing tolook cool, mostly because <strong>the</strong> way Griffin kept passing him on h<strong>is</strong> pacing rounds tended to spoil <strong>the</strong>effect.The reception<strong>is</strong>t didn't flinch as Ron shrugged off Julian's steadying hand and got back in front of <strong>the</strong>desk, gripping its edge as he glared at her."Is <strong>the</strong>re any way out?""No.""Huh. Is that your standard answer or <strong>the</strong> real one?""My standard answer."The reception<strong>is</strong>t was drawing a picture of a dog. She added a waggy tail to it and smiled."The fire exits," Julian said suddenly, before Ron could go psycho on <strong>the</strong> barrier again. "If <strong>the</strong>y ex<strong>is</strong><strong>the</strong>re as well-""There's no use in that," Scott said, still leaning against <strong>the</strong> doorway not-looking cool. "We'd just end upin <strong>the</strong> future of some alternate world. How would that help us?"Julian ran a hand through h<strong>is</strong> hair and sighed. "Okay," he said. "How are people brought into th<strong>is</strong>place?" he asked <strong>the</strong> reception<strong>is</strong>t."The machine.""Right. And <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong>re a... computer... that operates it somewhere?'"Maybe. You really shouldn't be asking <strong>the</strong>se questions. I'm calling <strong>the</strong> guards."The reception<strong>is</strong>t pressed a button.Ron gave a bark of laughter. "Yeah," he said. "Call <strong>the</strong> guards! I bet <strong>the</strong>y'll be more helpful than you.EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE DEAD!""Please be quiet," <strong>the</strong> reception<strong>is</strong>t said, and went back to her drawing. She decided to call <strong>the</strong> dog Jack."Where's <strong>the</strong> computer?" Julian pressed on."Julian?"He turned.Scott pointed at a door next to <strong>the</strong> desk. 'Computer Room', it said helpfully on its label.Julian gave a wry smile. "Thanks."**Groups A + E"We've been here for... five days? Has anyone been keeping track?""Five days," Martin confirmed with a nod."Yeah," Harry continued. "It's pretty amazing we actually managed to survive so long. We thought we'dnever even make it past <strong>the</strong> first night, when it started getting colder and all, but <strong>the</strong>n we found th<strong>is</strong>place. And <strong>the</strong>re were those... squid things inside... Ortiz tried to attack one of <strong>the</strong>m and it, well, kind ofburst into flames...""I m<strong>is</strong>s Ortiz," Rupert said sadly.
"At least it meant we had heat," Harry said, looking on <strong>the</strong> bright side. "Then we found that f<strong>is</strong>h pond,and it turned out that Marlon's actually a really good f<strong>is</strong>herman. But I guess we won't be staying heremuch longer, right, 'cause you're here and-""We're not a rescue party," Nelson cut in. "We're just as lost as you are.""Or more so," Conor added."But you're here," ins<strong>is</strong>ted some teen named Mike who for some reason gave off adult vibes. "Youknow, we spent <strong>the</strong> last few days thinking we'd never see o<strong>the</strong>r people again-" John Constantine madea no<strong>is</strong>e that could have ei<strong>the</strong>r been a cynical snort or an attempt to d<strong>is</strong>lodge a f<strong>is</strong>hbone caught in h<strong>is</strong>throat, "-We thought we would die here once <strong>the</strong> food supply ran out or <strong>the</strong> fires died or <strong>the</strong> pond frozeover. Because every day was <strong>the</strong> same. <strong>Not</strong>hing changed. Until now."Cancer aside, John Constantine appeared perfectly healthy, so it probably wasn't a f<strong>is</strong>hbone."Sorry to get your hopes up," he muttered."Whatever brought us here was <strong>the</strong> same thing that brought you here," Conor said. "There was some...kind of time d<strong>is</strong>crepancy, but that's it. It doesn't... doesn't mean anything."Martin was looking curiously at <strong>the</strong> cornflakes guy."Is he all right?" Martin asked, gesturing at him.":(," vibed <strong>the</strong> cornflakes guy."Has he eaten?" Conor asked."I gave him a f<strong>is</strong>h," Paul said."Uh, I ate that," Jesse said. "Yeah. Uh... sorry. He didn't want it... I think he only eats cornflakes."Harry got up and pulled John Constantine's fourth f<strong>is</strong>h off <strong>the</strong> cooking ledge, dangling it by <strong>the</strong> tail whereit was cool enough to hold. He stepped over to <strong>the</strong> cornflakes guy and held it out for him. "Here yougo," he said. "Sorry pal, we've got no cornflakes here."Paul took <strong>the</strong> f<strong>is</strong>h on h<strong>is</strong> behalf and looked at him. "You've got to eat," he said."...," said <strong>the</strong> cornflakes guy, who was not well-versed in <strong>the</strong> technicalities of human nutrition.Paul picked off a bit of f<strong>is</strong>h and held it out. "It's good," he said."At least someone knows we're here," Ludlow said in a change of subject, as Paul continued in <strong>the</strong>thankless task of attempting to feed <strong>the</strong> cornflakes guy. "Someone took Winston. And he was quickabout it. It was planned.""But why would someone take Winston?" Derek asked. "What did <strong>the</strong>y want with him?""Ransom?" Martin suggested."From whom, h<strong>is</strong> parents?" Ludlow asked with unnecessary sarcasm. "Who are <strong>the</strong>y, interdimensionalsuperheroes?"Rupert shrugged."Maybe he just kidnapped him for fun," Tod said.Ludlow ra<strong>is</strong>ed an eyebrow at him. Th<strong>is</strong> made Tod uncomfortable, and he went to occupy himselfinstead with <strong>the</strong> less-dangerous activity of playing with h<strong>is</strong> f<strong>is</strong>h skeletons."They might not have been after Winston specifically," Johnny Utah said. "Could have been anyone ofus. It's dark, it's hard to tell-""Why would anyone do that?" Kip asked. "There's no one who would care about just anyone of us."
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"Your behaviour these past few mont
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Neo sank down on the sofa.He looked
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Next morning62nd Floor. Arrival Lob
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It is in fact at the cafeteria that
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'There is no exit here', read the h
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Back from his breakfast, Griffin sa
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Alex looked up."...That's Paul, tha
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The floor hackers stared at their l
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"Okay," Conor continued. "Situation
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Yawning, Paul pushed open the door
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Jack lunged at his neck. Both of th
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Then they fell silent again as Neo
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"I did you a favour, Jack," Griffin
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"That's one," Neo said helpfully, p
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New guy gave a start. "Uh," he said
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His mom made better waffles than th
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Tommy reluctantly handed over the b
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It is after a day or two living at
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There had existed for a time an Ame
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he was pretty sure was a broken nos
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Night. A shortage of actual beds me
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Neo yanked his finger away to safet
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