Trapped!: The 2031 Journal of Otis Fitzmorgan (19 page)

THE ADULTS HAD ALL REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS!

Day 6 of 6
  
  
7:30
PM

The first thing I did was find Teddy
.
He had clicked off when his body struck the wall. But when I turned him back on, he started whirling and clacking furiously,
as if he were still going after Booth. I assured him everything was okay, and he looked up at me with those soft bio-real
eyes and blinked twice. “Good boy.” I told him, and even Charlotte said, “That's one brave toy.” I tucked Teddy safely back
in my jacket pocket.

We made sure that Ms. Jenkins was securely but comfortably tied up. After putting helmets and gloves back on, we made our
way carefully down the ladder to Level I then rushed up to the common Room.

The room was bustling. Well, quietly bustling. Most of the adults were there, talking softly to one another. They all looked
groggy and a little beaten up, but it was so wonderful to set them awake. Ms. Jenkins had been telling the truth. Apparently,
the virus had an auto-destruct element. It had just kicked in a little earlier than she had planned.

Crockett looked up at us from where he was checking on Mrs. Benato, who sat who sat on a loveseat with Lysa. He gave us the
thumbs-up sign.

Mr. Bennett was sprawled on a couch, his head in his hands. I thought about telling him how SHARP TEETH had helped subdue
Ms. Jenkins but decided it could wait.

I quickly scanned the room again. I saw Yves sitting with his parents. He gave me a small wave and a sheepish smile. I returned
the smile, but my eyes kept moving. There! My mom and dad were sitting on a couch. As Charlotte rushed to her father, I sprinted
over to my parents. 'They held out their arms to me and the three of us shared a long, long hug.

Feeling tears on my cheeks, I pulled bad just so I could look at them.

“Crockett told us a little about what's happened…,” Dad said, and then trailed off as he looked over my shoulder.

I WAS SO GLAD MOM AND DAD WERE OKAY!

I saw he was gazing in wonder at Judge.

“Hello,” Judge said, smiling. “I'm so glad you're feeling better. You had us worried, you Know”

“Oh, my,” Mom said. “I think I'm sicker than I thought.”

“No, it's okay Morn. I'd like to introduce you to Judge Pinkerton.”

Both of my parents knew Judge the way I had before this Elevator trip: from the journals of our ancestors. She had been woven
into the fabric of our family.

My mom's eyes filled with tears. “How …?”

“Oh,” Dad said in a husky voice, “I wish my mother were here to see you.”

Judge beamed at them both. “We've got a lot of catching up to do.”

I left them alone. As I was helping Crockett make the other adults comfortable and get them something to eat, I Kept an eye
on my parents and Judge.

I had spent my life uncovering faxes. So I felt like I Knew a real person. And that's what I saw when I looked at Judge —who
was composed of trillions of nanobots—a real person. But I Knew not everyone would set her like that. There would be people,
like Lysa, who were scared because they didn't know any better. And then there would be more dangerous people. The ones who
might want to destroy Judge or keep her locked up because she was different.

About twenty minutes later, Judge joined me by the observation window. In silence, we watched Earth as it grew closer and
closer.

I guess Judge was thinking along the same lines I'd been. She said, “I Know from your hard drive and from what your parents
just told me that I might not have any rights on Earth because I'm an artificial life form.”

I wanted to tell her that wasn't true. But it was. Who knew what would happen to Judge when she got back to Earth? I looked
at her. “Our laws need to catch up with technology.”

“But that could be some time, couldn't it?” she asked.

I nodded. “Honestly it could be years. When we reach Earth and they open those doors, I'm not sure what will happen to you.”

Judge was quiet again for a moment. Then she said, “I wish there was some way for me to slip away when we reach Earth.”

“That's going to be impossible, “I told her, trying to be as truthful as possible. “We'll be met by Customs. There will be
no way to sneak off without anyone knowing it. And once they have you in custody… ”

You might never be free, I finished to myself.

“Could change shape?” Charlotte asked from behind us. “Sorry to interrupt, but maybe we could program you into… ” Her voice
trailed off. “But then you'd just be hiding who you really are.”

Judge nodded. And that's no way to live.”

More silence. Finally, I said, “I have an idea. Come with me.”

Charlotte and Judge followed me to Level 2. When we reached our destination, Charlotte seemed doubtful, but Judge clapped
her hands together.

“Oh, yes!” she cried. “This is just perfect.”

We were gazing up at the retrofitted biplane.

“It uses hover technology,” I explained. “But the controls are the same as they would be on a regular biplane.”

“A young man taught me to fly one of these old planes over a hundred years ago.”

“I Know,” I said. “John Hatherford was the pilot's name.”

Judge looked surprised for a moment. Then she smiled. “You read G. Codd's journal, so you Know flying this won't be a problem
for me.” “Are you sure about this?” Charlotte said, eyeing the plane.

“Absolutely,” Judge answered without hesitation. “I need my freedom. I'll make my way in the world and wait for it to catch
up.”

I touched her arm. When Judge turned to look at me, I said, But keep in touch.”

“Always,” Judge promised. We hugged. “Thank you,” she whispered to me.

She embraced Charlotte and climbed into the open cockpit of the plane.

“We need to get inside the airlock,” I said to Charlotte. “I can open the large cargo door from there. We're still pretty
high up, so once the door's open, the air will be too thin and too cold for us.”

Charlotte nodded. We opened the inner door of the airlock, stepped inside, and closed the door behind us. Through the small
window, we could see the plane and Judge.

“Is she going to be okay?” Charlotte asked as I pressed my thumb on the keypad and gained access to the cargo door controls.

“Don't worry,” I said. “The Climber is descending at a stable rate. And the hovercraft equipment on the biplane includes a
powerful nuclear engine. Judge simply has to lift off and move the plane forward and she'll be free.”

THUNK! THUNK!

I could practically feel the bolts sliding back as the cargo door unlocked. And then it slowly opened up and outward, like
a flap lifting up from the side of the Elevator.

Judge rolled the plane to the edge. Then it lifted up and glided off the elevator.

“Wow,” Charlotte whispered next to me. “She's—”

“Incredible.” I finished for her. I knew in my heart I would set Judge again someday.

Judge hovered for a moment, giving me one last thumbs-up and a grin. She mouthed, “See you soon!”

We watched her until the biplane was just a speck in the bright blue sky.

And then she was gone.

About two hours later, Charlotte and I waited in front of the main doors of the Climber. Our parents were standing in front
of us. My mom and dad were telling a story to Mr. Noonan, who was laughing along.

We had reached the bottom of the ribbon about twenty minutes earlier. We now sat on the Elevator platform on Salmona Isle,
a small rocky island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

The Elevator had come to rest with a loud hiss, as if the mechanical clamps were as tired as we were. The crews outside had
been spraying down the outside with high-powered disinfectant, just in case we had brought back. any extraterrestrials without
realizing it.

“How will you explain that missing plane?” Charlotte asked me.

“I don't know,” I said. And then couldn't resist grinning. “I guess I'll buy the owner a new one.”

“And, how exactly will you do that?” She nudged me in the ribs.

“I plan on collecting a nice chunk of change.”

Understanding lit her face. She smiled. “You're going to collect the reward money for recovering the statue?”

“You got it,” I answered. “All the artwork on board has an automatic reward policy.”

“Even though the statue is smashed into pieces?”

“Since it has been 'damaged,' the reward will be half,” I explained. “But it's still a fortune. There will be plenty to buy
a new plane.”

“What will you do with the rest of the money?” she asked.

“I plan on making it my life's mission to ensure that private detectives are allowed to practice again.”

I looked over at Mrs. Benato and Lysa. Crockett was standing with them, and Lysa was listening intently as he told her a story.

I realized Judge wasn't the only one who had a second chance to build a life. Asyla Notabe would live on in Mrs. Benato, Ms.
Jenkins, Lysa … and in Charlotte.

She must have noticed my gaze on her. “What?” she asked a little self-consciously.

“I was just thinking about the future.”

“And what do you see?”

I smiled. “I'd rather show you,” I said.

A worker opened the door to the Climber from the outside, and cried, “Welcome home!”

Following in the footsteps of our parents, Charlotte and I walked out into the bright sunlight and onto planet Earth.