The Variable Facility

Chapter 7

The next day...

X makes a plan to escape the facility.

*My Plan:

Step 1: Distract Radical-16.

Step 2: Break the window using building blocks.

Step 3: Climb out.

Step 4: Run.

FREEDOM!*

***

Before breakfast, X tells the other variables the plan. The others agree to help him, putting themselves at risk to save X.

***

During breakfast, Lowercase y creates a distraction since he's the most desensitized to the pain.

Radical-16 notices this and locks himself and Lowercase y in the White Room.

Y, J, and T barricade the door.

K and D use their powers to break the window.

Cyan X "Dumbfounded" uses her powers to help X get out safely.

And X runs away as fast as he can. He jumps the fence and ends up in someone's backyard.

A dog who is a bone notices him and begins barking.

X is startled by the sudden barking and tries to hide, but there's nowhere to hide.

A sentient beach ball goes to the backyard and notices X. She doesn't seem phased by the idea of a child ending up in her backyard.

"Well, hello, dear," she says. "What brings you here?"

"I escaped from a dangerous building."

"Oh, I see. How did you get there?"

"I've been there for as long as I can remember."

"Oh, dear. If you don't mind me asking, where are your parents?"

"I don't remember who they are."

"So you're an orphan or a missing child?"

"Yeah, whatever that means."

"Well, let's introduce ourselves. I'm Beach Ball, and this is my dog, Crunch!"

"Woof!"

"Wow! I'm X. You don't look like an Algebralien."

"That's because I'm not one. I'm a living object! And so is my dog!"

"Bark! Bark!"

"That's incredible. I've never seen the outside world before today."

"You haven't? That's strange. I've never heard someone say that before."

"You haven't, Beach Ball?"

"Not at all, dear."

"So, where do I go in this outside world now?"

"I know someone who would be willing to take care of you. Let me just call her up..."

Beach Ball takes out her cell phone and calls someone.

X slips past her, going inside her house.

He looks around at all the stuff that there is to offer. There were some pretty unfamiliar items on different pieces of furniture.

"Wow! This place is amazing!"

"I know, right?" said Beach Ball as soon as she finished the call. "It's quite... homey."

"Whoa!"

"Now, don't get too comfortable. We'll be leaving soon to meet your new caretaker at the plaza by the Equation Playground."

"The Equation Playground?"

"Yeah! It's a place where every little Algebralien loves to go to learn math!"

"Math? I know some of that!"

"Then you'll LOVE the Equation Playground, X!"

"Okay! Let's go, then!"

***

Beach Ball and X head to the plaza where the Unnamed Store #82 is.

Then, Beach Ball walks X over to the park near the Equation Playground.

X waves goodbye to Beach Ball and sits under a tree.

As he stays under the tree, he sees other variables finding their values and not having to deal with stressful performances to get people to like them.

X feels sad because he's had to prove his worth all his life, and it hurt to not even be able to find his value.

Then, X hears a voice.

"Doo doo doo doo, doo doo..."

A number 4 crouches to look at him and says...

"X! What's wrong? You look depressed!"

X replied, "Oh, I don't know. I just don't know what I am, what my value is."

The four replied, "Then let's go to the Equation Playground!"

The integer and the variable walked to the Equation Playground.

"What's your name?" X asked curiously.

"My name is Four! Yours is X, right?"

"Yep! That's me!"

"I remember you. You were performing at the theater a while ago."

"Yeah... I remember that. I don't wanna talk about it."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Four and X approach the Equation Playground.

"So this is the Equation Playground?" X said.

"Yeah!" Four replied.

***

Later, after X found his value with the help of Four, he and Four played catch with Five and Three.

Soon, Beach Ball came to the Equation Playground with an Algebralien who was a yellow capital N. They were nothing like X's old friend, N.

"X!" said Beach Ball. "Come here!"

"Hold on, my friends," said X. "I need to go over there."

X goes over to Beach Ball and the capital N.

"This is your new caretaker, N!" said Beach Ball.

"I had a friend named N," X replied. "They were a lowercase N, though."

"Oh, that's cool!" said the capital N. "I think you'll love my child, Sunny. He's a ray of sunshine!"

"Really?" said X.

"No, it's just a metaphor. He's an X-squared."

"Cool!" said X.

"And our family's felt a little empty lately, so hopefully you'll help us feel better."

"Oh!"

The capital N giggles. "You can just call me 'Mom', X. Beach Ball introduced me to you."

"Okay, Mom!"

The capital N smiles. "Thank you, Miss Beach Ball, for allowing me to take X in!"

"You're welcome, N," said Beach Ball. "You can just call me Beach Ball."

"Okay, Beach Ball," said the capital N. "Say goodbye to your new friends, X!"

"Um, bye, guys," said X.

"Bye!" said Four, Five, and Three.

N and X headed to what would be X's new home.

Word total: 910