Island of the Unemployed

SUNNY DAYS

They made their way down the side of the cliff, finding the boat tied to a tree, thrashing about against the rocks. A faint call came from their left. They looked down to find the rest of their party standing beneath a rocky crag, behind a curtain of water.

"What did you find?" Adrienne asked as they stepped through the waterfall, into the protection of the bluff.

"We made contact," Deja replied, as though it was their intention all along.

"You what?" Adrienne responded.

"An older couple. They invited us to dinner!"

"You were seen?"

"Not seen! Made contact. Right, Lum?"

"Right. Contact," Lum replied.

"And they invited us all to dinner?" Adrienne asked.

"Yes!"

"Investors invited us to dinner, and you accepted? Have you forgotten our relationship with them? Do you really think they invited us to socialize? What do you suppose they're going to do with a group of employees running around free? Best-case scenario, they put us back in the Grid. More likely, they'll execute us."

"We don't know for sure they're investors."

"Who else could they be? Who else would be living outside the Grid?"

"Okay. Fine!" Deja threw up her hands. "Lum and I are going. Anyone else want to go?"

"I want to go," Vladi said. "I'm hungry!"

"Me too!" Sasha added.

Adrienen let out a sigh. "Okay. We'll go up and check it out, but if it doesn't look safe, we're going to leave immediately."

They headed up the side of the cliff. "We're going to leave immediately," Deja mumbled mockingly under her breath, wagging her head. Hey! No problem! If we get in trouble you can always stomp on their hands, she thought.

Adrienne insisted Deja and Lum go first while the rest waited out of sight. Deja knocked on the elderly couple's door, with Lum at her side. The rest hid below the ridge of the cliff.

"Oh hello, dear!" The woman pulled them in from the rain, then stuck her head out the door. "Where are your friends? I thought they were coming with you?" The anxiousness of the woman to get them all inside made Deja suspicious.

"They are. They should be here any minute."

"Well, I hope so. The chicken will be ready soon."

"Where's Trevor?" Deja asked.

"He went around back to see if anyone else is looking in the window. The poor man just can't get used to the idea that we're not living in the Grid anymore. He still gets the feeling someone is always watching. Can you imagine? He's constantly checking for intruders. Today is the first time he actually found one."

"Grid? You used to live in the Grid?"

"Yes. Of course! Didn't everyone? I mean unless you're an investor."

"So, you're not investors?"

"Oh, dear me, no. Does this look like a place where an investor would live? This house is practically falling apart."

"LOOK WHAT I FOUND!" Trevor led Kadee into the living room with his hand on Kadee's shoulder.

"Oh, my! He's a tall one!" the woman exclaimed. "Don't people use doors where you come from, dear?"