We get to the second floor, and I slide myself along the wall to peek around the corner. When I don’t see any professors, we quickly hurry down to room 206. It’s clearly labeled, but I’ve never been in here before. There was never any need.
I try the door, and it opens. I’m immediately amongst a vast assortment of equipment. There are machines—not computers exactly, but large rectangular panels with buttons and dials. Switches and lights. There’s a phone and plastic box full of paper that’s labeledFAX MACHINE.
The room itself isn’t very big—about the size of a large custodial closet, like the one we have near the kitchen where we keep the mops and buckets—but I’m a little overwhelmed with the amount of wires and metal.
I decide there isn’t anything of consequence in here, but just as I start to turn away, I notice the last panel. There’s a stack of faxes in front of it, all markedREADwith a stamp.
As I read the labels on the panel, my stomach drops. My breath catches in my chest.
Sydney notices my reaction and darts her eyes around the room.
“What is it?” she asks.
I swallow hard and point. Printed on the device is the brand, etched into the metal:PARENTAL ASSISTANT. And down the front of the panel are switches, each labeled.EVA,GEMMA,STELLA,MORGAN, and several others run down to the bottom.
“It’s... It’s a machine,” I murmur. “They’rea machine.”
“What does that mean?” Sydney asks. “Are you... Are you saying Gemma’s not even real?”
There’s a loud beep and we both jump, grabbing on to each other. There’s a scraping sound, a series of buzzes, and then a piece of paper gets sucked into the fax machine. We stare at it, unsure what’s happening. And then the machine spits out the paper, facedown.
We stay very still until Sydney steps forward to pull the page out of the machine. She flips it over and reads it. Her lips part, but she doesn’t say a word. She holds out the paper to me.
And when I read it, I find that it’s a fax to Anton. From EVA.
FAX
To: Anton Stuart
From: EVA
Re: Philomena Rhodes
Date: April 18th
Pages: 1
* UrgentFor ReviewPlease Reply
Comments:
Philomena Rhodes displayed unusual behavior patterns while calling the Rhodes residence this evening. The situation was diffused, but per guidelines, this message was generated to keep you informed.
Action is not suggested at this time.
17
Every conversation I had with EVA was a lie. She’s a computer system, a “parental assistant.” She was in the academy the entire time. She would ask questions about my contentment, and then... what? Pass my answers along to Anton, I guess.
“We have to go,” Sydney says, still staring at the panel of names. But then she turns, and I follow behind her. We shut off the light and close the door.
On the way back to our floor, I’m still trying to process. Sydney doesn’t say a word.
We rush back to the other girls and find them waiting in my room, sitting on the bed. When we walk in, Brynn looks up hopefully.
“Did you talk to your parents?” she asks. “Did they believe you?”
I stare back at her, suddenly unable to speak. Sydney steps beside me, and we exchange a look, knowing we have to tell them.
