Protect All Monsters by Alan Spencer Page B

machine.
    Richard checked his watch. “One last thing before I let you eat. You will be responsible for showing up at your shift on time. You balance your free time as you wish. The consequences will be heavy if you’re late or absent. If you’re sick, either you or a coworker must tell your shift manager about it. We’ll have our medical staff look you over and diagnose you. You have a telephone in your room. If there’s any confusion or an emergency, call the operator. They’ll help you get everything in order. Okay, so you have thirty minutes to eat. The cafeteria is open at all hours. Anything you want, they can cook up from scratch. So eat up, and then it’s off to work. I’ll be waiting at the east door. Thirty minutes, people; let’s get a move on.”
    The group dispersed to the buffet. She was hungry despite her reservations about everything. There were so many questions and concerns, but she already knew they wouldn’t be answered. She had to live a day—a week—in this place, and she’d have the routine down.
    The more things change…
    She survived the crowd by choosing strawberry yogurt and a bacon and cheese biscuit. The moment she sat down, Herman invited himself to sit down right across from her. “We’ve got to stick together, girl. Hey, at least they have good eats.”
    She wanted to be alone, but he was harmless. He was trying to make jokes. He was also a friend among strangers, and she decided she better be nice to him if she was stuck here forever.
    Forever.
    I wonder what the suicide rate is around here.
    Again, that menacing question loomed: What do they do when somebody dies? Bury them at sea?
    She laughed softly to herself. If there’s a cemetery, they nixed that from the tour.
    “What’s so funny?” Herman eyed her quizzically. “Are you losing it? You’re the only one I know around here that’s stayed relatively calm. Don’t go batty on me.”
    “I’m not losing it.” She took a bite out of her sandwich. “How about you?”
    “I’m alive, I have a pulse. What else do I need?” He cut up his steak into triangles and broke the yolk of his sunny-side-up eggs. “I haven’t had this powerful of a breakfast in years.”
    Todd Lamberson, the boisterous cop, plopped down beside Herman. “Hey, guys, I recognize you from the boat.” He wore a defiant expression. He ate a Powerbar and orange juice. “What do you think of their setup? Movie theater, and then the strip of stores? They’re breaking us down pretty fast. Thirty minutes to eat. Thirty minutes to get ready to work. They’ll have us worn down by the grind in no time.”
    Addey popped her knuckles. “They hold the cards. I’m more worried about the kind of work we’re going to be doing. You saw those pictures in that file they had us read.”
    Todd shook his head. “Monsters don’t exist. Until I meet one up close and personal, it’s just a doctored picture. This island is for something else. The fucking government can do anything they want. This is a front for something else, I’m telling you.”
    They finished their food in defeated silence. She figured they could dissect it and argue the origins and reasons for the facility anytime, but survival came first.
    The half hour mark crept up on them with alarming speed. Richard blew an ear-piercing whistle and talked into his bullhorn. “Throw away your leftovers and get in line right now.”
    The cafeteria hushed for a moment. The seasoned workers eyed them with sympathy. Others laughed, sharing a joke at their expense. Addey ignored them equally and walked toward the line. She hoped Richard would have mercy on her, give her a kind word or an easy job. The way he’d addressed her on the boat, he wasn’t the same person now. Here, he was a cold professional.
    Richard guided them away from the mall, the cafeteria and the places of leisure. They were ushered into a large conference room with a stage and no chairs. Armed guards stood vigil, guarding both sides of