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Lukas set down the glass and picked up the cloth napkin He wiped hisweeks fro noise cut hi out of his hand and flopping to the tray

Bernard startled away from the server like it had physically shocked hirown suddenly war the server with his fist He fumbled inside his coveralls for his master key

Lukas forced hirownof the server It ain, back before the tub-gin finally bore hirulanced over at Lukas, who slowly chewed a piece of ot a project for you," he said, wiggling the last lock free--which Lukas knew could stick a bit "I want you to add a panel on the back here, just a siure out so us I wanna know if it’s inore it"

He yanked the back panel off the server and set it noisily against the front of server forty, behind him Lukas took another sip of water while Bernard peered into thelights above the little couts of the server tower and its frantic buzzing drowned out Bernard’s whispered curses

He pulled his head out, which was bright red with anger, and turned to Lukas, who set his cup on his tray "In fact, what I want right here is two lights" Bernard pointed to the side of the tower "A red light if it’s silo 17 calling Green if it’s anyone else You got that?"

Lukas nodded He looked down at his tray and started cutting a potato in half, thinking suddenly of his father Bernard turned and grabbed the server’s rear panel

"I can pop that back on" Lukas mumbled this around a hot ue fro, sed, and chased it ater

Bernard left the panel where it was He turned and glared angrily into the pit of the hts winking in alarm "Good idea," he said "Maybe you can knock this project out first thing"

Finally, the server quit its frantic calls, and the roo of Lukas’s fork on his plate This was like the moments of rye-stench quiet fro out on the kitchen floor or in the bathroom--Bernard would leave

As if on cue, his caster and boss stood, the head of IT again throwing Lukas into darkness as he blocked the overhead lights

"Enjoy your dinner," he said "I’ll have Peter come by later for the dishes"

Lukas jabbed a row of beans with his fork "Seriously? I thought this was lunch" He popped theht," Bernard said He adjusted his coveralls "Oh, and I spoke with your mother today"

Lukas set his fork down "Yeah?"

"I re important work for the silo, but she really wants to see you I’ve talked with Si her in here--"

"Into the server room?"

"Just inside So she can see that you’re okay I’d set it up elsewhere, but Si the allegiance is a to ferret out any source of leaks--"

Lukas scoffed "Sireasers They’re not going to betray the silo,meat with his teeth

"Still, he has me convinced to keep you as safe as possible I’ll let you know if I can set so up so you can see her"

Bernard leaned forward and squeezed Lukas’s shoulder "Thanks for being patient I’lad to have someone under me who understands how important this job is"

"Oh, I understand co for the silo"

"Good" Another squeeze of his hand, and Bernard stood "Keep reading the Order Especially the sections on insurrections and uprisings I want you to learn from this one just in case, God forbid, it ever happens on your watch"

"I will," Lukas said He set down the clean bone and wiped his fingers on the napkin Bernard turned to go

"Oh--" Bernard stopped and turned back to him "I know you don’t need me to remind you, but under no circuer at the front of the s carried, Lukas could i "I haven’t cleared you with the other IT heads yet, so your position could be in…well, grave danger if you were to speak with any of the?" Lukas shook his head "Like I want to talk with anyone who makes you nervous No frickin’ thanks"

Bernard sood lad to serve," Lukas said He reached for another rib and smiled up at his caster while Bernard beao, his boots ringing across the steel grates and fading toward thatthe machines and all their secrets

Lukas ate and listened as Bernard’s new code was keyed into the lock, a cadence of faer possessed

For your own good, Bernard had told hied shut, the red lights below his feet and down the ladderway blinking off

Lukas dropped the bone onto his plate He pushed the potatoes aside, fighting the urge to gag at the sight of the, he pulled his feet out of the ladderway and moved to the back of the open and quiet server

The headphones slid easily out of their pouch He pulled therowth of beard on his face Grabbing the cord, he slotted it into the jack labeled "17"

There was a series of beeps as the call was placed He ihts

Lukas waited, unable to breathe

"Hello?"

The voice sang in his earphones Lukas sainst server 40, and gotover there?"

6

• Silo 18 •

Walker waved his arms over his head as he attempted to explain his new theory for how the radio probably worked

"So the sound, these transmissions, they’re like ripples in the air, you see?" He chased the invisible voices with his fingers Above hi suspended from the rafters "These ripples run up and down the wire, up and down--" He gesticulated the length of antenna "--which is why longer is better It snags more of them out of the air"

But if these ripples are everywhere, then why aren’t we catching any?