A Day in a Life in After World: Maggie Read online

kind of task?”

  “I need you to deliver something for me.” Danson said. “Please look in the closet.”

  The daughter looked around the room and noticed there was a small door in one corner. She walked over and opened it up.

  “You have got to be kidding me!” She stated when she saw what was hanging inside. It was a nun’s habit.

  “Danson! What are you doing to me?” She hollered into the radio. “I cannot dress as a nun!”

  The computer’s voice came back very calmly stating, “I went to great lengths to obtain that habit on such short notice. Your task is extremely important to me. You will only have to wear it for this task then return it to the closet.

  Defeated, she asked him, “What do you want me to do?”

  “In the closet are two leather satchels.” He instructed. “I need you to take one to the infirmary at Sister Saint Eula’s and give it to the daughter there.”

  “A daughter?” Is she one of the lost?”

  “Yes, but she does not know it.”

  “What do I tell her?”

  “Nothing!” The computer’s normally flat tone sounded very stern with this statement. “Do not speak with her. Give it to her and leave as quickly as possible. If anyone asks who you are, you tell them Sister Margaret.”

  “Why Sister Margaret?”

  “Because you need a name and that one is believable. If you don’t have a name prepared and they ask you, then you will reveal yourself.”

  The daughter had never had a name before, only a serial number. Names were a mystery to her. Other people had names, not daughters. It was actually against programming to take on a name.

  A short time later, Sister Margaret found herself checking the mirror. Everything she had worn before accentuated her figure and showed off her physical attributes. This covered everything up, including her hair. Perfect corn silk blonde hair was a hallmark or the daughters and she was loathed to cover it up. She did not see that she had much choice. Once she was satisfied, she hoisted the leather satchel up and headed out the door. She locked the door and then handed the key to the inn keeper downstairs. She had taken a couple of steps out the door when she realized she had no idea where she was going. She stepped back inside and the innkeeper looked up at her.

  “Sister Saint Eula’s?” The keeper asked her as if he could read her mind.

  She nodded.

  “Go across the market and make the first right. Go all the way down that street till you reach St. Eula Way and turn left. You cannot miss it.” He directed her and then returned to his newspaper.

  She stepped back out into the marketplace and it was even more crowded that the streets earlier. Somehow though no one touched for bumped her as she walked along. No one even looked at her. They seemed to make a point of not looking at her. When she did catch someone looking they always nodded, smiled, and looked away quickly as if they had been caught doing something wrong.

  As she turned right down the first street she spotted what looked like a police officer coming straight towards her. Her heart started racing and she knew she was caught. She smiled at him when he got close; he tipped his hat and then walked right on past her. She breathed a sigh of relief and then suddenly heard the officer call out, “Who you running from scamp?”

  Sister Margaret turned around in a panic only to see the watchman was busy with someone else, a furry by the looks of it. She turned back around and continued on her way breathing a bit easier.

  She arrived at St Eula Way and there was no question as to which direction she needed to go. To the left she could see a great cathedral just a short ways down the road. She swallowed hard and struck out towards the church. There were other nuns moving about on the street and even they did not pay her any mind.

  She entered the main doors and stepped into the relative darkness of the building. As her eyes adjusted she was treated to a wonder of colors splashed all over everything. Light coming in through the windows was filtered into different colors that brightened and played over everything. It was beautiful. The windows themselves appeared to be pictures. She wanted to stay and look at them, but she knew she had a task to complete and then she was instructed to leave.

  Sister Margaret walked into the chapel. There were some nuns lighting candles along one wall. Most of the activity though seemed to be through a corridor to her left that led into the rest of the complex. She struck out in that direction. She was not sure where the infirmary might be. She did not dare ask so she set about to exploring while still trying to look like she knew where she was going. She spotted a double wide doorway that people were going in and out of in a steady flow. She thought this might be it and walked in with a purpose. She quickly realized her mistake when she saw all the tables with people sitting and eating. She worried it would look odd if she turned right back around and left so she went into the food service line and picked up a tray.

  She ended up with some boiled farina and a nearly black banana. She also had a black coffee to drink.

  She got to a table where there were not many other people and sat down with the satchel next to her on the bench. It had been a day since she had eaten and she really needed this meal. This Lost Daughter she was supposed to be helping would keep a little longer.

  She peeled the banana along one edge and the inside was mush. She scraped it out into the bowl of cereal and then stirred the two together. It looked like a brown gooey muddle.

  “That is the only way I can down this mess either.” Said a voice across the table from her.

  The daughter looked up and two nuns were getting themselves situated on the bench across from her.

  “Too bad there is not any sugar.” The faux nun said to the new comers.

  They tittered at the comment. “That would be sinful one of them said.

  They sounded as if they were joking but not being completely familiar enough with them, she was not sure if they meant it or not.

  “I would not mind some cream to pour in with the cereal either.” The other nun added.

  They tittered again in a very un-nun like fashion and then quieted down when others started looking their way.

  The daughter tried hard to ignore them and eat her food as quickly as possible.

  “I have not seen you in here before.” The first nun asked, but there was no tone of accusation in her voice.

  “I have been working nights.” Sister Margaret ad-libbed.

  The nuns seemed to accept this and continued to eat.

  With only about three quarters of her food done, the daughter decided she should return to business and get away from these nuns. She stood up and picked up her bowl.

  “Are you going to finish that?” One of the nuns asked and without waiting for an answer she had procured the bowl from the fake nun and scraped it into her own bowl.

  Sister Margaret nodded and smiled, picked up the satchel and went on her way.

  Back into the hallway she continued down the hall. She passed several darkened hallways with very little traffic and paid them no mind. Near the end of the hallway stood another set of double doors. She stepped inside and what she saw startled her. This was definitely the infirmary, but the medicine they were practicing was like something from the dark ages. Nothing was clean; she saw jars with leaches and even spotted a trepanning rig.

  Every daughter is given a programmed set of skills. One of their main skills is medical. When a daughter wakes up for the first time out of the cloning chamber, they have the knowledge and skill to be able to perform brain surgery if needed. It took every bit of will she had not to interfere with the treatment of these patients. Danson had been very clear about her mission. Find the daughter, give her the satchel and get out without talking to her.

  She saw the hair first. The unmistakable corn silk hair. There was a daughter working over a patient at the other side of the infirmary. Sister Margaret made her way over. She came up behind t
he daughter and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. The daughter turned rather irritably but her face changed when she saw Sister Margaret. There was something along the lines of recognition on her face and Sister Margaret knew she needed to get out quickly.

  “I was told you would need this.” The faux nun said and handed off the satchel to the daughter.

  The daughter accepted the satchel with a confused look on her face. She set it on the table and peered inside. Sister Margaret took this opportunity to leave as quickly as possible before the daughter started asking questions.

  She rushed out into the hallway and joined a group of nuns walking down the hall. Standing right behind them and walking at their slow pace made her perfectly hidden. A moment later the faux nun saw the daughter go by frantically looking around for her.

  She kept her cool and just kept walking. The daughter then seemed to give up and returned to the infirmary. Sister Margaret continued walking till they reached the chapel. Once there she broke off from the real nuns and went back outside.

  The sun was blinding to her and it took a couple of minutes to adjust.

  Once she could see properly, she made her way back towards the inn. When she entered the main door, the innkeeper looked up at her then without saying anything placed the key on the counter.

  Inside the room Sister Margaret quickly became an unnamed daughter once again as the habit was shed and re-hung in the closet.

  She sat on the bed for a bit