Cake and Eat It…

‘Um–’ Daisy began, but was cut-off by the now ranting Caroline who was just about up to a full head of steam.

‘Never heard of children being manipulated into their gender stereotypes; strong arrogant men, weak docile women,’ continued Caroline. ‘That’s what they’re creating over there, in their quest to build a better human!’

Caroline glared.

A sound of static punctuated the tension like a nail in a bicycle-tyre. Caroline pulled a radio from her belt and spoke briefly into it. She lowered it and addressed Daisy.

‘Your time is running out,’ she said, now astonishingly calm. She clipped the radio back on her belt.

‘Well, I need time to plan. I need to put the plan into action, I need to be ready and waiting, I need to…’ Daisy waved her arms enthusiastically, still holding the gun like it was a dead possum’s tail. ‘…you know.’

‘Procrastinate?’

‘Well, I wouldn’t say procrastinate particularly,’ said Daisy sheepishly, and added, ‘is it getting cold out here or is it just me?’

‘Well, you’re in luck,’ said Caroline, slowly walking forwards. Her teeth glinted menacingly in the moonlight. ‘We’ve taken the liberty of doing most of the work for you.’

A door crashed open behind Daisy and from the doorway fell Panix, trussed up like a Christmas ham. An apple had been shoved into his mouth and the effect was rather unpleasantly like a pig ready for roasting.

‘Oh, hello Colin,’ said Daisy. ‘Had a head transplant?’

Panix was no-longer the victim of a hundred facial skin grafts, and appeared to have the use of more than one-eye. He was, however really irritated, and it wasn’t from rope burns, either.

‘Now you get to prove who’s side you’re on,’ said Caroline, standing beside Daisy. ‘And we’re all watching.’

‘Thanks a lot.’

‘And just so you understand fully, either you kill him and have a black mark against your name for the rest of what is probably going to be a short life…’

‘Or?’ Daisy felt she knew what was coming, but had to ask.

‘Or we’ll kill him and then your life will be even shorter. We won’t bother with the black mark though, it would just confuse the Admin people,’ Caroline sneered. ‘What’s the point of giving someone a black mark – they’ll say – when the person isn’t on the payroll anymore?’

‘Ah,’ said Daisy, now really concerned. ‘Right. And that would mean…’