Punishment

 

A "Crowd Hoot" Story

 

By Thelma Mary Caroline

 

 

 

L J had told to stay her after their shift ended, and face the consquences of her punishment.  The other girls told her stories of what would happen -- about L J's temper.  Kyle was afraid.

 

She hid under one of the tables, in the cubboards underneith.

 

It seemed that a long time passed before L J finally came down.  But she didn't seem to be looking for Kyle.  Instead, she just went to the cage under the walkway where the elf was being held.

 

"Well.  Long time no see, Hawk Star.  I take it the Center's not treating you that well?"

 

"AS GOOD AS THEIR TREATING YOU!" he screamed.

 

Kyle couldn't see the woman's face, but she imagined it hardly changed.

 

"Ouch.  Well, anyway, I've got to do some blood tests.  But you know that."

 

There was clanging and clattering, and suddenly the elf hissed in pain.

 

"You're going to be sore tomorrow, ain't you?  Cause that new girl of yours let me go?  She does be smart."

 

"I don't really know, Hawk.  And it doesn't matter anyway.  I take responcibility for her actions.  I should have known."

 

"Whatever, human--"

 

"L J.  You know my name, elf."

 

"You humans do be funny creatures.  You all take me from a master you think is cruel but beat each other.  It does not be okay to beat another kind but it does be okay to beat your own kind.  If elf beats elf, does that be okay?"

 

"Now, Hawk Star, you know that's not true.  When your master beat you, it was because he liked to.  When my master beats me, it's because he wants me to be a better person."

 

Master? Kyle wondered.  Was there some kind of man running this place that she didn't know of?  Was it really like that?  Or was it just a metaphore so the elf would understand?

 

"Although, that reminds me.  Kyle."

 

Suddenly she was aware of a woman standing over her.  L J.  She gulped as she looked up.

 

"You're sitting under my table, you know.  I appreciate it if you didn't, in the future."

 

Kyle nodded slowly.

 

"Now, if you'd be so kind as to help me process these samples.  Have to make sure that Hawk Star here didn't get any elf S T D's while he was out on his jaunt.  But I guess you two haven't been properly introduced.  Kyle, this is my friend Hawk Star, and Hawk, this is my co-worker Kyle."

 

Kyle couldn't help but notice the captain's choice of words.  Friend, and co-worker.  But neither one of them really fit their description.

 

"Basically," L J said.  "You put this blood sample into this doo hicky here.  Then it feeds into a what cha ma call it, five words there per the manufacteror and then it reads into a doodad here, which translates it into the computer.  All you have to do -- this is really easy -- is watch the screen and make sure it's all zero's.  No ones, okay?  It's pretty boring, but really importaint.  Once Cassandra wrote a program that scans through it so we don't have to do it manully, but the Center didn't like that."

 

It was tougher than L J let on.  The numbers scrolled fast, but that wasn't the problem.  They were all zeros anyway.  It was just hard to concentrate on, knowing that they wouldn't ever change.  Sometimes her eyes blurred.

 

But finally it stopped.  Her head pouded.  She stood up and glanced at L J's monitor.  There were many numbers scrolling across the screen.  Interested, Kyle looked on, trying to spot the pattern.

 

"Stop!" she cried.  "That one's wrong!  It's a six and should be a nine!"

 

L J glanced up, and strange expression on her face.  She didn't stop the numbers, but made a notation in a notebook.  "Good eye.  I'm surprised you caught that.  But you're right, it should be a nine."

 

She stood up and stretched.  "Well, time to clock out for the night.  I have a date."

 

The captain yawned widely.  "So what did you think?"

 

"I hated it," Kyle answered.

 

"Yeah.  I bet you won't let the elf go next time, will you?"