Chapter 57

“Eddie Florence, you will be given four weeks of probation here on Exile,” Oberon said in his no nonsense voice. “In that time, you will have a sponsor, one Kaeva Downs, who will show you the ropes of Exile. You will spend time in each of our major facilities so that our leaders can see what you might be able to do. At the end of four weeks, you will be given a choice: take the needle as you had originally planned or assimilate onto the island. Being allowed to do the latter will be influenced heavily by Kaeva’s assessment of you and your behavior.”

“You guys have noticed he doesn’t like me very much, right?” Eddie interjected.

Oberon didn’t deign to answer the question. “Do you understand and accept these terms?”