by Gideon Mills
Amita remained silent and waited for Keres to continue. The leader of Mara Corp eyed Amita as the silence continued. It dragged out for a minute before Keres spoke again. The others around Keres were tense and on edge.
“It seems that you are the exception to the rule. I’m pleased that Mr. Ward saved you. I can see a future for you.”
“Thank you,” Amita said. Part of her wondered if she should be addressing Keres some different way or not, but Amita wasn’t going to bother learning.
“I’ll have some people over to help you adjust to living here in the upper levels. I’m sure it will be different for you.”
“That would be nice.” Amita stared at her. Keres towered over Amita and used that to try to intimidate Amita. The smaller woman wasn’t having any of it. Keres Mara might have been able to do that to everyone, but Amita was going to show Keres she wasn’t a frightened little girl.
“Very well. I’ll be checking in on you.” Keres nodded, turned, and strode away. Her lackeys followed close on her tail, except for one.
“Hello, Amita,” he said. The man looked familiar. “I’m Director Ward, Marcus’s father.”
Her eyebrows shot up in shock. The man did look a little like Marcus. That was why he was familiar.
“Oh. Hello, Mr. Ward.”
Scanning him was too hard to resist. She was told that no one actually knew if a person scanned another. That was, if one didn’t make a funny face.
Jackson Ward: drone/droid division Director Mara Corp
Stats:
Intelligence: 8
Strength: 5
Cunning: 8
Speed: 4
Modification: Right arm, Left foot
That was a strange combination, but Amita wasn’t about to ask
“I wanted to thank you for helping my son. He can get himself into bad situations.”
Amita gritted her teeth. Just going to her level wasn’t supposed to be a treacherous situation, but she couldn’t argue with Mr. Ward. The people there were angry and sad. Marcus had been an outlet. By saving him, Amita had also turned into an outlet for them.
She feared it would get worse before it got better.
“It was nothing,” Amita said. “I don’t like it when people attack others.”
Mr. Ward smiled. “Neither do I. Thank you. Marcus seems to have developed a fondness for you.”
“Oh.”
Amita wasn’t sure how to take that. Marcus was a great guy. And super cute, but she hadn’t realized he had a fondness for her, whatever that meant. She had never really had much interaction with people, especially men. At least not in a romantic way. The closest was her disgusting boss, and that wasn’t romance. That was harassment.
“Anyway, I must be going. You have a great day.”
With that, he rushed to catch up with the group. Now more than ever before, Amita was ready for bed. A nap was needed.
7
A new Home
The next day, after sleeping longer than Amita thought possible, she left the hospital. She was moving into a place. The cost worried her. Amita still didn’t have any credits.
Marcus walked next to Amita, along with his brother and the representative from the Mara Corp. Marie Kruger was a dark-skinned woman with a stern face.
“How am I supposed to pay for this?” Amita asked as they left the hospital.
“Don’t worry,” Jameson said.
“I’m a worrier.” It was in her DNA to worry, or so Samantha used to tell her. It was a running joke. Part of her wanted to go back and see Sam. To see what appeared on her readout and to help her.
“There is nothing to worry about. Trust me,” Marcus said. He looked to Marie.
“He is right. The Mara Corp will be fronting the money. You’ll be joining the Corp.”
Amita gulped. This wasn’t what she wanted. Not at all. “Don’t I have a say?”
“You have Mara technology in you. It is keeping you alive,” Marie said. She had as many upgrades as Amita did. Maybe more and that was a frightening thought.
“So do a lot of people,” Amita said. “What makes me different?”
“You are already an employee. Consider this a promotion.” Marie gave Amita a smile, in what must be an attempt to reassure Amita.
“See? Nothing to worry about,” Marcus said.
Amita didn’t find that reassuring at all. It felt like the noose was tightening around her neck. Soon, she would never be able to get away from Keres Mara. Amita would be part of the cog that put others down.
They rode in a large luxury car to the third level. She was important but not enough for four or five.
“The lowest level where modified people live is three,” Marcus said. “It’s not a bad place.”
Growing up, Amita had always thought that level two had modified living there as well. The workers who lived there but came down to supervise them made it sound like it. They must have wanted the Streeters to think they were more important than they actually were. Amita despised Michael even more now.
“Will I have access to level five?” Amita asked.
“Sorry. You do not,” Marie said. “Restricted.”
Amita had dreamed of seeing the sun, but that would have to wait.
Marcus leaned over. “Unless I invite you up,” he whispered in her ear.
Her heart skipped a beat. Going up and seeing Marcus would be amazing.
She couldn’t believe she was having these thoughts. Marcus was way out of her league, though maybe not. In her head, she told herself that he was just this way because Amita had helped him, that it would fade. He’d grow tired of her and move on to a more interesting girl or girls. It hurt, but Amita had to protect herself.
The car drove itself around the city. On level three, the buildings were more beautiful than what Amita was used to. Not as spectacular as four but still dazzling in their own right. They reached up to the next level and were clean. Mostly made of brick, but some other materials. The street level was brick too, but dull and bland. Not like these, all shiny and bright.
“What levels do I have access to?” Amita asked.
“All but five,” Marie said. “You will be working on four and living here on three.”
“Okay.”
Amita was okay with that. Anything was going to be fine with her. It wasn’t like she had much say in the matter. The Mara Corp controlled her life going forward. That wasn’t anything new.
They stopped in front of one of the many apartment buildings on this level. To her, they all blurred together. Amita was going to need a map, though it wasn’t like she could read one if she had one. That wasn’t a topic they taught at school, at least not on the street level. The schooling was more about prepping for working at the factory or similar jobs. Reading, in general, wasn’t a priority. Amita could read but not as well as the people here. She was at a disadvantage.
“You have a first-floor apartment,” Marie said.
All that Amita cared about was that it wasn’t filled with rats and cockroaches. That would make it a gigantic upgrade. One of the few things she was looking forward to was a better apartment.
“You will be starting work next week,” Marie said.
Marie didn’t specify where. That was still a mystery, one that Amita was fearful of figuring out. She had nothing to offer.
Marie gave her a key. “It's furnished. Apartment Five.”
The woman remained in the car while Amita got out with Marcus. Once the door was shut, Marie drove away.
“She’s, uh, friendly,” Amita said.
Marcus burst out laughing. “You get used to it. All the people at Mara can be that way.”
“Seriously?”
“Yup.”
He walked her to her new home. After opening the door, Amita was greeted with a large spacious living room, a dining room, and a kitchen. She had never had this before. It was too much.
“A little small,” Marcus said.
Amita was crying. “It’s too bi
g,” she said.
Marcus peered at her quizzically. “Oh. I’m sorry. I know you are used to small places. This will be perfect. Trust me.”
“I…” Amita was lost for words again.
“It will be okay.”
As much as Amita wanted to believe him, it wasn’t easy. “Where do I sleep?” Amita asked.
Marcus looked at her like Amita was being stupid. He grabbed her hand and walked her through the living room to a hallway then to a bedroom. She had her own bedroom. Now, Amita was even more overwhelmed.
“I can’t have all this to myself,” she said.
“Sure, you can,” Marcus said. He hugged her. “This is yours.”
Amita cried into his shoulder. As much as she knew that she was being childish and overreacting, this generosity had consumed her. She couldn't stop thinking of her old place and how the people there lived. Now, she had all this space, all this furniture that she didn’t need. The bedroom had a bed, a dresser, and closet. That was too much.
Back out in the living room was a couch, a TV, even a bookshelf filled with books. Amita couldn’t believe it. Just so much more than she needed.
“I don’t deserve this,” Amita said.
Marcus stood at the hallway entrance. “Yes, you do. You saved my life. Anyone who saves a life doesn’t deserve to live the way you did.”
“No one deserves to live that way.”
Marcus hung his head. “I won’t argue with that.”
Amita knew he was better than the rest of the people here, and that proved it. “Thank you.”
He walked to Amita and gave her another hug and kiss on the forehead. “No. Thank you. Settle in. I’ll come by this weekend. Once I’ve caught up on work, I’ll visit.”
“Okay.”
He hugged her one last time and departed. Now, Amita was alone in her new place, left to figure out what to do with herself, with her free time. Amita had never had that before. All of this was entirely new to her.
Amita wasn’t sure she would be able to adjust to her new life. Part of her wanted to go back to the old one, the one that she was familiar with, comfortable with, even if it had been terrible.
With a purpose, Amita examined everything in the apartment, just to make sure there wasn’t anything unexpected. Not that she knew how to search for things like listening devices, bugs, or whatever they were called, but Amita checked for them. In the process, she saw all the clothes provided for her. It was way more than she needed and in a large variety too, from pantsuits to dresses to jeans. So many different choices.
In her old life, Amita had a work uniform, and that was it. No real choice in what she wore. Now, she did. It was entirely too much. It crushed her to think of the people she used to see every day and that they were unable to have this.
8
An Argument
Marcus arrived back at his home. He lived on the family compound, separate from his parents. As soon as he had finished college, Marcus had moved to the detached house on the property. He had tried to live in his own place, but his mother had refused. She'd put up such a fight that he had relented and moved here.
It was a compromise, one that he wasn’t happy with, but it was what it was.
Inside, he was greeted by his cat, Soul. She was a gray-spotted tabby and had mods. Much like Amita, Soul had needed them to survive. She had been attacked as a kitten. Marcus wasn’t sure by what, but he had seen her lying on the street dying, and had taken her in. He made sure she'd lived.
It had been worth it. Soul was the friendliest cat around. Everyone loved her. Until Marcus met Amita, she'd been the best girl in his life. Not to put his mother down, but both of them affected him in a way that he couldn’t explain, nor cared to.
“Hey, girl,” Marcus said.
Soul purred and rubbed his leg. She jumped into his arms. With the mods, she could leap higher than regular cats. This was easy for her. While he held her, she rubbed his face, and he returned the favor.
“I missed you too.”
After a few minutes cuddling with his baby, Marcus went to work, since he was able to do a lot from home. He was a programmer for one of the subsidiaries of Mara Corp. Marcus wasn’t sure, but he thought all the companies around were part of Mara.
The one he was employed by tried to hide it, but he had figured it out. Marcus programmed most of the media. He saw it on the screens throughout the city. He loathed that his work helped spread the false message of how great Keres was.
That was new. Amita was changing him. Completing that dare had altered him for what he hoped was the better.
Marcus sat down and completed the task he needed to. His boss was starting to get on his back. Marcus was usually up-to-date with his work, but the beating, and Amita, had caused him to fall behind.
Amita was on his mind a lot. Concentrating on much else than her was difficult. Doing his best to ignore her and focus, he got the latest code into the system.
Marcus wasn’t the best coder around. The brightest coders worked for the Mara Corp directly and helped design both the droids and the cybernetics. His father had been disappointed when Marcus didn’t even try to get a job at Mara. Marcus knew he wasn’t up to the task. The director could have gotten Marcus a job, but Marcus didn’t want to leech off his father.
All he wanted was to be his own man, to make his mark on the world. Right now, he felt like he had failed. The world was passing him by, and he had no idea what he was doing or where he was going.
What he did know was that he wasn’t happy with the current state of it all and that he was infatuated with Amita.
For now, he was going to enjoy his time with her and see where it went.
The next morning, Marcus was woken up by his father. Marcus rolled out of bed. “What?” he asked groggily.
“We need to talk.”
Marcus stood. He was wearing only his boxer briefs. His dad left his bedroom, and Marcus threw on some jeans and a graphic T-shirt.
Out in the living room, his dad stood, waiting. He sported a fancy suit that he always wore. He would be leaving for work soon.
“What do you want?” Marcus asked. He flopped down on the sofa.
“You have to stop seeing the girl.”
Marcus laughed. “Not going to happen.”
His father crossed his arms. “It was bad enough you paid for her to be upgraded.”
“She saved me.”
Marcus had replayed the events to his father. It had at least for a moment inspired him, but now, he seemed to have a change of heart. Pretty typical for him. Good chance that Keres had influenced him to feel this way.
The real question was—why had she? Amita was just a girl from the street level, a nobody. Just a simple girl. Sure, she'd excelled in her testing, and her charts said she had the potential to be better. It was no surprise to Marcus, after the bravery she'd shown.
Her stats were off the chart, and the way that Keres was leering at her had to mean something. Marcus longed to spend more time with her. To understand Amita better, and to see her level up. See what she was truly capable of once she mastered her skills.
“It doesn’t matter,” his father said. “She’s under many watchful eyes. We have plenty on us now. If you continue to see her, it will get worse for us.”
Marcus threw up his arms. “I don’t care. She is nice, strong, and brave. I enjoy her company.”
“A little too much, if you ask me. Amita’s a Streeter. You’re a Ward.”
Marcus narrowed his eyes. It wasn’t that long ago that he would have used the term Streeter, but now, he hated it. It annoyed him, and hearing it from his own family made it worse.
“She is a person. I am a person. So are you.”
“We are a cut above the rest, while she is a cut below.”
Now, he was beyond frustrated with his father. His blood boiled. He was so angry with his father, with the people he grew up with. “Clearly, she is not. She did better than you. Better than me.”
“Luck,” his father said. He was shorter than Marcus, but shared the same eyes, hazel that could shift depending on their moods. Though the rest of Marcus came from his mother. His brown hair was hers, and so were his manners. Not to say he didn’t have any of his father in him. His father was stiff and not relaxed when he spoke. Unlike the rest of the family who were much more animated. “Nothing more. She is nothing. You cannot see her.”
“I will see her, and there is nothing you can do to stop me.” Marcus’s tanned skin was darker than his father’s, than most of his family. He was the one that did try to be out in the sun the most.
“Fine,” his father snapped, “but you are going to destroy us.”
“Stop being dramatic. Amita is just a girl.” His father tried to look intimidating to Marcus, but it didn’t work. While he wasn’t a fat man, he no longer worked out and Marcus did. Marcus was in excellent shape, while his father had seen better days.
“Be that as it may, she is drawing the attention of Keres. That is not a good thing.”
There was one thing they both agreed on. The attention of Keres was not a good thing. It might lead Amita down a path that she wouldn't return from, one that ended with her in a body bag.
9
Adventure
Amita was both excited and terrified for the weekend. This was the first time she was free to do what she wanted, when she wanted. Not have to work. Not that she’d been working. Amita hadn’t left her apartment.
Today would be different. Marcus was on his way over. He'd mentioned that she was drawing the attention of Keres Mara. That was no surprise. Amita figured Keres was going to keep an eye on her. Being told made no difference to Amita. It wasn’t like Amita was going anywhere.
Even being modified, Amita was trapped in Detroit and her home. Now, the difference was that Keres Mara was watching her. Samantha was still being observed and couldn’t leave. They were still living similar lives—though now, Amita could explore more of the city.