When I step in toward the door, it glides open. Two of the tables are occupied with couples. No one's waiting for their appointment.
I should leave, message whatshisname… Aron Barton. Tell him I'm sick.
No. You can do this. You work at a prestigious company and are an upstanding Direction citizen.
"You're an early bird, too?" a tenor voice asks.
I turn to the same face and electric-blue eyes from the spouse pairing account. Aron's face is kind, still boyish, but handsome. He has a runner's build.
I wouldn't hate looking at that every morning.
I blush at these new feelings.
His eyes squint as he smiles. "It's a positive quality." I must look puzzled, because he leans in and whispers, "Being an early bird."
"Why do people even use that phrase?" I say, gazing toward the sky. "See any birds?"
It's a dumb reply and I know it. He looks at me quizzically for a moment, raising an eyebrow. "Let's go in." He gestures toward the door, allowing me to go first.
I suck in air and walk to the reporting station to check in. We find the assigned table and sit on well-stuffed seats in a similar blue tone as the walls. Aron grabs a menu screen from a rack on the table. The thin, sturdy viewer displays the dinner choices. I remove mine, but lay it in front of me.
"So, your job configuration's at SynCorp?" I get right to business.
Aron nods, but goes back to the menu. He must find me boorish after my comment outside. I know the answer to my question from the spouse pairing account, but need to get him talking so the meeting isn't a total loss.
"What department are you in?"
He glances up from the menu. "Engineering. You're in InfoSec, right?"
"I am. Did you start with training drills too?"
"Yeah. For the next couple days, drills are my life." He relaxes and grins, showing off a dimple in his right cheek I didn't notice in his spouse pairing image. It adds to his boyish appeal.
For the meal, I choose a chicken salad with star fruit, and he orders a turkey club with an aioli sauce. Aioli hasn't been an option on the home printer. We barely have time for two words before the server drone delivers the meal.
"Miss Lark, Mr. Barton," the SI server says, "please let us know if you require anything else." It places the plates in front of us, then hovers away back into the kitchen.
"Well, this looks intriguing," I say, eyeing my plate and then Aron's.
He checks out the salad. "Ever had a star fruit?"
"No, but the name accurately describes the shape." I poke at the produce.
"What do you guess it tastes like?"
"Here, take one," I offer.
Aron hesitates but takes the piece from me. He turns it over, inspecting, and then smells the yellowish fruit. "Think food from the printer tastes comparable to grown food?" he asks.
I smile. "Aron… I've thought about it more times than you can imagine. To be honest, I've even had a few weird dreams about it."
He raises his eyebrows. "Okay, you try it first."
I pop a piece into my mouth and crunch on the sweet, tart fruit. I give him a smirk.
"Good?" he asks.
"Find out yourself."
He munches on the fruit, cerulean eyes sparkling with some sort of mischievous thought. I thought I'd find Aron to be stiff and boring, but he's not.
He leans in and signals for me to do the same. I hold my breath and bend toward him, wondering what he's going to do.
"Tastes like… star fruit," he says. He shrugs, then raises his sandwich and takes a bite.
I chuckle and push my back into the chair. Maybe the whole spouse pairing system is not as bad as I thought.
During the rest of the meeting, I learn his parents were bio, and he attended the university on the opposite side of Level Two as mine. He has lofty goals of working up the ranks at SynCorp.
"The drones have always fascinated me, even as a child," he says. "So when I received a position at Syn, it fulfilled a lifelong dream. I'll be creating new drone technology."
"How was it on Friday after the… uh… incident in Level One?"
"Oh, interesting. The other new placements and I were tasked immediately. We didn't have the training introduction until end of day. How did you know?"
I try not to react, but my face burns red. "I saw the story on the news."
"Yeah, the news." Aron shakes his head. "To tell you the truth, it was chaos at Syn. The whole day was spent working on upgrades to prevent an attack from happening again. Somehow the rebels infiltrated a Guardian drone and made it into a bomb. In the end, we upgraded the security. It could have been much worse."
"What do you mean?"
"If the attack had happened in Level Two or Three." He shrugs nonchalantly. "It's only Level One."
A knot pulls in my stomach at his opinion, but his attitude doesn't surprise me. It's how we're taught, and I've had similar thoughts. Bess is ranked beneath me, and right now, any thoughts of her make me grind my teeth. Maybe she is of less value, but Ben? Was he?
My stare bores a hole into the table.
"Are you ill?" Aron asks.
"Those are people you're talking about," I reply softly. "They could have died."
"What, did you know one of them?"
"Not that day, but yes. My twin brother died from Virus 3005B because his sector was one of the last to get the MedVac update.
"You had a Level One twin?"
I smack my hand over my mouth. I've never told anyone outside my family about Ben except for Kyra.
"Well?" he asks.
I shift in the chair. Is it really hot in here? The girl from the next table looks up from her meal and stares my way. Did she hear me too?
"Well, I enjoyed this," I lie. "Thanks for requesting the meeting, but I have to go."
I rise, wave a backhanded good-bye, and turn to leave. As I bolt for the door, he says something I can't hear.
* * *
"Well, that was terrible," I mumble, hugging myself tighter as I walk. I ruined my chances with a guy I could stand, possibly even care for. Sure, he thinks the Level Ones are inferior… and I guess they are. Aren't they?
The rest of the way home is a blur until I round the corner of the block of my building. My Flexx vibrates on my wrist, so I stop and check the message. For a moment, my heart does a little dance. Some chance remains the pairing meeting didn't go as lousy as I'd thought.
Sorry.
The word makes my pulse speed. I'm right. But then I notice the lack of Flexx ID. Meyer? My fluttering heart drops to my stomach.
Sorry I scared you, but I need a chance to explain. If you don't like what I have to say, I won't contact you again. I found a safe way to meet. Check your spouse pairing account.
I scroll to my citizen account and locate the report suspicious behavior page. I stare at the words… and then navigate to my spousal account.
ONE NEW SPOUSE PAIRING OPTION ADDED. CLICK HERE TO VIEW.
I grit my teeth and select the link.
Kian Martin.
Whose wavy brown hair, light skin, and piercing, charcoal eyes look a lot like Meyer's.
Apparently Meyer, at least as Kian, is now a perfect pairing.
8
After seeing Meyer's face in my account, I rush from the street and into my unit, stunned he hacked into the system and assigned himself as one of my pairings.
The nerve.
Inside the door my handheld buzzes, and without looking, I rip it from my wrist and hurl it across the room, hitting and knocking over a lamp.
Fantastic.
Whatever's on the screen, I can't deal with it. Tomorrow, I'll go back to a normal life at GenTech, but right now, I only want sleep, even though it's barely after seven. I stand, shuffle to my bed, and try to forget today ever happened.
* * *
Hours later, unable to sleep, I pull myself up and press my back against the headboard. The scene out the window appears lovelier at night than during
the day. If I strain, I can even glimpse the trees at the park backlit by moonlight.
The beauty almost makes me forget about my terrible day. Almost.
I swing off the bed again and pad over the carpet into the living room, where the fallen lamp still waits next to my flashing device. I reach to retrieve the lamp, but grab the Flexx instead. Biting my lip, I swipe the screen, then relax. The message from Meyer is gone.
2 NEW MESSAGES ADDED. CLICK HERE TO VIEW.
I tap the link, finding the messages are from Kyra and my mother.
Good job throwing it across the room for nothing.
Flexx 35D52G-KLEWIS: I'm so nervous for tomorrow.
Even Kyra, in all her perfection, is afraid.
Flexx 682AB1-ALARK: It will be wonderful. Let me know how it turns out.
Although, I'm not really qualified these days to say everything will turn out wonderful. However, it's a lie I can live with, for her sake.
I swipe Mother's message next.
Flexx 813JK9-DLARK: We are required to assess your progress. We will complete this obligation next Friday at dinner.
Then their duty to me will be done. After, they'll take on more rigorous work schedules or raise another child or two. Kyra was her parents’ second child. Mother and Father are still fairly young, but I never asked which route they'll take.
Flexx 682AB1-ALARK: Dinner at 6:30 p.m.
* * *
My first week on my own goes smoother than expected. According to the news, nothing of interest happened in the entire city. I was even able to keep the thoughts of Ben at bay, and there were no other visions. I'm beginning to think it was all nerves.
GenTech is unremarkable. Training drills wrap up, and I move onto the primary InfoSec team. My current responsibility is to make sure the lab department is archiving research daily in the mainframe. As a new placement, my responsibilities remain limited, but I'm at least trusted enough to find my own way around the building. No more bathroom breaks with the Syn Intelligence.
Kyra received her career placement on the Level Two Direction Government staff, a surprise. It's an entry-level assistant position, but still exciting. We were sure she'd be placed in the Legal Services Division, not government. Maybe her parents were able to influence the choice. Her first week must have kept her busy though, as Monday was the last time she checked in.
I've adjusted my schedule to that of my weird neighbor, successfully avoiding her and keeping to myself, but there's still nothing from Aron after our disastrous meeting. I'm sure he finds me a lunatic, but he hasn't removed me from his contacts.
One more time, I check to see if Aron sent a message.
ONE NEW SPOUSE PAIRING MESSAGE ADDED. CLICK HERE TO VIEW.
My heart vaults as I swipe the link, but the message is not from Aron. Instead, a face with a chiseled jaw and striking eyes stares up from the screen. Kian Martin, or rather, Meyer.
His image displays right next to the message: KIAN MARTIN REQUESTS TO SCHEDULE A SPOUSE PAIRING MEETING. ACCEPT OR DECLINE.
I tip back from the screen, wrinkling my nose. There's not one good reason I haven't deleted his whole profile already. Curiosity is the one thing holding me back from the life of an upright citizen, but I can't click the X on the options. Each time I consider doing so, I close out the account.
I sigh and close it. Again. My parents will be here in thirty minutes. Now is the time to tidy up, order dinner, and stop concerning myself with mysterious boys not acting as model citizens. I have to show them I'm capable.
* * *
The meal waits on the table by the time the door chimes. They're right on time, as always. I stand at the door, hand poised over the sensor, mulling over all my answers to their impending grilling, but the possibilities are endless. I'll do my best to satisfy them, but it's unlikely it will be enough.
My touch releases the sensor and the door whooshes back. Mother and Father stand at the entrance. She's made of stone, and Father's buried in his Flexx. All tonight means is the ability to tick off their obligation to me, regretful they ever agreed to raise a child born to a Level One. I'm sure they have no idea I actually began life ranked as a One either.
I gesture for them to enter. Mother steps inside first. "Hello, Avlyn," she says coolly.
Father is even more aloof than usual. Probably still working, as he hasn't even looked up yet.
Mother darts her eyes around to take in the room and view. Somewhat satisfied, she relaxes and turns back to Father, still standing in the hall, swiping at his screen.
"Michael, come inside."
Father glances up. "Oh, yes," he mumbles as he returns the handheld to his pocket.
"Dinner's ready," I tell them. "Why don't we eat, and then I'll give you a tour?"
"We won't be here long," Father says.
Mother turns toward him. "It might be fine to stay for a meal."
Father narrows his eyes. "No, we are here to finalize the end of our contract with Avlyn."
"It's fine," I sigh. "Have your look around and complete your duty."
Father eyes me, but says nothing. Mother avoids my face altogether. I plant myself in the unit's entrance and motion for them to take a look around.
After a few minutes, they return, Father with his Flexx as a tablet and the contract on the screen. He points to a spot to push my thumb to confirm my agreement. The device beeps, and he quickly fold it up and slaps it to his wrist.
As they turn to exit, an auto broadcast flicks on the screen of the large media viewer in the living room.
"Citizens, please wait momentarily for a required message."
Father sighs and turns back to the screen.
"Citizens of Elore," an unidentified male voice begins. "As you well know, a terrorist group who has yet to identify itself has increased its attacks on our great city."
An overhead view of a busy morning street scene shows on the viewer.
"We implore anyone who witnessed any of these recent attacks to come forward for questioning. Doing so will help Direction ensure the safety of its entire people."
My heart skips. Footage from the morning of my configuration day shows, when the girl in red graffitied the wall with Break Free. I don't even hear what the announcer is saying, watching the moment right before the Guardians take her down, the moment she gave up without a fight.
I wanted to help her, but didn't. I wait for her hands to fly into the air as the drones surround her, but they don't. Instead, she does the opposite and reaches from her bag, swiftly pulling out a small, matte, black weapon. She points it at the drones, the same weapon she graffitied the wall with, as my mind races with confusion. As she does this, the drones swarm, never letting her get a shot off.
"That's not what happened," I yell at the screen.
Mother whips toward me. "You were there?"
I freeze. "The morning of my meeting."
"Why didn't you inform us of this?" Father demands. "You must come forward."
"And tell them what?" I snap. "That the footage is all wrong?"
Mother stands, shocked at my outburst, and Father tenses, trying to maintain his control.
"Avlyn," he says in an annoyingly, too calm voice, "you are letting your emotions get away with you. Direction's actions are for our protection. This terrorist group wants to take away the success we have built, probably for themselves."
"You must have been frightened and aren't remembering correctly," Mother adds. The look on her face and her words don't match though. For some reason, part of her believes me.
The broadcast has ended and the room goes silent.
I square myself. "You have what you came for, now please leave. You are no longer responsible for me."
Father locks eyes with me for too long, but then looks away. "Let's go, Darline."
Mother falls in line behind him as they exit my unit.
When the door slides shut, I release a long breath. My mind drifts back to the rebel girl, her striking red outfit, her browned skin
, and wild, curly hair.
I know what I saw. She was trying to make a statement, but it wasn't through violence. The rebellion is not what Direction is making it out to be. If they're lying about this, is there a chance that the rebels causing the explosion in One could be a lie too?
Who am I to question Direction?
I slump and rub my hands over my face. No answers and no one to confide in.
Except...
I pull up my citizen's account and access my spouse pairing options. There's still a request to meet from someone who just might be able to answer my questions.
I poise my finger over the link as nausea wells inside.
I accept it.
At least I know who I am.
I'm a traitor.
9
Somehow I fall asleep, but my dreams fill with images of my parents being taken away. I'm dragged out of GenTech in front of Kyra and Aron. Mother and Father are questioned and then charged with treason. My fault, just like they said. Aron screams he knew I was damaged and holds a weapon to my head.
When I awake, I'm the one screaming.
If I was normal, a good citizen, Aron would be the perfect pairing Direction has deemed him. Sure, it would be a life of duty and unanswered questions, but I'd be safe. Maybe I'd be happy, too.
I shuffle out of bed to wash my face. The dim auto light flicks on, and I squint and tug at the purple tint under my eyes reflected back in the mirror. If this keeps up, I'll need to order the anti-stress MedTech from my citizen account.
Instead, I wander into the living room for some relaxation exercises Father taught me. Keeping calm will be my best defense. The flowing motion and steady breathing of the exercises help, and I'm able to settle again, but not enough to sleep. I sit and watch a rerun of the news story on the thirty-five years of Compatibility Pairing and Birth Reassignment.
Configured: (Book #1 in the Configured Trilogy) Page 7