The device accepts the connection.
Let the Affinity program invasion begin.
I grab my headset and place it over my eyes. After the eyepiece blurs and goes clear, I swipe the screen to activate it. The virtual reality of the headset displays the spinning GenTech logo and the list of today's tasks.
For today the following will be overseeing one another's work:
D. Carter
A. Lark
Ugh. Unless another D. Carter works in InfoSec, Daniel's going to be hanging around me today. Sure enough, his scowling avatar enters my VR office carrying a Flexx formed into a touch tablet. Daniel says nothing and avoids looking my way. To match his, my desktop system morphs into a tablet. The task displays on the screen to investigate an error, checking the other’s work along the way.
This sim is nothing like reality. Instead, it looks fake. Generated. Just a plain digital office the VR creates to give us even more of a sense we're alone while working. The avatars are a shadow of what we are in the real world. Cold, sterile.
Maybe it's just Daniel.
When I move to enter our project, the instructions change.
Immediately discontinue current project until further notice.
A high alert shows for a stage-four security breach and my heart races. There's a real emergency. Not a drill. Pain stabs at my gut. I am the breach. I knew I couldn't do this. Daniel's avatar eyes me quizzically, then vanishes from the VR room.
Suspicious activity consistent with an intruder reads on the screen.
I squint at my new instructions through the system and rush to start coding. I do my best, and a strange calm falls over me. The MedTech.
You can do this. Coding is what you were made for.
After four hours and forty-five minutes, the breach is contained by the team. From the little I learned last night about what the Affinity spybot does, I'm confident the emergency is unrelated to my hack for Affinity.
But at the last minute, I notice an oddity. A hidden backdoor. It's so tiny and obsolete I should have missed it, but I never miss weaknesses in code. This one's not like a beacon to me, but it's unmistakable. The Affinity program.
As fast as possible, I code a concealment and exit the program. That's when I notice Daniel's avatar. He's in my VR office again, holding his tablet.
"Why are you here?" I ask sourly to cover my nervousness.
He crosses the arms of his avatar. "The breach is secure and we're to continue with the original task. What are you doing?"
"Nothing. Just finishing up." I check the time. "I'm headed to eat."
His avatar's mouth tightens. "After lunch, then," he says and vanishes from the room.
Did he see? I wait a few minutes before I pull off the headset, joining the real world once more, and lean over to see if Daniel is still at his cubicle.
Gone.
I stand and unlink my handheld. A shiver runs down my spine. How long are these anti-stress meds supposed to work for? I think I need more.
From a food dispenser on the first floor, I order a sandwich and take it outside to clear my head and the ache in my stomach. As I walk toward the door, I swear a Guardian follows me. I breathe a sigh of relief when it continues off to a corridor on my right.
I hike a couple of buildings down and sit on the curb. The sidewalks have no seating to discourage milling.
Jayson's in custody, Meyer's MIA, Daniel's watching me. What made me believe I'd be smart or strong enough to do this?
As if to answer the question, my handheld buzzes. My heart leaps. Meyer.
I'm safe.
Tears pool in my eyes, and I look up to discourage them.
I don't know if I can do this, I reply.
I move to send the message and delete it instead. With a sigh, I scroll to the MedTech account and press my palm to a new download. A sense of calm travels over me.
Back to work.
And I didn't even eat my lunch.
12
With my shift almost done, I log off the server and gather my belongings.
At least the MedTech got me through the day.
I swallow hard at the thought and check my message center. Nothing new, bad or good. My breath releases in a sigh of relief.
At the top of the stairs, I message Kyra to meet. She's the only person from my old life I have left to talk to and even that is nearing an end in less than a month.
My device buzzes.
Flexx 35D52G-KLEWIS: See you in 5 out front.
I exit the building and spy a petite girl headed toward me down the block, her pretty blonde hair pulled into a high, tight bun.
"Want me to walk you home, or somewhere else?" Kyra asks, reaching my side.
"Home. But let's walk slowly. How's your placement coming along?"
Her back straightens. "Busy… extremely busy. But I enjoy it. It's perfect if you don't mind running around all day."
Kyra's always had a lot of energy. It's what got her so far. She's tireless in getting what she wants.
"I'm second assistant to Level Two Direction Representative Ayers," she adds. "He reports to Manning, but I'm sure you knew that last part."
"Actually, it's terrible, but I don't follow much local government." I grimace. "Guess I should. It's kind of important… and I know a person working there now."
She chuckles. "Well, it's not like I'm making any decisions or recommendations. So far I just run errands for actual important people."
Kyra is a good person. I know she is. My hope is with people like her involved with Direction, the situation will change. But it will be a long time before she has any influence.
"You need to start somewhere, right?" I offer encouragingly.
"Absolutely. Legal would have been good, but a government career is the kind I've always wanted." She beams. "What about you?"
"Work's fine, but too much is on my mind lately. I can't sleep."
"You could always take the MedTech."
"Yeah." My face flushes. Knowing what I do about Direction, I can't believe I already have.
We walk the next block in silence. Gone are the conversations of schoolgirls. Our month of transition is nearly up, and we both know it.
Kyra clears her throat. "I met Director Manning."
"You did?" My heart begins to pound. I hadn't even considered Kyra might have access to Manning yet.
"He held an emergency meeting this morning, and Representative Ayers had me come along," she whispers. "The council is concerned with the increasing terrorist attacks in the city."
My heart works to speed up further, but the anti-anxiety meds seem to be doing their job, and it returns to normal.
"I don't understand what those people, rebels, are doing." She shakes her head. "Why do they want to hurt us?"
What do I say to her? That Direction is killing people, not Affinity?
I bite my tongue. The timing is all wrong. Kyra wouldn't understand. Instead, I just shrug and shake my head.
"Manning is so focused and intent. He embodies the Direction Initiative." Her lips form a half smile, but then it disappears and her chin rises. "It really is an honor to work in the Level Two rep office."
And there you go. Direction has officially configured another cog to fit into their machine.
I am next.
Except all my cogs are the wrong shapes.
* * *
A steady stream of Aerrx drones, ranging from the small 1000s to the commercial 3000s, have flown by my apartment window in the last two hours. Three new messages from Meyer buzz from my handheld on the couch. The fact I never returned his last one concerns him. He's just checking to see if I'm okay. I'm fine, but thinking about Meyer reminds me what I'm doing is dangerous, so I ignore him for now.
Aron still hasn't replied to my request, and Affinity has sent me an additional reminder to contact him again. I don't know what to do about it. Right now I have no desire for establishing a spouse pairing, despite Affinity orders, and if I log on to send it, Meye
r's fake account might still be active. I don't want to see his face either since I still don't know how to respond to his last message.
I walk toward the window and palm the glass. My gaze is drawn to a single, rare bird flying over one of the rooftops in the distance. Into the sky it soars, and then dives back to the earth. The creature does this several times before darting off to the horizon and vanishing like a phantom.
Ben's memory permeates my mind. It's almost as if he vanished too.
A chime I set announces a reminder for tonight's Direction announcement, breaking my concentration.
Was the bird only in my mind?
I activate the viewer in the living room and flop on the couch. The program hasn't started yet. Only the Direction emblem displays, flanked by gold and black words:
DIRECTION: ENABLING YOUR BEST FUTURE
The globe emblem spins, and the words transition from black to gold and back in a slow dance.
How do they know what my best future is?
I shake my head in disgust. Dread rises at the thought of returning to GenTech tomorrow and all the tomorrows after.
Brian Marshall snaps me from my thoughts.
"Citizens, please stay with us for an imperative announcement from the Direction Council. Director Manning will be taking the podium in five minutes." He moves on to a mini story about food ink production for the printers, and how Nutra Enterprise continues developing perfect personal nutrition.
My eyes glaze over. Fascinating.
The segment wraps, and the scene switches to an empty podium where Director Manning steps up. I've seen his stats on the network, and for a man of average stature, he always appears tall. It could be the camera angle, but Kyra's right. He embodies Direction Initiative. His focus and determination are the primary reason spouse pairing and birth reassignment have been so successful in increasing Intelligence Potential.
The vid closes in, his face filling the screen, large and angular. I push into the back of the couch, but his oppressiveness doesn't diminish.
"Citizens of Direction," Manning begins. "On behalf of Elore, I want to personally thank you for your focus and loyalty. Staying on the path of the Direction Initiative to continually build understanding will ensure the survival of our species. Intelligence enacts progress in the Technology, Science, and Medical divisions in a way that is only possible by compatibility pairing. Your allegiance to the Initiative is imperative, now more than ever."
I grip the edge of the cushion.
"Elore has a new threat, one that jeopardizes our survival as the Aves virus did over one hundred years ago. But instead of a microscopic level, this infective agent operates at a macro one, attempting to reproduce and spread, destroying us. Direction sits on the verge of a battle with a group who has identified themselves as Affinity."
A vacuum seems to suck the air from the room and I gasp. I force myself to hear him by getting up to stand directly in front of the screen. It's not new information, but this is the first time I've been on the other side.
"It has come to our attention that Affinity, and the dangers they pose, are a growing problem, endangering the safety and security of Direction. Over the last few weeks, they have orchestrated dangerous, even deadly, events at multiple Levels in the city, including a terrorist attack in Level One in which several Level One citizens were badly injured."
No, not true. I know all this, but hearing the words makes it all too real. My mouth goes dry and I try to swallow, but my throat closes. Gasping for breath, I race back to the couch and grab for my Flexx. The MedTech window is still available, and I scroll to download.
Maximum Daily Anti-Anxiety MedTech Allowance Reached.
I curse and throw the device onto the couch.
"During the latest confirmed Affinity assault in Level Three, twelve citizens died and five more were injured. We have one of their leaders in custody, and he has admitted to leading the operation to murder specific Level Three citizens."
The vid flips to a live feed of a man, probably sedated. His head hangs, but he lifts it a little. My eyes widen when I notice the graying hair at his temples. This glassy-eyed, drawn face belongs to Jayson.
Inching back to the screen, I cover my open mouth and tap his face.
Name: Jayson Brant
Age: 42
Leader in subversive group called Affinity
Accused of the murder and injury of twelve Level Three citizens
Trial: TBD
I jerk my hand back from the screen as if stung, then swipe the words away. The vid returns to Director Manning. He continues explaining how vital it is that Affinity be stopped, and talks about a new app that can be immediately found on handhelds to report any suspicious behavior.
"Citizens, it is your obligation to protect our future."
The Direction logo flashes on the screen again, allowing Elore to stew in their obligations. I stumble to the couch and collapse in the middle. Something pokes my leg, and I pull out my Flexx with the MedTech notification on the screen. I stare at it, but instead of downloading, I take a deep breath, just like Father instructed.
Maybe, deep down, he truly did care about me. Maybe even wanted to protect me. I close my eyes and imagine what it must feel like to be loved, even cherished, by your family. My mind drifts to the words on the paper that wrapped my gold heart necklace from Ben. The childish "I love you" with the backward y. Even at four, Ben loved. Despite everything he must have went through with the experiments, and ultimately died, he still loved.
"I love you, too," I whisper.
Saying the words out loud feels sacred.
Forbidden.
Defiant thoughts roll around in my brain. Why is it that a few people get to decide how we should live? No one should die for the right to love. That kind of freedom is worth fighting for.
"Meyer," I whisper. I let go of any fear and send him a message.
What's next?
The device buzzes a reply.
War.
I make a beeline to my bed. I slide my hand under the mattress and search for the hidden package containing the cold metal necklace. From the paper, the jewelry drops to my hand. My fingers burn as I stroke the delicate chain, then grasp it in my palm. I glance at the clasp to see how it works, close my eyes, and wrap the pendant around my neck. Without looking, I tuck it into my shirt.
The golden heart will remind me that love shouldn't be hidden. It shouldn't be forbidden. It wasn't something to stuff under a mattress.
The thought is better than anything Direction offers, including anxiety MedTech.
As the concealed golden heart hangs near the one hammering away in my chest, I swear it ticks with its own life.
13
I keep my head down as I leave work. Exhaustion creeps over me without any MedTech to keep me focused. The desire to take it still exists, but I've managed to keep it at bay the whole day. The evening wind is chill, and full, puffy gray clouds swell in the sky. The air is earthy and damp. My breath puffs with every step like a trail of smoke, and the long sleeves of my top do little to stay the cold, so I pick up the pace. Any other day, I'd have checked the forecast and worn something warmer, but this morning found me troubled.
Bundled citizens scurry by, some eyeing each other. Since the broadcast, everyone must be keenly aware that any minuscule display of suspicious behavior brands them as a traitor. Turning in conspirators is our duty, maybe even a pleasure for some.
With stiff fingers, I check my handheld, but Meyer hasn't messaged. The Affinity account only says to await further instructions.
A thick drop of water wets my shoulder as more fall to the concrete, speckling the path to my building. By the time I reach it, my shirt is soaked through and my drenched hair clings to the sides of my face and scalp.
"Oh, you poor thing," a female voice says as I enter through the sliding doors.
Busily waving me toward the elevator is my neighbor, the odd girl with the straight, raven hair from the first day I moved i
n. I hesitate, but make my way across the floor of the lobby and step into the cab, the girl right on my heels. The doors shut, and I turn.
"Leave me alone."
She smiles and flips her raven hair behind her shoulders. "You know, lost time is never found again."
"What?" My voice cracks. It's the same words Meyer messaged me the day I moved in.
"Don't worry. We're safe here. For now," she says. "My name's Lena, and I'm supposed to get you started tonight."
She stares at me as if waiting for me to respond. I stare back at her, arms fixed to my sides.
Started on what? I wasn't told of this.
"Avlyn, put your hand on the pad. Otherwise, we'll be here all night."
I still don't move. Lena chuckles, grabs my hand, and presses it to the pad. I jerk it back, but the scanner has enough time to read the data.
"Listen," she says. "It's a lot to take in, but you will."
The cab stops, and Lena steps out. She waves. "Come on."
When I don't follow, she reaches back and tugs my arm. Instinct says to pull away, but instead, I let her lead me into the hall.
"I'm okay," I mutter. "You can let go. I know the way."
"Of course."
She doesn't.
Inside her unit, the cityscape is just as stunning as mine, only eastward facing instead of west. No view of the sunset, but it doesn't matter. She activates the lights, then dims the glass to black.
"Come in. I need to prepare. If you're hungry, go ahead and get something from the kitchen," she offers. "It's going to be a long night."
She then disappears into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
My stomach groans, reminding me I haven't eaten regularly over the last few days, and from the sound of Lena's plans, if I don't eat now, I might not have the chance again any time soon. I order and work on a plate of meatloaf and potatoes. When she exits the room, she comes out carrying a bag, a handheld, and a towel.
Configured: (Book #1 in the Configured Trilogy) Page 10