Read Online Glitch by Heather Anastasiu - Free Book Online Page A

problem. The Rez.” He looked at me and smiled. “Sorry, I should be explaining more as I go. Rez is short for Resistance. Anyway, we just usually avoid the cities, you know, so it feels kind of cracked to just be cruising down these streets out in the open.” He glanced over at me. “But it’s nothing to worry about. I’ve run ops in the city before.”
    I stared at him openmouthed for a second, then shook my head. “You do realize that nothing you are saying makes any sense.”
    He laughed again. His laugh was completely different from how the official’s had been. It sounded nice. In spite of all the feelings and new sensations swirling around right now, the sound of it made me feel warm inside.
    “I’ve never met anyone like you.…” I paused, trying to find the word. “Someone else who’s…”
    He reached over and squeezed my hand, his eyes still facing forward. “You aren’t the only one, Zoe. You’re not alone anymore.”
    He removed his hand and put it back on the wheel, but his touch left behind a lingering warmth. I ran my finger over that part of my hand in wonder.
    “Can you talk and navigate at the same time?” I asked. “Because I would like to hear some of those answers you promised earlier.”
    “Soon,” he said. “We’re almost at the checkpoint. Besides…” He glanced over at me. “My mom can explain it all better than I can.”
    “Your mother! You mean, she’s not…”
    “Nope, not a Link drone.”
    I was stunned. I hadn’t even imagined the possibility of parents who were free of the Link. I looked out the window, upset and confused about what I was feeling. This was an emotion I didn’t have a name for. My eyes stung and when I reached up under my glasses to rub them, my fingers came away wet. Everything was happening too fast. I couldn’t sort out one confusing thing before another came up.
    “What about your father?” I asked. I knew there were more pressing questions, but I was still stunned by the thought of parents who weren’t Linked. After adulthood and the final V-chip installation, subjects never glitched. They only worked at their Community jobs all day and night until their bodies become unproductive and they were deactivated. Glitching parents were an impossibility.
    “He died when I was small,” Adrien said. “It’s just been Mom and me for as long as I can remember. She’s kind of a hard-ass.”
    He glanced over and must have seen my confusion at the term. “She’s really protective of me. My dad died doing work for the Rez, so she shuntin’ hated it when I started working for them a few years ago.” He gave a short laugh.
    “Why do you do it, then?”
    “We’ve been on the run our whole lives. I don’t know anything different.”
    He looked over at me, his eyes intense. “I have to crackin’ believe the world can be different. That we could be safe and … free. ”
    I nodded slowly. Free. The concept was foreign, but … yes, it felt so right. It felt like the perfect word to encapsulate exactly what I’d been longing for.
    Suddenly, he sat up straighter.
    “What?” I asked.
    “We’re at the city gate.”
    I looked up and saw a huge gray concrete wall ahead of us. The road led straight into a tunnel through the wall, but as we slowed down to a stop, I saw armed Guards in front of the huge sliding steel gate.
    Adrien laughed once, nervous. “Now we’ll see if Mom was able to contact the Rez in time. Otherwise, this is going to be one short godlam’d trip.”

Chapter 6
    “SORRY,” ADRIEN SAID , looking over at me. My terror must have been clear on my face.
    “I’m sure she got the message to her guys. They always come through, okay? Nothing to worry about. I’m going to open the window now so just keep your glasses on and stay still while I talk to them.”
    I reached up a trembling hand to make sure my shades were still on straight. I closed my eyes but popped them open again when I heard a light ping , ping , ping on the