Read Online Heightened: The Federation Series by Miria Masdan - Free Book Online

you, I don’t know how, but I do.”
    “I’ve never met you; we’ve been over this.” He looks confused. He leans back and rubs his temple as if in deep thought.
    “I can’t explain it,” I say.
    “No, there’s something wrong with your program,” he says. He looks down at the receptors screen. “You rebooted?”
    “What?” I remove my hand from the receptor. He looks up at me. “When?”
    “Apparently, when you passed out,” he’s starting to turn pale. “It’s not possible you need to be connected to a receptor in order to reboot.”
    “You don’t look well,” I waited for a response. He just stared at me blankly. “Are you sure you are okay?”
    “I don’t know what’s going on, but I need to report this.” He stood up and walked over to a row of computers and a wall of monitors.
    He pushed some buttons, and one of the screens scrambled and then settled on an image. He motioned for me to join him.
    “What’s this?”
    “This is you and me about 10 minutes ago,” he looked at me.
    I look at the screen, and I see him standing at the computers and me standing behind him. I’m just staring into space. He turns and looks at me. I hear him calling out my name and then he grabs my shoulders and shakes me. I begin to fall, and he catches me and he lowers me to the floor. He places his mouth over mine, and I can see his body shaking. He’s like that for only a few minutes and then I sit up and look at him.
    “See, you passed out,” he says. “The man, did he do anything before he left?”
    “No,” I look at the screen, “he said he had a meeting, and that he’d be back.”
    “I’m sorry,” he looks at his watch. “The ceremony starts in an hour. I have to hand you over to my commander.”
    “Wait, can you see all of the POE? I look at him and then back at the monitor. “Can you show me more?”
    He pushes more buttons on the computer, and another screen pops up. This time it is outside in the courtyard. I see myself being escorted into the building by my Proctor.
    “I lied.”
    “I know,” his voice is quiet. “Where are you going?”
    He changes screens again and this time the lobby pops up. I see myself again, but this time I’m passing through a doorway.
    “The laborer wing,” I say. “I’m in trouble.”
    “Are you having an affair with your Proctor?” He looks right into my eyes. “Or has he ever done anything to indicate that he is interested in you?”
    I don’t look away, I should, but I don’t. “You can let me go. I can walk out of here, and we can forget all of this.”
    “I don’t think so,” he says.
    “I won’t make it in the wastelands,” I say. “You’ll be responsible for killing me.”
    “He violated protocol,” he says.
    “I didn’t stop him,” I say, “I didn’t want to.”
    “Are you working with the rebels?”
    I shake my head, “Quinn?”
    “The Federation law is specific,” he says. “If you’re broken you’re susceptible to disease. You could cause an outbreak.”
    “Please, give me a chance,” I beg. “I’ve been like this my whole life. I’ve never harmed anyone.”
    “You can plead your case at your tribunal,” he says. “I’m sorry. My job is to protect the citizens of the Federation.”
    “I’m a citizen,” I snap.
    “You are a virus,” he snarls.
    “You can save me.”
    He is angry. He stands up and walks right up to me. “You broke the law.”
    “Then why haven’t you turned me in yet?” I’m terrified. “What are you waiting for?”
    He is so close I can see into his eyes. I remember his eyes, his face. I don’t think, I just lean into him and place my lips on his.
    He grabs my arms hard, digging his fingers into the soft part above my elbow. I winch, but he doesn’t pull away. I feel the heat rise from deep within me and spread throughout my entire body.
    He slips his hands down to my wrists, grabs them, forces them behind me and pulls my body towards him. I can feel him against me. His lips