it seems you already know who we are.”
What does he expect me to say? Thank you? “I – I get to stay? I ran.”
“The reprieve is not a reward for good behaviour; it is simply the Executive’s agenda. Everybody runs. Survival instinct. Denial. An assertion of free will. It is natural and expected, even in the rare cases of those who understand what is happening to them. Mr Gallagher was optimistic in his assessment of you. We were optimistic in believing him. No newly triggered Asset wishes to accept his or her fate.”
It doesn’t sit right, Tesla’s speech, like I’m being let off too easily and it’s not a relief. He wants something and I doubt it has anything to do with my personal happiness.
“I am not a Liaison. My work is in Deactivation but given your company perhaps that is something you already know.” His head swivels slowly towards Jamie and the pressure in my chest builds again. Active agents aren’t supposed to “fraternise” and Jamie was a part of Tesla’s program. Two strikes against us. But how much does Tesla know or suspect? Jamie keeps his face impassive, meeting Tesla’s gaze.
“Your Electro-Telepathic Radiation,” Tesla continues, returning his attention to me, “was picked up last night during a sweep by the district Warden. Her alert indicated an unmarked Asset producing an uncommonly strong signal in this location. The strength of your ETR and your connection to a trusted Asset makes you a promising subject for Early Detection Studies.”
Do I imagine the weight he puts on
trusted
? I’m panicked for Miriam, for Jamie, for all our secrets. I can barely keep up with the names, the jargon, the details. It’s almost as dizzying as a room full of crossed signals. I look at Jamie but he won’t look back. I don’t know what to think or what to say and blurt, “I didn’t sense the Warden–”
Miriam digs her thumbnail into my arm.
My stomach plunges and I shut my mouth.
The woman, Felicity, leans forwards. “If you had never felt it before, you would not recognise it.”
“Right. Of course. That makes sense.”
Miriam’s thumbnail warns me again and I bite hard on the inside of my cheek for control. Have I given us away? Miriam and Jamie broke all kinds of rules hiding me from the Warden during her last sweep of the district. Was it all going to come out now? If it does, will it change their minds about letting me stay? I can’t lose my reprieve; it’s my last chance to do something for Aiden.
Tesla pulls a phone from his pocket. “Sit still.” He holds it up, composing me in the shot. The camera clicks. He holds the phone closer to my face, near my right eye. Another click. He sits back and taps the screen, casual, familiar gestures. “Facial recognition. Retina scan,” he says, like it explains things. He opens another app and holds the phone between us on the table. “Right thumb. Press the screen.” Click. My thumbprint, captured in micro-detail.
He lifts the satchel that sits on the floor beside him and swings it up onto the table. It isn’t much different from the satchel Jamie wore last night with his Indiana Jones costume. I can’t help looking to him. For what? Reassurance? Solidarity? But still no eye contact. He gives nothing away and it stokes my fear.
Tesla pulls out a small metal canister and extracts a pill-sized capsule, which his large hands unscrew with ease. A tiny needle tip gleams. “A sample of your DNA will let us match your current information with your file in the database.”
“I’m in there?” My mind is chaos. What do they know about me? Miriam swears the Project has no knowledge of her pregnancy, though I can’t begin to imagine how they kept it off-radar. None of my basic information can form any link to Aiden. Surely.
“Of course.” Tesla glances at Miriam. “All eligible relatives of known Assets are monitored.”
Miriam doesn’t look up, her attention fixed on the table, her hand frozen around my arm. Even in
What does he expect me to say? Thank you? “I – I get to stay? I ran.”
“The reprieve is not a reward for good behaviour; it is simply the Executive’s agenda. Everybody runs. Survival instinct. Denial. An assertion of free will. It is natural and expected, even in the rare cases of those who understand what is happening to them. Mr Gallagher was optimistic in his assessment of you. We were optimistic in believing him. No newly triggered Asset wishes to accept his or her fate.”
It doesn’t sit right, Tesla’s speech, like I’m being let off too easily and it’s not a relief. He wants something and I doubt it has anything to do with my personal happiness.
“I am not a Liaison. My work is in Deactivation but given your company perhaps that is something you already know.” His head swivels slowly towards Jamie and the pressure in my chest builds again. Active agents aren’t supposed to “fraternise” and Jamie was a part of Tesla’s program. Two strikes against us. But how much does Tesla know or suspect? Jamie keeps his face impassive, meeting Tesla’s gaze.
“Your Electro-Telepathic Radiation,” Tesla continues, returning his attention to me, “was picked up last night during a sweep by the district Warden. Her alert indicated an unmarked Asset producing an uncommonly strong signal in this location. The strength of your ETR and your connection to a trusted Asset makes you a promising subject for Early Detection Studies.”
Do I imagine the weight he puts on
trusted
? I’m panicked for Miriam, for Jamie, for all our secrets. I can barely keep up with the names, the jargon, the details. It’s almost as dizzying as a room full of crossed signals. I look at Jamie but he won’t look back. I don’t know what to think or what to say and blurt, “I didn’t sense the Warden–”
Miriam digs her thumbnail into my arm.
My stomach plunges and I shut my mouth.
The woman, Felicity, leans forwards. “If you had never felt it before, you would not recognise it.”
“Right. Of course. That makes sense.”
Miriam’s thumbnail warns me again and I bite hard on the inside of my cheek for control. Have I given us away? Miriam and Jamie broke all kinds of rules hiding me from the Warden during her last sweep of the district. Was it all going to come out now? If it does, will it change their minds about letting me stay? I can’t lose my reprieve; it’s my last chance to do something for Aiden.
Tesla pulls a phone from his pocket. “Sit still.” He holds it up, composing me in the shot. The camera clicks. He holds the phone closer to my face, near my right eye. Another click. He sits back and taps the screen, casual, familiar gestures. “Facial recognition. Retina scan,” he says, like it explains things. He opens another app and holds the phone between us on the table. “Right thumb. Press the screen.” Click. My thumbprint, captured in micro-detail.
He lifts the satchel that sits on the floor beside him and swings it up onto the table. It isn’t much different from the satchel Jamie wore last night with his Indiana Jones costume. I can’t help looking to him. For what? Reassurance? Solidarity? But still no eye contact. He gives nothing away and it stokes my fear.
Tesla pulls out a small metal canister and extracts a pill-sized capsule, which his large hands unscrew with ease. A tiny needle tip gleams. “A sample of your DNA will let us match your current information with your file in the database.”
“I’m in there?” My mind is chaos. What do they know about me? Miriam swears the Project has no knowledge of her pregnancy, though I can’t begin to imagine how they kept it off-radar. None of my basic information can form any link to Aiden. Surely.
“Of course.” Tesla glances at Miriam. “All eligible relatives of known Assets are monitored.”
Miriam doesn’t look up, her attention fixed on the table, her hand frozen around my arm. Even in
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