a lot to learn.”
“Of course you do. But a 97 so far? That’s insane. I didn’t get above 95 the first
week. You’re a natural.”
A pair of shadows darkened their lunch.
“Can we meet the newbie?”
Mae looked up, shielding her eyes.
“Course,” Annie said.
The shadows sat down. Annie jabbed her fork at them. “This is Sabine and Josef.”
Mae shook their hands. Sabine was blond, sturdy, squinting. Josef was thin, pale,
with comically bad teeth.
“Already she’s looking at my teeth!” he wailed, pointing to Mae. “You Americans are
obsessed!
I feel like a horse at an auction.”
“But your teeth
are
bad,” Annie said. “And we have such a good dental plan here.”
Josef unwrapped a burrito. “I think my teeth provide a necessary respite from the
eerie perfection of everyone else’s.”
Annie tilted her head, studying him. “I’m sure you
should
fix them, if not for you for the sake of company morale. You give people nightmares.”
Josef pouted theatrically, his mouth full of carne asada. Annie patted his arm.
Sabine turned to Mae. “So you’re in Customer Experience?” Now Mae noticed the tattoo
on Sabine’s arm, the symbol for infinity.
“I am. First week.”
“I saw you’re doing pretty well so far. I started there, too. Just about everyone
did.”
“And Sabine’s a biochemist,” Annie added.
Mae was surprised. “You’re a biochemist?”
“I am.”
Mae hadn’t heard about biochemists working at the Circle. “Can I ask what you’re working
on?”
“Can you
ask?
” Sabine smiled. “Of course you can
ask
. But I don’t have to tell you anything.”
Everyone sighed for a moment, but then Sabine stopped.
“Seriously though, I can’t tell you. Not right now, anyway. GenerallyI work on stuff for the biometric side of things. You know, iris scanning and facial
recognition. But right now I’m on something new. Even though I’d like to—”
Annie gave Sabine an imploring, quieting look. Sabine filled her mouth with lettuce.
“Anyway,” Annie said, “Josef here is in Educational Access. He’s trying to get tablets
into schools that right now can’t afford them. He’s a do-gooder. He’s also friends
with your new friend. Garbonzo.”
“Garaventa,” Mae corrected.
“Ah. You
do
remember. Have you seen him again?”
“Not this week. It’s been too busy.”
Now Josef’s mouth was open. Something had just dawned on him. “Are you Mae?”
Annie winced. “We already said that. Of course this is Mae.”
“Sorry. I didn’t hear it right. Now I know who you are.”
Annie snorted. “What, did you two little girls tell each other all about Francis’s
big night? He’s been writing Mae’s name in his notebook, surrounded by hearts?”
Josef inhaled indulgently. “No, he just said he’d met someone very nice, and her name
was Mae.”
“That’s so sweet,” Sabine said.
“He told her he was in security,” Annie said. “Why would he do that, Josef?”
“That’s not what he said,” Mae insisted. “I told you that.”
Annie didn’t seem to care. “Well, I guess you could call it security. He’s in child
safety. He’s basically the core of this whole program to prevent abductions. He actually
could do it.”
Sabine, her mouth full again, was nodding vigorously. “Of course he will,” she said,
spraying fragments of salad and vinaigrette. “It’s a done deal.”
“What is?” Mae asked. “He’s going to prevent all abductions?”
“He could,” Josef said. “He’s motivated.”
Annie’s eyes went wide. “Did he tell you about his sisters?”
Mae shook her head. “No, he didn’t say he had siblings. What about his sisters?”
All three Circlers looked at each other, as if to gauge if the story had to be told
there and then.
“It’s the worst story,” Annie said. “His parents were such fuckups. I think there
were like four or five kids in the family, and Francis was youngest or
“Of course you do. But a 97 so far? That’s insane. I didn’t get above 95 the first
week. You’re a natural.”
A pair of shadows darkened their lunch.
“Can we meet the newbie?”
Mae looked up, shielding her eyes.
“Course,” Annie said.
The shadows sat down. Annie jabbed her fork at them. “This is Sabine and Josef.”
Mae shook their hands. Sabine was blond, sturdy, squinting. Josef was thin, pale,
with comically bad teeth.
“Already she’s looking at my teeth!” he wailed, pointing to Mae. “You Americans are
obsessed!
I feel like a horse at an auction.”
“But your teeth
are
bad,” Annie said. “And we have such a good dental plan here.”
Josef unwrapped a burrito. “I think my teeth provide a necessary respite from the
eerie perfection of everyone else’s.”
Annie tilted her head, studying him. “I’m sure you
should
fix them, if not for you for the sake of company morale. You give people nightmares.”
Josef pouted theatrically, his mouth full of carne asada. Annie patted his arm.
Sabine turned to Mae. “So you’re in Customer Experience?” Now Mae noticed the tattoo
on Sabine’s arm, the symbol for infinity.
“I am. First week.”
“I saw you’re doing pretty well so far. I started there, too. Just about everyone
did.”
“And Sabine’s a biochemist,” Annie added.
Mae was surprised. “You’re a biochemist?”
“I am.”
Mae hadn’t heard about biochemists working at the Circle. “Can I ask what you’re working
on?”
“Can you
ask?
” Sabine smiled. “Of course you can
ask
. But I don’t have to tell you anything.”
Everyone sighed for a moment, but then Sabine stopped.
“Seriously though, I can’t tell you. Not right now, anyway. GenerallyI work on stuff for the biometric side of things. You know, iris scanning and facial
recognition. But right now I’m on something new. Even though I’d like to—”
Annie gave Sabine an imploring, quieting look. Sabine filled her mouth with lettuce.
“Anyway,” Annie said, “Josef here is in Educational Access. He’s trying to get tablets
into schools that right now can’t afford them. He’s a do-gooder. He’s also friends
with your new friend. Garbonzo.”
“Garaventa,” Mae corrected.
“Ah. You
do
remember. Have you seen him again?”
“Not this week. It’s been too busy.”
Now Josef’s mouth was open. Something had just dawned on him. “Are you Mae?”
Annie winced. “We already said that. Of course this is Mae.”
“Sorry. I didn’t hear it right. Now I know who you are.”
Annie snorted. “What, did you two little girls tell each other all about Francis’s
big night? He’s been writing Mae’s name in his notebook, surrounded by hearts?”
Josef inhaled indulgently. “No, he just said he’d met someone very nice, and her name
was Mae.”
“That’s so sweet,” Sabine said.
“He told her he was in security,” Annie said. “Why would he do that, Josef?”
“That’s not what he said,” Mae insisted. “I told you that.”
Annie didn’t seem to care. “Well, I guess you could call it security. He’s in child
safety. He’s basically the core of this whole program to prevent abductions. He actually
could do it.”
Sabine, her mouth full again, was nodding vigorously. “Of course he will,” she said,
spraying fragments of salad and vinaigrette. “It’s a done deal.”
“What is?” Mae asked. “He’s going to prevent all abductions?”
“He could,” Josef said. “He’s motivated.”
Annie’s eyes went wide. “Did he tell you about his sisters?”
Mae shook her head. “No, he didn’t say he had siblings. What about his sisters?”
All three Circlers looked at each other, as if to gauge if the story had to be told
there and then.
“It’s the worst story,” Annie said. “His parents were such fuckups. I think there
were like four or five kids in the family, and Francis was youngest or
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