Read Online The Emoticon Generation by Guy Hasson - Free Book Online Page A

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    “Glynis,” Steve was saying, “thinks that Oli— [...] mother.” Glynis froze the frame, her eyes wide in surprise. They were talking about her!
    She rewinded one minute into the past, and played it at normal speed.
    “Will you stop fussing,” Honey was saying. “I’m fine.”
    “[...] Sure?” Too early. Then she had caught the conversation a few seconds before it started.
    Sure enough, twenty seconds later, Honey was saying, “[...] understand [...] bothering you.”
    “[...] complicated. [... whatever he was saying, she had a concerned look on her face. ...]—phone call I got today. [...] herself Glynis [...] —teen-year old. But actually— Forget it, that’s too complicated. [...] —r one thing, she thinks Olivia – that’s my ex —” (In the corner of the screen, the image of the PubliCam monitoring the Institute’s entrance began to flash – its task was done. It would wait for later.)
    “The [...] -ologist,” Honey said.
    Steve’s back was to the window, but he nodded.”[... he moved his hand to the side. ...] Glynis thinks that Oli— [...] mother.” Glynis frowned. It was much easier when he stood still and talked to the phone.
    “And [...] isn’t her mother?” Honey put her hand on Steve’s shoulder.
    Steve sunk into his chair. “Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no. Not even close. She’s— [his hand covered his mouth for a few seconds] —st of her kind. She’s kind’a like the chicken who lays the first egg.”
    “[...] mean?”
    Glynis froze the frame and stared at the screen numb. Maybe because the shock was too big, but also maybe because inside she was so certain that Olivia was her mother. The similarities between them were so many – she couldn’t possibly be adopted. And yet... Steve should know what he was talking about. And what did that mean, ‘the chicken who lays the first egg’? What did that mean ?
    Olivia not her mother?! It couldn’t be.
    She unfroze the frame.
    “[...] Can’t tell you,” Steve rose. “Research [...] Classif— [...] I’ll work it ou— [...]”
    “[...] —leep on it, okay?” She kissed him, and he kissed back.
    “Yeah. [...] —t you.”
    The two of them entered the bedroom, where Glynis couldn’t see them. That was all ISpy had. She looked at the watch by the corner. That last exchange was ten minutes ago. She switched to the PubliCam. Their apartment was dark except for a small light in the bedroom. They were reading. Or talking. About her. Or about Hawaii. Or about their baby.
    Working completely by rote, aware yet unaware of what she was doing, she left ISpy working, and pressed the flashing icon at the bottom of the screen. The screen was immediately filled with an image from the PubliCam outside the address her mother’s supposedly living at. The frame was from this morning. Olivia was leaving the apartment, wearing her work-clothes, suit and all, and a briefcase in hand. She then entered her car and drove away.
    “That bitch,” Glynis whispered, her mind still in neutral. “She does live somewhere else!”
    The icon belonging to the PubliCam outside the Institute flashed again. Glynis couldn’t care less. She sent it away. She stared at the apartment for a while, her teeth clenched, wondering how nasty her response should be. A minute later, she had Olivia’s phone number.
    Before calling Olivia’s number a few actions had to be taken. The phones always provided the number of the caller at the bottom of the screen. If a call is unanswered or if the callers do not leave a message, the caller’s phone number is still recorded. If Olivia sees Glynis’ number when she returns ‘home’, she’d be sure to recognize it. Glynis didn’t want that. Not yet. She would route the phone call through five different stations – the number that would appear would not be traced back to her.
    Not only do I know math and literature and history, mother, she thought; I also got an ‘A’ in hacking. She entered the secured site in