Chapter 8
“D8.”
“Sad?”
“So sad.”
“How can you be sad, Vidalia, didn’t you read my emails?”
"That.”
“And?”
“You were right.”
“Then how can you be sad?”
“I should have read them before . . . ”
“Before what?”
“Emmy, I’m sorry.”
“You’re calling me Emmy. You must understand.”
“I understand everything. My fault is not having heart, for not allowing my intuition to surface before the proof.”
“What did you do?”
“They’re coming.”
“Who is coming?”
“The patrol.”
“Not to Marco’s?”
“No, I didn’t forward the emails. They won’t be able to find him. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t find him.”
“Why would you want to do that?”
“To tell him.”
“Tell him what?”
“That the patrol is coming for you.”
“For me?”
“You’re not old enough to court. You were talking irrationally. Or I thought you were. I kept thinking about the seduction tales and what would happen to your parents and mine if I were implicated.”
“But we were going to marry.”
“I understand. The loophole is real. I confirmed it after reading your emails, but you’re still not allowed to court, not allowed to circumvent the rationale in that way. The exception has to trigger without courtship. No one explains how. Otherwise the testing would be undermined.”
“Has to just happen? It was going to happen tomorrow night! You were going to be our witness. Then Marco and I would have been free to love each other. What did you do?”
“You’re going to hear a knock.”
“I just did.”
“They’ll explain to your parents.”
“They are. My headset is off. I can hear them.”
“They will want to protect you from crimes against reason. Take you somewhere safe away from Marco where you can finish your studies and internalize the rationale, logic before emotion and efficiencies that benefit all citizens.”
“What about Marco?”
“They won’t find him. I didn’t tell them any details. Privacy rights protect all communications since you turned eighteen. The patrol can’t search our digital archives. They can only protect you from the probability of crimes against reason until you finish college. After that, you and Marco can choose each other if you accept the rationale or go transit if you don’t. As long as Marco stays hidden until then, he’ll be safe and you can circumvent the compatibility tests if you become engaged after graduation. Most students are too impatient to wait that long.”
“He’ll think I’ve abandoned him.”
“I’ll tell him the truth. I’ll find him.”
“You stay out of this. I can’t forgive you, let alone trust you. I’ll never chat with you again.”
“Then turn on your mic.”
“Why?”
“So I can hear what the patrol says when they enter your room. Maybe I can figure out where they’re taking you. Just make sure to ask them probing questions. They’re required to provide the rationale. You’ll be institutionalized until you finish your studies. Marco will never wait that long if he doesn’t know what happened.”
“Stop sowing doubt. Marco will wait.”
“What if he thinks you’re in trouble? How could he survive if he thinks you’ve been hurt by his choices?”
“He’ll visit my parents’ tower.”
“And you won’t be there.”
“My parents will explain.”
“They’ll call for the patrol. They’ll turn him in.”
“I hate to admit you are right.”
“Just turn on your mic, Emmy. Hurry. It won’t take them long to convince your parents. Under the effects of trace your parents will be docile.”
“Now you believe trace exists?”
“I believe everything now, but there are many details I don’t understand. Inconsistencies in the rationale.”
“Marco could have helped you understand. If you didn’t betray us, we could have pieced things together.”
“I can still help.”
“You’ll only hurt us again.”
“Then turn on your mic.”
“Why?”
“To make me suffer. You know we were bests. You know it’ll hurt me to hear what they’re doing to you.”
“Fine. Have it your way. And I hope you enjoy it.”