CHAPTER FOUR

Nyla was the first to arrive at the Java Joint. She passed her palm in front of the scanner, alerting the Central Tracking Authority, or CTA as it was known, of the exact time of her arrival. Tamping down her temper over the intrusion, she entered through the shimmering metallic door.

Her mother had worked at the café before her alleged crime, so it held a special place in Nyla’s heart. As she entered the coffee shop, she saw pity in the expressions of a few of her mother’s former co-workers, but most shuffled away, uncomfortable by her presence. The Java Joint was the only coffee shop in town, but even so, Nyla would have stopped coming if it weren’t for Crystal.

She spotted Crystal across the café, wiping crumbs from a table. The small Hispanic woman was the only one in the government-owned establishment who seemed to take pride in her work, despite there being no incentive to do a good job or provide customer service, and Nyla admired her for her unusual work ethic.

“The usual?”

“Yes. Thank you.” Nyla smiled at Crystal and sat down at the table.

Crystal had been her mother’s best friend and was one of the few people who thought Rachel was being unduly punished. Nyla knew Crystal was only third generation American and dreamed of returning to Mexico. Not long ago that would have been possible if not encouraged, but now the border into Mexico was tightly controlled. Mexican citizens could enter into the United States if they consented to a tracking device inserted under their skin, but few were willing to submit to the rules and physical mutilation, and most significantly, the land of opportunity no longer existed.

Nyla’s mind continued to wander as she watched Ethan and Jared enter the café. They always drew attention, since so few men existed around town. She had known the guys and Claire for as long as she could remember. She, Jared and Claire were in the same competency level and Ethan was in a level above them. Ethan would be the first to finish his schooling. After four years of pre-school, sixteen years of competencies and two years of mandatory career prep, men left—she knew of none who had ever returned home. The authorities claimed the opportunities were better for men in the larger cities, but Nyla feared the official party line lacked a great deal of truth and a summons to the cities started the clock on a ticking time bomb.

Ethan pulled out the chair next to Nyla and spun it around. He sat, his long legs straddling the seat and his arms resting over the chair’s back. Jared mimicked his actions, but chose the chair facing the door. Nyla knew Jared had chosen the location so he could watch for Claire. She winked at Ethan and smiled, knowing he had noticed Jared’s choice as well.

“Where’s Claire?’ Jared asked, interrupting her thoughts.

“Probably fighting with her mother while trying to get out of the house,” Nyla replied.

“You know me too well,” came Claire’s perky voice as she approached the table. “Same old fightNyla’s a bad influence and men are just plain rotten. She can’t even be original, so we can at least have an interesting war of words.”

“She didn’t upset you too much, did she?” Jared asked.

“No, I’m used to it. I just find the usual conversation redundant and pointless. Surely she must know by now that the more she tries to keep me away from you all the more I want to spend time with you.”

“You’re such a rebel,” Nyla laughed.

The conversation stopped as Crystal approached the table. “Careful with that napkin, this latest shipment seems to be especially stiff.” She placed a latte and muffin in front of Nyla. “The rest of your drinks will be here in a moment.”

Nyla’s “usual” didn’t include a muffin, but if Crystal brought a muffin, Nyla had no doubt there was a reason. She stared at the item, unable to look away or focus on her friends’ voices.

“I wish more people in town were like Crystal. She’s not afraid to look you right in the eye, smile and say hello. I don’t understand why it’s such a crime to be a thinking, feeling human now days. And, they call this progress,” Claire huffed.

Nyla giggled. Though many people thought of Claire as conforming and fragile with her calm quite voice and delicate features, Nyla knew different. Under the sweet gentle exterior, her friend had a will of iron and a heart just as strong.

“How about going for a little drive in a bit?” Ethan asked. “We could go to the park. It’s not real private, but it’s a socially acceptable hangout for a group of mixed-gender friends.”

“Sounds good to me, besides I’m really not hungry anyway,” Nyla replied.

Nyla wrapped the muffin in the napkin while they finished their coffee. Crystal returned with a hand-held scanner. Nyla stretched out her palm while Crystal ran the small device over the chip, transferring virtual funds from her account. The all-powerful radio frequency identification tag and chip in her palm always made Nyla feel like she had no control. She hated the practice, but there was no other option since cash no longer existed.

After they settled with Crystal, they headed toward the café’s exit. Nyla gave Crystal a wink and a smile as she followed her friends. She couldn’t believe Crystal had remained true to her and her mother, and had risked her own freedom more than once in an attempt to bring the remnants of a scattered family together. Nyla believed Crystal was a treasure to cherish, but the authorities clearly felt the woman was potentially dangerous and must be monitored.

“It’s not very enjoyable going there anymore,” Claire stated as the door eased shut behind them. “I feel like a criminal and I’m always afraid Crystal will be handcuffed and dragged out of the Café just for talking to us.”

Nyla nodded agreement, but didn’t respond. Her eyes followed Ethan’s broad shoulders as he strode toward the truck, but her thoughts remained with Crystal. Their grandmothers had been born into a different culture and had memories of freedom that SLIC had tried to expunge from society’s collective memory or at least label as barbaric. The old women were forced to live in the present and had adapted to the best of their ability, but they had also shared their remembrances with family. Nyla cherished her grandmother’s stories, but with the knowledge came a tremendous burden and she hoped she could use the tales to make the right decisions about her own future, which was exactly what the authorities feared and tried to prevent.