Ferrassie was curled up on her bed, watching the door. Soon Lars would be there. He came at the same time every day. It was the only thing that kept her going.
Amud eyed her from across the room, arms crossed over his chest. He was yakking with Shuqba. Both of them kept checking her out. She put her pillow over her head. Why couldn’t they leave her alone? Why did they have to be so concerned about every puny thing she did or didn’t do every minute of the day?
She wished Lars would hurry up. They needed to talk. She lifted the pillow and checked the door again.
Lars came into the dorm, holding a box of something. He always brought special eats to tempt her – pastries, cakes, chocolates or soy meat pies. Ferrassie jumped up from the bed.
‘Let’s go the greenspace.’ She grabbed Lars by the wrist and dragged him with her.
Lars stumbled forward. ‘Hey, slow down a little.’
Sometimes Ferrassie forgot how much stronger than him she was. She loosened her grip and kept on towards the stairwell.
The door closed behind them, cutting them off from all the rubberneckers. Lars adjusted his grip on the box of treats and intertwined his fingers with Ferrassie’s as they marched upwards. Desire and despair welled inside her. Her life had become some tragic romance tube bullcrap.
Halfway up the stairs Lars said, ‘I need to catch my breath.’ He was puffing and his face was red and clammy.
‘What’s up with you?’ He’d never had any trouble climbing the stairs before.
‘I’ve got a mild virus. My HealthSentinel’s fighting it. I should be right by tomorrow.’
‘Oh. We’ll go slower then. One more floor.’ He would be fine. Some Citizens lived to one hundred and fifty. They had amazing health care. It wasn’t like when a Neo was crook and got sent to the Neo medical centre never to return.
The sun had fully set by the time they reached the greenspace. They leaned against the railing. The growing things and the view of the city from up there used to comfort Ferrassie. Now nothing gave her comfort. Except for Lars.
‘I’ve had news,’ she finally said. Neo Control copper Noon had been to see her during the day, when the barracks were nearly empty. He’d seemed chuffed to be the one to bring her the news. She’d been so terrified at the sight of him she hadn’t understood what he was telling her until he’d scooted off.
‘What is it?’ Lars took her hands in his.
‘Three days until I’m transferred.’ There’d been a moment of relief when she first found out. The dreaded day had come. She hadn’t allowed herself to think past it to the even more dreaded days to follow. One thing at a time or she would be flattened by the weight of it all.
Lars squeezed her hands. ‘Just three days?’
‘I’m scared. I’m so scared.’ She leaned her forehead against his chest. She’d had the idea she’d feel better saying it out loud. She didn’t. But she couldn’t stop. ‘I’m not scared of croaking. Well … I don’t want to … I’m scared of the pain. I’m scared they’ll hurt me before they finish me off.’
He got all soppy-eyed. ‘Oh, Rassie.’ He pulled her tight to him.
‘So this plan of yours,’ she mumbled into his chest. Her only hope was that he could carry out whatever his plan was in the three days she had left.
Lars spoke into her hair, the heat of his breath soothing on the crown of her head. ‘I didn’t want to get your hopes up or my hopes up, but I’ve been attempting to find out the location of the free-Neo camp. I planned to sneak you out in my truck and deliver you to them.’
‘Oh. The free-Neos are real?’ She pulled away, frowning.
‘Indeed. But they’re very secretive and cautious.’
Ferrassie pulled a dying leaf off one of the nearby plants and crushed it in her fist. She’d had no idea his plan would involve leaving the city behind and starting a new and uncertain life out in the wilds with a bunch of strange Neos.
Then again, what other option did she have?
‘So it all depends on whether you can get in touch with them?’
‘Exactly.’ Lars leaned against the rail with his fingertips pressing his brow.
‘Couldn’t we sneak out of the city anyway? We could find somewhere to hide in the wilds or the burbs.’
‘I don’t know … I don’t think we’d be able to survive in the wilds on our own. Besides, LeaderCorp would be able to track me by my implant.’
He was right. This wasn’t actually a romance tube. She couldn’t expect Lars to risk his life to go into hiding with her. Life was chaotic and dangerous outside the cities. She’d been provided with eats and shelter all her life. She may have watched nearly every episode of Keeping Up with the Cavemen, but that was more fiction than survival training. She had no idea how to survive outside of the workers’ barracks.
Lars put a hand to her cheek. ‘We have three more days. I’ll keep trying. I think I’m close.’
She leaned her cheek against his hand and stroked it with her own. The fear of her future fell away; all she thought about was the heat of Lars’s hands on her. He leaned in and smooched her on the lips.