Page 29 of CHOICE Lover
“Only ten samples. I thought there’d be more,” Lextr says.
A knot is building in his throat. “Me too.”
Ten tries. That’s it—if he fails, Jerme will go back to being a memory. An idea that exists only in his mind. He needs Jerme. Life is becoming too much to navigate without him, and not just because of Electra. If he’s being honest, he’s been aimlessly wading through a monotonous existence for a while now. That’s probably the real reason he approved Lextr’s trial design. But what did he expect to happen? Was he thinking of Jerme all along? At least in his subconscious? That has to be it, because it can’t be that he was looking for something to jolt him back to life. This is why he needs Jerme back—nothing is clear anymore without him. He has ten tries, and failure isn’t an option.
8 – Let’s Go Outing
Electra
“Oh good, you’re up,” Res6 says, blowing into the unit wearing a determined expression. He’s outfitted in one of his space commander-esque jumpsuits, bronze this time, which only makes him more golden. One hand clutches a large, ominous-looking silver case.Not giving serial killer vibes at all.
“Well, hello to you too,” she says, watching interestedly from the couch. “I don’t sleep all day, you know.”
“I’ll just be a moment.” He pauses, making a quick scan of her attire, including her feet, which are housed in the softest pink socks she’s ever felt.
She holds them up for him to see, wiggling her toes. His nose wrinkles, which makes her grin. “Your personal shopper did a good job this time. DumBot?”
He laughs. “No, anotheractual woman.”
She gasps theatrically, covering her mouth. “So scandalous.”
She found the socks in one of the many packages addressed to her that were waiting beneath the smartwaiter delivery drawer this afternoon. Res6 must have got them out, setting them there so as not to interrupt her sleep. It’s like the woman picking out the clothes for her understands her tastes perfectly. The assorted outfits are a perfect combination of items she recognizes, like a pair of butter-soft skintight jeans, several shift dresses, and some oversized sweaters, but with a funky future-world twist. Like the structured blue sweater with an extra-large circular cutout in the center, which would expose her completely without a bodysuit underneath. The garment seems pointless to her, but she’ll figure out how to rock it if that’s what’s in style now.
It took her an embarrassing amount of time to come to terms with the fact that he was spending so much unicoin on all these clothes.On her. The internet, or network as they call it, says he’s loaded, which Tommy confirmed, so she forced herself to move past it. She doesn’t have to agree with his spending habits. She nearly had a panic attack cutting off tags—as a principle, she always wore secondhand—but on the bright side, hanging up the clothing in his sparsely filled closet gave her something to do this afternoon besides staring at the tablet all day.
He comes back into the living room, wrinkling his nose as he studies her. “I’d suggest changing into something a little lighter. It’s warm where we’re going.”
“Excuse me?” she asks, pausing the educational video she was only half-interested in watching.
He marches into the kitchen and collects a bottle of water before pacing to the closed door of the spare room she has yet to venture into. Since he’s let her sleep in his room while taking the couch for himself, she guessed it was a storage closet.
“We’re going on our first outing. Wear whatever you like, but you may find those,” he nods to the socks, “uncomfortably warm. Shoes would be ideal.”
“Okaaaaay . . .” She sets down the tablet, grateful for the distraction. She’s close to information overload anyway. While the history of banking may be riveting to some, there’s only so much a woman can take. “Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise,” he says, watching her get up and move toward her bedroom as if expecting more of an argument. “I’ll be fifteen minutes. Then we’ll go.”
He steps into the spare room, and there’s a click. Did he just lock the door? Now the door is no longer benign. What is inside that is worth locking away from her?
As much as The Room now piques her curiosity, she’s even more interested in leaving this unit. For the first time in a while, she woke up feeling refreshed and able to confidently meet the day. Going on an outing is a welcome idea. Especially as Res6 appears to already have something in mind. As long as it isn’t shopping, which would be far too stressful, she’s game.
Of all the videos Tommy sent, the dissection of modern social customs was the most interesting one, but it was too short at a mere three hours. An outing where she gets to see and possibly meet other future people will be highly beneficial to her research. A tangible step in her quest to figure out what is wrong with people now so she can figure out how to help them. She is not—to repeat, NOT—interested in figuring out and fixing Res6. Just people in general. She takes a deep breath. Even seeing what they’re like so she can write a story that might appeal to them would be a good step.
It takes her ten minutes to decide on an alternative outfit. Not knowing what they’re doing, except that it will be warm, limits her. She selects a pair of white-and-silver striped culottes and a cropped whitehalter top that is woven with a reflective thread that glitters when she turns in the light. A low pair of clear tech sandals complements the ensemble.
She steps out of the bedroom right as Res6 is closing the door behind him. He notices her watching him, and if she’s being honest, trying to get a glimpse of what’s inside The Room.
He pointedly clears his throat. “This room is off limits. Understand?”
Now she’s even more curious. If only she had some real heroine skills like lock picking.
“Electra,” he urges.
“What?” she asks, still trying to figure out what is so important to keep hidden. Obviously, the first thought that pops into her mind is Sex Dungeon. “Oh yeah, off limits. Got it.” Under her breath she mutters, “Not giving murder-y vibes at all.”
He chuckles. “Does this mean you’re feeling revived?”
She shoots him a taunting grin. “Today, anyway.”
