head toward her.”
“Good morning.”
Frowning, she looks at me suspiciously. “Good morning, can I do something for you?”
She seems to see through my kindness immediately. “Yes, I want to monitor the food distribution system in the safety zone,” I say it straight out. It’s the perfect way to meet both Finn and the rebel contact.
“No way,” A350 replies bitterly. Apparently she is still mad at me.
“But it’s my project!”
“You are not as important as you think,” she calmly replied and walks past me to leave the breakfast room. But she will not get rid of me that easily. Hastily I run after her. “Legion commanders are important. Those people look up to us. They rely on us blindly. I want to see how the people react to the new arrangement.”
Annoyed she sighs. “Okay, you’ve convinced me,” she admits defeat. “You have half an hour. I will take you myself.”
Obediently I nod and refrain from shouting triumphantly. We stand on the elevator and she operates it with her thumbprint.
“It goes without saying that I do not want you wandering around the entire safety zone. You only have permission for the atrium,” she reminds me when the doors open.”
“Of course,” I agree with her. She rolls her eyes, annoyed. Apparently she does not believe a word I say, but I do not care as long as she lets me go.
While the elevator slides into the safety zone, my heart frantically begins beating faster. I think of Finn. Will he remember me? Maybe a part of his memory has returned. If so, he’ll give me a sign, I’m sure of it.
The doors slide open and I step out into my old home. Today, the walls of the atrium show a rainforest while from the speakers is the sound of a gentle lapping of rain and wind. Before the three food counters, lines have already formed. There are no crowds. Everything runs completely free of complication. My project is expected to be a great success. Under these conditions, it will not be long until I get the approval to serve real food.
At the end of the left line, I see Finn in his brown suit. I walk up to him and welcome other safety zone residents with a friendly nod.
Finn only notices me when I stand right next to him, however he does not seem pleased to see me.
“Finn,” I whisper to him while smiling.
He looks at me as though I had lost my mind and backs away, “Why do you call me that? My designation is D577,” he replies irritably.
“Do you not remember?” I ask him patiently. “You are Finn and I’m Cleo. We belong together.”
He shakes his head stubbornly. “Leave me alone!”
He advances in the line, ignoring me. Does he really not remember me or is he acting? When he woke up, he seemed happy to see me.
“Do you not remember Cleo? Cleo which rises with the sun? I was with you when you woke up.”
“I remember that. It was you who woke me up early. Because of you, they had to stun me again,” he says angrily. The Legion’s brainwashing must have been a success.
“I did not want you to be alone when you woke up.”
“That would have been better for me.”
“No, it isn’t. If you could remember anything about your past, you would be sorry,” I assure him.
But the more I say, the angrier he gets. “But I cannot remember and I do not want to. Just stay away from me!”
His words are like a slap in the face. Bravely I urge back the lump in my throat and grab again for his arm. “I will never give up on you, whether it pleases you or not.”
Furious, he breaks away from me. “Do not touch me! You’re crazy! Leave me alone!” He shouts toward me. All of the other residents of the safety zone turn toward us.
Reassuringly, I raise my hands. “Everything’s okay.”
Although it hurts, I have to accept that I will not get my Finn back today. I back away and start searching the crowd for C403, the rebel contact. There are not many fighters in the atrium at the moment. Hastily, I search through three lines in search of her, but do
“Good morning.”
Frowning, she looks at me suspiciously. “Good morning, can I do something for you?”
She seems to see through my kindness immediately. “Yes, I want to monitor the food distribution system in the safety zone,” I say it straight out. It’s the perfect way to meet both Finn and the rebel contact.
“No way,” A350 replies bitterly. Apparently she is still mad at me.
“But it’s my project!”
“You are not as important as you think,” she calmly replied and walks past me to leave the breakfast room. But she will not get rid of me that easily. Hastily I run after her. “Legion commanders are important. Those people look up to us. They rely on us blindly. I want to see how the people react to the new arrangement.”
Annoyed she sighs. “Okay, you’ve convinced me,” she admits defeat. “You have half an hour. I will take you myself.”
Obediently I nod and refrain from shouting triumphantly. We stand on the elevator and she operates it with her thumbprint.
“It goes without saying that I do not want you wandering around the entire safety zone. You only have permission for the atrium,” she reminds me when the doors open.”
“Of course,” I agree with her. She rolls her eyes, annoyed. Apparently she does not believe a word I say, but I do not care as long as she lets me go.
While the elevator slides into the safety zone, my heart frantically begins beating faster. I think of Finn. Will he remember me? Maybe a part of his memory has returned. If so, he’ll give me a sign, I’m sure of it.
The doors slide open and I step out into my old home. Today, the walls of the atrium show a rainforest while from the speakers is the sound of a gentle lapping of rain and wind. Before the three food counters, lines have already formed. There are no crowds. Everything runs completely free of complication. My project is expected to be a great success. Under these conditions, it will not be long until I get the approval to serve real food.
At the end of the left line, I see Finn in his brown suit. I walk up to him and welcome other safety zone residents with a friendly nod.
Finn only notices me when I stand right next to him, however he does not seem pleased to see me.
“Finn,” I whisper to him while smiling.
He looks at me as though I had lost my mind and backs away, “Why do you call me that? My designation is D577,” he replies irritably.
“Do you not remember?” I ask him patiently. “You are Finn and I’m Cleo. We belong together.”
He shakes his head stubbornly. “Leave me alone!”
He advances in the line, ignoring me. Does he really not remember me or is he acting? When he woke up, he seemed happy to see me.
“Do you not remember Cleo? Cleo which rises with the sun? I was with you when you woke up.”
“I remember that. It was you who woke me up early. Because of you, they had to stun me again,” he says angrily. The Legion’s brainwashing must have been a success.
“I did not want you to be alone when you woke up.”
“That would have been better for me.”
“No, it isn’t. If you could remember anything about your past, you would be sorry,” I assure him.
But the more I say, the angrier he gets. “But I cannot remember and I do not want to. Just stay away from me!”
His words are like a slap in the face. Bravely I urge back the lump in my throat and grab again for his arm. “I will never give up on you, whether it pleases you or not.”
Furious, he breaks away from me. “Do not touch me! You’re crazy! Leave me alone!” He shouts toward me. All of the other residents of the safety zone turn toward us.
Reassuringly, I raise my hands. “Everything’s okay.”
Although it hurts, I have to accept that I will not get my Finn back today. I back away and start searching the crowd for C403, the rebel contact. There are not many fighters in the atrium at the moment. Hastily, I search through three lines in search of her, but do
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