CHAPTER NINETEEN
"We humans were bent on destroying our world— and then Makr came and our world started thriving again. There is no doubt that Makr knows best." - Ray Bolls
Three weeks to the day after returning home, he awoke ready to find a new friend. With so many pleasant new memories, his memory of Dar and Desiree seemed cloudy. He knew that if he stopped consciously thinking about them, their memory would vanish—not wiped out really, but buried beneath so many more important things. Makr knew best.
Obediently, Harry went to Cyber Match Central and was matched the right way this time. The blessed meeting was to be with a woman who fell within the same range of perfectly agreeable features and character traits, held a similar job as a SensaVision interface, and were constantly being paired with born-agains.
"I feel you are different from most of those I meet, Harry," she said when they met. "You don't have all those annoying habits of the—you-know-who's."
Harry knew she was too polite to say the word. "Thanks, Donna, neither do you."
He drank in her light brown hair, brown eyes, and modest figure. Like Harry, Donna's features fell within .000005 of perfection, rather ordinary by today's standards. She was just his type, thanks to Makr.
It must be a Bio flaw, he thought; these matches almost never feel right to me—mostly never. Since he had never experienced a successful match before, why did he think it possible now? He thought, maybe if I try harder to appreciate my match partner... Actually the lack of a perfect match was proof the world was not perfect either. So, maybe he shouldn't expect so much; if you don't expect much you won't be disappointed. Of course, it could just have been that he just wanted the world he had lived in most of his life to have had some redeeming value beyond mere contentment.
He thought-blinked for a rare moment or two of sharing The Watering Hole experience with his date, but then thought better of it. He reasoned that he didn't know her at all so why risk sudden erasure for introducing her to it?
He thought-blinked about Desiree and Dar, blowing away the cloud of new memories, and found he missed them both. It wasn't his occasionally logical mind that desired Desiree. The attraction there was purely physical. Dar, however, was a different matter. He hardly knew her, but he longed to spend time getting to know her, a stranger; the lust, he knew, would come later.
He had never been this torn between two women before. His cybermatches up until now had never left a lasting impression. He had rarely thought of his dates after they parted company. Did the possibility of discovery that make their memories more exciting and, therefore, more memorable? He couldn't believe Makr would ever allow this kind of conflict. It couldn't possibly be good. What if I never go Outside again?
He shook off the thought-blink. Better to get on with the present and not dwell upon this ludicrous conflict of interest.
While he was sure Donna couldn't possibly take his mind off the other two ladies in his life, he was determined to make it happen. Life was good now, so why ruin it?
Makr, whose presence seemed deeply involved in any relationship, had already given menu and cooking instructions directly to Harry's cybercook so there could be no mistake in the preparation. No relationship had ever been halted due to a Bio cooking disaster since Makr had started running things. The cybercook was another Annie cybert, who would prepare the couple's favorite foods as per Makr's instructions. Harry had no idea how the food got into his house, but when he got home from work, all the right food for his present mood and health were present for consumption. The wine was also Donna's favorite; on the wine, Harry was neutral.
On appearances alone, this match-up didn't seem unusual. It was his usual dinner with intimate talk to follow. In the past, he entertained his dates by showing them portions of his vid collection, but they had seldom been as excited as he was about them. More often they were shocked that Harry dared to break the law by showing them to someone else. Did Makr know? Of course, He did; Harry never saw any of those dates again. Onward, he pledged to be more compliant.
He sensed something was different. There wasn't the usual tension. There was sexual tension, yes, but not the kind of social tension when people stand back and ease into a social pairing. So, what else was different? The instructions for this date were minimal. Harry usually watched a few hours of Makr-approved vid programs or talked with a SensaVision counselor before having a date for dinner.
Without the necessary detailed instructions, Harry was going to have to improvise. Odd that Makr should allow an uncontrolled match-up. He caught himself questioning the logic of it all. Go with it, be a different Harry—a new and improved version, he told himself. Makr knows best.
He jumped up rather quickly from dinner, startling his guest.
"Surprise!" he said, remembering and relishing the act of saying the archaic word. "I have a surprise for you."
"What's a 'sur-prize'? Is that the word?" she asked, clueless to what he was talking about.
"Inquiring minds want to know," he said, and grinned. "A dessert—a special dessert." He raised one eyebrow and smiled conspiratorially at the use of his own trivia.
A bit shaken, but more stirred, she gave him an intriguing 'I'm-interested' look.
"The surprise in not knowing until the last second," he continued. "I make it myself. The recipe's not on the Cyber menu."
Harry eyed her suspiciously, looking for clues to her guilt or innocence in some plot to catch him at this most vulnerable moment. As he was about to reveal the real Harry, he felt unprotected, exposed—with his pants down—figuratively speaking.
"Shall we?" Harry said in his most charming voice as he offered her his arm for the trip to the kitchen.
"Yes. Why the hell not?" She accepted his offer. "I'm up for something new."
That didn't sound like something an Insider would say, but Harry brushed it off as refreshing.
In the kitchen, Harry ordered Annie to put herself away until morning. As soon as the Cyber cook left the immediate area, he went to the freezer and took out three containers of different flavored ice cream.
"Do you like ice cream?" Harry grinned. Of course she did, or they wouldn't have matched.
"Yes, of course," she answered cautiously. "Doesn't everyone?" she quipped as she buckled up for the unknown and the unexpected. So far, he hadn't shown her much of either.
"The rest is personal," he announced.
Next, he proceeded to make the two of them a giant sundae in a single bowl, topped it off with some of his favorite sweet, fruity, and nutty ingredients—then after she added some of her favorites, he topped it off with lots of whipped cream. This sundae was not just a sundae or a combination of flavors, it was a union of individual preferences—a shared affinity only he and Donna could have. Harry was beaming with pride in his creation.
Now, for the experience...
With spoons at the ready, Harry and Donna clinked them together in a toast to the unknown and unexpected delights they were about to share. Harry began first by dipping his spoon in the sweet concoction and offering it to her. Still in her devil-may-care mode, she took it with a flourish, closing her eyes. The result was dizzying. She opened her eyes widely, letting Harry know she loved it, and fed him a spoonful of her choosing. Then, the silliness began.
"It's good! Wonderful! Mmm!" She and Harry couldn't stop talking. Trivial exchanges of words. Happy emotional remembrances. They swapped happy ice cream memories. Childhood memories. Ice cream dribbles. Harry laughed and wiped her chin. She laughed and wiped his. More laughter.
"Alarm! Alarm!"
Laughter stopped in midstream. They both became very quiet—and serious.
"There is an unsanctioned presence at the door."
"Who is it? Home Security, identify." Even though exposure to the rebel lifestyle had prepared him to look over his shoulder even at home now and then, his heart skipped a beat.
"The presence is not registered. Repeat. Presence is not registered. Cyber security notified."
&nbs
p; Harry knew the Cyber security would take only a few minutes to arrive and remove the intruder. He switched off the automatic door security system, and the door opened. It was Desiree.
"Hello, Harry." Pause. "I see you do not lack for company, sanctioned or un-." She smiled, but it seemed somewhat hypocritical.
Both Harry and Donna looked like dirty-faced children, shiny with streaks of chocolate and strawberry ice cream, and dried whipped cream; guilty of wild abandonment and irresponsible behavior. Harry, unable to contain himself, blurted out: "Desiree!"
Silence.
Why didn't she say something—anything? The pause was too unnerving, so Harry broke the silence.
"I...I'm....I'm glad to see you again." Still no response, so Harry stumbled on uncomfortably. "Uh...uh...this is Donna."
"I see," she finally said rather coldly. "I didn't know you were 'friends'—is that the word, Harry?" The ice cream had given them away.
"What is it, Desiree?" Harry asked, noting her frosty tone. "But you better hurry," he entreated. "Security automatically notifies the cybercops."
Harry was quite uncomfortable knowing he had unsanctioned company—especially since it was Desiree who was on his doorstep.
"Actually, they don't know I'm here—at least not yet, and they won't have a record of it or any conversations. Here, the room is safe now."
She handed him a small palm size device.
"Keep this in your pocket. It blocks any Cyber communication within a five quadrant radius. Makr sees only a circuit glitch. In the grand scheme of things, isolated circuitry problems are minor and easily remedied. It doesn't occur to Makr to look for direct interference and a hidden agenda."
Harry didn't know how to respond. Why do I need a communication scrambler?
He traded looks with Donna who, strangely enough, seemed much more at ease with this situation than he was.
"I would have called first..." she started. “ That is the protocol in polite society, isn't it, Harry?"
Harry nodded uneasily, his eyes darting to Donna who was taking all this in with a nervous smile since she didn't know what else to do. It must be a brand new situation for her, too, he thought.
"VidPhone calls are easily traced especially when they are unsanctioned," Desiree continued. She was calm and totally in control. "This way we have a few minutes, and only one of us is in danger." Harry looked at her questioningly. "That would be me, so let's hurry."
"Yes, yes, what is it?" Harry was on edge. She was certainly taking her time of it, he thought.
"First, you passed the test. You could have been a disgruntled Bio looking for a fight with the social establishment to blow off steam, but instead you turn out to be genuine. A genuine rebel. You fooled me. Congratulations, anyway."
"What makes you think I want to be a part of your fight?"
"You didn't turn us in for starters." Donna chimed in as though she and Desiree knew each other.
Harry snapped his head around to glare at her.
"Besides we need you," she said, "and..."
"So you are part of this, too?" He wasn't exactly sure if he should be upset. "What is it with you people? What is it you think I've got?"
"And second," Desiree continued, ignoring his question. "The Elders need to see you immediately. It, Harry. You have 'it.' We have to talk, Harry."
With the last statement, she was gone. Harry opened the door a crack and glanced cautiously Outside. Seeing no one, he closed the door and switched the security system back on. As he turned back inside the apartment, he found Donna waiting and smiling.
"We needed to make sure you wouldn't change your mind on us." With a giggle, she explained, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." He had heard that or read it somewhere—couldn't think where. He was suddenly very tired.
"I guess the date is over," he said bitterly, feeling like he'd been played.
"Sometimes," she answered, as if she had read his mind, "to survive in the new order, Harry, you'll have to be devious, too."
Harry wasn't sure he liked that. "Why can't you people just say what you want?"
"There's a lot at stake."
His mind raced as he contemplated what may be expected of him and the fear facing him again. For a brief moment, his face went catatonic. Thought-blinking was no help now. Speechless, he could only look at Donna and beg the answer to his unvoiced question: why me? His jaw was clenched like he would never open his mouth to speak again. Donna sought to fill the void.
"We need to know what you know, Harry. You're different, and that's a good thing. We Touchables want to accept differences and learn from them. We have a lot to learn from you, Harry."
As she filled in the uncomfortable silence, Harry noticed that she seemed to have all the answers—as if she was reading his mind!
How different? Harry thought. Am I that different? Even the born-agains—someone understands them, don't they?
"Maybe we should start by acknowledging and accepting differences," Harry mused, grudgingly.
"There's no other way."
Desiree's interruption and Donna prescient behavior had made the tryst awkward. Although her sex appeal hadn't diminished, it caused Harry to lose immediate interest in the pursuit. Was Donna really any kind of match for him? Did it really matter? It sounded like his matching days were over. Might as well try to salvage the evening. After all, Makr did make the match, right? Or did he?
"Mr. Bolls, Cyber security have arrived," the security system interrupted.
A familiar voice of authority came from his home security system speaker. "Mr. Bolls, your home security reported an unsanctioned visitor?"
"Yes, that's correct. There was someone at the door. They've gone now."
"Did you know the Bio?"
"Of course not," Harry lied. "She wasn't sanctioned, was she?"
The Cyber cop recognized the sarcasm. "We're sorry to have bothered you, Mr. Bolls."
There was a moment of silence. Harry and Donna exchanged quick looks. Donna breathed a sigh of relief.
"So much for Cyber security," she said.
Harry shook his head. "Yeah, I hate it when that happens," he said flippantly. "It's not over yet. Wait a minute and see."
Donna sat back, waiting. A familiar voice came over the security system. It was the same security cybert. The voice sounded identical to the earlier inquisitor, but this time was more apologetic and appeasing.
"Sorry to bother you again, Mr. Bolls. I don't know how it happened, sir, but we neglected to ask you something."
Harry smiled his knowing smile. Donna shook her head in amazement.
"It seems you have a guest—an authorized guest?"
"Yes, Match #45382. Her name is Donna Perot."
"Are you alone with her?"
"Yes." The truth, of course. A brief pause.
"Thanks for your time," the cop continued. 'Good night and have a happy match.' There was a split second of silence before Harry or Donna released the air in their lungs. Harry fingered the communication disrupter Desiree has given him to make sure it was turned on. Someone could be listening.
"How did you know they'd come back, Harry?"
"That was easy. Have you ever known a cyberserver to forget information? It's impossible."
She smiled, not really understanding anything he has said..
He went on, "It's an old cop trick—from a time before we used only cyberts for Bio contact work—to solve Bio crimes. There was this master cop, Columbo, I think his name was, who used it to trip up criminals. The interrogation program, like all programs dealing with Bio behavior, was developed by a Bio, remember, and Bios had history back then."
He stopped when he caught himself lecturing.
"But how..."
"I read books."
"Books?"
"Before SensaVision, before CDs, DVDs, VidChips, before video and film, there were books a thousand years ago. Words on paper describing Bio trials and tribulations."
"I'm afraid I don't underst
and."
"I concentrate on history trivia—media mostly," he explained proudly. "Whatever may have been dismissed by the preservation sensors and archivists."
"But..."
Harry held up his finger to his pursed lips to quiet her.
"It's your turn, Donna. I need you to answer a few questions for me."
"Sure," she said. Harry was turning out to be a most interesting assignment.
"How were we matched? It can't be coincidence."
Donna was silent for a second, unsure what she can say, but Harry saves her the trouble.
"Okay, I guess that's not really important. The damage is done now."
"I'm sure the council will tell you what you need to know, Harry. In time."
Harry studied her face intently. He wanted to know the full extent of his involvement here.
"How did you input the file without suspicion?"
"I can't take credit for that part. We lost two people the first time we tried to hack into the system. They were erased and born again. We thought it was hopeless after that and stayed away from any potential Cyber contact. Then you came to us. Then you left our sanctuary quite unexpectedly. We had no choice, but to try again. You didn't help much by staying away so long."
Harry squirmed a bit, knowing he might have to reveal more than he wanted to.
"I needed time to adjust—to think."
"Fortunately, this time we had some expert help," Donna continued. "We knew from your psychological profile you would return to a dating establishment—in your case, Cyber Match Central—soon after visiting us. It's your pattern. You tend to do this when you're upset about something. When you did, I would be waiting, hoping to attract you and you would ask for a match... But you waited two weeks. We were worried we lost you forever."
"Whoa! Hold on! I have a psychological profile?"
"Think, Harry. We all do. All Bios do. Anytime there is Cyber contact. How do you think the matches happen at all?"
He stared at her, trying to take it all in. How? he wondered.
"That's easy. We hack."
"You read my mind again."
"Sorry."
"You said you hack?"
"We dig into the Cyber memories. We probably know more about you than you do."
"And you don't get caught?"
"Unfortunately, yes, sometimes we do, but Makr's upgrading all cybersystems to biological DNA-based ones, which are so fast and can operate on so many different levels. When they're online we'll never be able to hack or input information before we're discovered and traced. Until we can use some of the same technology to hack, we're finished."
"So, what happens next?"
"Although it's not as effective, we are learning about the system's darker side left by the early programmers and technicians. It seems they didn't trust the politicians or the Cyber completely and left some assurances in hidden files, unalterable program instructions to keep the cyberserver in check."
"You're trying to combat an evolving super intelligence with dirty tricks?"
"Afraid that's all we've got. Besides you, that is."
"So, what do you know about me that I don't know?"
"Oh, no you don't. I have my orders and they don't include giving you that information. I'm sure you'll find out in time."
"Why can't you tell me? Why don't they want me to know?"
"To be honest, Harry? The council says that you're too fragile. We don't know what you'll do once you have that information. You aren't totally one of us yet. You don't know what you want. We can't be sure of what you would do with that information. It's safer with us for the time being."
"I thought you Touchables were all trusting. It doesn't sound like I'm trusted."
"No offense, but you aren't exactly, and won't be for some time. Some members of the council are unsure you are the One of the Prophesy; others, on the other hand, want to believe anything that will help. In some ways, you're still quite a mystery to us. In the meantime, we'll get to know you as you get to know us."
"That does make sense, although..."
"I know there are mysteries in your past you'd like to solve, and one day we may be able to help you do that, but right now it's not a priority. We have to go slowly. If we move too quickly, we'll make mistakes and Makr will find us out. We are human after all. Let's just say, we weren't sure you'd still be with us."
"And my file?"
"We were fortunate in gaining a new member, a Bio cyberprogrammer—someone high up—Inside. She is the one who planted the file. Exactly how, we don't know, but it worked."
"Planting your file was a loyalty test for her, too?"
"Something like that." Intelligent.
"You risked your life coming here. No one is worth that. Certainly not me."
He's modest, too.
"I don't know about you being worth it or not, but I do know some things are."
Until now, Harry had assumed the movement to be small, isolated and rather unorganized. From what he'd just witnessed, he saw that it existed on a grander revolutionary scale. Maybe they are who they say they are, he thought. The builders of a better future.
"I have to leave soon," he said.
"Without a map?"
"Okay, then. Can you draw me one? I tossed the old one."
"I know. No problem, just not yet, Harry." Donna's smile took on a seductive quality. "Let's finish our ice cream. You have to make love to me first, you know."
"I do?" He began to forget all about his concerns and was ready to explore new uses for ice cream.
"Yes," she agreed with a glint in her eyes. He is unassuming after all, she thought.
In Harry's mind, he had no choice.