Love in the Time of Technology 1 (7 page)

A
nother youth said, “Won’t we make more if we offer him back to the glass dome people?”

Before others could ponder this economically sound suggestion, the leader swung a left hook to his jaw that sent him reeling.

The leader came forward touching Wolf on the cheeks with trembling hands. He was not aware that Wolf was trained to react instinctively to signs of danger.

The move was so fast that the leader did not see it coming. Wolf swung his fist at his
jaw and his right leg over his solar plexus. He fell unceremoniously gasping for air. Anticipating that they might go for a mass charge he punched the nearest youth on the jaw. He yelped in pain. The unadulterated sounds of pure pain seemed to fire up the group into a frenzy. They circled knowing that with their numbers they would eventually overpower him.

The leader got up looking very furious. He crouched like a wrestler ready to charge.

“Stop it! What’s the matter with you guys?” Mario pleaded again.

There was a hissing sound from the air directly above them.

The leader’s head was sliced cleanly from his body and fell away thumping like a rock melon. His mouth was wide open in an undignified manner as if he had taken in something and found it most unpleasant.  They all stood rooted momentarily mesmerized by the body-less face taunting them in its death throes.

They looked up to see rotors whirring and
a heliship manned by grim looking robots, directing their weapons at them. They all ran helter skelter through the streets.

“Go for our
station,” she shouted. The gunships kept firing as if willing them to enter it.

They could see one of the
heliships swaggering arrogantly in front of them. The robots were teasing them to run faster before they shot at them. Their look of supreme confidence was replaced by awesome surprise as their craft exploded in the air. The Resistance was at work.

A
  second heliship that had come as reinforcement exploded in mid air. The third one took flight.

“Go! Go!”
Mario shouted as they all ran to the railway tunnel.  He looked concerned as he came to Lilydeen and whispered, “Did you get the signal?”

“He says he wants to talk.”

“This guy Lazer seems quite obsessed with you.”

“He’s persuasive. He says that had he reported me as soon as he saw me I’d still be in there.”

“So it was out of love for you that he didn’t report.”

“So long as he’s still in Genetica I’m sure there’s no harm in talking.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Mario cautioned. “People can do strange things when they are obsessed.”

“They usually get over it.”

“In his case it’s not clear whether he’s putting on an act to find out our real plans. Clones rarely fall in love with Fringe girls. They usually just kidnap them.”

“
He seems persistent. I’ll talk to him and say I’ll meet up with him on my next visit.”

“Be careful what you say. It may come back to haunt you,” he
smiled.

“I might just fall for his charms,”
They laughed at this implausible notion.

Chapter 10: Getting
Acquainted

“That was an awkward moment back there,” Wolf said casually.

“They’d never seen someone from inside,” Mario said.

“You seemed to be enjoying the
attention,” she teased him.“I wanted you to start hitting out first before I came in,” she laughed.”I didn’t want them to think that women defended you guys.”

The
y walked briskly for a long while moving in various directions until they heard the sound of waves.

They clambered up to a rise that gave way to the sea shore and the vast sea ahead of them.
It was a beautiful day with the sun shining brightly and the waves foaming as it rolled on the shore. He marveled at the vast expanse. No one in Genetica had ever seen it.

“I bet they didn’t tell you that most of the world is submerged in water.”

He looked stunned.

“Only these parts of America, parts of Canada, Russia, parts of Europe and Greenland are the only dry places in the Northern hemisphere.” She paused. “Let me recall the last satellite pics. Yes in the South, only parts of Africa, South America and the northern parts of Australia are dry.” She laughed at his incredulous look. “Spend a bit more time here and you’ll get the truth.”

He couldn’t help laughing when he realized that all those
teleportations that were popular with the inhabitants were drug filled trips in various labs. No one actually left Genetica.

They kept walking at a brisk pace to her
uncle’s home which was close to the sea.

Mario suddenly looked tense.
They were only a short distance from the picturesque home when they realized that something was terribly wrong. There was eerie silence as if the occupants had gone to another realm leaving only a haunted house. She began running towards the house screaming in anguish when she saw her uncle and aunt so close to each other in a pool of blood. They obviously had not expected to be shot at. In death, they looked serene.

The
heliship that had earlier evaded the rockets had finished them off.

But how had they made the connection? Did Wolf have a homing device that enabled the heliship to find
out the tech footprints of all those he came into contact with? Was there a virus mole in the Oracle program? Mario searched his mind for possible answers. He had almost completed reverse engineered a downed drone and knew how to tamper with their systems. Their plans for re-entry into Genetica were far ahead. There was no turning back even though there were collateral damages in engaging Wolf.

+++++

Wolf helped her bury them in one grave although he was puzzled by the cross that had been stuck over it. He sensed that she needed time to be by herself to mourn.

On the
second day, he held her so tenderly and whispered, “You’ve got to let them go.”

She burst into tears and he held her firmly.

“Please don’t think I blame you.”

He felt tense.
Trouble seemed to follow them. He also knew about Lazer making contact with her and hoped that he would not betray them before they had accomplished their mission. He was sure that Lazer was monitoring them and sensed that in the Oracle simulation, all things had to go through their own motions.

“I’ll get them I promise even if I die trying.”

It was the first time she had ever heard him speak with such conviction. They considered their situations. She had sacrificed so much to get him out. He had given up everything in search of a dream to change Genetica.

They held each other for a long time
feeling warm vibes. She sensed that Wolf was too much of a gentleman to make the first move. She kissed him tentatively marveling at how he tasted. She pushed him away and he felt deflated. “No it’s not the chemicals. I just wanted to catch my breath,” she said as they kissed passionately.

It was the first time in his life that he had kissed someone in love. It was a powerful emotion he had never experienced before.

All his corporate sponsored affairs in Genetica were impersonal. He flapped about until it was time for his partners to leave, never to be seen again. It was a mechanical kind of love where even the intimacies and pleasantries exchanged were perfunctory. Everyone went through the motions and milked it for what pleasure they could get. Wolf began to appreciate the warmness of real affirming relationships.

Then he pushed her gently away. “I don’t deserve your love. My being here has resulted in the death of
loved ones.”

“Relax. We all became their enemies the moment we joined the
Resistance,” she said.

He was still not convinced.

“Wolf, you’re awesome! You’re great! You were created to be loved.”

“
My system might harm you,” he knew he sounded stupid.

“Please go ahead and harm me,” she challenged him.

They kissed each other vigorously feeling that their love was all they had.

“You seem to know everything about me. Is there something I don’t know about myself?”
he asked.

“Believe in yourself.”

“How come I hardly know anything about you?”

“You’re lying. You know more about me that I do about you.
Mario made sure he fed you the data.”

“I would have left Genetica a long time ago had I known I’d meet you.”

“We’d probably be quarrelling by now,” she laughed. “We’re going to row out into the sea and catch some fish.”

“You mean that this vast water has living things that can be eaten?”

She laughed savoring the childlike look of awe in his face. “They are not like the fake fish in Globia encased in that jelly.”

They caught a snapper and over the fire she roasted it.

Mario coughed politely
, pleased with how well they had developed their friendship. “You two seem to be doing so well. I’ll leave you for a while to connect to the Oracle.”

“Have some fish,” she
offered.

“You’re too kind,” he said teasing her as he left. Mario did not like fish.

He had to consult the Oracle on Lazer and they were also in great danger now that the drones and heliships were monitoring them closely. He sometimes couldn’t understand how machines thought. His own instincts were for them to move to a cave or tunnel but the Oracle wanted them out in the open giving the impression that they were not worried about anything. He knew the Resistance had wired up the place and were on maximum alert around the area.

It was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.
He was pleasantly surprised that it was nutritious and had not been genetically modified.

Afterwards they lay together looking at the setting sun.

Then without a word he carried her to the larger bedroom overlooking the sea.

They kissed each other
. He hesitated.

“I’ll let you know if I feel like jelly. Unless you’re not interested.”

“Yes, I’m interested,” he said too quickly.

Time seemed to stand still and spasms of joy coursed through their bodies.

They lay wrapped in each other’s arms.

+++++

The blows came so suddenly and so fast that he was sent hurtling down the bed. Still the blows and kicks continued.

“No,
Roan,” she screamed. “That’s enough.”

Wolf sensed that this was territorial behavior; that he had taken advantage of her hospitality during a difficult time
of death and so he did not fight back.

Roan
pulled out a weapon and pointed it at his forehead. His hands were trembling.

“His kind came here and killed
Uncle Jason and Aunt Hilda and you sleep with him?” he said in disgust.

“No,
Roan,” she said diving to shield Wolf. “If you end his life, you have to take mine too. He’s not one of them.”

“Leave her out of thi
s. You can shoot me if you want,” Wolf said pushing Lilydeen away.

“Those
heliships came after you.”

“I don’t deserve to live. Shoot me and they won’t bother you.”

“No,” she cried.

Roan
ignored him; “How could you fall in love with this thing? It’s not even human.”

“He’s human and you know it. You just don’t like the way he looks.”

Roan wouldn’t back down.

Mario rushed in, “Roan don’t do anything rash.
He’s with us. He’s fighting against them. He is the chosen one. He has to finish his mission,”

He relaxed. “But I’m not going to shake his hand if that’s what he’s expecting.”

“He’s not a machine. He has feelings too!” she cried.

“I can’t stand his kind.”

“He’s had a rough time.”

“He looks like he’s having a good time,” he said as he kicked Wolf in the stomach and punched him on the jaw.

“What good will that do?” she asked in exasperation.

Gradually he seemed to relent. “Be careful not to take in too much of his saliva. I hear it’s toxic.” He turned to Wolf.”If you harm my sister in any way I’ll come and get you.” He turned to
her. “Give him some of my clothes. He shouldn’t walk around like Tarzan modeling underwear.”

He looked at Wolf with his perfect bare body attired only in underpants as if finding it hard to believe that a
Genetican now lived with them and was going to wear some of his clothes. “If it’s any consolation, we shot those heliships. They’re keeping a close watch on the area.”

Roan
stormed off onto the sea shore.

“I don’t deserve to be loved.”

“Never talk like that. Roan was upset with the death. He meant no ill feelings against you. You deserve to be loved,” she paused. “And to fall in love with me.”

He seemed satisfied with this response.

“Thanks for not hitting him back.” She knew that he was stronger and could have disarmed Roan and immobilized him.

“I did it for you.”

“You’re not as dumb as you look,” she said pleasantly as she struggled to lift his perfect form back on the bed exasperated that he was faking his helplessness. “Come on. Don’t lie to me. You’re not exhausted. You Geneticans can go on for hours,” she teased him.

He cuddled up to her, “We were made for each other,” he said simply.

She looked away. He turned her face towards him. “You’re hiding something from me.”

“No,” she said.

He was reminded of Zugovsky’s words that it was best not to know the future.

“It’s just that in the midst of great danger we fall in love. I never expected it to happen l
ike this. It just happened.”

She wanted to savor the moments they had together knowing that they were like pawns being used on the planet’s stage to make certain events possible. Like pawns they could be sacrificed for the greater good.

+++++

Mario came forward and stood near Roan.

“You have to let go. He needs us.”

“I can never bring myself to accept
him.” He looked accusingly at Mario. “You brought him here.”

“I am only a messenger for the Oracle. I don’t decide anything.” He turned and walked away slowly feeling that Roan needed his space.

“You’re just like him.”

Mario came back barely containing his rage, “What is that supposed to mean?”

“You also came from Genetica and you’re a clone too,” he said standing so close to Mario and breathing down his face.

The blow and the kick came simultaneously that Roan fell unceremonio
usly to the sand. They both drew their weapons. Their hands were trembling with deep emotions. Then Roan came to his senses and realized that he had allowed his anger to consume him with hate. He put down his gun and covered his face with his hands. “I can’t believe what I said! Oh what have I done?” He trembled as he gasped.”Mario, please forgive me.”

Mario relaxed and put away his weapon but he stood standing looking sadly at the sea.

“I don’t know what came over me,” he sobbed as he hugged Mario.

“
You made me feel so unloved.”

They were treading on sensitive ground.

As Mario walked back to the house he turned to him and said, “Has it ever occurred to you that I have feelings for you?”