The sounds around Selene faded as she replayed her interaction with the travelers in her mind. They had broken the law when they bought Selene’s food… but… no one had seen them. And armed and dangerous? No. That wasn’t possible. Was it? There had to be a mix up in the feed.
Or a mix-up in my brain. She shook her head, numb, and stared at the feed, willing the images to reappear. Messages cycled across the screen, but none warned of the armed criminals again.
She’d somehow imagined their faces. Maybe she didn’t even remember their features right… she’d been so nervous when they stopped, and even now, she was having trouble recalling exactly what they’d looked like. The heat and the crowd had finally gotten to her, and her anxiety over the mob and the food shortage was making her see things that weren’t there.
The words Corporate Coalition Statement ran along the bottom of the main screen, and Selene took a deep breath. Eli was still reading the description on every module on the spinning rack with intense interest. Selene forced herself to focus on the newscaster.
“Certain regions of Alabama, Florida, and South Georgia are currently facing a mild flu outbreak,” the anchor said. “The Department of Pandemic Control has instituted a quarantine as a safety precaution only, as the illness is not fatal. However, MetaTransport reports that it has been forced to reroute some shipments, which could result in local deliveries being temporarily delayed.”
“Guess we should stock up,” said a low, deep voice from beside Selene.
Her heart stopped, and she barely breathed as she turned toward the source of the comment. The boy beside her looked like he’d come straight from Eli’s Norse mythology book. A modern-day Viking, broad shoulders with white-blond hair and pale blue eyes. She had to look up to see him, since he stood a good foot taller than her.
If her heart had been beating quickly before, it was nothing compared to the way it threatened to hammer out of her chest now. She broke eye contact, and unfortunately, her gaze settled on the curve of his chest, visible through his form-fitting shirt. Was he even talking to me?
She finally remembered to breathe and snuck another peek at him. He was staring at her, his eyes glinting with amusement.
“Umm…” Heat flooded her face and radiated through her entire body. Had she met him somewhere before?
Viking Boy gestured at the holo screens. “I know you don’t believe that.”
“Believe what?” She couldn’t even think straight, let alone remember what he was talking about. No way I’d forget meeting him.
He gave her a considering look, then shook his head slightly, like he’d been meaning to say one thing but changed his mind. “It’s gonna get ugly in here soon. Not staying, are you?”
“Why do you care?” Selene took a step back, her brain working again.
Mystery boy shrugged and stepped closer to her, erasing the distance she’d created. “You just look like a survivor, that’s all,” he said, keeping his voice low. “Not like someone who’d be caught in a place like this right before things got bad.”
Selene bit her lip. The boy’s eyes had tiny flecks of deep blue in them and a solid ring of light blue that spiraled around his left iris and disappeared into his pupil. “Yeah? And what would you know about surviving?”
“Everything.”
Selene took in the pristine backpack he had over one shoulder, his fancy weather-adjusting shirt, and his new jeans and shiny boots. She scoffed. “Right.”
“What? Don’t trust what I’m telling you?”
“I’m pretty sure I don’t know you.”
“I’m Anders.” The boy smirked and leaned closer. “And you could get to know me.”
Selene crossed her arms over her chest and tried to ignore the fluttering going on in her stomach. “And why would I want to do that?”
“I’m a good person to know in an emergency.” He glanced back at the aisles. “And we should probably get out of here before this market turns into one.”
Eli tugged at her sleeve. “Selene.”
“Well, I don’t know about you, but we are leaving now.” Selene grabbed Eli’s hand and dragged him toward the exit. As she fled, the heat in her body dissipated, and her shoulders sagged with the relief of getting away from Anders. She tucked a loose curl into her headband, and it took everything she had not to look back, to see if he was staring at her or coming after them.
The lines now extended down the aisles, almost to the back of the store, and the air sparked with nervous energy and heated conversations. The decibel level in the market was increasing by the minute. Like a skillet of hot oil, the scene only looked still on the surface. All it would take was one more drop of bad news, one argument escalating into violence, and they’d all get burned.
Selene and Eli stepped outside into the sticky heat, and she suddenly couldn’t stand the damp feel of her clothes on her skin or the way her windbreaker suffocated her.
The moment they hit the end of the market parking lot and were well out of sight of the cop by the door, she unzipped her jacket and tied it around her waist again.
“Okay, buddy. A quick stop at Thrift, and we’re going home.”
“Who was that guy?”
“I have no idea.”
“What did he mean… ‘it’s about to get bad’?”
“I don’t know. Who cares?” Selene said tightly.
Eli stared down at his shoes.
“I’m sorry. That guy was weird, okay? Let’s just get what we need and go home.”
Eli sniffed but wouldn’t look at her. She ignored the sinking feeling in her stomach and led him across the grass divider to the next stretch of the shopping center. Above the third door, the holo sign flickered, in need of repair. Penn’s Thrift Store.
A bell tinkled as she pushed open the door, and the peculiar scent of used and discarded clothes, probably treated with some chemical, rushed out to greet them.
Eli pulled away from her, practically running for the books.
She’d never seen so many people in here at once. Mr. Penn, gray-haired and overweight, sat behind his glass counter, checking out customers using first generation holo gear.
Selene froze at the sight of the bulky device. It looked like a pair of oversized sunglasses with exposed wiring and a plastic earpiece attached. First gen holo gear was the technology that had changed what ‘virtual reality’ meant. Tech Selene’s father and his team at Infinitek had invented.
A hazy memory fought to the surface of her mind and came into focus. Her father, holding the first-gen glasses, pacing across the living room in their apartment. He’d spoken too fast, his face animated, alive. She’d been on the couch, enthralled by his words, happy that, for once, he was home instead of at work.
Finally, he’d stopped pacing and knelt in front of her with the holo gear, his green eyes bright.
“What are our brains like, Selene?”
“Computers.”
“Yes.” He gently tapped her temple. “Your mind runs on the commands you feed it.”
He settled the heavy gear over her eyes and adjusted it, holding it in place, and his voice grew soft. “With this, our minds can experience anything. Even the places that no longer exist.”
He’d turned the glasses on, and Selene had gasped as the living room became a vibrant tropical rainforest.
Selene shook herself, desperately searching for a new thought to grab onto.
Mr. Penn was gesturing, and his reflective lenses cleared. He handed a bitstick back to a customer and frowned at Selene, eyeing her backpack. She turned heel and headed for the books, but she could feel Penn’s stare burning into her as she disappeared behind the tall shelves. Jerk. At least this time he was too busy to follow them around. The only thief in this building was him, with his overpriced junk. She would never, ever stoop to stealing.
Eli was sitting on the floor, paging through a book. The books here were all of the ancient, tattered, dead tree variety,
but the stories they told and the lessons they taught were mostly the same ones still taught on the holo gear in schools. Well, except for modern history books. Those were impossible to find. Nan said that during the CC Digital Media Transition, the Coalition had confiscated most of the books published before 2037.
Selene leaned in, running her fingers along each spine, past early readers and outdated geography. And the thick books filled with fiction… well, those weren’t a luxury they could afford right now. Selene had finished high school concepts four years ago, and she’d had to trade in her books for bits to buy dry goods. Eli needed a more challenging math book, but the only one she found was for eighth graders. Better than nothing.
“I want this one.” Eli held up a book titled Greek Myths.
“How much?”
“Two bits.”
She shouldn’t waste bits with everything going on, but… Eli deserved another book to read. Who knew how many months he’d be stuck at home after this?
“Fine.”
“Yes!” Eli jumped to his feet and pumped a fist, his eyes bright.
She suppressed a smile. “Come on. We’re here for clothes.”
She and Eli headed for the clothing, weaving their way around tables and shelves filled with bins of old-fashioned electronics and wiring, mismatched house wares, and electric home and kitchen tools that made Selene salivate. Especially the ancient, scuffed orange cleaner no one ever bought. Oh, to have a polite robotic housekeeper. She’d name him Von Mop and assign him an appropriate accent. Then she’d take a nap while he did her work. But Nan would never waste the solar on it.
Selene blew the mop a wistful air kiss and quickly grabbed an armful of shirts and jeans in Eli’s size from the bargain table. Then she picked a few pairs of shoes that looked like they’d fit him.
“Do I have to try it on?” he asked.
Selene did her best impression of Nan’s look. “We’re not gonna waste bits on clothes you can’t wear.”
He sighed and went into the tiny dressing room. Selene sank into the chair beside it, tapping her foot impatiently, and tried not to think of Anders. Which made her think of him more. He looked too old for high school. Did he have lots of friends? Maybe even a girlfriend? Maybe he was home from college for the summer. He looked old enough. Normal enough.
Eli pulled back the dressing room curtain. “It all fits, see?”
“Uh—” Selene clamped her mouth closed. It all fit, and it was in perfect condition. But the t-shirt Eli was wearing was not coming home with them. Infinitek’s logo was splashed across the body with their slogan below it. For a Better World.
Eli’s brow furrowed. “What?”
“Ah…” Selene coughed. “Nothing. You tried everything on?”
“Yep. Shoes fit, too.”
“Good. Get changed and bring everything out. Except that shirt. That shirt stays right here.”
Selene swallowed and glanced back at the front door, her sense of urgency back full force. It was time to end this hour of freedom and go home.
Eli reappeared, and she carried the clothes and let him carry his book. They headed for the front, but when she realized who was standing at the end of the line, her stomach flipped.
It was Anders, and he had a load of electronic gear in his arms.
Selene hesitated, but no one else came to wait in line. So she swallowed and stepped up behind him, staring up at his backpack and broad shoulders. Some stupid part of her wished he’d turn around, look down at her with those interesting eyes again. She was an idiot. He’d probably already forgotten she existed.
“Ooh!” Eli said, flipping through his book. “This is even better than the one I have.”
Anders glanced back at them, his brow raised. “What, you two following me now?”
Selene jutted out her chin and hugged Eli’s clothes to her chest. “I’m pretty damn sure we were here first.”
Anders’ blue eyes landed on her leather cuff, and she fought the urge to drop everything to hide her arm.
“Nice bracelet.”
Her face warmed again. The air in here was making her dizzy, off-kilter. Who was this guy, anyway? And what is my problem?
“So you two live around here?” Anders asked, turning toward them. “Or you new in town? I don’t remember seeing you before.”
“We don’t get out much,” Selene said.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you both.”
“You haven’t.”
“Well, you’re Selene.” Anders looked at Eli. “And—what’s your name?”
“He—”
“Eli.”
Anders cocked his head to the side. “Eli and Selene.”
Selene forced a weak smile. “It’s your turn to pay.”
Anders loaded his goods on the counter, and Selene nudged Eli.
“Shh,” she whispered. “Don’t tell strangers your name.”
“I think he likes you,” Eli replied in a singsong voice.
“Oh my God, shut up. Like you know anything.” Selene’s face got hot again. Had Anders heard that?
He finished paying and stashed his electronics in his backpack.
Selene stepped up to the counter and dropped their haul on it. While Mr. Penn scanned each of her items using his holo gear, Anders just stood there, waiting. He was less than a foot away from her, making her heart beat too fast. Selene reluctantly pulled out her bitstorage card, and her cheeks grew even hotter with shame. Only citizens with high unpaid debt still used static bitstorage. But modern bitsticks required credit accounts and had to be linked with all identifying information in the Coalition’s database.
“Fifty bits.” Mr. Penn crossed his arms and stared at her, his eyes barely visible behind the reflective lenses. He was waiting for her to haggle like she always did. Fifty bits was a rip-off. She could get him to sell it to her for forty, but she couldn’t bring herself to haggle in front of Anders. He had to have dropped over a hundred bits on all those random pieces of wire and metal. What use did they even have to him?
Selene typed 50.00 onto the card, tapped it against the scanpad, and waited for the scanpad to ask for Nan’s pin, which was a requirement for bitstorage cards.
Mr. Penn’s scowl deepened. “Try again.”
The people in line behind her murmured, and Selene’s hand shook as she tapped the card again.
Mr. Penn waved at Anders. “Your dad on duty?”
His dad?
“Is there a problem?” Anders asked.
Selene shoved her card in her pocket, her mouth dry. “You know what? I’m sorry. I don’t think we have enough. We’ll come back later.” She grabbed Eli’s hand.
“You stay right there,” Mr. Penn said. “Those bits have a counterfeit flag.”
Counterfeit. Selene froze. The Coalition couldn’t touch bits on an unnetworked card… they couldn’t see anything about them until she typed the pin and they transferred over. But if those travelers really were wanted criminals…
Mr. Penn went for his phone, and Selene tried to bolt. Anders grabbed her arm as she pushed past.
She almost, almost went for her gun. But something in Anders’ eyes made her pause.
“There’s a glitch in the feed today,” Anders said, not taking his eyes off Selene’s. “The Sheriff already knows about it. He’s got enough to deal with over at the market.”
“And I got enough to deal with over here—”
“It’s just a glitch, Mr. Penn. My father won’t be happy if we call him over here for this.” Anders let Selene’s arm drop and stepped up to the counter. He held up his bitstick. “I can cover it.”
Mr. Penn narrowed his eyes at the bitstick, hesitating. The other people in line looked disgusted, openly judging Selene. It took everything she had to stay where she was. She strengthened her grasp on Eli’s hand. Running now would only confirm their guilt.
Mr. Penn lifted his phone and shook his head. Selene’s stomach hollowed o
ut.
Anders leaned over the counter, offering Penn a warm smile. He gestured toward the long line of customers behind them. “Seems like you’re having a real good day, sir,” he said in a low voice. “And I don’t think you want my dad to see that sign out front before you get a chance to fix it. Failure to upkeep your share of a Coalition-owned shopping center… That’s a mandatory fine, right?”
Mr. Penn licked his lips and set down the phone.
Anders tapped his bitstick against the scanpad. “All paid up.”
Mr. Penn looked conflicted, but he nodded. Selene’s mind still screamed danger as her body floated to the counter to shove the purchase into her bag and hand Eli his new shoes.
Anders walked them to the door and held it open with one hand.
“Thanks,” Selene mumbled as she passed, her shoulders sagging under the weight of her shame.
“What was wrong with our bits?” Eli asked when they were out on the sidewalk.
“No idea.” Those people had been criminals. They’d cheated her—had taken all her goods for four hundred and fifty bits they’d known were worthless. And she couldn’t do shit about it.
Anders stepped closer to Selene, and the pity in his eyes made her want to disappear. It would be better if he hated her or thought she was a thief. Anything but that look.
She took a deep breath and forced herself to maintain eye contact. “Thank you for paying. I didn’t know there was a glitch in the feed.”
“There isn’t.” Anders searched her face. For what, she didn’t know. “Don’t try using those bits again.”
Selene straightened her shoulders. “Your dad—”
“Is the sheriff? Yeah.”
Selene’s pulse raced even harder. “Then why did you…?”
Anders’ gaze dropped to the windbreaker tied at her waist, near where her gun was holstered. She stumbled back, pulling at the jacket.
“Might want to adjust that,” he said quietly. “Unless you have a permit. Not easy to get one of those these days, huh?”
Selene lowered her bag to the sidewalk and looked around. A few people filed out of the store, but they weren’t looking her way. She ripped her jacket off her waist and put it on again, zipping it closed.
Defective (Fractured Era Book 1) Page 9
