In 2160 Kanatah, the grid you're born into determines everything, from your clothes to your haircut, education, and job. Avah's only way out is by becoming a doctor, but with her poor schooling, that's almost impossible.
Her life takes a turn for th...
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***
I woke up to the sound of her voice in my ear. "Good morning." Warmth flooded my chest as my eyes opened, and I looked around my foreign surroundings, eager to find her. But no matter how much I searched, there was no trace of Olivia. The only other person in the room was Lie, sitting on the bed across from mine, silently reading a book.
The bed creaked as I sat up, a miserable expression settling on my features.
"You're awake," Lie said, putting the book down. I had thought it would be impossible to sleep with the bright lights and the noise, but drowsiness had won. I didn't know how long I had slept, but I felt well-rested. I pivoted on my butt, placed my naked heels on the cool floor and sat on the edge of the bed.
Lie said, "By the way, if you want to get your fifty dollars every Friday, you have to work for at least thirty hours a week."
I frowned. "What kind of work?"
She smiled.
***
We sat in what looked like an assembly line before a row of computer screens chained to the tables. We searched the web for negative stories from other countries and drafted articles to send to the Nation's News Express that would be edited and published under someone else's name. Most of our work would be rejected and a complete waste of time, but it gave us something to do.
Grammar and computer books waited on tables off to the side. In addition to drafting news articles, we also had to wipe any negative press for the prime minister and his family from the internet. This could be done by sending threats to foreign organizations or sending their site address to our Ministry of Cyber Security, who would hack into the site and shut it down. It would only be revived if the website promised to remove the offensive information.
Cameras watched us from every corner of the room, and a few were hidden in places we didn't readily see, taking the shape of pen erasers in cup holders or embedded in the desktop itself.
With our every movement being watched, we had no choice but to do the work we were being paid to perform.
I stared at the website in front of me. People were using the discussion board to complain about working so hard their life had lost all enjoyment. They couldn't stop or cut their hours because they needed every penny. Though it left a bitter taste in my mouth, I copied the site address, filled out the appropriate report form, and sent it off to the Ministry of Cyber Security, which would later locate the posters and try to get them to understand that society was perfect just the way it was.
As I surfed the web, I searched Olivia's name and found a news article with a video of Alex and Bella dressed as Olivia.
Alex, playing the role of the prime minister, had his hand on Bella's waist and spoke to reporters about how 'Olivia' had been led astray by a wayward woman but was in the process of healing. Alex told them I had hypnotized Olivia, tricked her into falling in love with me, and how much work it would take to undo the damage.
