White Noise (The Inadequate Experiments 1)

12. A Casket of Starlight

Calliope

The Watch before me flickered, then turned off, the numbers disappearing from its screen. I took a sigh of relief – no sparks that time. I felt David's gaze on my face as I bent towards the Watch, soldering the new wires in place. I knew I should have probably had glasses on for protection – particularly after all the issues I had already had with the Watch being temperamental – but after days of procrastination, I was getting impatient. Once the new wires were safely attached and the small button in place along the edge, I leant back, sliding the casing of the Watch back into its original place. When I pulled the spare wire from the bottom of the Watch, it flickered back to life.

The numbers were purple.

David scrambled up from his place on the ground. "Did it—did it work?"

I passed his Watch back to him, a smirk on my face. "Do you doubt my abilities?"

He gave me a lop-sided smile, slipping his Watch onto his wrist and running his finger along the size sensor, sealing the bangle closed. "Never."

I reached over and pressed the button I had added while I worked. "This is here so you can keep an eye on the countdown." I told him, twisting his wrist to show him as the numbers turned blue and started counting down once more. "Let it go, and you're just as normal as anyone else your age. No one will know you haven't met your Soul Mate yet."

He rolled his eyes. "No one will know I haven't met my Soul Mate, but what do I tell them about the twelve purple zeroes?"

"It's so it matches mine – Soul Mates' Watches are connected, right? If we went in posing as Inequits with only one of our Watches strange, they'd know something was up." I told him.

"Is that your plan?" He asked, his eyebrows raised. "W-w-we... T-the two of us go in with Oliver and Sera and pretend to be S-s-soul Mates?"

"Inequits." I corrected, turning back to my equipment so I could put it away. "That way we can avoid any Soul Mate related... stuff. Plus, what other explanation would give us a free ticket into the Compound? They're institutionalising Inequits these days – they got too much shit for the executions they used to do. Probably because more and more people are getting Inequity now. They can't kill everyone."

David didn't look convinced. "W-what about Hyoyeon? How will she get in?"

I didn't look up. "Hyoyeon's not going in."

"What? But isn't that why she agreed to help? So she could get her cousin out?"

"The only way to get Hyoyeon in would be to send Josh as well." I said through gritted teeth. "I've already lost Libby. I can't lose him, too. Hyoyeon will be our eyes on the security cameras. She'll do her work from here."

I thought back to Hyoyeon's confession – I didn't tell David that I also didn't want to know how the Scientists would treat her if they found out.

David paused, running something through his mind. He didn't look at me as he asked the question; "But you're okay with losing Oliver?"

The pliers in my hand ended up being thrown back into the toolbox with a clatter. "Oliver would've got institutionalised by himself and you know it as well as I do. Or did you not hear all this stupidity with Sera when they were here the other day?"

David looked away. "I... I don't really blame him, Calliope. I-if anything, I kind of understand."

My head snapped up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged, shrinking away from my anger in a way that made it seem as if his limbs were being folded into himself, his dark hair hiding his green eyes as if it were a reflex. "I-I just mean... His Soul Mate died, Calliope. And Sera – Sera's Soul Mate disappeared on her. Twice. And there's nothing she can do about it. A-a-are they supposed to just... I don't know... Live alone for the rest of their lives, surrounded by all these perfect couples? Should they not be allowed some love too? Who's to say they can't have each other when they both have no one else?"