The Last Red

Chapter 7: Screening

The writing on the wall shows 17:38:56.

Yesterday I told Koben I had no intentions of venturing East with him. Yet I keep counting the minutes until he enters the Room whose door opens only on entry.

"Bingo!" Kevin jumps up, ecstatic, as Omnia displays the result of his latest genome modification. 

The noise makes me unglue my eyes from the wall.   

I quickly scan the hologram projection. His input seems to have brought the desired effect - we've achieved the 'Midnight Sun' shade at last.

Korina's palms hug her cheeks. "I can't believe we did it..."

"They better promote us after this," Kyle adds in his style.

"Alright," I clap my hands, not as enthusiastic as I thought I would be, "you need to review this one very carefully before submitting. The Head Office doesn't like mistakes happening twice."

They all turn their heads toward me.

"Aren't you the one doing final reviews?" Kevin seems to be legitimately confused.

My eyes escape back to the wall.

17:41:04

Koben's A.S. starts in less than twenty minutes.

Why did I refuse to take the tracker? I mean it's not like I have to use it. I could've used it as an option.

'What's behind that Wall that's so special to you, anyway?' 

 'Opportunity'... his voice echoes through my mind.

Just let it go - he'll probably be sent behind the Wall, anyway - my inner voice of reason wakes up. 

But what if he doesn't?

"Hellooo," I vaguely notice Kyle waving his hand in front of my face, "are you in there?"

"Sorry," I shake my head, forcing what feels like the world's lamest attempt at a smile. "I have some things on my mind," I press my wig hair behind my ears and stand up. "I will not be doing the final review this time," I look at Kevin. "Kevin will."

His forehead furrows. "You...sure?"

Well, since I'm escaping tomorrow, there's no way for me to manage finishing it. 

I take a deep breath. "I have my Screening tomorrow," I lie and all eyes shoot at me at once. "This is the last we'll see each other," I make sure my eyes meet all of theirs. 

Korina tears up. "What are we gonna do without you?"

I shake my head. "You just did an excellent job at an incredibly hard task with almost no help from me," I shrug. "You'll be just fine." 

I look at Kevin again. "I have no doubts you'll do great as the team leader."

His eyes well up as he gives me a deep respectful nod. "I'll make sure to commend you in the final report."

As if it matters... the cynic inside me awakens. I hate her. "Thank you," I smile. 

"I'm gonna miss you," Korina saddens me as she goes in for a hug.

I open my arms to receive her and realize I can't even remember the last time I hugged someone. "Me, too," I whisper. 

"Oh, chill," Kyle waves his hand, "it's not like we're never gonna see her again," he gives me a crooked smile. "Saves us all a seat at the better place. We're gonna need someone to show us the ropes. Once again." 

I chuckle through tears. "Just when I thought one can always count on you to light up the mood, there you go and make me cry."

Korina giggles.

"Alright, then," Kevin cheerfully places a hand over my shoulder, "Don't you have better things to do with your time on your last day in the Block?"

My eyes run to the wall.

17:42:24

Is fifteen minutes enough time to reach the Screening Room?

"In fact there is."

"Go on, then!" they cheer me on.

"We've got it covered here." Kevin walks to the main projector. "Omnia, show us the next assignment."

As hologram lights shoot up, my heart sinks to my feet. This is goodbye forever and they don't even know it.

I walk to the door and turn one last time before scanning my wrist to find them all smiling.

"Take care, guys," I raise my hand in farewell.

"Good luck tomorrow!"

"Break a leg!"

As the door opens, I push my way through the crowd toward the Screening Room - no time to allow myself being pushed. I have to reach there before 6.

I remember how Koben yesterday steered the people away to make room for us. I wish I had that talent.

He does seem uncommonly strong, now that I think of it. He'd be really useful to have as a tribe member in the Wild. One often has to deal with unfriendly rogues.

You'll never be reunited, even if he escapes, my inner self reminds me - you didn't take the tracker he offered. 

That's true. Yesterday I closed that door and if I don't tell him I changed my mind, they'll stay closed forever. 

I don't think it's probable we'll ever reunite, but I choose to allow myself the luxury of having options. I won't be a coward - what if his Wall theory is right?

I mean, people couldn't have invented a religion based off of nothing. There has to be some truth to it. Maybe we stand a chance of breaching East? Even though I know certain death is in a big radius of whatever lies East.

"Time, Omnia."

"It is five hours, fifty-six minutes and forty-nine seconds post meridiem."

Crap - I don't have much time left. 

I rush the last few steps, then knock against the glass door as hard as I can.

There he is! Seated with his back turned on me.

"Please scan your wrist to be allowed entry," Omnia lights up.

"Koben!" I shout, ignoring her. I already learned that lesson.

Nothing happens - the glass is soundproof.

"Koben, turn around!"

Then I realize there's another piece of glass door in front. 

Shit. There're two sets of doors.

"Om, tell me the time."

"It is five hours, fifty-seven minutes and twenty-three seconds post meridiem."

I exhale in defeat. He's the only one in the waiting area and in less than a 100 seconds, he'll be gone.

I lean against the opposite wall and play with my necklace - one of the very few possessions I own.

My eyes grow as big as watermelons as a girl stops in front of the door. 

She scans her wrist and the door opens. 

"Wait," I leap as far as I've never leaped before.

She turns, frowning. "Who are you?"

I raise a hand. "Someone who needs to enter," I cut her path as I take a step insid-

"Aargh!" I scream loudly as I'm electroshocked to my own surprise. 

I crumble to the ground and watch the first set of doors close.

"Kayla Terrel, please return at your scheduled time," Omnia speaks.

"Oh my God, are you alright?" the girl kneels beside me. 

Common decency takes me by an ever bigger surprise than the electroshock. "Did tha-that come fr-from the door?" I stutter. It's hard to talk all of a sudden.

She shakes her head. "Must be from inside you," she points to my neck, "the chip."

As I touch my neck, my fingers feel the metal of the necklace underneath. 

Think fast, Red - he'll be gone any second now.

That's it!

I pull the necklace off in one swift movement and take the girl's hand placing it inside it. "Please," I lower my head in gratitude, "give this to that boy. Hurry."

She quickly turns to see who I'm referring to. "Oh, Koben?" she smiles, "I got you, girl," she winks and gets up. 

I gather myself and take her hand to help me stand up. "H-How do you know him?"

"We train together a lot," she lifts a shoulder scanning her wrist at the same time, "I'm block's number eleven. Didn't he brag?" she snickers, "He's our number one."

"He sure did brag..."

"Doesn't surprise me," she laughs and then the door closes behind her. 

I press my hand over it as I watch her go through the second door, and instantly, Koben turns. 

He gives her a wide smile, saying something, and I hate the fact I can't read lips at this moment.

Then he catches something - she threw him my necklace.

Forehead furrowed, he opens the pendant necklace I was given by my mother. 

I see his jaw tighten as his lips curl with gladness.

He looks to the glass door and notices me. He gives me a deep nod. 

"I'll find you," he mouths.

How? The cynic in me awakens once again.

Then the black door marked 'Screening' slides open and for the first time ever, I see a human employee of the Block. 

A woman steps out and invites him in. Bizzare. What happened to robots?

I see him walk toward her, placing my necklace in his pant pocket. Inside it - my mother's thread of hair. A long ginger thread of hair.

I gave him a gift rarer than unicorns, I snicker to myself. 

I hope it won't be in vain. 

"Please don't get sent behind the Wall," I whisper as he enters and the girl looks at me, showing me a reassuring thumbs-up. 

The Number 11 girl...

"Om," I take my wrist out as I march. "Show me the block's athletic ranking."

My wrist sends a textual projection upward.

At number one, there's that name. Koben Tanaka L.

"Show more on number one."

Omnia presents me with an information sheet on Koben Tanaka. 

And there it is - in the right upper corner - a very realistic projection of his face.

"Ok, he definitely ain't lying," I mumble just as the ranking shuffles and his name disappears, replaced by Karla Tanner L.

I raise my head to the girl in front, eyes filling with water. She doesn't even know she just went to number ten.

But something tells me her reign will be short-lived.

How long until you disappear, too?