Read Love in the Time of Technology 1 for Free Online

These cubes could be dismantled easily and discarded.
    The drone was still hovering by his window.
    He casually went in. Then he felt behind the cartridge with trembling hands. He forced himself to keep calm by counting to 7 before exhaling. There was a cube. He flicked on it gently using their prearranged combination. A message flashed up. There was a danger sign and another sign for ‘relax’ were drawn with the words ‘ act normally. Be ready to leave. Don’t trust Chloe. Lazer is curious but don’t over react.’ There was also a drawing of a salamander. He dismantled it and hid it behind the cartridge.
    He had not been imagining his dreams, he sighed with relief. But how would they get him out?
    T hen it all made sense. They were sending a girl. They had cunningly inserted her into Statsline knowing that the Corporation would assume he was just randy for a girl who looked organic like someone from the Fringes. She’d already be in their database and would not arouse suspicion. He sensed that the girl would have gone through intensive training and would come very well prepared.
    But why were so many resources being used to get him out? He just hoped he didn’t disappoint them.

Chapter 7: Genetica: Meeting Lilydeen
    One afternoon immediately after work, he had gone to the huge supermarket. He had come just before the huge crowd of shoppers would come in. He came partly because he was listless and bored. How would this girl from her dreams contact him without all this surveillance cameras finding out? It was almost impossible to do that.
    A young woman brushed by him and reached out to touch a fruit near where he stood. It was the way she touched it with subtle revulsion that caught his attention. She glanced at him very subtly and it would seem that she was doing so because he was partly in her way. He was compelled to follow her as casually as possible. She went to the stand for purple colored tomatoes (eaten for energy) and green carrots (consumed as a muscle relaxant). She made great effort not to recoil.
    “You don’t have much time . They’re going to take you in!”
    Wolf was about to say something when she brushed by him again as he reached for a carrot near him.
    “Click me in your Statsline . I will show up in the catalogue.”
    “But they’ll suspect we’re not compatible.”
    “They’ve listed you down as erratic at times so your choice will be quite understandable. Besides you’ve clicked me a number of times.”
    ”I did ?”
    “Yes you have this obsession for organic looking girls. They’re supposed to be kinky or something like that. You’re friend is going to show up here so I’m moving.”
    “Lazer?”
    “We had to steer him in so it doesn’t arouse suspicion.”
    “But that’s risky.”
    “Life’s full of danger. And besides, how do you know we are not compatible. Get out of your comfort zone!”
    Before he could ask a question, she acted quite brusquely. This was for the benefit of cameras that might have picked up the body brushing. It would show that on the 2 occasions, it was accidental when she was reaching for the vegetables and she had not relished rubbing against him. Wolf sensed that this was clever because he would be very closely monitored given his marked status.
    S he went off to another section.
    Then he concealed himself amongst the shelves . He saw Lazer approach her casually in a false show of sincerity. He heard them laugh. She was a good actress. There was no way people would mistake her as being from the Fringes. Her mannerisms were perfect.
    It was beginning to make sense . There was no way she could possibly move around without being caught. Whoever had configured her entry had calculated her chances of success and found that she stood a better chance by being linked to her greatest enemy Lazer because her tech footprints would be tagged to his and would not immediately arouse suspicion. He kissed her lightly on the cheek before she left for the check