Read Stand Against Infinity for Free Online

exactly. They’re the same ones we
all have to wear, but you most of all. How about if we get you a
new set. I’ll work on getting everyone a new set before long. It’ll
make the work easier to deal with.”
    “Thank you,” she said. She liked this man
more and more. He was watching out for her. He really did make a
good boss.
    “I live at the building just before yours, so
I’ll just get out with you and walk home. Anyway, it’s dark and I’d
hate for you to walk in the dark.”
    “Th-thank you,” she said. Should she tell him
no? Was this crossing the line? But it was dark, and she thought
there was no harm in him walking her home.
    The night air was cool, and she could even
see a few stars through the city smog--a nice night for a walk. Too
bad they were only walking across the parking lot to her house.
When they reached the door to her apartment, she pulled out her key
card and unlocked the door. He immediately opened it for her. “I
guess you’ll be fine now,” he said. “It was nice to have someone to
talk to about my day. Have a good night and I’ll see you in the
morning.” He let go of the door and let it close behind her and she
realized she was looking forward to seeing him again in the
morning.
    She was halfway to her apartment before she
froze, shook her head, and then laughed. She had forgotten to pick
up her daughter. She walked back to the street and called another
pod.
    As she was on her way to get T-5529, her mind
wandered. She thought of what D1298 had said. He liked having
someone to talk to. Did she have someone to talk to? No, not
really. By the time her husband got home, she was done with her day
and ready for bed or asleep. But he was just being a good citizen,
wasn’t he? Wasn’t that a right priority to have? Or was there
something more?
     

Chapter 16
    U2258 lay in his bed that night and
methodically ran through the events of the evening. He learned two
things tonight, and they both spoke very badly for the company.
First, he had learned that when feeds were sent to the new chip, in
the very first experiment with this new technology, they had sent
an additional feed as a subliminal message, spurring the hearer to
more loyalty to the city and technology as a savior. U2258 did not
like the idea of men controlling men. It did not seem right.
    Second, he had learned that the man who was
in the first experiment had died somehow and their course of action
was to hide the fact, even from him. This was even worse and he
began to feel a distrust for his own company.
***
    The next day the head of manufacturing
approached him. “U2258? I want to show you something,” he said.
“Follow me.”
    He got up and followed. The two got into an
elevator and then a horizontal transport, eventually winding up on
the 35th floor on the west side. This was an area U2258 rarely ever
saw. It had nothing to do with his work. They walked down a long
hallway.
    “I thought it would be good to show you what
has come of your contribution the other day. On their right, he
opened a door and ushered U2258 inside. It was the floor of a chip
manufacturing assembly line. “The new chip, including your
adjustments to the biocenters, will be shipped by the end of the
month.”
    That was very quickly for such a new product,
but he could see he had no place to comment. It had already been
decided.
    So it was true, they were planning on rolling
this technology out to everyone as soon as possible. With the fate
of this last man, how could they justify doing this?
    U2258 mulled these thoughts over in his head
on the way home that evening slowly, intentionally, systematically,
until when he got home, he began to pack. He put in what clothing,
food, and supplies he could and he did it carefully and
thoughtfully.
    He slept that night after preparing for the
next morning when he would forever leave his home without telling
anyone.
     

Chapter
17
    That night H662 got home just as U1472 was
going to bed. Before she turned out