Twelve years later
Karla knew that she was surrounded by idiots, and had been for twelve years. She was glad she had not become one of them, though she had no idea how she had managed it. The woman who called herself Karla’s “mother,” Angela, was the first of many nimrods she had met, and when Karla looked at her, she tasted oatmeal that had been left to sit out for a few days. They had lived together for twelve years, and even though Angela was hopelessly vapid, Karla had been well cared for during that period. By the house, that is.
The house did everything for Angela and Karla, and they had never had to lift a finger to do anything. It cleaned itself, made food and drinks for them, and would even change the color of its interior if asked. As a result, Angela had grown enormous from the constant food and lack of activity, and Karla couldn’t remember the last time she had seen the woman leave her armchair. The only reason that Karla hadn’t fallen into this sorry state as well was because she walked everywhere she needed to go instead of using autocars. Karla hated autocars; what was the point of getting into something that drove itself and always knew where it was going? Karla liked not having a plan and not knowing where she was going. It alleviated the constant humdrum of her cushiony life.
Of course, Karla wasn’t about to complain. She was treated well and fed properly, and the constant calm in the world felt like an extravagant and welcome silence compared to her life from age five backward. Angela had tried to convince her multiple times that it was just a nasty dream, but Karla still remembered that awful, sharply lemon feeling of hunger. One couldn’t dream something like that and feel it so vividly.
Karla was thankful for the memory, however, because it forced her to also remember her mother and brother. She knew that they had been real, no matter what Angela said. Karla had wanted desperately to search for them all these years, but two things kept her from doing so. Every time she grew anxious about trying to locate her family, she found that the emotion evaporated within a few seconds, replaced by a wave of calm. In the back of her mind, something screamed at her that this wasn’t at all normal, but the calm obliterated that feeling too. However, the calm never washed away the metal taste, and that was the only thing that kept Karla from dissolving into a blank oblivion like Angela.
Speaking of, where was the woman? Karla hadn’t seen Angela in her usual armchair upon waking up and going down to the kitchen, but she hadn’t been alarmed. She had actually been rather pleased by the idea that Angela was finally getting some exercise. But now it was past breakfast, and in all the years Karla had known her, Angela had never missed a meal. Karla felt herself grow worried, but then the feeling vanished as it always did, leaving only a faint taste of metal.
The house was oddly silent, and Karla realized that no one had turned on the lifescreen, the annoying talking rectangle on the wall. So Angela definitely wasn’t at home, then. Angela always had the lifescreen on before breakfast, and it remained on all day, spewing its constant drivel at anyone who cared to listen. Then Karla heard something.
The front door swung open, and Karla stood up, thinking it was Angela, though she hadn’t any idea why Angela had left the house in the first place. As soon as she left the kitchen and came into the front hall, however, she could see that this person was definitely not Angela. A sticklike blonde woman with an obnoxious green dress and clipboard had let herself into the house, and her grey eyes fell upon Karla. She stepped toward Karla, and Karla felt her heart rate rise again. Then, of course, the calm, but not without lingering metal. Damn this calm! Karla clenched her fist, and her right wrist twinged. Then the calm washed away her anger as well, and she was left staring blankly at the blonde woman.
“Karla, I’m glad to see that you are home. And congratulations on turning eighteen, by the way,” the woman said, sitting down at Karla’s breakfast table. Karla blinked. So that’s how old she was now? Angela had never kept track, and it hadn’t bothered Karla. But this woman definitely bothered Karla.
“What do you want?” Karla said, hoping she didn’t sound rude. “Where is Angela? I haven’t been able to find her all morning.”
The woman ignored her second question. “You are at the age now when you are to move into one of the young adult autohouses. I’m sure you’ve seen them.” Karla had seen one of the buildings on one of her long walks, and she had taken care to avoid it since. They called it “college,” and it was a cesspool of people that did nothing but make noise and party all the time. Karla thought this to be nonsensical, and she had hoped she would never have to live there.
“Where’s Angela?” Karla asked again, keeping her gaze fixed on the woman’s liposuctioned face. If the woman at least answered that question, Karla felt that she might be more inclined to cooperate.
“Calm yourself, please, and come with me,” the woman stood up and beckoned at Karla. Karla didn’t move.
“Please tell me where my guardian went,” Karla paused. “And now that I think of it, my mother and brother too.”
The woman frowned. “Angela is your mother, miss. And your records say that you don’t have a brother.”
“You’re lying,” Karla gripped the table, wondering if she’d regret this later. “I had a mother other than Angela, and my brother’s name is Adam.”
The woman opened her mouth as if she were going to shout something, but closed it a little after a moment, speaking in a tense calm. “You are delusional. The government does not lie, and your records are verified to be correct. If you continue to spout these lies and doubt my knowledge, you will be severely punished. Now, who is your family?”
Karla tasted metal, even though the strange calm blocked out any other emotion. She said nothing, watching the woman peer at her. The woman did something then that confused Karla.
She held her right wrist to her mouth and said into it, “I have a malfunctioning Decel. It will not cooperate. Do I eliminate it?”
What on earth was a Decel? Karla held her silence, completely bewildered now.
The woman cocked her head back a little for a moment as if listening to something. She then frowned in confusion.
“If you insist. I really don’t think that’s very wise, but if you insist…” the woman paused again for a moment, her confused frown turning disgruntled. “No disrespect meant, ma’am. I will do as you command.” The woman lowered her wrist.
Karla blinked. Either the woman had been talking to herself, or someone could hear her through her wrist. Regardless, it was too strange for Karla’s liking, and it made her taste green olives. Eccch.
“Erm, I’m going to eat breakfast now…” Karla got up and shuffled backward away from the woman, running a hand subconsciously through her mass of curly black hair. The woman jerked abruptly upright, her green dress squeaking against the plastic stool she had been sitting on as she stood up.
“Miss, you are to come with me under order of law. It is apparent that certain parts of you are malfunctioning, and they can be fixed if you cooperate.” The woman beckoned forward. “Everything will be back to normal, and you can live a normal life free of eccentricities…” the woman paused, gazing down at Karla as if she were talking to a toddler. In a slower and more deliberate tone, she continued, “Your weird feelings. They will go away. We can fix you.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me,” Karla protested, not moving any nearer to the woman. “I won’t come with you. I live here.”
That, apparently, had been the wrong thing to say.
The woman lifted her wrist again to her mouth and spoke into it. “It won’t come willingly. I am requesting an incapacitation.” A pause. “Affirmative. Go ahead.”
“I love modern technology,” the woman smiled – no, grimaced, really – at Karla, shaking her head.
Karla felt a twinge in her right wrist. She staggered, suddenly overcome by dizziness. Then a swooping blackness, and she saw no more.
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