REMEMBER: A PRELUDE TO THE EXISTENCE SERIES by Allred Tara C

Author:Allred, Tara C. [Allred, Tara C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Patella Publishing
Published: 2020-10-20T05:00:00+00:00

Thirteen

Foster

With a swipe of the key fob, Foster pushed open the lab’s entrance in time to see Ashyr, in the center of the room, pulling off the lenses with an Em-Path glove.

Mariana stood behind him, lenses on her face, earbuds in her ear, a glove on her extended hand.

Then Foster spotted the two open boxes on a nearby card table. “What’s going on?” He marched over to them, only to pause over the troubled expression caught on Mariana’s face, her hand still extended, as if void of an exchange partner.

“What are you doing?” He shoved Ashyr against a chair. “Did you break the touch?”

“I was done.” Ashyr shrugged.

Foster grabbed the lenses and glove from Ashyr’s hand. Then he reached for the pill jar from the nearby table and tossed a pill into his mouth. He shot Ashyr an angry stare before throwing the lenses on. With the glove in place, he reached for Mariana’s outstretched hand and felt the nodes lock into place.

He needed the pill to kick in quickly, to catch up to her. They hadn’t talked before, hadn’t discussed what to share. He’d not tested this portion out, he’d always conditioned Heidi before an exchange, the smell of a bone, one of the kid’s clothing, bedding, something specific to stir the memories. Which was the point of the app, the lenses, the pre-exchange sounds, all of it was meant to create an atmosphere for a well-prepared exchange. But this! This was haphazard. Raw and quick. Encroaching.

Plus, he’d never tested a break before.

Heidi had always remained glued to the experience, allowing Foster to carry out the trials for their full length. This was already listed as potential bug #9—what issues exist if a partner broke an exchange early? Now Ashyr had done just that!

Furious thoughts swirled over the invasion, Foster’s list of frustrations growing toward Ashyr, but he couldn’t give that to Mariana.

He needed to give her something good. Something happy. An exchange that might put a little more of a smile on her face.

The tingling had begun, the announcement of new messages being sent to his brain, neurons firing their communication, the pill taking effect.

But he still wasn’t giving her anything.

Hastily, he reached for a happy memory. The time when a nominating committee sought out Haizley to run for the school board. At first, Foster assumed Haizley would laugh it off and turn away from the request. Instead, she embraced it.

She ran. And she won.

Foster took Mariana to that day. To the announcement, to the balloons, the cake, the excitement and cheering that filled their home. And Haizley’s face. How pleased she was in that moment — how pleased he was for her. That wonderful day, Haizley’s smiles. A memory tucked away as one of the happiest places in his heart . . .

A tall man yelled at Foster.

Words hit him through Mariana’s ears.

“Worthless trash.”

Her hands covered her ears. Tender hands, protecting tender ears, against stronger, hate-filled words.

A large hand swung across her face. The palm flying against her chin.

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