Dark Nine [18+]

Chapter Forty-Four

Diana's POV

"This is unethical."

"Is it? Besides, I'm afraid we have no choice... we'll be helping Diana and saving her life."

"Is it permanent memory loss?"

"No. It's about replacing the old thoughts, with the new. It's not about erasure. This is about the Light."

"Yet you never answered me. Is this ethical?"

"Have you heard the phrase, Free the Machine?"

"That's new thinking. I don't agree with it, it's better to use Dark in this situation. Use your instinctual judgement, not what Our Tcno says. This is a matter of the brain and free will."

"I have no other opinion. I simply wish to save her soul."

"Then you've made your decision and I'll record that."

"You should, I have made the decision, and I am not going back on my word."

"Foreseen consequences?"

"Diana will be free."

"Of what, exactly?"

"The chaos of her own Darkness."

****

1 week later

"You brought me flowers, again?" I ask Leroy as he places them on my desk, beautiful plastic yellow roses! He pushes them gently into the corner where the other recycled fake flowers bloom under the fluorescent light of the windowless office.

"Of course, you deserve them, Diana – for your courage," Leroy was my boss, and my date tonight. He saved me from the Kors – and I was eternally grateful. He might not be seven feet, but he was a decent height, with slicked back brown hair and natural green eyes. He was always dressed well, his shoes always polished, his coat always dry cleaned each day – not a fleck of dirt to be seen. Germs were so disgusting.

"I just clocked out," I tell Leroy as I stand up from my desk and grab my bag, "The letters humans send to each other are so heartfelt."

"Did you advise lowering emotive speech to your clients?" Leroy asks, smirking.

"Yes," I nod, sighing, "I like my job, Leroy. It's a good thing the machine reviews human diary entries. I feel like we're a very dirty species. So much unnecessary sexual language outside the privacy of our safe spaces," I shake my head as I give my hand to Leroy's outstretched palm.

"Cleanliness of words, ensures a clean soul," Leroy walks with me, reaching over and giving me a kiss to the cheek, "You're helping keep them free of worry, anxiety and unclean desire. You're making a change in this world."

"I really feel like I am," I laugh and he laughs.

"I'm taking you to –"

I interject, cheekily, "The Perfect Pizza."

"How did you know?" Leroy's eyes widen all the way.

"I checked your diary," I whisper at him, "I had your code so... I thought I'd see, erase the surprise you had for me."

Leroy has been smiling, but now he stares neutrally, looking quite upset.

"I didn't authorise that," he murmurs, "Don't do that again."

"Ah... oh," I think about it... and... logically, he's right, oh, no, he's so right! "Oh, I'm so sorry, that's so rude of me."

"It is and it was, but it's the past now – and you're a great listener, and a great learner," Leroy smiles again, "Aren't you, Diana?"