The Oasis

Chapter 13

I spent two weeks avoiding Remy. I wasn't angry or hurt anymore. But I really had nothing to say. I knew that in a months time we would have to spend every waking moment together. I liked him. I could probably love him. I also understood my role as a citizen in POD 14. I would be coupled anyway and what better than with a handsome, intelligent leader like him.

But that was just it. I felt like the rules and laws had been manipulated just for him. Like he didn't have to follow the , and part of that made me angry. Like I had, had a chance I was pulled through this manipulation without consequences, and my mind couldn't wrap around the fallout.

I know Remy had no choice in the matter. And I had been given a choice. Kayla told me I was lucky. But lucky wasn't what I was feeling. I was feeling lost. I had spent most of my life running on a schedule that was planned for me before my birth. Go to school, specialize in something, be good at that something, finish school and take my test. The schedule continued until I was 30, in a perfect set of plans that I really had no control over. And I was ok with that. But now I was out of all means of control. Every plan and schedule was ripped out from beneath me and I was left floating hoping I wouldn't float away or worse fall to my death.

I spent the last two weeks plugging away at a project at work. I had recently notice that within my own PIA history there was time missing from the timeline. It wasn't uncommon to not have pictures or important meeting set within a time period of your history. But within my timeline I had nothing. No class schedule, alarms , nothing that indicated what I had done for two straight months. It was my assumption that there may have been a glitch in the system. If that was the case i had to make sure it was not a one time thing. It was very likely that with all the tampering I had done to it, that I may have caused the timeline glitch. But it was now my actual job to find problems with the system.

I have looked into thousands of data entries from the computer system that tracks PIA. I didn't have to look into every single PIA in POD 14. I just had to look into the system alerts. Anytime a PIA shuts down, or glitches or has an inaccurate reading it sends an alert to the system. The system then categorizes it by whatever the problem may be.

This is how I spend most days. Here in the corner office 20 stories above The Oasis, plugging numbers and stats into my actual computer. It would be to much stress on my PIA to use it for work all the time. I do when i'm home. But mostly I use the free screen computer at my desk. It's a neat projection type computer that I can swipe with my hands and fingers, same with the keyboard.

"Incoming message from Remy" Sulu cuts through my concentration.

" Hey Mags it's me again. I know you don't what to talk right now. But we have to. I found Mika, please come have dinner with me tonight." There was a long pause before he spoke again. "I miss you".

" Do you wish to reply to this message." sulu asks.

I sat chewing on my fingernails. Staring out the window at the perfectly sunny day. It's always sunny and 75 degrees fahrenheit here. Always perfect. Part of me misses the mess of the weather. The lightning and thunder, the breeze, the mess it all. It was so flawed.

"Yes, I'll reply." I said

"Hey, you're right, we need to talk. You can pick me up from work and we'll get dinner. Send message Sulu."

"Message sent.''

I leaned back in my chair. He found Mika! I know there is nothing I can do no matter the information he gives me. But I have to know. I also have to talk to him. Soon he'll be my husband. We'll be creating a new schedule and life together. It's time I face my truth. This is my new future, and Kayla is right. It could be way worse. I will never have to face The Test again. I will never have to stress over leaving this perfect life behind. Everything I always worked for was here in front of me.