In a nightmare world ravaged by misery, the Imperium offers utopia to a select few. When Arya and Everett are recruited into this elite society, they choose to leave their homes against their families' wishes.
Naive and young, Arya and Everett are...
Today is the fifth Anniversary since F930's recruitment. Today she will be declared twenty-one years old. Her higher education program will be complete and she will be assigned her Pursuit - a daily job that she must perform as a citizen of the Imperium.
But the greatest change that this Anniversary is going to bring is that F930's Chip will link with the Chip of a male citizen. Their Chips will reward them with feelings of affection, attraction, and devotion towards one another.
Now, all citizens of the Imperium gather at the sprawling botanical garden, moments before the celebration begins. A short musical note echoes through the open space, announcing the commencement of the Anniversary.
"Welcome, citizens. Praise to the Imperium," a poised male voice says, apparently coming from the open sky.
"Praise to the Imperium," the crowd repeats, a chorus of infinite thankfulness and loyalty.
"The Imperium declares you older by one year," the voice announces, pausing to allow the citizens to applaud. "For those men and women who are twenty-one years of age, your Chip will now begin pairing."
Almost immediately, the Chips that glow golden underneath the temples of the twenty-one-year-old citizens begin to flicker. This lasts for a few seconds until the Chip resumes its original glow, guiding each citizen towards their assigned partner.
But something is amiss with F930.
Her Chip has not stopped flickering. Instead of pairing with her partner, her Chip flashes dully one last time before the light completely vanishes from the surface of her skin.
Suddenly, a searing wave of pain slices through her head, causing her to double over. She utters a gravelly wail of agony, falling to the ground as the citizens standing around her watch in stunned silence.
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Hey guys! This will be the last chapter from third-person perspective and we'll be returning to F930's (Arya's) POV in the next chapter.
So what did you think of the malfunction in Arya's Chip? What are your thoughts on the idea of a piece of technology dictating every aspect of a person's life?
Please let me know in the comments! And thank you so, so much for reading! This story is going to pick up pace from the next chapter onwards, so I'm really excited to keep going and be more regular with my updates. ♡
