CODE: DEVOTION

CHAPTER 7

THE CROSSING

Mara did not sleep.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the file.

Her photograph at twelve.

Her parents.

Delyn.

The notes written by strangers who had been studying her life before she was old enough to understand what a government program was.

And one sentence refused to leave her mind.

SUBJECT FIRST DISPLAYED EMOTIONAL NONCONFORMITY AT AGE 12.

She turned onto her side.

The facility was silent again.

Too silent.

Mara reached for her notebook.

She opened it beneath the blanket and wrote:

If they have been watching me since I was twelve, then nothing about this program is accidental.

She stopped.

Then added:

Not the invitation.

Not Daniel.

Not Chris.

Her pen hovered.

She finally wrote the words she had been afraid to admit.

Especially not Chris.

A faint sound came from the corridor.

Mara immediately closed the notebook.

Footsteps.

They stopped outside her door.

She waited.

Nothing.

Then the footsteps moved away.

Mara didn't breathe until they disappeared.

She knew then that she couldn't trust the cameras.

She couldn't trust the doors.

She couldn't trust the people running the program.

But there was one thing she wasn't sure about.

Chris.

At six in the morning, the facility came alive.

Lights.

Doors.

Announcements.

The mechanical voice returned as though nothing had happened.

GOOD MORNING, PARTICIPANTS.

PHASE THREE WILL BEGIN AT 08:00.

PLEASE REPORT TO THE CENTRAL HALL.

Mara dressed quickly.

When she stepped into the corridor, Daniel was waiting.

He looked unusually serious.

“Did you sleep?”

“No.”

“Me neither.”

Mara studied him.

“Why?”

Daniel glanced toward the ceiling.

“Because someone came into my room last night.”

Her heart stopped.

“What?”

“I woke up and there was a woman standing beside my bed.”

“Who?”

“I don't know.”

“What did she want?”

Daniel swallowed.

“She asked me one question.”

Mara waited.

“She asked, ‘If Mara Tendo disappeared from the program tomorrow, would you continue?’”

Mara's expression changed.

“What did you say?”

Daniel looked at her.

“I said yes.”

A pause.

“Then she asked why.”

“And?”

“I couldn't answer.”

Mara looked away.

Daniel stepped closer.

“Mara, whatever this program is, I don't think we're here simply to find partners.”

“I know.”

“You found something."

It wasn't a question.

Mara said nothing.

Daniel studied her face.

“You don't trust me.”

“I don't know who to trust.”

Daniel nodded slowly.

“Fair enough.”

Then he whispered:

“But if they ask you to choose today, don't choose quickly.”

Mara looked at him.

“Why?”

“Because that's what they want.”

At the other end of the facility, Chris stood outside the central hall.

Elena was beside him.

She hadn't spoken since they left their dormitories.

Finally she said, “You went somewhere last night.”

Chris looked at her.

“How do you know?”

“Because you came back different.”

Chris didn't answer.

Elena sighed.

“You don't have to tell me.”

She paused.

“But I think you should know something.”

“What?”

“I requested to leave the program.”

Chris turned toward her.

“You did what?”

“I asked to leave.”

“What happened?”

“They denied it.”

Chris felt a chill.

“Why?”

“They said my emotional profile had changed.”

He stared at her.

Elena gave a small, bitter laugh.

“I think they were waiting for me to develop feelings for you.”

Chris looked down.

“I'm sorry.”

“Don't be.”

She looked directly at him.

“I think they were waiting for you to develop feelings for someone else.”

Chris said nothing.

Elena's eyes moved past him.

Toward Mara.

Then back to him.

“You should be careful.”

At exactly 08:00, the central hall doors opened.

Hundreds of participants entered.

The enormous screen above them flickered.

A single phrase appeared.

PHASE THREE: THE CROSSING

The room became silent.

A government official stepped onto the stage.

“Phase Three will test emotional stability under pressure.”

Mara watched the screen.

Images appeared.

Partners.

Families.

Children.

Homes.

Then the images disappeared.

The official continued.

“You have spent the first stages learning about compatibility. Today, you will learn about choice.”

Mara felt Chris looking at her.

She didn't turn.

“Each participant will be placed in a controlled environment with someone other than their assigned partner.”

A murmur moved through the room.

The official smiled.

“You will be given six hours.”

The screen changed.

TRUST.

SACRIFICE.

CONFESSION.

CHOICE.

“You will be monitored throughout the experience.”

Mara raised her hand.

The official pointed at her.

“What happens if we refuse?”

A pause.

Then the official answered:

“Refusal will be recorded as a behavioral response.”

Not an answer.

Mara knew it.

The official continued.

“At the end of Phase Three, each participant will privately identify the person to whom they feel the strongest emotional connection.”

The screen went black.

Then one final sentence appeared.

THE SYSTEM WILL DECIDE WHETHER THAT CONNECTION IS VALID.

Mara felt something cold settle inside her.

The system will decide.

Even now.

Even after everything.

They still believed they owned the definition of love.

The participants were separated.

Mara received a digital assignment.

YOUR CROSSING PARTNER: CHRIS LUKE.

She stared at the screen.

Her heart began pounding.

For a moment she couldn't move.

Then she laughed softly.

Not because it was funny.

Because it was exactly what she had expected.

They had separated them.

Now they were forcing them together.

A voice came through the speaker.

“Mara Tendo, proceed to Room 17.”

She walked down the corridor.

Room 17 opened.

Chris was already inside.

He looked at her.

Neither spoke.

The door closed behind Mara.

LOCKED.

Chris looked at the ceiling.

“They really aren't subtle anymore.”

Mara smiled despite herself.

“No.”

A screen came alive.

CROSSING TEST — BEGIN.

QUESTION ONE:

WHO DO YOU TRUST?

Mara looked at Chris.

He looked back at her.

Neither touched the answer panel.

The screen waited.

Then the question changed.

WHO WOULD YOU SACRIFICE FOR?

Chris's expression hardened.

Mara stepped closer to the screen.

“That's not a test.”

Chris looked at her.

“What is it?”

“A trap.”

The screen flickered.

ANSWER REQUIRED.

Mara crossed her arms.

“No.”

The screen flashed red.

NONCOMPLIANCE DETECTED.

Chris laughed quietly.

“Looks like we made it angry.”

Mara looked at him.

For the first time that morning, she smiled.

Then the room suddenly changed.

The walls disappeared.

Or seemed to.

A forest surrounded them.

Trees.

Wind.

Distant birds.

A narrow path divided into two directions.

A voice spoke.

“One participant may leave immediately.”

A door appeared behind Chris.

“The other participant will remain.”

Mara looked at him.

Chris stared at the door.

The voice continued.

“The participant who leaves will receive full payment.”

Silence.

“One million dollars.”

Mara's eyes widened.

The voice spoke again.

“The participant who remains will lose their current program benefits.”

Chris turned toward her.

“Mara.”

She already knew what he was going to say.

“Don't.”

“I wasn't going to—”

“You were.”

Chris shook his head.

“You should take the money.”

Mara stared at him.

“Why?”

“Because you wanted the money from the beginning.”

“And you?”

“I don't care about the money.”

“That isn't true.”

“No.”

Chris looked at the door.

Then back at her.

“I care about getting out.”

Mara's voice softened.

“Then go.”

He looked at her.

“I can't.”

The voice interrupted.

PARTICIPANT CHRIS LUKE.

YOU HAVE THIRTY SECONDS TO EXIT.

A countdown appeared.

30

29

28

Chris didn't move.

20

Mara felt tears forming in her eyes.

“Chris, go.”

15

He shook his head.

“No.”

10

“Chris!”

7

He stepped toward her instead.

5

“I already made my choice.”

3

The countdown reached zero.

Nothing happened.

The forest disappeared.

The walls returned.

The screen went black.

Then a new message appeared.

RESULT: EMOTIONAL DEVIATION CONFIRMED.

Mara stared at the screen.

Another line appeared.

CROSS-PAIRING RESPONSE: 67%.

Chris stepped closer.

“What does that mean?”

Mara shook her head.

“I don't know.”

The screen flickered again.

This time, only Mara could see the final message.

SUBJECTS HAVE EXCEEDED EXPECTED DEVOTION THRESHOLD.

Then:

BEGIN PHASE FOUR.

Mara's heart stopped.

“Chris.”

“What?”

She pointed at the screen.

His face changed.

A second later, the entire facility went dark.

And somewhere deep beneath them, something mechanical began to move.

A massive door opened underground.

The sound traveled through the walls like thunder.

Then the announcement came.

WELCOME TO PHASE FOUR.

THE TRUTH.