CODE: DEVOTION

CHAPTER 5

THE CHOICE

Mara barely slept.

The words on the screen kept returning to her.

CHOOSE YOUR DEVOTION.

She had spent half the night trying to decide what they meant.

Was it a test of loyalty?

Would they be asked to choose between their partners and their families?

Or was the government simply trying to discover how committed they were to the program?

She hated not knowing.

Mara reached for her notebook.

She turned to a clean page.

Questions:

Why does leaving require government approval?

What exactly are they measuring?

Why did the system call the first test an emotional assessment?

What does "devotion" mean to them?

Why do I keep thinking about Chris?

She stopped writing.

The fifth question bothered her most.

She crossed it out.

Then wrote it again.

Why do I keep thinking about Chris?

A knock sounded at her door.

"Mara?"

Daniel.

She closed the notebook.

"Come in."

The door opened.

Daniel stood there holding two breakfast trays.

"I thought you might be hungry."

Mara smiled.

"You're becoming predictable."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"I haven't decided."

He handed her the tray.

They sat together.

For several minutes, neither spoke.

Then Daniel looked at her.

"Did you sleep?"

"Not really."

"Neither did I."

"Because of the test?"

He nodded.

"The questions were strange."

Mara looked at him.

"Which one bothered you?"

"The freedom question."

Her expression changed.

"Why?"

"Because I answered too quickly."

Mara waited.

Daniel looked down at his food.

"I said I'd give up my freedom for love."

"And?"

"I don't know if I meant it."

Mara studied him.

"Then why did you say it?"

Daniel smiled faintly.

"Maybe because that's what I thought I was supposed to say."

The answer stayed with Mara.

For the first time, she wondered whether Daniel was as comfortable with the program as he appeared.

Before she could ask another question, the speakers came alive.

"Participants, report to the central

auditorium immediately."

Daniel stood.

"Here we go."

The central auditorium was full.

Every participant sat beside their assigned partner.

Mara sat beside Daniel.

Chris sat beside Elena.

At the front stood three researchers.

The woman from the previous day walked to the centre.

"Good morning."

Nobody answered.

She smiled anyway.

"Yesterday, you completed the compatibility assessment."

The screen behind her displayed hundreds of numbers.

"Today, we test something more important."

The screen changed.

CHOICE.

"We can measure attraction. We can measure compatibility. We can measure behavioural patterns."

She paused.

"But there is one thing a system cannot easily measure."

Mara leaned forward.

"Choice."

The word appeared again.

"Every relationship eventually reaches a moment when two people must choose."

She looked across the audience.

"Today, you will be given that opportunity."

A nervous murmur spread through the room.

The researcher continued.

"Each participant will be presented with three choices."

The first appeared.

STAY WITH YOUR ASSIGNED PARTNER.

The second appeared.

REQUEST A NEW PARTNER.

Then the third.

LEAVE THE PROGRAM.

Mara stared at the screen.

The room became completely silent.

"You will make your decision privately."

Someone raised a hand.

"What happens if we choose to leave?"

The researcher looked directly at him.

"Your request will be reviewed."

"But can we leave?"

"Eventually."

The answer caused an immediate uproar.

Mara felt anger rising inside her.

Eventually?

That wasn't the same as yes.

The researcher waited until the room settled.

"Your decisions will remain confidential."

Mara looked at Chris.

He was staring straight ahead.

But she could tell he was listening.

The researcher continued.

"You will now be separated from your partners."

The doors opened.

Staff members entered.

"Follow the instructions."

Daniel stood.

Mara stood beside him.

Before they separated, Daniel leaned toward her.

"Whatever you choose, don't let them choose for you."

Mara looked at him.

For the first time, she wondered if she had completely misunderstood him.

"Good luck," he said.

Then he disappeared through one of the doors.

Chris was taken to a small room.

A chair stood in the middle.

A screen illuminated the wall.

CHRIS LUKE.

He sat down.

The door locked behind him.

His stomach tightened.

A voice spoke.

"Chris, you have been assigned to Elena Namusoke."

"Yes."

"How would you describe your relationship?"

Chris thought.

"Friendly."

"Do you feel emotionally connected to Elena?"

"I like her."

"That was not the question."

Chris frowned.

"Then no."

The voice was silent.

"Do you feel emotionally connected to another participant?"

Chris froze.

He knew the answer.

But saying it aloud felt dangerous.

"No."

A pause.

"Your response has been recorded."

Chris stared at the screen.

Then three options appeared.

A — STAY WITH ELENA.

B — REQUEST A NEW PARTNER.

C — LEAVE THE PROGRAM.

Chris leaned back.

It should have been easy.

Elena was kind.

She understood him.

She made him comfortable.

And, most importantly, she didn't make him feel trapped.

So why couldn't he press A?

His finger hovered over the screen.

Then he remembered Mara laughing on the bus.

He remembered the way she questioned everything.

The way she looked at the facility.

The way she had smiled at him.

He closed his eyes.

"Why?" he whispered.

The system waited.

Chris finally pressed the screen.

A.

Stay with Elena.

The screen went dark.

Mara sat alone in her room.

The same three options appeared.

A — STAY WITH DANIEL.

B — REQUEST A NEW PARTNER.

C — LEAVE THE PROGRAM.

She stared at A.

Daniel was kind.

Intelligent.

Patient.

He remembered the things she said.

He respected her writing.

He seemed to understand her.

The obvious choice was A.

Her finger moved toward it.

Then stopped.

She thought about Chris.

She hated herself for it.

She barely knew him.

Yet somehow, the thought of leaving him behind felt worse than leaving the program itself.

Mara pulled her hand away.

"No."

She whispered the word.

"This is ridiculous."

The screen waited.

Mara looked at the door.

She wondered whether Chris was somewhere else making the same decision.

She wondered what he would choose.

Then she made her decision.

She pressed:

B.

REQUEST A NEW PARTNER.

The screen went black.

Mara's heart began pounding.

A message appeared.

REQUEST RECEIVED.

Then another.

PROCESSING.

She waited.

Nothing happened.

Then:

REQUEST DENIED.

Mara stared at the screen.

"What?"

The words remained.

REQUEST DENIED.

Her anger rose.

"Why?"

The system responded.

YOUR REQUEST IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH YOUR CURRENT EMOTIONAL PROFILE.

Mara stood.

"What does that even mean?"

No answer.

She stepped closer to the screen.

"Who decides what I'm feeling?"

Still nothing.

Then a final message appeared.

YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR FURTHER OBSERVATION.

Mara's blood ran cold.

The screen went black.

That evening, everyone returned to the dining hall.

Mara sat beside Daniel.

Chris sat beside Elena.

Nobody knew what anyone else had chosen.

At least, that was what they had been told.

Daniel looked at Mara.

"How was your test?"

"Fine."

He studied her face.

"That's not true."

Mara looked at him.

"You?"

"Fine."

She almost smiled.

"That's not true either."

Daniel laughed.

"Fair."

Across the room, Chris looked toward them.

Mara noticed.

Their eyes met.

This time, Chris didn't look away.

Neither did she.

Elena followed his gaze.

Her smile disappeared.

"Chris."

He turned.

"Yes?"

"You like her."

His face changed.

"What?"

"Mara."

Chris said nothing.

Elena looked down.

"You don't have to lie to me."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Then why do you look at her like that?"

Chris couldn't answer.

Elena nodded slowly.

"I understand."

"No. Elena—"

"It's okay."

She stood.

"I'm going back to the room."

Chris watched her leave.

Across the room, Daniel had also noticed what happened.

He looked at Mara.

"Do you like him?"

Mara's heart stopped.

"Who?"

"You know who."

She looked toward the door.

Chris was gone.

"I don't know."

Daniel nodded.

"That's an honest answer."

He stood.

"Maybe that's what this place is trying to find out."

Mara looked at him.

"What?"

"Whether we actually choose."

Then he walked away.

Mara remained at the table.

Around her, people laughed, ate and talked.

Everything appeared normal.

But she knew better now.

This wasn't a dating program.

It was an experiment.

And somehow, the system already knew something about her that she didn't fully understand herself.

She opened her notebook that night.

On a fresh page, she wrote:

I chose Daniel.

She stared at the sentence.

Then crossed it out.

Underneath, she wrote:

I chose not to choose Daniel.

She paused.

Then wrote one final sentence.

But I don't know if I chose Chris either.

Mara closed the notebook.

Outside her window, the facility lights remained on throughout the night.

Watching.

Waiting.

And somewhere deep inside the building, a researcher stared at two files on a computer screen.

MARA TENDO — DEVIATION: 31%

CHRIS LUKE — DEVIATION: 29%

The researcher frowned.

Then opened another file.

A photograph appeared.

It was Mara.

Beside it was Chris.

Underneath their photographs was a single line:

UNAUTHORIZED EMOTIONAL CROSS-PAIRING DETECTED.

The researcher stared at the screen.

Then quietly said:

"Interesting."