I was already ready when the autonome came next to me and said, "Aaron Knox, please report to your duty station within 30 minutes." I look at the flower that was wilting yesterday. The water I gave must have worked. Its leaves look more alive. I touch the soil. Dry. I immediately pour a little more water. Since I know it will drown if I pour too much, I add only a little.
I leave the room. The corridor is very quiet because today I came out early. I go to Melissa's room. I knock on the door, no sound. I knock again. From behind the door a voice comes.
"Aaron?"
Melissa opens the door in her gray pajamas. The area under her eyes has turned dark. It is obvious that she is very tired.
"Are you going to work today?" I ask.
She shakes her head from side to side.
"The doctor allowed it. I will stay in my room today." She leans her head against the wall. "I will come tomorrow."
She says she is fine but it is clear from her voice that she is still sick.
"It would be good for you to rest," I say.
She smiles.
"Go work or they will give you leave too," she says.
I smile as well. She closes the door.
I stand in the corridor for a while, then I take my morning coffee from the machine on the way and go to my desk.
I open my first file.
#39102
He cut the plastic pieces next to the camp and made a small chest. I wonder what he will use it for. Then he had breakfast with his camp friends.
They talked for a while. I read the transcripts of the conversations. Most of them are ordinary things. Food, queue numbers, guesses about what the inside might be like.
Then he went for a walk alone. He wandered for a long time without doing anything. He sat by the sea. With a stone he drew shapes on the sand. Some geometric drawings that I cannot understand. After a while he erased them.
Around noon he went to the cafeteria. He ate. In the evening he lit a fire with his camp friends. They talked. No arguments. No fights. Nothing against the rules.
I look at the options at the bottom of the screen.
CompatibleNot yet compatible
I select Compatible and send it.
A new file arrives.
#40211
This person is more active. Early in the morning he went swimming. I decide to fast-forward the swimming, but at that moment the alarm rings.
I go and get another coffee. I don't know what to do in my one-hour break. There are people I know, they are good people, but I enjoy spending time with Melissa more.
The paper I saw yesterday evening before leaving comes to my mind. A paper from before I came here being on my desk is really very strange. I know there must be a mistake, but at the same time I am curious.
The break is about to end. I want to sit at my computer early and research yesterday's paper.
When I arrive at my computer, I see the #40211 file that is still open. I immediately continue.
After swimming he wrestled with his camp friends. They joked. They spent most of the day together. In the evening he went to the bar. He drank a little too much but did not start a fight. He only spoke loudly.
After 40 minutes I select Compatible and send it.
I open my drawer and take out the paper.
I examine the previous analyses.
…
CompatibleCompatibleNot yet compatibleNot yet compatibleCompatible…
Not yet compatibleCompatible…
In 104 inspections, only 3 times the option Not yet compatible was selected. Two of these happened on consecutive days, and one happened close to the last inspection.
I go to the computer and type the number written on the paper.
#17483
I press Enter.
The system finds the file. I click it.
The screen freezes for a few seconds, then a window opens.
"INSUFFICIENT AUTHORITY."
There is a small text under it.
"You do not have authorization to access this record."
I look at the screen and try again. The same message appears.
This time I look more carefully. The small text under the message is different from the normal system font. Thinner. Fainter. As if it was added later.
I close the window and return to the main screen.
A new file does not open. The system is waiting.
The screen flickers and turns completely black.
My heart starts beating faster. I know something is wrong.
The screen comes back, but the desktop is gone. There is only a white screen.
A text appears in the middle.
"Please wait."
I see this for the first time.
Then the screen returns to normal, but a new file does not arrive.
I hear a voice behind me.
When I turn around, I see three autonomes standing in front of me.
The one in the middle speaks.
"Aaron Knox, a system access attempt has been detected."
The tone of the voice is the same as always, but it sounds a little colder.
"You attempted to access a file for which you do not have permission."
I remain silent. There is no point in lying.
"Yes," I say.
"Why?" it asks.
I do not want to talk about the file I found on my desk, so I say,
"I was curious. I didn't know it was a file I didn't have access to."
The autonome remains silent for a moment, but at that moment I notice something.
The autonomes in the middle and on the left are looking straight ahead, unrelated to where I am. The one on the right has its head slightly tilted toward me, as if it is looking directly into my eyes.
At that moment the autonome in the middle says,
"Unauthorized access is a system violation."
While examining the autonome on the right I say,
"I know."
"The action has been recorded. In case of repetition, a disciplinary process will begin."
I guess that is a polite way of saying they will shoot me in the head.
I nod my head to show that I understand.
The head of the autonome on the right turns slightly to the right. I do not remember them doing things like this before.
The autonome in the middle turns around. The others turn too.
The one in the middle starts walking, then the one on the left walks, and finally the one on the right starts walking, but slower.
While walking it stops for a moment and slightly turns its head toward me.
Then it continues walking.
I remain where I am and look at the screen.
A new file arrives.
I do not open the file because my mind is still on file #17483.
I take the paper in my hand. A bad feeling forms inside me.
After examining the paper one last time, I put it back into the drawer.
There is only one question in my mind:
What do they not want me to learn?