– Couldn’t you remove it??
Olesya passed the indicator brush over the floor, looked at the yellow lamp that lit up, indicating an average level of pollution, and pursed her lips. She’s been gone for a week, and the module is in chaos and disorder, like a brothel! There are stains, hair, dust flakes, cookie crumbs everywhere. The vestibule is covered with a dark gray layer of dried street dirt. Between the bed and the wall, in the corner, there were crumpled sheets of paper. Looking at them, Olesya felt the irritation intensifying in her soul. How many times over the last month has she asked to throw garbage into the recycling bin as it appears, and not throw it anywhere and save it up so that it can be “throwed away in a heap”?
“I’ll launch Zhorik now,” said Anton. – Actually, I was getting ready in the evening, but since this is the case… How was I supposed to know that you would return a day earlier??
The couple called the robotic vacuum cleaner Zhorik for its tendency to “eat” garbage. The new model – increased power, a larger bag, a dozen brushes, a water bottle and a spray – cleaned up dirt as well as a human.
“Anton, I need to clean regularly, regardless of whether I’m at home or not,” said Olesya. She did not try to hide her displeasure, and her words sounded, albeit quietly, but sharply, as if dry oak leaves were clenched in a fist.
Anton approached the vacuum cleaner and stopped. Looked carefully at his wife. Without saying a word, he returned to his chair, took the “reader” left on the seat and stared at the grayish screen with pointed interest.
The palm opens and the leaves fall to the ground in uneven, broken pieces.
Olesya spent the next hour cleaning up the mess. Activated Zhorika, turned on the cleaning of the vestibule and window glass, and then, contrary to technological progress, picked up a cloth and began to sweep away dust from the furniture. Despite the fact that automation was advancing by leaps and bounds, a piece of dense fabric not only did not lose its relevance, but also gave a head start to many mechanisms designed to replace it.
Anton didn’t read for long. At some point, he got up and went to the kitchen – and within ten minutes the smells of frying carrots and onions began to be heard from there, and a little later they were joined by the aromas of potatoes and meat browning in hot oil. The living module was small, one-room, and three times a day, during cooking, it seemed to completely become a kitchen. The smells simply did not have time to dissipate.
Dinner passed in silence. Olesya was still angry, and Anton was in no hurry to restore the newly shaken family balance. They were both waiting for the first step. And, perhaps, each of them understood how it would end, but resentment and irritation are strong feelings, they do not go away so easily even under the influence of reasonable arguments.
Having finished with the meat and potatoes, Olesya locked herself in the bathroom for a long time. She washed herself carefully, as if she wanted to get rid of everything that had happened during the week: from everyday work away from home, from a stupid quarrel, and from fatigue. The bad mood went away along with the soap foam, and elastic water jets, massaging clean skin, added vigor to the body and spirit. Olesya’s mood improved so much that familiar words from the song began to roll off her tongue – easily, as if by magic; but the name eluded her – something from the fashionable repertoire, modern, well-known… Putting herself in order in such a simple way, she could not see how Anton, when her soft singing made its way through the sound of the water, glanced towards the bathroom and smiled faintly.
After the shower, Olesya went to the room, which served as a hall, living room or, as now, a bedroom – the purpose changed depending on the time of day and circumstances. A family of two was not entitled to an extended living module. It was believed that the standard was enough for a normal life – and so it was, but there is a small difference between “normal” and “comfortable”, and it is especially acute when you want to turn around, but there is nowhere. Having made the bed and changed clothes, Olesya turned off the light and climbed under the blanket. He will come, he will not come? More precisely, when it arrives? Her husband could sit in the kitchen half the night with a cup of tea and his favorite e-book. And even now… Olesya turned on her side, put her palm under her cheek and thought about a matter that she had repeatedly put off: she didn’t know what was best to do. A successful business trip put an end to the doubts. Olesya was distracted, shook herself up, saw the old problem with fresh eyes this evening and realized that the mental torment had disappeared somewhere.
The clink of a teaspoon came from the kitchen. A few moments of silence – and new sounds appeared: the rustle of a chair being pushed back, careful steps, the click of the door leading to the bathroom. Steps again – closer this time. Very close. Almost there! Olesya heard Anton lie down on the bed and felt a careful touch. She shrugged her shoulder, shrugging off his hand. Frozen in anticipation. A second attempt did not follow immediately; the thought even flashed through her mind: “Has she gone too far??"But no, it’s okay. Light strokes, her husband bending over her, a kiss on the cheek. Olesya couldn’t hold back her smile. She turned around, reached out to meet him – and their lips touched..
Anton ate breakfast with gusto. When there https://betcasinoonline.uk/ was nothing left of the portion, Olesya, who until that moment had been doing some routine, not particularly noticeable things, came up to her husband from behind and hugged him. She bit his earlobe and pulled it slightly towards herself.
– Mmm. – Anton tried to express the pleasure of hugs and at the same time remind how difficult it is to express himself with a full mouth.
Letting go of her ear, Olesya pressed herself closer to her husband and asked quietly:
– It’s good for us, isn’t it, cat??
– Mmm.
– And it would be nice if it always stayed that way. How I want this,” said Olesya.
The food finally went into the stomach, and Anton was able to answer with words rather than a moo:
– So it will be so.
“My dear… Beloved…” Olesya was already sitting on her husband’s lap, stroking his hair on his temples and the back of his head, kissing him on the lips, and he, instantly adopting a playful mood, held her by the waist and caressed her chest. – You can’t live in the past. Diagnostic centers do not turn people into monsters, they help, make us better..
Anton shuddered. Carefully, as if holding a fragile vase in his hands, he pushed Olesya aside. She was still sitting on his lap, almost close to him, but now it seemed that they were separated by a thin transparent partition. Physically – close, between souls – an abyss.
– Sunny, we discussed this issue and came to the conclusion that we can manage on our own. We don’t need help, especially this kind,” said Anton.
Olesya touched her husband’s cheek with her fingers, moved them to the cheekbone, and from there to the chin. She remembered that very first conversation. I agreed, succumbed to fleeting interest – and only having stepped onto an unknown path, I realized the possible consequences. Tiny weakness? Where there! Incredible stupidity – that’s what it really was. Anton did not share her fears and over and over again brushed aside any objections.
– Honey, no one is immune from mistakes. It’s time to admit that we didn’t succeed and move on. There’s no shame here.
“A month,” said Anton. – One small, miserable month. We haven’t even started trying and you’re already giving up.
– I think about the future and don’t want the month to stretch out for the rest of my life. My sister called me: three days ago she and her husband received a blue form. My classmates live in extended modules or are about to move..
Anton grabbed Olesya’s hand with his and kissed it.
– Believe in yourself. And into me. We can handle it.
“I want to live normally, like everyone else, and not overcome,” said Olesya.
– The current norm is a mistake.
Olesya did not count on instant consent from her husband, but his conviction in his own rightness seemed impenetrable. Sometimes he was stubborn like a small child, did not want to understand that everything in this life has a time and place and that responsibility is not an empty word. Yes, being able to insist on your own is an excellent trait, but not at the expense of common sense! Waiting for suitable conditions took much more than a month, and during this time they were forced to postpone passing the medical examination, and now… In their current state, it’s not like hoping for a blue form – they wouldn’t get a red one. Olesya sighed briefly. Trying to keep her voice calm and even, she said:
– We played around and that’s enough. I’m tired of wasting energy on swearing.
– We need to learn to get along with each other on our own, without other people’s prompts. Yes, we sometimes fight, but we also make peace! This is the relationship between two loving people. We love you? – Anton asked.
“We love you,” answered Olesya, “and that’s why we’ll go to the diagnostician.”.
Anton’s face seemed to be covered with a shadow: his features became sharper, his skin turned grey, there were dark circles under his eyes, even his iris somehow dimmed. The changes happened in an instant, and before Olesya had time to be surprised or afraid, her husband pulled her off his knees.
“No,” he said.
They stepped on a pile of broken oak leaves and shuffled, grinding the remains into dust and fine crumbs.
Anton returned late.
Olesya didn’t know where her husband went all day. By the time he returned, she was lying in bed and trying to sleep, and therefore did not find out anything. Tomorrow she will have to report on the results of the trip, write reports, and before performing these necessary, but dreary tasks, she should have rested and gained strength. Half asleep, she heard the rustle of sliding doors, the rustling of clothes, approaching steps, felt a touch and caress. Yesterday evening was repeated, only Olesya ignored this attempt at reconciliation. Anton did not show excessive persistence, he said: “Okay, let’s put it aside,” he turned around a little – and there was silence in the module.
In the morning Olesya was on duty at the door. When they approached from the other side, she opened it, put a finger to her lips and barely audibly said: “He’s sleeping.”. The short, round-faced man nodded understandingly, rolled up his sleeve, and placed his wrist on the reader. The monitor displayed data – photograph, name, position, personal number. Having made sure that Olesya had studied them and the rules had been followed on his part, the man quietly said: “Lead.”. Walking into the room, he placed a formal brown suitcase on the table. Clasps clicked. The round-faced man pulled out from the depths of the suitcase a thin arc of a blocker with thick droplets at the ends, and put it on Anton’s head. A green stripe lights up on the surface of the device.
“Well, let’s get down to business,” said the round-faced man in a full voice. – Who are you??
“My wife,” answered Olesya and extended her hand, palm up.
The round-faced man pulled out a portable reader from his suitcase, touched Olesya’s wrist with it, and ran his eyes over the lines that appeared on the screen. I did the same with Anton.
“Okay,” he said, returning the reader to its place.
“According to clause 31b of the marriage contract, I, as a legal spouse, have the right to order a matrix check and approve its update without…” Olesya began to speak, but the round-faced man coughed quietly and, taking advantage of the pause, said: “I understand you perfectly, don’t worry.”. You filled out the urgent call form.
This time, a tablet and a cable with different connectors were taken out of the suitcase – one of them was plugged directly into the tablet, the second, shaped like a suction cup, was attached to Anton’s head, behind his left ear.
– Let’s see what we have here..
“The chip is overdue for a month,” said Olesya.
“It’s okay, it happens,” the chubby man answered and, without opening his gaze from the tablet screen, continued: “Thirty-eight days, to be exact.”. Matrix errors of the first, second… – He paused for a moment, waiting for the result of the check. – No, it didn’t reach the third order.
The round face disconnected the cable from Anton’s head, turned to Olesya, and asked:
– Your chip?
– Also expired.
An expression appeared on the wide face of the man standing in front of Olesya that could be called both understanding and encouraging.
– We decided to try retro feelings?
– How are you?. – Olesya was confused.
She didn’t want to advertise the real reason why there were outdated chips in her and her husband’s heads, but the diagnostician’s question took her by surprise. Retro sensibilities were frowned upon. Officially, they were not prohibited, but everything that a person emerging from diapers faces: education, work, obtaining rights to operate equipment, the possibility of renting and buying real estate, concluding a marriage contract, the birth of a child – all this required regular medical examination, including a test for emotional stability. As Olesin’s experience showed, it was impossible to keep feelings within the framework he defined without a working chip, which means that one could forget about expansion and other benefits of society.
“Not the first time,” answered the chubby man, attaching a free cable connector to Olesya’s head. – And it always ends the same way – replacing the chips. I never tire of repeating: the feelings that our ancestors called natural are dangerous for society. They can’t be controlled. Tell me what’s good about destroying the social unit? Or working level? Old new sensations, love the old fashioned way – when technologies are not developed, there is no adequate replacement, their use can still be understood, but now.
“Yes, you’re right,” Olesya agreed. – The month was terrible.
“You’re lucky,” the round-faced man supported her. – Others had to be registered.
He disconnected the cable and hid it in his suitcase; the tablet went there too. The chubby man was not left empty-handed: he pulled out the installer’s steel-gray “tablet”. He put it to Anton’s head, behind his left ear, waited for the readiness signal and said:
– Your matrix circuit is stable. Do I understand correctly that the initiative came from the spouse??
– Yes. He offered, but I agreed voluntarily,” said Olesya.
– And this also happens. – The round-faced man remained calm and perceived what Olesya considered almost a disaster as an absolutely ordinary phenomenon. At least that’s what she thought.
The initiative to skip the replacement of chips really belonged to Anton. He talked about opportunities, making the right choices and the need to live your own way, without control; he spoke with sparkling eyes, was carried away and did not realize the destructive nature of the ideas that had absorbed him. Olesya understood that her husband was unlikely to be pleased with the intervention that was not agreed upon with him, but at the same time love would be resurrected – and he would understand. Gotta understand.
Meanwhile, the chubby man disconnected the installer, leaned over the blocker, pressed something, and new lights came on on it.
– A temporary block will help to avoid excesses associated with disruption of the matrix. Tomorrow you will go for emotional regulation. I can’t say whether memory correction will be necessary: such decisions are made after examination. – The round face looked at Olesya, smiled and added: – We will help you. The state needs stable social units.
In response to this, Olesya just nodded. Then, at the request of the diagnostician, she grabbed her hair so as not to interfere, turned around – and felt the installer’s touch. Coldness and numbness of the skin behind the ear are the only symptoms of the procedure, otherwise it was as quick and painless as with stationary equipment in any of the centers.
Having completed the work, the chubby man did not linger: he put the tools in a suitcase, clicked the clasps – and left for other matters. In parting, he advised me to rest. Olesya did not object to this proposal at all, since the side effect – slight dizziness – was just beginning to appear.
Anton was sleeping. His chest rose and fell, his breathing was measured, even – neither nightmares nor the early visitor disturbed him. Olesya lay down next to him, snuggled up, rubbed her cheek against his shoulder and whispered:
– You wake up and everything is fine with us. My love…