S E V E N

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The front lobby of Provincial Hall was filled with excited chatter. More than normal. The hustle and bustle caused the holograms to miss my morning scan and interrogation; they hadn't been powered on at the start of the day like they'd been forgotten.

I know that feeling.

Clara hurried over to the front desk to retrieve the tablets loaded with our tasks of the day. Yet, when she took both of them and looked back at me, there was confusion on her face. In her eyes. She glanced at the front desk attendant, but when she was ignored, she hurried through the crowd of Provincial workers and motioned for me to follow.

I tried not to spill our coffee.

"What's going on?" I waited as Clara called the elevator to come down to the bottom level. People moved past us, speed walking to the front of the building. I attempted to listen to their conversation.

"Can you believe it? And he expects this to happen overnight?" one woman said to another.

"If he wants this to happen, he better go and hire Codes to do it. This is well above my paygrade," the other responded.

I bit my lip as the elevator dinged, its doors opening for us to enter. I side-stepped in as Clara hugged the wall. She continued to glance at the tablets, scrolling through both of them with her thumbs.

The door shut as we were moved upstairs. "Doll," I hissed, glancing in her direction. "What's going on? Is there anything new?"

"Um..." Clara pressed her lips into a thin line. Rather than show me the screens in her hands, she let them drop to her side, dangling them on the tips of her fingers.

I waited for a moment, listening to the silent motion of the elevator taking us from floor one to floor three. When she remained silent, just staring, I shook my head and dug into the database installed inside me, the one I ignored daily.

It took just a few internal commands to pull up the morning news, Provincial articles. Letters and pictures passed over my eyes as the elevator door opened, bringing another group of excited noises, laughs, cheers. A completely different change of environment from the lobby we'd stepped into down below.

Once I found the correct reporting, I knew why. And that's when Clara finally let out a sound. Happy, like the others on the Restoration floor. "Prime signed the plan this morning," she said.

I didn't look at her. I was too busy reading the report in my field of vision. Dated for the morning—the one day Clara and I decided to ignore the news—was an article about West Province's head official, Nicholas Prime. I'd read it three times, faster than normal human eyes could comprehend.

"I'm hereby agreeing to proper living and facilities for every Code within my Province. Cities with sectioned-off areas will rebuild old structures to house our synthetic citizens. According to the plans drawn up by our Restoration Specialists Xerses Marshall and Roger Wallace, we feel this can be completed in three months."

I couldn't help the smile on my face.

Clara reached in to pull me out of the elevator as the doors closed. There was a glow in her eyes, on her face, when I looked down at her. She'd already dropped our tablets, prioritizing me first. I placed our coffees on a small table to my left to grab her and hold her tight. "They accepted the proposal," I said, squeezing my eyes shut. "They finally listened."

"Damn right they did!" Xerses had appeared from his office, cheering in our direction. "Finally getting the rights and respect y'all deserve!"

Respect. How long had I fought for respect? It'd been a constant struggle in my life—in both lives. To find acceptance when I was alive and human, and now, to find recognition as a Code who tries. All I'd ever wanted was to be seen. Be heard. And acknowledged.

When Clara finally let me go, she scrabbled for the tablets she'd dropped and hurried towards Xerses' office. He stepped aside to let her in and looked at me, a large grin on his face. "Come on, Rog!" he called to me, motioning me to go in after Clara. "We've got work to do!"

Scooping up the coffee tray I'd placed aside, I couldn't help but agree. I made my way through the crowd, cheering with the Codes who were excited to see me. And when I reached Xerses, I smiled at him the most. Looking into his eyes, I said, "Thank you for believing in me. This plan, this idea, it's—"

Xerses shook his head as he laughed. He placed his hand on my shoulder. "Listen, don't. I had to," he said. "Once upon a time, you were the only one who believed in me."

The look he gave me made me remember the nights he spent locked away, a device in his head forcing him to commit crimes he wouldn't have done on his own. I had been the only one to keep him company, to listen to him when he was "sane." Now he returned the gesture. A friend to a friend.

"Okay, before you guys get all mushy, we have work to do," Clara said, dropping into Xerses' office chair. "We need to celebrate later!"

"Oh, shit yeah." Xerses took a cup of coffee from the holder in my hands. "Pizza?"

Grinning, I couldn't help but nod and agree. "D'argios?"

"That's the best pizza," Clara said, clicking her teeth as she pointed at me. "Make the reservations, babe. I'll get started on the reports."

|||

We spent our morning and afternoon completing the details for Prime's agreement. He'd sent Xerses the details outlined for the old sectors and I spent hours, sipping my morning coffee, drawing up the plans to make sure it was all right. According to Prime, coming the following week, we'd have the option to hire a team, set up groups, and calculate how many Codes would need residence within the city of New Chicago.

Riding that high, I slipped out of the transportation vehicle, right after Clara had happily jumped out, first. Reservations had been made for D'argios and we'd made it just in time for our table's time. Xerses and Erica had arrived first. The two of them waited outside the restaurant's front door, holding each other close to keep warm under the slight snowfall.

Looking at them, I smiled as I shut the passenger door behind me and let the car head out on its way. "You two could've gone inside," I said to them as I reached to grab Clara's hand in mine. Her cold fingers gripped me tightly as we walked together. "It's cold out here."

"Shit, we know," Xerses laughed, letting one of his hands slip away from Erica as he glanced at the window beside him. Inside D'argio's was laughter, warmth, and by the looks of busy waiters, plenty of delicious food. I longed for pizza.

"But you two were the ones with the reservation data." Erica playfully pushed me away from Clara to grab her instead. The two of them huddled up close, pretending to shiver as though they were going to freeze to death. "Now, can we get in and eat, please?"

"Yes." Clara pressed her cheek against Erica's and laughed. "Let's go, Roger. Please."

Xerses and I shot each other awkward glances before laughing, just as the girls had done. With a nod, Xerses pushed open D'argio's door, and I walked in first.

The heat of the restaurant was welcoming after being out in the Winter cold. I took my hands out of my pockets as the others walked in behind me. Clara and Erica still hugged together, hopped up and down as they eyed the tables. Looking at them, I laughed before I approached the server at the front desk. "Evening," I said to him, trying to get his attention.

He hadn't looked up when we first walked in. He'd been focused on the menu before him, reading through it, as though he wasn't familiar with it at all. But at the sound of my voice, he looked up and smiled. I had to give him the same expression because I hadn't expected to see blue Code eyes looking back at me.

He's like me.

"Evening, welcome to—" he started to speak but froze once he really looked at me. His eyes scanned over me. His numeric ID within the iris brightened, whiter than normal. And with his mouth forming a small 'o' of excitement, he laughed and covered his chin with both hands. "Oh my god, you're, you're—"

I'm Roger Wallace. Closing my eyes, I had to laugh, too. I know.

Xerses stood right beside me, nudging me with his elbow.

Smirking, I shot him a side-glance.

"You're Roger Wallace," the server exclaimed. His hands shot up into his brown, wavy hair. His red vest pulled against the quick movements of his arms. "You're the Roger Wallace!"

"I know." As much as I liked to be recognized, it didn't happen so often anymore. And this time, for some reason, I was caught off guard. My laughter dipped into nervousness as I internally cringed.

"It's an honor to meet you." The server's hands rushed out to grab mine. I let him. "I mean, I met you once but I don't think you remember, and—"

What he said hurt, in a way. I brought a lot of Codes back to life within that Restoration room. I talked to each and every one of them. And yet, I couldn't remember them all. Blaming a busy life, I forgave myself each time I didn't know a Code I'd only ever met once, just as he said. But the excitement he had, the joy of seeing me, only meant I had more of an effect on him than I'd ever understand.

I needed to feed it.

"Hey." Glancing at his eyes, I caught the number 4900. A quick pull of my internal data gave me his full name, location, and current occupation—though, as he stood in front of me, the last part was obvious. "You're Pete, right?" I smiled. "Reborn just six months ago."

Pete's mouth opened wide as he stared into my eyes. "You do know me? Woah!"

I don't, buddy, but I can't let you know that.

I gave Pete's hand a good shake before patting his shoulder once. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the curious gazes of Clara and Erica. They inched closer, as though they waited for an introduction. As though... I really did know the kid.

I just can't let him feel as though no one knew him...

An awkward laugh left me as I rubbed my neck.

I'm sure he feels that every day...

"This here is Clara." Looking back at her, I smiled as I introduced her to Pete. "And our friend, the one she can't let go of, is Erica. And here," I turned my head to look beside me, at Xerses, who had been shaking his head slowly the entire time, "is Xerses."

"Xerses." Pete covered his mouth again. "Oh man, I know him, too. Do you remember me?"

I could see the cringe on Xerses' face without him looking at me. It was my turn to nudge him. To play along.

Xerses followed along too quickly. "Sure," he said, not as believable as me. "I know you, kid."

"Oh, this is great. Super cool." Pete made his way back around his front and didn't get the chance to see Xerses slap the back of my head with a how could you? I was happy Pete didn't see it, because when he grabbed the menus and looked back at us, the glow in his eyes, the happiness on his face, that's what I strived for in every Code.

To be wanted. To be accepted.

"Um, okay, sorry." Pete scratched the side of his face as he looked down at the menus in his hand once more, just as he'd done when we first walked in. "It's my first night on the job and I wanted to get this right. Didn't mean to fan-out like that." He laughed. "I just, I mean..."

"Don't worry about it." Pulling my phone out of my back pocket, I opened the reservation text with its confirmation code. "We're just here, table for four like I'd ordered."

"Oh, okay!" Pete glanced at the numbers on my phone's screen before lifting the tablet placed in front of him. He scrolled through the menu selections before smiling. "Oh, here it is! Damian Wallace, table for four people." He scrunched his nose for a second before looking at me. "Is it Damian or Roger?" he asked right after.

"Depends on who's asking," I said with a laugh, re-pocketing my phone.

"Ha, that makes sense. Can't argue with that." Pete smiled as he reached back for the menus in his hands. He handed each of them to us. "These are yours. And my name is Pete," he added for Clara and Erica, "I guess I'm your server tonight."

"You guess?" Clara giggled, grabbing the menu.

"Mhm." Pete nodded. "It says here that..." he glanced back at the tablet in his hands. "Well, that a Code is to be the assigned server for this reservation. And I'm the only Code working here, so..."

Like that, the mood shifted. Each of us had gone quiet. Next to me, Xerses pursed his lips. A soft "oh," left both Clara and Erica at the same time. And I knew the feeling hit Pete because the moment he said it and realized why he was assigned to my request, it was simple yet hard to swallow:

Assign a Code to serve a Code.

Can't mix our kinds, not even in service.

"Well, even better for you." Clicking my teeth, I grabbed my menu and smiled at Pete. "I tip good and leave amazing reviews. Your boss is going to love it."

"Yeah?" Pete's expression lit up.

"Yup," I said.

"Me, too," Xerses added as he took a menu. "Hope your pockets are big enough."

"Us, too!" Clara and Erica said right after.

I saw the life return to Pete's face. And the mood around us lifted, returning the sound of laughter and humility to the air. I couldn't help but grin as Pete rubbed his neck and looked into the restaurant. "Thanks, guys," he said quietly before pointing at a table near the end of the eating area. "Um, your... your table is there, four seats." He laughed right after and shook his head. "You'll need to give me a minute and I'll be right there with water and stuff."

"No rush." I patted his arm with my menu. "We can wait. Take your time."

"But not too much," Xerses said as he moved around me. Though he laughed, I knew he meant it. So much, Erica slapped his arm right after. "Hey!" he complained to her, shaking his head, "I'm hungry, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Letting go of Clara, Erica looped her arm around Xerses' and smiled at the two of us. "You and Clara hurry up, okay? We'll go get the seats."

"Yup!" Clara's arm linked with mine.

Looking down at Clara, I blew her a small kiss before we headed toward our table. I lifted my foot just an inch to move. But when I did, I heard Pete say, "They have deployed Troops. Are we ready to advance today, Sir?"

I stopped and turned my head back quickly. Pete wasn't looking at me. His fingers tapped his tablet as though he was trying to confirm our stay. But I heard him, loud and clear.

They have deployed troops. Are we ready to advance today, Sir?

I tugged Clara back before she could walk. Though she complained, I went back to the front desk. "Pete?" I tapped the space in front of him. When he looked up at me, he smiled. But I didn't. "What did you say?"

Pete's brows shot up high. "I didn't say anything."

My mouth opened, then closed. I was confused. I'd heard him... "Are you sure?" I bit my lip. "I thought I heard you say..."

"I think you're hearing your stomach growl." Laughing, Clara grabbed my arm. She shot Pete a big grin. "Don't worry about him. He's grumpy when he's hungry. We'll be waiting over there, okay?"

"Sure thing!" Pete said and waved at her. But when he looked at me, he was confused.

And as Clara pulled me towards our table, so was I.

*


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