Grey

“It’s for you.”

Looking down at his hand, she saw a tarnished metal object attached to a string. She couldn’t imagine what its purpose was.

“What is it?” she asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

“It came through Processing last week, I palmed it when no-one was looking!” he whispered excitedly, “they used to put pictures of two people in it so that they were never far apart. I did the next best thing.”

He took her hand in his and gave her the object, before gently prying it open. On one side was a small painstakingly drawn sketch of her face and on the other was an equally detailed image of him.

She looked at him with tears in her eyes. “Thank you.”

He smiled at her, and looked about to say something when a noise from outside the abandoned room made them both freeze like deer caught in headlights.

After listening for a few moments to be sure they weren’t about to be discovered, she turned to him and whispered “Donec, we have to go, we’ve been here too long already, someone will notice…”

He nodded silently, before taking her into his arms. They stood clasping each other for as long as they dared, before sharing a quick kiss and pulling away.

Donec opened the door and took a furtive look outside, before swiftly exiting and closing the door behind him. She waited a few minutes, carefully listening at the door until she was sure that nobody was in the hallway, before slipping out and heading towards her quarters.

She arrived at her hallway in time to see the woman that occupied the room across from hers returning from picking up a nutritional allotment. Their eyes met and the woman gave her a quick nod, before ducking out of sight and closing the door.

She hurried to her own door, unlocked it and stepped inside, hardly taking a breath before hearing rather than seeing her ‘partner’ approach her.

“You are later than usual,” he stated matter-of-factly.

“Yes… someone dropped their rations in corridor C4 and people rushed to grab what they could. I waited to pass through until they’d run off.”

He appeared satisfied with this explanation. “You should make a report to the section supervisor identifying those involved.”

“I’m sure someone already has,” she said, walking over to the bowl across from the door and rinsing her hands. “I don’t want to get involved.”

He looked at her curiously, with what could have been concern, before suddenly putting on a facsimile of a smile and approaching her for an embrace.

A few minutes, later she went out again to pick up her meal, then came back and ate. By the time she was done it was too dark to see, so she tumbled into bed and her ‘partner’ promptly followed.

“Do you wish to be intimate?” he asked, standing beside the bed.

She climbed under the blanket and without looking up answered: “No, not tonight, I’m too tired.”

“Very well. Goodnight.”

With that, he climbed into bed beside her and closed his eyes and a few moments later a faint hum began to emit from somewhere at the back of his head.

She looked over at the thing lying next to her, this state-mandated proxy that was meant to be enough to satisfy her need for companionship and intimacy. She wished it was Donec lying there, desperately and hopelessly, not knowing how it ever could be. She silently sobbed, not wanting to alert it, till she fell into a fitful sleep.

She opened her eyes, got out of bed, walked over to the bowl of water and splashed her face. She was still tired, as ever, but nevertheless reached for the pile of greying clothes under the washbowl. As she went to change she felt her hand run over a solid object in her pocket. Suddenly she remembered the gift Donec had given her the day before. She glanced over at the thing in her bed to make sure he was still inactive, before daring to remove the treasure from her pocket and properly study it for the first time.

It was dulled from years of neglect, but she recognised the metal as gold and knew that it must once have been beautiful. The shape was one she remembered from childhood, a biologically inaccurate symbolic heart meant to represent love. Opening it, she saw her and Donec side by side and had to fight a sudden wave of emotion. She had only ever received three gifts, with this being the first in her adult life. This one meant so much more, as it was a physical representation of a life she could only dream about.

She only just caught the movement out of the corner of her eye, and without time to think of a better hiding place she quickly wedged the trinket under the side of the washbowl, causing a splash of water to hit the floor. She turned to see her ‘partner’ had stood, and was looking at her intently.

“Are you well?” it asked, blankly.

She looked down, busying herself taking off her old clothes and slipping into a new set. “Yes I’m fine, just getting ready.”

She fumbled about, grabbing her key and putting on her shoes, hoping for an unobserved moment when she could retrieve the necklace from its hiding place. None came. He watched her right up until she opened the door to leave. As she turned back to close the door, she saw him staring at the puddle of water on the floor.

She saw Donec as she was walking to work. He was assigned to Processing, so she wouldn’t see him again until after her shift in Maintenance. She rushed through her daily assignments, hoping to buy herself just a little bit more time with him.

She walked partway down the corridor, then stopped and bent down, pretending to tie her shoe. She waited for the man behind her to pass, made sure nobody was looking in her direction, then stood and slipped into the room nearest her before quickly closing the door behind her. She turned around and there was Donec.

“We can’t keep meeting like this, every time I’m late I swear that thing gets a little more suspicious,” she said, as she wrapped her arms around him and he hugged her in kind.

“It’s worth it,” he said, before looking down into her eyes and smiling, “Besides, the damned things can’t even leave our rooms, the worst they can do is stare us to death.”

She let out a quiet laugh. It was an unfamiliar, almost alien sensation, one she’d experienced more often in the few months since she met Donec than she had in her entire life before. She looked up at him and returned his smile.

“I love you so much,” she whispered.

He kissed her gently, then pressed his forehead to hers and whispered back: “I love you too.”

She rushed home, not wanting to appear late two days in a row. As she rounded the corner and was greeted by an empty corridor, she panicked slightly, as typically she should be arriving back at the same time as her neighbours.

She moved to her door and fumbled with the lock for several seconds. Finally, after what felt like an eternity the key turned and she stepped into her room.

The moment she passed the threshold, she was grabbed by a strong pair of hands and bundled further into the room. What little space there was had been taken up by three dour-looking men in grey suits, with her ‘partner’ stood directly behind the one in front of her, the other two holding her.

The man in front, clearly the leader, gave her a cursory inspection before looking her in the eye. “Aena Fallow, you are guilty of fraternising with another employee. Identify your compatriot and you will be treated with leniency.”

She panicked, but didn’t let it show, “What? What are you talking about?” she asked, feigning innocence.

The man lifted his hand and dangling from it was the gift Donec had given her.

“Your partner has been reporting suspicious behaviour on your part for some time and found this contraband earlier today. It is clear you have violated regulation by pursuing a ‘relationship’. Will you cooperate in identifying your fellow conspirator?”

She knew she was beaten. But she wouldn’t let them hurt the man she loved, no matter what they did to her, of that she was sure. So she steeled herself, then spat at the man in front of her. He didn’t even flinch.

“So be it,” he said, making his way towards the door, his lackeys following and pulling her along with them.

“What are you going to do to me?” she blurted out, digging her feet in as hard she could.

He looked back at her from the doorway, and just for a moment she thought she saw something almost akin to pity in his face.

“You will be reeducated.”

He caught sight of Aena ahead, as she turned a corner. He’d already broken into a run and taken a few steps before he caught himself and slowed down, almost calling out to her.

He rounded the corner and soon reached her, stepping quickly in front of her and stopping her in her tracks.

“Where have you been?” he asked, relieved. “I haven’t seen you in weeks!”

She looked at him blankly, “I’m sorry, what?” she asked, her eyes darting over his shoulder in the direction of a nearby security officer, “Go away, you’ll get us into trouble!” she said insistently, gesturing for him to move.

“Okay, okay, but you have to promise that you’ll meet me later and explain!” he conceded, aware that they would draw attention talking in the open.

She looked at him shocked. “Are you mad? Of course I won’t meet you! Get out of my way.” With that, she looked down and tried to push past him, but he grabbed her arm and spun her to face him.

“What happened to you?” he asked, desperate and confused.

Her eyes widened and her expression turned to one of fear. “Help, this man is attacking me!” she shouted and the officers started in their direction.

“Aena, it’s me, Donec! What are you doing!?” he pleaded.

“I don’t know you!” she cried, pushing at him and trying to get free. “Help!”

He let go of her and staggered back, not understanding what was happening.

The security officers grabbed him and he let them, too stunned to offer any resistance as they dragged him away. The last he saw of her, she’d turned and resumed her journey to work, eyes on the ground and walking at speed, not wanting to be late.