Daughter of Zeus ✔

2.2

Instead of attending her shift at the grocery store, Ada planned on robbing it. Well, robbing the adjacent ATM, anyway.

It seemed fitting to steal from the place that had paid her and her mother so very little.

Altogether, all Ada had to fund her plan was one hundred dollars.

Later, she would have much, much more.

With the small stipend, she purchased a short blonde wig and mustache at a nearby toy story. When she saw her reflection in a store window, she laughed. The disguise seemed silly, but would be enough.

Just in case it wasn't enough, Ada had a plan. Outside of the grocery store, she would take out the security camera. As soon as the thought entered her brain, the camera perched on the roof crackled in assertion, the red display light powering down. Easy peasy. She couldn't do a thing about the o-planes that were most assuredly hovering miles above the city skyline, but crime went on regardless of the constant vigilance.

"Please identify yourself, Citizen."

She stared at the ATM screen, following the paths of the wires in the machine, assuring it with her abilities that she already passed the eye-scroll. Red pathways transitioned to green, indicating the bypass was successful. The machine ate up her lies like spoonfuls of data-coded sugar.

"How can I help you today?"

Withdraw, she told the machine.

"How much would you like to withdraw?" the female voice asked quite pleasantly.

Five thousand dollars.

"Five thousand dollars. Is this correct?"

Yes.

A whirring sound, and the money appeared at the bottom of the ATM. Ada stuffed the bills into her bag without a zip in her conscience. Just as her mother had always taken care of her, Ada would take care of her.

"Thank you for your business, Citizen."

~*~

While her daughter was out, Gemina attended Bible study at Prominent Church 141. Amnesty converted her from an Agnostic to a devout believer in Him and His Word. Though never advertised, this was the outcome the State aimed for while working with Amnesty volunteers.

Before her heart surgery, Gemina spent her Wednesdays at home, reading books from her interface or having quiet dinners with Kressick. Post-surgery, learning about Him left Gemina feeling more fulfilled than she had in years. At least, this is what she told her friends, friends she met in group.

The group in Bible study accepted Gemina; they were kind. Group leader, Fallon Marteen, was her favorite. He was handsome, well-spoken, and had an answer to the hard questions in life. After receiving her synth, she had done a lot of questioning. Had she lived a good life? Had she raised a good family? Would her daughter follow the right path?

Fallon knew best how to comfort Gemina's fears. Naturally, she assumed he would help with her latest problem. Instead, she was surprised at his reaction.

"I cannot grant your request, Gemina. There is only so much Amnesty the State can offer, in your case especially." His eyes narrowed, followed by a frown indicating she should never have approached him with her problems.

She knew of a few other citizens defaulting on their synth payments--—not many, as they mostly disappeared. Each time, the church had helped them get by, or that's what she'd heard.

"What's so different about my case?"

Fallon stared as though she were a simpleton. "You asked the State for a new heart. Surely you did not expect to earn such a great gift."