Remember Me (ONC2020) ✔

Chapter 16

"1000 views!" Tunia spun in her office chair. The video had been posted for an hour.

Solara's stomach flipped with each passing minute. How many viewers thought her a monster and how many sympathized?

"What's the population of Upper Caldozza?" Runan asked.

"40,000."

He squeezed Solara's sweaty hand. She closed her eyes to build up her courage. "Have any sent messages or commented?"

"The reactions are mixed, but you are gaining supporters. A few dozen people have messaged my contacts to lend their help." Tunia said something about tunnels into her microphone and then waved Runan and Solara over to her gigantic screen.

"There are ten access sites to the royal tunnels from the primary transportation line. The royals use the tunnels to move in supplies and, at times, people, so several are close to the tracks. Typically, only royal vehicles are authorized to open them, but I'm working on gaining access. Which entry point looks the most familiar. I suspect Messita picked you up there for a reason."

"It depends how well you know Ita. She could have taken a pretty car for a joyride."

The statement made her smile at the nights she, Ru, Ita and Ju'rah had spent running around on those bikes. "She probably chose the tunnel after joyriding."

Runan pointed to the green and grey square on the left, second from the bottom. "That one with boulder formations nearby."

When Tunia zoomed in, he nodded. 

"I'll send my people the coordinates, and we'll meet there tomorrow."

"Will they be public?" If a disgruntled Upper showed up, Solara's life could be in danger and Runan's too.

"No, they'll go to alternate sites and will join us from there so our location isn't compromised."

"Are you sure this will work?" Runan asked.

"No, but I'm uploading as many blueprints as I find of the royal residence and its recent modifications. I've found someone who'll work their magic on that door."

"Is there anything we can do?" Solara asked.

When she looked up from her screen, Tunia's eyes doubled in size through her enormous glasses. "Record a message for your supporters. Tell them who you are and why we're doing it. I'll upload it next. There's an empty room beside mine."

Tunia came with them to unlock it, then returned to her office. Once the door closed behind them, Runan wrapped his arms around Solara's waist and pulled her into another kiss that made her melt.

"Ru, we—"

His wind-chapped lips cut her off and tickled her mouth and skin like his beard did. His touch set her body on fire and left her hands bunching up his silky clothing that contrasted her fantasies of them falling together into a hay bale in the barn, straw scratching at their skin.

He pulled away, his nut-brown eyes glistening. "I love you, Sola. We must help my sister, but if something happened to either of us and I didn't take every chance to kiss you, I'd regret it forever."

Solara pressed her forehead against his as her anxiety about the mission slowly faded. She'd never felt so safe and cared for. "I should have let you share your news first all those years ago."

Runan shook his head. "If I couldn't handle your dreams, I didn't deserve you. I was a stubborn fool. Because of it, you never got the bracelet that reminded you of your mom."

"Actually." Solara dug in her purse, her fingers brushing against a velvet pouch. She pulled it out and extracted the piece of jewellery he'd failed to give her.

"Is that...?"

She nodded. "Ita came by a few days later with it. She said Ju'rah bought it for her, but her wrists were too small, and she thought of me. I didn't believe her, but no other explanation made sense. The only person who knew how much I wanted it was you, and you refused to speak to me."

"But you kept it."

"I felt less alone with something that reminded me of you, and it turns out it was your gift the whole time."

"I need it back."

Solara crossed her arms. "You're joking."

Biting down on his lip, Runan held out his hand. "It's a gift that must be given properly."

She set the bracelet on the soft bag and handed it to her. He opened the clasp and motioned for her wrist. He laid the smooth metal across her skin with his delicate hands.

"Sola, you're my guiding star. You keep me on the right path even when it's painful. You make me a better man with each day we spend together. We've spent far too many years apart, enough to know you are without a doubt the love of my life. This bracelet is a promise that whenever you need me, I will be there for you."

Once he'd finished the clasp, Solara fell back into his arms with tears in her eyes. "I love you, Ru. I'll stick with you through the good and the ugly, when we both want to throw each other out a window or when we're celebrating one of the many milestones I can't wait to have with you."

They shared another kiss before they planned their message to the public. After a handful of awkward practice sessions, they were ready to record. They smiled, waved and introduced themselves to the camera. Solara took the lead with their speech since Runan found her more sympathetic.

"Thank you for watching this video. To be honest, we didn't know about a lot about Upper Caldozzans until yesterday. Growing up, we learned that you were smart and successful with no room for Lowers. In the stories we heard, Uppers were very cruel when Lowers didn't stick to their place. But the more Uppers we meet, the more we realize that we were lied to about you, just as they fed you lies about us."

The initial truths the companies had shared about memory-sharing helping this community ended up being real. They were serving customers who struggled to experience life fully because of ailments. Somehow the company had twisted and darkened it.

"Eight years ago, I became a memory specialist because I believed sharing our experiences would enrich your lives. I've helped people in my financially struggling community feed their families from the fraction of profit my clients receive. They come to me scared, ashamed, frustrated, distraught, and I airbrush it away so you can experience what they did with none of the negative effects, only reinforcing your belief that we're uncaring monsters.

"My partner Runan is the strongest anti-tech advocate I know. You may be familiar with his sister, Messita Zaridi." He looked ready to vomit. "On Monday, she died in a boating accident, and Mem-Stem denied him access to her unless he could pay off a debt twice the worth of his farm. Mem-Stem sold her body to the queen for experimentation, as you may have seen leaked yesterday. We still don't have her back. Your leaders and tech companies will benefit from the death of a woman who only wanted a better life.

If you are sick of mistreatment, of lies, and inequality, join the fight. We need your support."

Solara turned off the video and leaned into Runan's chest. He kissed the top of her temple and rested his head against hers. The door flung open, and Tunia stood with trembling hands.

"The queen just revoked your pardon and accused you of murdering an Upper guard and driver."