Unremembered (Unremembered #1)(61)

I smile tenderly at him. ‘And what fantasy would that be?’

He straightens up in his chair. ‘That you’re a megahot alien from a far-off planet full of supermodels who’s come to earth on a scouting mission because men have gone completely extinct on your planet and you’re looking for another species to breed with in order to keep your superhot alien race from going extinct.’

I giggle. ‘That’s very imaginative.’

He shrugs. ‘I read a lot of sci-f.’

He clears his throat loudly and focuses back on the computer. ‘So anyway, this Maxxer guy seems to be full of it.’ He squints at the screen, reading aloud from the text that I’ve already committed to memory. ‘“The rise of Diotech will be the fall of humankind. This massive corporation will fascinate some and infuriate many.”’ He snorts. ‘The guy makes it sound like the company doesn’t even exist yet.’

‘What do you think that means?’ I ask.

Cody shakes his head. ‘I have no idea.’ He clicks the track pad below the keyboard a few times with his index finger and then slides the laptop towards me. ‘But here. Why don’t you ask him yourself?’

I stare speechlessly at the screen as a small white box pops up on the website. ‘What are you talking about?’ I say. ‘Ask him how?’

Cody takes a long sip of his drink, finishing off the last drop and then tossing the empty cup into a nearby trash can. He points nonchalantly at the screen. ‘He’s online. You can chat with him.’

‘Chat?’ I repeat, confounded. ‘What does that mean?’

But Cody doesn’t have to answer. Because just then a single line of blue text magically appears in the box. As though typed by a pair of invisible hands.

Maxxer: Hello, Sera. I’ve been expecting you.





35


CHAT


My heart is pounding. My hands are shaking violently. I look at Cody with wide, panic-stricken eyes. ‘What do I do?’

Cody’s mouth is hanging open. He looks just as shocked as I feel. ‘I guess you write back?’ he says, his voice squeaking. ‘You can sign in as a visitor.’

I nod uncertainly and pull the laptop closer to me, placing my fingers on the keys. I take a deep breath and start tapping out letters. Cody points to the Enter key and I hit it, watching my words appear in red below Maxxer’s blue text.

Visitor: Who are you?

Cody and I both sit completely still and speechless as we watch the screen. A few moments later, the laptop beeps and a reply appears.

Maxxer: An old friend.

An old friend? I wasn’t aware I had any old friends. Zen made it sound like all of my friends on the compound were just figments of my imagination. Fake memories implanted in my brain. The computer beeps again, startling me, as another line of text emerges.

Maxxer: I’ve been sent to help you.

I immediately lunge for the keyboard.

Visitor: Help me with what?

More seconds tick past, and then:

Maxxer: Help you find what you’re looking for.

The excitement builds inside me. For the first time since I saw them dragging away Zen’s lifeless body, I feel a twinge of optimism. I try to steady my trembling hands so that I can type out a response. But it takes several tries and backspaces before I’m successful.

Visitor: I’m looking for Diotech. Do you know where they’re located?

I hold my breath while I wait for a response. It’s taking longer than I anticipated for such a seemingly simple question. I look to Cody for help but he only shrugs. Finally there’s a soft beep and a reply appears. Although it’s not exactly the answer I was hoping for.

Maxxer: Further than you would think. But growing closer every day.

I frown at the screen. Cody verbalizes my confusion. ‘What is that supposed to mean?’

I shake my head. ‘I have no idea.’

I rest my fingers on the keys, preparing to request more detail, when the computer beeps again.

Maxxer: We should not be having this conversation here. It’s not safe. We must meet.

A heavy, terrifying pause.

Maxxer: In person.

Before I can contemplate his response, the computer is ripped out from under me. ‘Don’t even think about it!’ Cody shrieks, hugging the laptop possessively to his chest. ‘Look, you had your fun little chat session but this is where I draw the line. Everyone knows you’re not supposed to meet up with people you find online! That’s like Internet rule number one. Especially guys who post things on conspiracy theory websites. I mean, that’s like the official breeding ground for nutcases. I mean, just look at the guy’s picture. He’s clearly a loony.’

I glance at the photo on the screen, once again taking in his long silvery hair and the creepy glass eye that sends a shudder through me.

‘For all we know, he could be a serial killer,’ Cody goes on. ‘He probably puts up these vague, mysterious posts to attract curious young minds. Then he lures them in with fancy talk and the promise of answers but instead of answers . . . he slaughters them.’

‘He knows my name,’ I point out. ‘My real name.’

Cody scoffs at this. ‘Big deal. These Internet predators have their ways.’

‘I don’t know how to explain it, Cody,’ I say. ‘I just have a feeling he can help.’