Authors: Veronica Melan
Being trapped in Tally, at first Robert attempted to find a job according to his skills but suffered a fiasco, consequently lost heart and began to drink heavily - this fact I learnt not from Robert but from Jenny as we were having tea in her kitchen after we’d left his apartment.
“He’s a nice chap and seems to be very talented but he’s a bit of a nutter and has no inner strength.”
“What about the electronics? How did he get all this stuff in Tally? He’s even got a computer on his desk.” I asked her, remembering Bob's room.
“He goes to a radio market every time he gets a single point and buys these things ‘cos he is obsessed with the idea to create a chip which will allow him to add points to the bracelets. He is so into it that he often forgets to eat or drink and he doesn’t seem to be able to get himself a permanent job.”
I did not know whether Jenny and Bob were having a close relationship and I didn’t dare to ask. But even if they are - who am I to judge? Bob seemed nice enough but a total misfit, kind of a big kid. His clear blue eyes, wild curls and computer jargon flooding out of his mouth continuously possibly induced the maternal instinct in Jenny.
“Do you think this is possible?” I asked her that time, “to create such a chip?”
“Who knows? It’s been a long time since he did any research, perhaps one day he will succeed.”
“It’s dangerous. What if he gets caught? No wonder he tried to hide everything when he saw me.”
“It is dangerous.” Jenny nodded, “but what if he does create it? We’d then add a thousand to our bracelets and break free! Can you imagine, in one day! So I’d rather he keeps on trying since you never know...”
“Yeah ....” I uttered profoundly, trying to picture the impossible but passionately desired image. Free in one day, that would be great!
“You won’t grass on him, will you?” Jenny's voice sounded anxious. Did she really believe that this creation of a chip was possible or was she just keen on the blue-eyed weedy computer genius?
“Why would I grass on him? Don’t be ridiculous.”
Fifteen minutes later I knocked on Jenny’s door.
“Are you ready?”
“I am.”
She grabbed a plastic bag with food and we walked to the end of the corridor.
“Hi, cutie pie!” Jenny cooed when Robert opened the door. “We brought you some food!”
“Thanks and come in. I'm just a little busy.” Hardly even glancing at what was inside the bag Bob immediately went back to the table with electronic devices piled on top of it, “can you believe it, I am almost finished!”
“Finished what?” both of us asked him simultaneously.
To my surprise I saw that Bob’s bracelet wasn’t on his wrist as usual but it was resting on the table attached to some kind of a thin plate. One part of the bracelet was carefully removed and placed aside and in the opening I could see a tiny electronic chip.
“How did you do that?” I gasped.
“What?” Bob blinked in confusion but then he understood the question. “A-ah, that? I learned how to open it a long time ago but I couldn’t understand how the signal receiver works.”
“Wow, you're a genius!” Jenny patted Robert’s shaggy hair. “Come on! You have to eat first and then you can tell us what you’ve discovered.”
We sliced up some cheese and ham and I opened the pack of biscuits. A half-empty bottle of vodka appeared in Bob’s hands.
“Perfect time to celebrate, girls!”
“Celebrate what?” we laughed, “tell us first?!”
Robert filled up nearly half a glass and drank it in two gulps; then stuffed his mouth with ham and began to wave his hands in glee.
“I’ve cracked how it works!” he said, chewing eagerly.
“Swallow first!” Jenny laughed, “Or you’ll drop your ham on the floor.”
“How what works?” I asked him.
“The signal receiver.” The crumbs were falling from his mouth. “I realised that in order to add a point, the owner’s bracelet sends an encrypted code to the bracelet they want to add the points to. This code tells how many points should be added and who the request comes from.”
“Wow!”
“Cool!”
“Exactly!” Bob ran his fingers nervously through his dishevelled hair and took off his glasses, which made his face with blue eyes look childish and vulnerable. “If I can get a few codes and decode them, I can accrue points on my bracelet. As many as I want!”
“So what's the hold up?” Jenny wailed. “Do that!”
“Yes, Jenny, but I still don’t have the codes. And here is what I thought - if one of you can get the transmitter into the club, it will scan the owners’ bracelets while they tip yours, which will then allow me to get access to the codes and decode them later. Isn’t that genius?! And I’ve already assembled a transmitter!”
But instead of the standing ovation, silence hung in the room.
“Bob...” I said cautiously. “This is too risky. What if we get caught with this transmitter? That will be the end for us.”
“No, no!” Robert shook his head. “The sensor itself is not at all dangerous. It doesn’t perform any operations on bracelets, it just reads the codes and it is impossible to spot.”
I wasn’t in a rush to break up the silence. Risk was not part of my plan even though the idea of cheating with all the bracelets in Tally was very appealing. Jenny, as I noticed, also wasn’t in too much of a hurry to be the first beta-tester.
“Why won’t you just go out and punch a policeman? He will fine you for couple of dozen points, of course and you’ll get the code?” Jenny suggested a simple but good plan, in my opinion.
“No, that won’t work. There are two problems: the first one - the codes that are used for adding points differ to those which are used for taking them off. And the second thing is that I need as many different codes as possible, not just one or two, because when I start adding the points, the system which is responsible for the statistics of all operations is bound to notice the trick right away if too many points are added from the same owner.”
“So how are you going to work around that?”
“One of you must take the transmitter with you to the club and carry it around for a few days, while I’ll be collecting the codes and decoding them.”
“I don’t want to risk. “ I refused immediately, shaking my head.” It’s up to you, Jenny. Carry it with you if you want.”
“I do want, but I am almost never downstairs if you remember. It’ll take a year for me to collect as many as Robert needs whereas you get tipped every day.”
Robert turned his head to me full of hope.
“No, no. I can’t get involved in this sort of crap. What if they find out about I have the transmitter? They will skin my alive!” I refused again, feeling a growing anxiety.
“I promise they won’t find the sensor.” Robert said seriously. “It’s microscopic. Its emission output is so low that none of the existing detectors can track it, I’ve tested it many times.”
“I’d rather you do it.” I looked at Jenny. “I’m scared.”
“I would carry it but I’m always with Roger upstairs and he only lets me go to the gaming room when he wants a drink from the bar, and he only adds points to my bracelet once a week - on Saturdays, so my best catch would be one code at the end of the week.”
I got a nasty feeling just thinking about bringing some electronic chip into the club. Even if they don’t find it, just the thought about having the transmitter on me made me feel out of my depth.
“I’ll think about it guys.” I said, finally, “but no promises.”
“Shereen,” Bob was still trying to convince me as we were standing at the door about to leave, “you must understand one important thing - if you feel you are in danger, just throw the transmitter in a bin, it doesn’t record any data, so even if they do find it, there’ll be nothing on it because the transmitter just passes the signal to me but doesn’t keep any information, so you’ll be in the clear.”
“That would be good.”
Surprised and somewhat bothered by Bob's discovery we left his room. I felt that Jenny was relying on me to take on the risk but she didn’t dare to insist openly. Well, that was quite wise of her because I couldn’t come to any particular conclusion so far and if she began to pressurise me I would not become involved in this plan.
“See you tomorrow, Shereen.” was her only words, before she slipped into her room.
“See you.”
I got back to my apartment and turned on the light. As I put the kettle on, I started thinking about Bob’s proposition, looking at the dark mountains’ silhouettes in the distance. What if he really does succeed with his plan? Would it be possible to leave Tally without being punished? After all, as Robert says, if we take a small amount of points from each owner there is a chance that everything will look plausible enough. I sighed, wishing I could share my concerns with somebody.
It felt like I had an angel sitting on one shoulder, telling me to live honestly and with clear conscience, and on another one I had a devil showing me the opened gate of “Area 33”. Still tormented by trying to find the right solution I drank my tea, rinsed the cup and climbed under a thin blanket. As the light went off, the room, like an ancient vase filled with the viscous infinite silence; the moon was shining through the thin curtain and I shivered and hugged myself - it wasn’t cold outside, it was cold inside of me. I thought with deep sadness how I was really missing a reliable shoulder of a man; someone I can cuddle, someone I can share my joy or my sorrow with, someone I can ask for advice or just get warm with when it’s cold. There are no words needed when someone is beside you.
I wiped off a lonely tear with the corner of my pillow and fell asleep.
The next day at work passed relatively peacefully and without any incidents. Whenever someone was raising their hand to add points to my bracelet, I thought about Robert and his transmitter. All of these codes could have already been transferred to Roberts and decoded. And who knows what Robert could have done by the evening? How long would it take him? Maybe, it is possible for three persons to slip out of Tally without being noticed? All day I was being chased by these thoughts and as soon as I left the club and stepped off the bus, I made my decision - I have to see Bob and get the transmitter.
I am not gonna be able to wait any longer and watch the owners putting points on my bracelet, knowing that I’m missing my chance by being so indecisive.
Robert responded to my knock immediately. As always, his childish blue eyes looked baffled.
“Give me your transmitter.”
He dragged me inside and shut the door. After a few seconds he placed a thin plate on my palm, no more than a centimetre in length and as much in width.
“Is that it?” I asked, looking at the strange device.
“Yes.”
For a while I was analysing the chip.
“Where does the battery go?”
“It’s inside. It’s tiny but it should last for a while.”
“OK.”
The next several minutes we spent on discussing the best possible place to attach the transmitter to. Eventually, we both were satisfied by an idea of gluing it directly under the bracelet, which will hopefully help to avoid any chances of the sensor being noticed. The only possible way to detach it is by scraping it off with a fingernail and there was no chance it could slip off on its own. Once everything was set up, I went back to my room.
The sun was slowly rolling down behind the mountains and their contours were becoming darker and darker with every second. I sat on my balcony and sipped tea - the passive uncertainty that haunted me all day was gone and it was now replaced with alertness and composure. I made my choice. Now it was time to act according to our plan and remain unnoticed until the moment when those groomed owners will share their first points with us. Particularly I had a strong wish to get the code from this bastard Hulk - I would happily gloat behind his back, taking what belonged to me, and I don’t mean just five miserable points he robbed me of but many, many more.
I smiled at my unkind thoughts, finished the cup of tea and went to bed. The restless malicious thoughts made me toss and turn on the crumpled sheets for some time but thirty minutes later, tiredness took its toll and I fell into a restless sleep.