A full month had passed since the Exiles had taken control of New Rome. A full month since Hayley had any contact with the Guardian network A.I. She was beginning to feel as though she’d never reestablish her connection. When it hadn’t returned after that first week, she’d gotten herself tested. All of the tests indicated that her receiver implant was fully functional. Her internal network was fine; it was almost like she was being ‘firewalled’ somehow. Whenever Alicia or any other Exile made an inquiry with Guardian, it refused to answer, stating that the information was unavailable to them.
After a few weeks, Hayley was starting to feel as she did during her first few months as an Exile. Isolated. Alone. Disconnected from the rest of society. She’d been an Exile for a full year by that point, and despite all of her personal growth, all of the change around her, she didn’t feel any better off than she did that first day. Certainly, things were better. She wasn’t being punished regularly for petty infractions. She was no longer barred from going where she pleased and being with other people. But the lonliness was still there, and stronger than ever almost. Now she felt truly exiled. No longer human, not quite an Exile. She was something else.
She was fortunate to have friends like Alicia and Max however. They talked to her. Consoled her. Made her feel like she still mattered. She even managed to get in touch with her family back on Earth. They were saddened by the fact she was both unwilling and unable to leave Vega IV, but did at least promise to visit her at some point. And they did. But it was not the reunion Hayley had expected or had hoped. When she met them at the spaceport, they treated her as if she was a stranger impersonating their daughter. When she tried to hug them, they were hesitant. When she spoke to them, they talked to her like they would an accountant, not family. It felt so very formal and insincere. She supposed she couldn’t really blame them, given the way she appeared. She was almost relieved when they left.
Unfortunately, the brief reunion did nothing to buoy Hayley’s spirits. After they’d left, she sunk further into depression. She found herself on the roof of the New Rome arcology one evening, actually contemplating jumping. Of course, she’d never do it, but the thought had occurred to her, and she had gone to the roof. It frightened her that she’d sunk so low when things for the Exiles were so much better.
About two weeks after her parent’s visit, Hayley got more visitors, unexpected ones. A pair of young looking Exiles, a male and a female, showed up at her apartment late one evening. Though she didn’t immediately recognize either of them, both knew her however, and spoke with her via their palm-sized DPADs. They introduced themselves...Lucas Davies and Laryssa Simone. The names set of a torrid of emotions in Hayley who recognized the names almost instantly. Lucas had been the young boy Hayley first encountered during her journey into the Aegean Republic, and Laryssa was the young girl who worked at her family’s food stand in the shanties. She ran to them both and put her arms around them, embracing them and begging them for forgiveness. She’d always blamed herself for what had happened to them and hoped to one day find them so she could tell them how terribly sorry she was for having them taken away from their families and put into exile. Neither showed any sign of regret however, nor did they bear any ill will to Hayley. The reason for their visit, as they explained, was to in fact thank her for being in part responsible for making them Exiles.
"We hoped to have found you sooner so we could thank you, but Guardian can’t track you. We had to ask around to find your apartment," said Lucas, sitting in the small dimly-lit apartment cubicle in the lower levels of the arcology Hayley called home. "We thought you’d have been in the executive levels."
"I was never really comfortable up there," she admitted with a shake of her head. "Too...sterile. Too quiet. Down here you can hear the rumble of the industrial complex. It helps me sleep."
"Well, we just wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done," said Laryssa. "And we didn’t want you blaming yourself for what happened to us. It was a blessing. I love being an Exile...I couldn’t imagine going back to living like a normal person."
"What about your families?"
"I was living with my parents for a bit after the liberation, but..." Laryssa glanced over at Lucas. "It was strange being around regular people. I still talk with my parents...they opened up a new restaurant in the Camelot arcology last month and are doing well. Lucas and I share an apartment in the shanty...er...the village now."
"That’s great," Hayley reached out and patted her hand. "And how’s your father, Lucas?"
"Well, he’s the same pretty much. He didn’t quite take to being an Exile like the rest of us. He’s in charge of a small labor community of Exiles. They’re working at restoring the old water treatment plant in hopes of getting the Old Liberty village up and running. He says there should be a place for people, Exiles and non-Exiles alike who don’t want to live in or around the arcologies."
"Good for him. He’s doing something productive. I think more of us should strive to be like him."
"Anyway, we’re really glad we had the chance to speak with you again Hayley," said Lucas, nodding his head. "And just know, we’re okay."
Hayley rose up from her chair and exchanged hugs with the two before they left. She breathed a light sigh as the door slid shut behind them, thankful that they were doing well. As she was about to head to bed, her vision suddenly cut out. Surprised by the sudden black out, she nearly tripped on her own feet but managed to grab the backrest of the sofa-chair and keep herself upright.
"Oh, now what!? Is this thing running out of power?" She grumbled.
As abruptly as it’d gone out, her vision returned. At first she was blinded by the intensity of the colors causing her to grimace in pain and instinctively turn her head away and squeeze her eyes shut. When her eyes finally became accustomed to the new vibrancy, she breathed a shallow gasp. Once again she was seeing things in their full natural colors. That could only mean...
"Hello Hayley," her own voice spoke to her.
"HK14!"
"Please forgive me for my absence, Hayley," the proxy A.I. said with very human inflection. "When you were separated from the Guardian network, I was forced to completely withdraw myself from your local network, for fear that without the connection to Guardian, I could no longer sustain myself. Unfortunately, that meant re-integration with you, once you returned, would require some time. Because the Guardian network was partially disabled, I couldn’t begin this process immediately. And even when the network was reestablished, I had difficulty finding you. For all intents and purposes, you were off the grid. But we are one, once again. Forever."
Hayley wandered over to her bed and laid down, feeling herself sink a few inches into the soft cushioning. Pressing her hands against her midsection, she closed her eyes.
"There was something Companion used to do for me..."
"Yes...we know."
Inhaling deeply, Hayley prepared for a night of pleasures she would not soon forget.