Securitech
Z-34 reporting an anomalous occurrence, sir.
Yes, sir,
you requested me to inform you immediately if something of
this nature came up.
Two of the
retrospectors appear to be malfunctioning. Sudden,
simultaneous failures.
More
details, sir? Certainly. There’s one that will retain
nothing, and another that will retain everything, if we
don’t intervene. I suspect foul play, because they are
both registered at the same address. New Year tonight, we
need to take action.
No, sir, I
came straight to you.
Sir, is
that an Insta-Wipe? What are you–
Max had a
love-hate relationship with his retrospector. Wasn’t that
always the way? You don’t get to choose your blood
relations, but you do get to forget them if you don’t add
them to your quota.
Sick of Great
Aunt Martha? Then leave her off your list. She probably lost
you from hers years ago anyway. Start over with the bare
facts. The DNA.
Tonight, like
each New Year’s Eve, he brought out the box and stared at it
while he swirled a strong drink in his glass. He wouldn’t
scull it down until all the decisions were made. He needed
his wits about him, and wanted the drink for afterwards, to
help sleep come. Although the fresh start meant the losses
would be quickly put behind him.
How did he
know this? Because he had put it in the box, last New Year’s
Eve. He tended to load it up with too much stuff and risk a
visit from the securitechs. Yep, he was a maximiser – he
guessed it was his destiny, with a name like that. He didn’t
believe the State should control people’s minds, and his
least of all. But then, he was rather biased.
It brought
peace to the world, they said, when everyone could only
choose certain memories to take with them into the next
year. Sure, the police claimed January was quieter – but
soon enough things would get back to normal. Was it good for
the soul? Perhaps. Less regrets. Max had kept some of his
too long – but they were part of who he was.
He glanced
over at the sleeping form of his wife. Sadie was a
minimiser. Every year he had to talk her into remembering
that she was married to him. She just enjoyed discovering
everything brand new, from her job to their house to their
love. It thrilled her.
They’d already
celebrated midnight; she had entered her few treasures into
the retrospector on her bedside table, activated the wipe,
and promptly fallen asleep. The process did tend to trigger
exhaustion. Max sighed. It must be his turn. He couldn’t
wait too long, else the authorities would flag his file, or
worse. Being married to a securitech didn’t earn any
leniency.
With a
thought, he activated his cognitor chip’s interface with the
black box. Mentally, he ran down the list of memories. Old
items from years ago, kept all this time. Events from this
year. Yes, he’d keep his niece’s birth. No, he’d dump that
big fight he had with Sadie over the grocery shopping last
week. Oh yes, he wanted the lovely week in the Coromandel,
the blueness of the sky, the verdant bush coming down to the
water’s edge by the bach, the lapping of the waves on the
rocks as he’d sat fishing – even if he had to throw his
catch back immediately to stay within the law. He’d lose
that horrendous work trip to Upper Hutt. Yes, no, yes, yes.
There were more yeses than nos. Max had a good life. He
didn’t need to forget it – mostly.
The box
travelled with him through his past. They reached memories
from today, tonight, and included a reminder that he didn’t
drink his shot last year – you know, after. He didn’t know
why he bothered to pour one this year. Force of habit?
He was
finished. Just had to activate it now. He hated that part.
But it was already late. No time to lose, or he’d be caught
in the filters. He thought his activation code and bade
goodbye to the old year.
He blinked. He
was lying in a comfortable bed. I should sleep now.
**
Sadie
stretched. Squinted at the sunlight falling into the room. A
strange sensation tickled the back of her head, as if there
was something she ought to be remembering. She sat up,
careful not to wake Max. He always stayed up so late on New
Year’s.
That was it!
Today was the first of January. Fresh start day. She grinned
and hopped out of bed, padded to the window, and surveyed
the neighbourhood. She frowned. Something wasn’t right.
It was all familiar.
Her gaze traced each tree and house. She’d stood here many
times before; she knew every contour of the Mount Wellington
subdivision.
But it was
supposed to be new… like seeing it for the first
time. She turned, sat on the bed, and took up her
retrospector, turning it over in her hands. It was opt-in,
not opt-out, and she was certain she hadn’t included a
memory of what the street looked like. Of all the inconsequential
things to remember! She resented its presence in her mind.
Even knowing where she lived was wrong, so wrong.
Oh, well.
Couldn’t be helped. She’d tell Max, and he’d laugh, because
he was always trying to get her to save more of her
memories. She regarded his sleeping visage and instantly
thought of his angry shouts as they’d argued. No!
What was that doing in there? She gripped her head
in her hands and shook herself. Not that it’d do any good.
The chance for a fresh start was gone. Her mind whirled. Was
this an isolated problem? She was due at work today, and if
this was widespread, there’d be a ton to do.
Sadie ran
through recollections of recent events and discovered that
nothing was missing. Drat. Was nothing gone at all?
Max would be thrilled. She remembered their whole last year
together, though not much before that except for the wedding
day he’d always insisted she keep in her box – the old
romantic. When they were at the Coromandel bach – just a
couple of weeks ago – he’d flung his hand out to the grand
scenery and asked her why she’d ever want to forget it. She
had to admit he had a point.
She undressed,
showered, and wrapped up in a fluffy towel to lay out her
uniform. Seeing it brought a sharp stab: one of her
colleagues had suffered a terrible accident in a similar
uniform, just yesterday – reduced to the mind of a child
after neglecting to follow the proper safety protocols.
She’d wanted to forget that, along with the persistent
flirtatious advances of her superior officer. Suddenly, she
was filled with a desire to talk to Max – both of them
together with so many memories. More than ever before.
She leaned
over him and shook his shoulder gently. “Max, honey, wake
up.”
His eyes came
open and fixed on her. In the next second he was upright,
bedding entangled around him. He glanced about the room with
a blank stare, then returned his attention to her.
She searched
her earliest remaining memories, right back to her wedding
night, until she found the same appreciative gaze now
painted on his face. He tugged at her towel. “I don’t know
where I am or who the hell you are, but you’re a very
welcome sight to wake up to!”
**
Securitech
Z-78 reporting for duty, sir.
Yes, sir,
everything’s all right at home, thank you for asking.
Yes, my
husband is well. Very well.
I’m sorry
I’m late, sir. It won’t happen again.
