The White House: 03

Blank, my brain kept fighting the vast lake of nothing that stopped me from saying anything. All I did was look at Louise, thinking about how, in a short period of time, I had become so fond of her.There was something about how utterly confident she was—so certain of who she was and, most importantly, unwavering in the way she saw the world. She didn't talk much, not unnecessarily. Everything that came out of her mouth I heard with the utmost respect. I was so glad we had become friends."I understand if you don't want to do it." She broke the silence.Her tone was kind, trying to take off any pressure that I might have felt. I was aware of my quietness; I wanted to save that moment, not rush my judgment like I did with Officer Sun. This time I wanted to fully understand my motivations to accept her request. Before saying anything, I glared at the brown sweet at the end of my stick."Don't worry, I'll find them.""You're sure?""Yes. Do you have the contract they gave you?" With one bite, I pulled out the whole marshmallow. It was cold by that time, but still good.Louise watched me for a little while before getting up. I could tell she was checking if I was okay, and I didn't move. I was certain of my decision. I wanted to help her, even though I didn't know for sure why.First, I needed to find out what was the company responsible for the renting and what were their goals. That wouldn't prove much but would give me a starting point, somewhere to dig in for the true suspects.With the relentless, unplanned growth of cities worldwide, space became a premium—every square meter now a fiercely contested asset. Plantation and natural feedstock were controlled by major companies, making whoever headed them the most powerful people in the world. Land meant food and production, both essential things to the survival of the human race. Therefore, the city's existence depended on the countryside.Population growth in urban areas went over the roof after the cities decided to separate from their home countries. Entire governments were dismantled, nations bankrupted, millions of people migrated—some to the big cities inside their countries, others went to the opposite side of the planet to restart fresh.Eoncity was born great, already an economic center of the eastern hemisphere years before the separation. The city was one of the first to support the "cyber-independence movement," as it was baptized.Its physical location was in a group of three major islands connected to the continent through the biggest of them. Eoncity's urban center spread across the three islands, filling every centimeter with constructions until the very limit of the land.Our city was home to countless businesses, many of which also operated overseas. At the head of those companies were the new rulers of our civilization. The people Louise was talking about certainly worked for them—that much I knew.Back from upstairs with a black folder in hand, the woman pulled a chair close to the fire after turning on the lights from the living room.Outside had gone dark ever since we sat down to eat marshmallows; I hadn't even noticed it was so late."I think it's best for you to stay the night, if you don't have anything urgent to do in the city," she said when she accommodated herself by my side."Am I being invited to a sleepover?" Over the fire, I had a new white cube being roasted."Don't make a fuss or I'll put you to sleep with the horses.""I thought that was the plan from the beginning? The full farm experience!" The mood was so heavy that some jokes were necessary to clear the air.Making my way out of serious conversations using sarcasm was my specialty, and Louise seemed to enjoy it."Shut up. I have bedrooms upstairs. I'll lock you inside one until sunrise." She frowned.Talking to her, even with the major age difference, was as easy—if not easier—than talking to Jake."What is that?" I pointed at the black thing she was holding.From up close, I noticed it was mechanical but still couldn't decipher what it was."A laptop." Carefully, she opened it.It was very thin and didn't seem heavy at all—just like a folder."Are you joking me? Where do you get these things, man? Does it even work?""Of course it does. How do you think I email you?""Woman, laptops died a hundred years ago. I'm amazed you can still use it for anything."As a fan of ancient items, I enjoyed scavenging for obsolete technology just for the sake of aesthetics. Like Louise's TV, some of them still worked perfectly—they were just outdated, and there was no more media support available. If they broke down, there was no recovery, since the pieces no longer existed.In the case of Louise's laptop, it would connect to the internet normally. The only difference from the current technology was, obviously, the physical design—which was no longer necessary—and the limited access to the new parts of the web."I'm old school. Will you read the damn thing or not?" Her tone was so intimidating at times, I genuinely believed she would slap me if I kept teasing her."Gimme that." Without a warning, I pulled the black skinny object out of her hands, making her jump in protest.When I turned my eyes to the screen after smirking at her surprised face, a picture on display caught my attention. I recognized a younger Louise in a flannel shirt, posing in front of her house, holding hands with a woman as young as her. They were both smiling happily. It looked like the hat of the unknown woman was suddenly blown away, and she was trying to hold it in place."Who is this?"From the look Louise had, I wasn't supposed to have seen anything. She wasn't embarrassed, just a bit off guard. That was obviously new information for me, and I guessed she had no plans on sharing it just then."I'm sorry, I overstepped. You don…" Before I could finish closing the laptop, I was detained by a touch on my shoulder."It's ok. That," she pointed at the half-closed screen and waited for me to open it. As I did, it lit up, making the photo visible once again. "...is my wife, Yumi."Taking my eyes off Louise, I began to scan the new character. In opposition to her light skin, the woman had dark flowing hair covering part of her face. On her lips, a big wide smile pushed her eyes into a thin line that hid behind her cheeks. They looked so happy together, standing side by side—Louise just a little taller than Yumi. My first reaction was to smile back at that pretty and probably very important memory."You never said you were married!" I looked up at the woman sitting on the chair next to me.Her eyes were stuck on the screen, accompanied by a soft expression of someone who's reliving a dear moment. Just like I watched that joyful expression come to life, I saw it go away, as the tough farm owner lost her inner light within seconds, catching me by surprise."What is it?" I asked, already regretting having said anything without thinking first."Nothing. It's just that…" She paused, looking longingly at the picture, moments before turning her sad gaze at me. "She passed away a couple of years ago."