I tapped the camera on my laptop, checking the red light that flashed beside the lens. It was ready to record, I only needed to hit enter; but I wasn't ready to talk.

Nervousness set in.

I sat in a conference room within Provincial Hall. Chairs were circled around me, people within them. The Province Officials sat beside me, each comfortable in their own chair, despite the audience. I mean, the camera on my laptop would only display my face to every hologram monitor within the city, not them; but that meant every citizen would see me.

Me.

Erica had already made a speech; perfect, as always. She'd explained how Project Restore worked, how it applied to our lives; how we ensured domestic equality to every citizen, human or digital.

Xerses had taken a turn to speak, too. His was more about how the data trapped within our receptors and the side effects. Only he would draw a gasp and shake his hands excitedly, telling everyone in the Nation, 'relax, people.'

If only relaxing were that easy, because it wasn't. I couldn't. I was next; I took in a breath.

My phone buzzed in my hands. Looking down, I saw the text message that read I'm here. I couldn't help but smile.

Roger sat out in the audience, two rows back. His chair was behind a lady with big, red hair, but I saw him fine. His dark waves were combed away from his face; his suit was perfectly ironed and pressed. He looked like he did the day we first met, smug as ever.

When we locked eyes, his shifted with their eerie blue, but his mouth rose up with a grin. He mouthed the words, just as he texted: I'm here.

Still hovering over the laptop, my finger finally settled over the enter key. And pressed. The monitor came to life.

"My name is Clara Burrows, and I am in charge of the Housing and Rights division of Project Restore."

The officials sat up as I started my speech. Through the open windows, I heard my voice echo, carried through the wind outside.

"What we're doing here and now is beneficial for our future. Through the program that's restored thousands of minds back into bodies that live and breathe like the rest of us, we can promise futures for the terminally ill or disabled. This program not only made up for our faults and ignored promises, but it provides for what we strive for. A life of perfection."

I took in a deep breath as I smiled into my computer camera.

"Codes are the way for the future. Together, we all will build a new world for the Province."

Outside, I heard an applause from the streets. The questions commenced right after. A man and a woman sat on the other end of the table, noting the questions that appeared on the screen. Thousands of messages appeared for our conference, each touching the subject that I, Erica, or Xerses spoke of. Others reached out to our officials, the leaders of the Province.

The rest were spam, emoticons, and thanks.

When the sun dipped beyond the horizon and night fell upon Provincial Hall, I finally found time to break away. I stood in the lobby that was once covered in so much blood it hurt my heart, but now was white and pristine. Three receptionists sat at the front desk; one a Code. They smiled at me as I made my way over to the entrance, flattening the front of my dress. I looked at my reflection and expected to only see me, yet Roger stood behind me.

"I always loved that dress," he said with a smirk.

I blushed and turned, looking him up and down with a smirk of my own. "Is that why you picked it that night I went out with X?"

He shrugged. "I'll humor you and say yeah," he said as he leaned against the pillar that separated the windows. "But I picked it because deep down you would have."

"Oh? How do you know that?"

"Again, with this." He chuckled and inched closer, closing the space between us. "Do I have to explain this every time?"

No—he didn't. I know he knew every detail about my life, my mind, and did from the very second it was installed. I was used to it, and in a way, loved it. But I also loved the annoyed look in his eye, or the way he pushed away his frustration with a snort.

"Yo! Cyber love-birds!"

Both Roger and I turned our heads as Xerses walked into the lobby. He was dressed the same, a black tux, pressed perfectly; only the two top buttons of his suit were left open as he started to relax. He smiled wide as he approached us and gave Roger an intricate handshake. I smiled at the two of them as they laughed.

"Hey, X. They ready for me?" Roger asked as he pressed his hands into his front pockets.

"Yeah," Xerses said with a shrug as he looked behind him. "They've got you, and four others; each ready to record."

I reached for Roger's hand. It wasn't just us being interviewed by the City; the Codes were, too. A way for the City to see them as humans, to ask them any questions they saw fit. I was against it at first, but the Codes weren't. And with Roger being the first Code to ever exist, he was a must have on the panel.

"Ah, right." Roger looked back at the room we walked out of and at the people that walked into it. He sighed, rolling his neck. "You think this would end at a good time, huh."

"Nah," Xerses laughed as he stood beside me and looked outside. "We'll probably be here until midnight."

"Right." Roger turned and looked at me with a small smile. He touched my cheek before pulling my head closer to his; He kissed me once, so softly, before kissing the top of my head. "I'm off, Clara," he said, shifting back but holding my hands. "Gotta answer questions for the top dogs."

"Kill 'em, tiger," I said as I laughed.

He bit his bottom lip before he gave Xerses one more handshake and turned back towards the conference room. He was the last to enter and, of course, had to close the door with a loud self-introduction—name's Roger! Pleasure to meet you all!

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help my smile.

"He hasn't changed," Xerses said, opening the button on his suit jacket. "Guess it's a good thing."

"It is." I looked outside. The streets were still filled with people. There was a screen just over Provincial Hall's entrance and they watched it, eagerly waiting for the Codes to talk.

"And you." He nudged me. "I think you're doing a great job with him."

"Meaning?"

"You freed him, Clara," he said. "All of them."

"It wasn't just me." I pulled the pin out from my hair that held my bun, and let the waves hit my shoulders. "All I wanted to do was help."

"They're lucky to have you. I don't think anyone would make the effort to make them that comfortable after creation. You find them jobs, homes—you give them life."

"I try," I said, looking up into Xerses' dark eyes.

The crowd outside cheered as Roger spoke. His laugh filled the night space as he talked about becoming human, that it was new to him, but nice and perfect. I blushed at his words.

"Who would've thought that getting personal assistants would open the doors to cyborgs within our society."

"Uh, no one," I laughed, rubbing my cheek before I crossed my arms. "But I think it needed to happen."

Xerses nodded, kicking his shoe against the window ledge. He looked down at his feet and then at me, where he pretended to hold a glass in his hands. I looked at his hand, observing his fingers; it took me a second to realize he wanted me to do the same. "We're—"

"Toasting," he said. "To new beginnings."

"There's no glass in your hand, X."

He grumbled under his breath as he grabbed my hand. He forced my fingers to 'hold' a glass and pretended to 'hit' his against it. "To new beginnings, Clara. We're walking into a new age."

The crowd cheered as Roger said something along the lines of: 'We're the face of the future, and sure, parts of us are unnatural but we want to embrace it with all of you. As one. A new breed of society.'

"To new beginnings," I said back to Xerses, toasting my invisible glass.