When They Were Gone

Why Do They Smile?

His eyes scanned, fingers speeding across the keys as the screen flickered, lines of code scrolling up with incredible speed. Numbers. Letters. Black and white and blue and yellow. Boxes popped up, one after the other, filling him in on his achievements. 

Please enter the code.

You are not p-

You are permitted to enter.

You have 5,081 unread issue reports.

This area is outside your access zone.

Entry successful.

A smile broke upon his face as his fingers quickened their pace. Images, words, nonsensical to most yet perfectly coherent to him. And, in the centre of the screen was a small picture: a woman with dark hair and pale skin, a blank expression ingrained on her face. Next to her read a list of information:

Pea Fortbec

Female

Age 25

Second Commander of WarUnit-4

Primal Access to Locations of Files One through Sev-

He grinned. This was the one. He could use her.

With a measure of speed, he grabbed hold of his mouse and clicked. And typed. And stared. And typed faster. A bead of sweat broke across his forehead, dribbling down his brow to reside in his eye. He blinked it away.

Time ticked a quick beat, playing at the back of his mind like a wandering fly. Annoying, yet impossible to escape. Breathing deeply, he pulled his hands from the keys and looked at the words staring back at him. 

Location found: Building - Hyut-478; Level: 12; Cabinet: Lower-8th

A sigh that had built up inside of him spilt out as he wrung and stretched his hands. Red broiled within the screen, glaring up at him as it arrived with numbers and letters.

You have accessed an account
 in coherency with the State's
 war tactics. Please state your
 intentions, coalition and code
 to continue-

Code violation imminent! Please 
state your number and-

Account violation suspected!
Standby for State implemented
searches-

Violated Database! You are required
to stand still whilst the State is 
notified and-

Suspected criminal! You have been
charged with an offence against the
State-

Against state orders-

... life is forfeit...

...under State rule...

...crime committed...

...sentenced with-

A short intake of breath as his hands resumed their fitful stream of numbers and letters. One by one the red boxes cleared and everything he had accessed disappeared from history. It didn't matter though. He had already stored the information in his mind.