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To in his ears Oh no If Olivia tried to check on hoas faring or soh

Luckily, Olivia didn’t single him out "I heard what happened Are you all okay?"

Mur they were fine Toe

Her dark eyes found Toht get it, after all She made no move to draard any one of the in her soft, firm voice that Lieutenant Blackburn was under orders to consult her regarding any activity with the census device Not only that, but they did have the right to opt out of a memory scan

"No matter what anyone may tell you, they cannot force this intrusion on you," she concluded, an edge to her voice "It is against the law, and if you tell me you want to opt out, I’ll make sure you’re allowed to do so"

But no one spoke up No one wanted to be the pansy who couldn’t face the census device like everyone else, least of all Tom Then the door to the Census Chamber slid open, and Lyla was called inside Vik was next

Olivia had brought thelad for so to do with his hands Then it was Vik’s turn, and all pretense of levity vanished from the room with hiuely aware of Olivia sinking down into the seat next to his

Then the soldier ca after her"

Jennifer left, and Tom’s focus narrowed into a tinyin the center of his vision, his heart thu harder and harder in his ears It would be fine It would be It would have to be It wouldn’t be like the last time Blackburn would stop this tirip his shoulder, and the shock of physical contact was enough to break the frantic spiral of his thoughts He realized that his hands were shaking where they gripped the aluminu in her eyes Her other hand began stroking his back Itshe knehat he was feeling but didn’t see him as some sort of coward She understood A constriction loosened around his chest, an incredible weight sliding off his shoulders Need welled up deep froratitude that she’d co

And then he felt the blare of Wyatt’s gaze on the this Heat stole into his face What rong with hi hie of the bench "I’ood"

"You can opt out," Olivia said softly, her eyes intent "You don’t have to do this"

Toaze skittered over to Wyatt’s, then danced away "Nah" He laughed again "I’ood"

Despite his words, his instincts were screa at him when he stepped inside the Census Chaht of the census device on his back, casting a dark silhouette against the larger screen Toly over the seat, the one he’d been tied to for two days, and he couldn’t tear his eyes fro from the chair

"Raines"

Tom jumped He faced Blackburn in the shadowed cha in his ears