"I think that's sort of the point," Hennessey said. She obviously had to be the rational one in this relationship.
"Maybe Worldwide Incorporated has done everything else, but they can't get away with this!"
Kevlockian circled the room four times. Then he reversed himself and did it again.
"The article says the concept is outdated --"
"Outdated?!"
"Will you let me finish? Thank you. 'The concept is outdated and unnecessary, due to the fact that the Predeterminates calculate for each member all possible roads to fulfillment, then choose the most likely avenue'."
"Nobody is calculating my anything on any path or road or boulevard or side street, even! The Predeterminates are just pushy know-it-alls! And as for being a member, I quit!"
Kevlockian stormed out of the room. Of course, since the curfew locks wouldn't let him leave the Population Tower, he stormed right back in. Hennessey did her best to suppress a giggle. And failed.
"W.W. Inc. has control, Kev. You might as well face that. A corporation has control of our lives because we gave it to them. Slowly but surely. Subtly. Sneakily, even. They've taken over. They make the rules. And, in a lot of ways, it's for the better."
"Traitor!"
"Kev, take a pill," Hennessey said. "Would you prefer it to go back to the way it was before? Do you want wars and crime and hatred and lust to rule our days and nights? Dominate our existence?"
"I need extra oxygen," Kevlockian said.
"Well, you'd better calm down," Hennessey said, "because there is none. You used up your surplus allotment during last night's tirade."
Kevlockian wished he could look out of the apartment window. But all it would show him was one of the six billion preprogrammed images available upon request.
"They've got us walled up, penned in, pampered and preprogrammed! I can't even go to the bathroom outside of the scheduled periods!"
"Consistency is what's best for your system," Hennessey said.
"I'm going to grab you and kiss you now," Kevlockian said.
"Worldwide will see," Hennessey said.
"I don't care. Maybe I want the whole world to see! I'm tired of hiding my feelings. I'm bursting with passion, woman! Let's do something about it."
Hennessey thought it over. They were neighbors in the Pop Tower. Neighbors were allowed to fraternize. And romance hadn't been outlawed, yet.
Hennessey took off her clothes. Kevlockian approved. It was hard to believe that Worldwide Incorporated was run by women, all of whom, beneath their business attire, looked like this.
Va-va-va-voom.
Afterward, when the smoke cleared, Hennessey grew a feeling inside of her.
"Kev, I... I think I love you."
"Bingo, woman! I love you, too, Henny."
"It's a nice feeling."
"It's the best!"
"I guess maybe we should stand up to W.W. Inc."
"I'm standing," Kevlockian said. "All you have to do is stand at my side."
"I will," Hennessey said. "I promise."
And so, yet another revolution began.