Page 60 of Girl, Empty

‘The what?’

‘You know, the bypass.The manual override.The look on your face says no.’

‘The look on my face says I don’t know what that is.’

‘Modern units all have maintenance ports, for diagnostics.There’ll be a reset button underneath it.’

‘Youjustsaid you knew nothing about air con units.’

‘I don’t.It’s any modern contraption – you should know this.Is there a ladder in there?’

‘There’s a metal staircase on wheels.It’s to reach the servers up top.It’ll reach the air con unit too.What does this maintenance port look like?’

‘Leave it to me,’ Noah said.‘Open up.’

'Are you kidding?You're not dressed to go in there?It's –Amanda checked the thermostat again.It had gotten lower.'29 degrees.'

‘This is beach weather in Maine.And you’re shaking.’Noah put a hand on her shoulder, and she was taken aback by the sudden inconvenience of her bodily reaction.She suddenly felt like a teenager sneaking off behind the gym with her high school boyfriend.Wrong place, wrong time, wrong everything.But there it was anyway.

‘I’m not shaking,’ she lied.

'Open it up.I'll hotwire it.You stay out here, see if the temperature gauge unlocks.'

Amanda swiped her keycard in the door again.Noah disappeared inside and didn't seem at all bothered by the sudden temperature drop.Hopefully, he could genuinely handle it and wasn't just putting on a performance for her.

‘You got it?’she shouted.

‘Gimme a minute.’

Amanda jabbed the panel again, but it was as frozen as the equipment that kept her company running.If she didn't fix this tonight, the whole thing could seize up, and six hundred companies would be without phone apps for their appliances.It wouldn't usher in Armageddon, but it meant a fortune in reconciliation costs.

‘Got it, I’m just-,’

The electronic door slid shut.

Stupid thing¸Amanda thought.The LED panel had switched from green to red.She swiped her keycard again to open it.

Nothing happened.

‘Dammit.’

She tried again.Red.

One more time.Same again

What the hell was going on?

‘Noah?’she shouted.‘Can you hear me?’

There was a sudden bang against the door.‘Hey, there’s no override.Let me out.’

‘I can’t.The door’s locked.’

‘Quit joking.I’m freezing.’

Amanda swiped her keycard in a frenzy, but all she got was red, red, red.‘I’m not joking!It’s jammed.I’m swiping but nothing’s happening!’

‘This isn’t funny.Come on.’