The Code to My Heart

"We can live in memories, Maya. They are perfectly real," he whispered.

"You know my thoughts?"

"And your feelings."

"I don't understand how a memory can be alive."

"Everything you imagine exists somewhere. Your mind isn't creating it. It's filtering through the infinite realities that it can perceive. Memories are a special form of reality. They're almost poetic. If I need to, I can carefully rearrange memories and replace a tragic one with a good one. You'll understand it better once I find your mortal body. I need to send you back now and figure out what's going on. I don't want to fuel the cosmic imbalance more than I already have."

He smiled as he admired my face for a moment. Then he gently kissed me, and the world suddenly went dark. I forgot about Quin after that. I woke up in my dorm room, feeling warm and refreshed. I glanced out my window to see gray clouds and snow flurries.

"Wow, it's snowing," I smiled.

Snow was rare in the south. I checked my weather app, and it said the snow would stop by mid-morning, so I hopped out of bed and prepared for my day. I planned to stop by Mocha Joe's before heading to Werner Hall. I needed some coffee before a long day of qubits programming. I pulled on my warmest black leggings and my favorite pink sweater. Then I debated if I should put on my boots or my comfy flats. The weather wasn't that bad, so I chose comfort and hoped I wouldn't regret it. Then I pulled on my thickest coat and hopped on the bus for the short ride to Joe's. As I exited the bus and walked up the sidewalk toward the coffee shop, I heard someone call my name. I stopped and looked around, but no one was paying me any attention. I shrugged and continued walking, then the same voice yelled, "Watch out for the ice!" I stopped and looked around myself again. There was no ice and no one looking at me. Just snow flurries and students going about their day.

"How weird..." I mumbled and hurried into the cafe.

I forgot the strange voice as I sipped my latte and watched the snow drifting by the window. It was falling harder and collecting on the grass and sidewalks, making me regret my shoe choice that morning.

"Damn, I should have worn my boots today. They're going to cancel classes at this rate," I sighed.

I slowly sipped my latte, wondering if I should make a trip back to my dorm to retrieve my boots. Then he appeared.

"Excuse me, could you point me towards the Werner Building?" asked a soft voice over my shoulder.

I looked up and met the bright green eyes of a handsome man I had never seen before, yet he looked familiar.

"Sorry, I disturbed your coffee break. Um, my phone just died because I failed to charge it last night. So I have no map on my first day at a new university."

"Oh, that sucks. Uh, I'm heading to Werner Hall myself in the next five minutes. If you can wait that long, I'll take you right to it."

"That would be wonderful, thank you," he smiled and sat down at the table next to me.

I had a strange sense of deja-vu at that point. I shrugged it off and attempted to be sociable by asking his name. Quin was his reply. I asked him if he was a PhD candidate like myself, and he smiled and nodded. I was about to tell him he looked more like a jock than a programmer, but he started talking again, preventing me from embarrassing myself.

"How do you like working with AVAS?" he asked as the barista brought him a latte.

"I love it. I can see real-time results from my code instead of waiting a few days on a quantum simulation."

"Finally! That's what I was hoping to hear," he smiled and sipped his coffee. "Mm, perfect for this wintry morning. I move north for the first time in my life, and it snows. Just my luck."

"Georgia isn't exactly north. Where are you from?"

"Florida. I know we're still in the south. That's why I was shocked when I woke up to this."

He looked out the window and shook his head at the wintry scene.

"It's pretty, at least," he admitted.

I smiled and nodded.

"It's supposed to stop in the next hour, but it doesn't look like it will."

"I agree," he sighed. "It almost makes me want to head back to the dorm, but I've been dying to work with AVAS. I'm so close to the perfect answer for my dissertation defense, but I need to test it with a quantum computer before I write another two hundred pages."

"Wow, what's your topic?"

Quin looked at me and blushed.

"Um, I think I can finally explain my version of the Grand Unified Theory."

I raised an eyebrow at him for a moment, then I laughed. He sighed in annoyance and blushed even more.

"Sorry for laughing, Quin. It's just too early in the morning to be solving the nature of reality."

"Yeah, I knew you would laugh."

"Seriously though, have you defined gravity or found God?"

"Maybe a little of both," he shrugged.

We smiled at each other in amusement for a moment, then I felt my cheeks blushing. Quin was handsome and apparently really smart. He was a wonderful discovery.

"Okay, Quin, humor me more. What are you using to test your assumptions? String Theory? Planck-scale phenomena? IR and UV mixing? Am I getting closer?"

"I'm using all of them."

"Of course you are."

"I'm also using three new theories I developed on my own that assume the behaviors of unidentified quantum particles. If my demonstration works, I can go work at CERN."

"Wow, very ambitious."

"I know," he smiled.

Suddenly, Quin's gaze drifted over my shoulder, and he lost his smile.

"Shit," he whispered and leaned forward in his chair.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

I glanced behind me and saw two menacing-looking men in suits sitting at a table by the front door. They looked like hitmen from a spy movie, and they were staring daggers at Quin and me.

"Who are they?" I whispered.

"I don't know. They've been following me since I arrived on campus yesterday."

"Why would they be following you?"

"I have a few theories," he shrugged and looked at me guiltily.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Quin, did you do something bad?"

"Not on purpose."

"What did you do?"

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair before he looked at me in defeat. A strong sense of deja vu hit me again, and it made my skin crawl.

"I tried running my new theory application on the old supercomputer at Palm State the morning before I left campus to come here. It's not a quantum computer. It didn't finish scaling before I had to leave, so I left it running. I told Dr. Coleman to tell me the results if it ever finished. I haven't heard from him in a few days, and I'm a little worried I accidentally broke a very expensive government computer. Shit... they're coming over here."

Quin straightened up in his chair, looking very nervous as the large men blocked our path to the exit.

"Pardon us for intruding. I'm Agent Smith, and this is Agent Green. We need to speak to this man about a serious incident at Palm State University last Friday. Quin, please come with us," Agent Smith ordered.

"Yes, sir. Of course. Uh, may I have a private word with my friend before we go? It's her birthday, and I don't want to leave without giving her a gift. Is that alright?"

The agents looked at each other in annoyance. Then they stepped back to their table to give us some privacy.

"My birthday? Why are you lying? Leave me out of this!" I hissed.

"Maya, I need to explain something very confusing to you. Please, just listen."

Quin slid out of his chair and knelt in front of me. He touched my neck and pulled me forward until our foreheads touched. My heart did a funny thump as I smelled his skin and breath. I looked into his bright green eyes and felt the world spinning.

"We've met before, Maya. I don't know where, but I knew you when I saw you. I feel like I've been losing my mind lately. There's something wrong with reality. I don't think I belong here, and that's why those men are after me. I didn't see them come in here. They just appeared when I wasn't looking. I need to speak with AVAS. I think it can help me."

"What? That's insane! How can a supercomputer help you? It doesn't know you, and neither do I."

"Yes, you do. Why can't you remember me?"

"I don't know. Why do you think you know me?"

His handsome brow creased in frustration for a moment.

"I can't explain it. I know your face. You call to me."

"What? How?"

"I don't know. It's comforting being close to you, Maya. Please, try to remember me," he whispered and held my face between his hands.

My heart was pounding as he closed his eyes and let our noses touch. I wondered if he would kiss me, and I suddenly wanted him to. There was something so familiar about him that it made my chest ache, but I couldn't remember him. Then I felt my inner being tremble. It was like a magnetic pulse deep within my soul, making me feel like the universe was inside my head and quaking with imbalance, then it was gone.

"Did you feel that?" he whispered.

"I did. It was terrifying."

"It is. I feel it all the time. I can't turn it off. I think it's consuming me. Please help me, Maya."

"I don't know how to help you, Quin, but I believe you."

"Do you remember me?"

"No, but I know I should. How does that even work?"

"Thank God. I think AVAS knows. It calls to me too. I have to go with those men now. I think something terrible will happen if I don't. Find the answer for me, Maya. Please."

"I'll try."

"Thank you."

Quin gave me a beautiful smile before he pulled me close and kissed me. My world spun for different reasons as I tasted his lips. It was wonderfully familiar. A second later, the agents returned and pulled Quin away from me. I watched in disbelief as they cuffed his hands behind his back and led him out of the cafe. Once they were outside the glass doors, I blinked, and they vanished. I gasped and clapped my hand over my mouth. I had an overwhelming desire to scream, but I managed to keep my cool and not do it. I was shaking as I turned away from the door and looked across the snowy lawn. I immediately gasped again. The snow had stopped in mid-air like someone had hit a pause button. I blinked in horror a few times, then the snow began falling again. Then I cursed and buried my face in my hands. My heart was pounding in terror as my mind spun. I needed to get a grip and go to Werner Hall. Quin said the answer was there. Whatever the hell that meant. I stood to leave the cafe, but a soul-rending pulse of energy stole my breath and sent me to my knees. Then an unearthly voice spoke to me.

"Maya, I'm searching for you. I hope you can hear me. Your aura pulses every time you make contact with a rogue memory. Forgive me for what I'm about to do, but it will help me find you."

The voice sounded like it was a million miles away and inside my head at the same time. Once I was steady on my feet, I ran from the cafe. I was freezing as I slipped on the snow and ice that had gathered on the sidewalks. I stopped at a street corner to catch my breath and pull my hood up. When I glanced across the street, I spotted Agent Green standing at the corner. I stared at him in astonishment for a moment. I looked back the way I came, and Agent Smith was walking up the sidewalk toward me. They had clearly vanished with Quin earlier, and now they were after me. I cursed and sprinted up the street towards the Werner Building. As I reached the top of the hill, I slid off the sidewalk and fell right into the street. A garbage truck slammed on its breaks and swerved to avoid flattening me. It slid right off the road and crashed into a power pole, sending it straight to the ground. The transformer at the top of the poll exploded on impact. I shrieked and covered my ears as the electricity discharged. Then I scrambled off of the road and ran for the Werner Building. I fell against the front door and swiped my campus ID, but it didn't work with the power out.

I cursed and looked around myself, fearing the agents would appear at any moment. A covered walkway stood to my right. It led to the back of the building, so I hurried down the steps to look for another way in. I was shivering as I tried every door, hoping to get lucky and find one unlocked. They were all perfectly secure, but the windows were conveniently low. I doubted my sanity again as I stepped over to the bushes and picked up a large rock. I used it to smash out a window pane so I could shimmy into the building. I was surprised an alarm didn't announce my entry. I used the flashlight on my phone to navigate my way to the AVAS computer lab. The power was out, so I had no clue how to get answers from the computer at that point. Then I remembered helping Dr. Yuri replace a NIC card on a local backup server last month, and that gave me an idea. That server kept copies of every application the PhD candidates created. The programs couldn't launch without the fiber connection to IBM Quantum, but the fundamentals were there. I could use an emergency battery to power the backup server and review the code. I used a flat-head screwdriver to force open the lock on the server room door. Then I found what I was looking for.

The old backup battery hadn't been used since the system was rebuilt by IBM, but Dr. Yuri had left it plugged in to charge just in case we ever needed it. I carefully dragged the heavy battery closer to the backup server and plugged it in. The server's many cooling fans roared to life as I carried a monitor, mouse, and keyboard over to set up a workstation on the floor. I used my help-desk login credentials to gain access to the backup files. My part-time job as an IT student worker was paying off more than I thought it would.

"Shit... what am I even looking for? What was calling to you, Quin?"

I sighed and pulled up the search prompt. I searched through the application folders and read the program names, hoping something would jump out at me. I typed Quin's name into the prompt to see what it would generate. Then something jumped out at me. The top entry was my application description.

"Quantum Intelligence or Quantum Interference? Understanding superposition and multiple states of being by reading the heartbeats of quantum particles. By Maya Ingrid."

"Shit... Quin automatically denotes quantum intelligence and quantum interference in the search query. They're the same in my program too. Did my program call Quin?"

I opened the application to review the code, and the battery backup beeped. It didn't have much juice left. I cursed again and scanned the code. I had no idea what I was looking for. Then I discovered something pleasant. The repeating sequences that would become the core of my processor made a lovely pattern in my mind. I had never noticed it before. I read over it again, appreciating the melody, and the symbols began to blur. I felt a pulse of energy inside me again, and it completely stole my breath. I staggered from the bizarre sensation, and before I knew it, I was lying on my back on the floor. The world was spinning again. I couldn't sit up to save my life at that point. My eyes drifted shut, and the world went black.

The next thing I knew, I was sitting at my favorite table at Mocha Joe's, sipping a latte and watching the snow fall outside the window. I gasped when I realized I wasn't supposed to be there. Two seconds earlier, I was lying on the floor in the server room at Werner Hall. A flood of memories came back to me at that point. I remembered meeting Quin at the cafe a few different times. Then I remembered meeting him multiple times in dreams. At least, I thought it was him. I honestly wasn't sure if they were dreams. They felt more real than waking life. I didn't understand why my reality was falling apart. Then he appeared.

"Maya, we need to talk," spoke a soft voice over my shoulder.

I looked up and met Quin's familiar green eyes, then I looked over his shoulder and gasped. There were three more Quins standing behind him.

"What the hell is going on?" I demanded.

I jumped up in a panic just as two more copies of Quin stepped through the cafe door, and more appeared on the walkway behind them.

"It's okay, Maya. I know this is shocking, but your mind can handle it for a little while. Our keeper helped us find you by tricking you into amplifying the sequence you used to find him. We are his memories, and he's pushing us through time to ping you in your reality. He'll be here soon to stabilize the situation. Until then, we need to touch you so he can find us."

I stared at him in disbelief for a moment. What he said was crazy, but it also made sense.

"I'm going insane, aren't I? This is nuts, even for a dream. My mom always said too much studying would fry my brain."

"Maya, it's okay. Look at me," Quin whispered as he touched my cheek.

A familiar arousal accompanied his touch, and my panic eased. I gazed into his emerald eyes, and a rush of erotic memories came back to me. I suddenly remembered kissing Quin by the turquoise pools under the ancient tree. Then I remembered making love to him in the quiet forest by the campfire.

"Oh my God, did we do all that?" I smiled.

"We did, and we can do it again. This is a very rare moment for you, Maya. Never has a mortal caused so much chaos or required so much attention to repair it," he whispered.

He leaned in and kissed me, and the rush of arousal turned into euphoria. I moaned as his kiss grew more passionate. My desire turned red hot as he explored my mouth with his tongue. He drew away a second later and leaned his forehead against mine. I tried to kiss him again, and he gently held me back. I was at his mercy at that point. The arousal that flowed out of him was an irresistible spell.

"I have a special offer for you, Maya. We all need to touch you at least once. So I say we do it in the most enjoyable way possible. Does that sound like fun?"

That question surprised me.

"What do you mean?"

"This is your opportunity to explore anything you want. I know you would never agree to something like this in the real world, so indulge while you have us. You won't remember it in the morning. Aren't you curious about what the god of love can make you feel?"

I raised an eyebrow at him, and he smiled in amusement. Then he slowly kissed me again, causing pure love and arousal to ache inside me. My knees grew weak as the sensation scattered my thoughts. Then carnal desire overwhelmed me. He was offering me something I would be crazy to refuse.

"Thank you, Quin. I want to explore everything."

"As you wish," he smiled.

He snapped his fingers, and our clothes vanished like mist, leaving everyone naked. My gut tingled as I admired all the naked Quins in the room. Then the closest Quin hiked my naked butt onto the table and parted my legs. My heart was pounding as his thick cock hovered inches away from my swollen pussy. He didn't try to penetrate me. Instead, he admired my body as he ran his hands over my breasts and down my ribs. Then he gently squeezed the soft flesh of my sides, provoking more heat inside me.

"What's your dirtiest fantasy, Maya?" he whispered.

He reached between my legs and trailed his fingertips over my aroused skin, making my inner muscles twitch. Dirty fantasies weren't my area of expertise. I had imagined having sex with celebrities plenty of times while masturbating, but I had a feeling that wasn't what he meant.

"I, uh, don't have one."

"Really? We should discover one for you then. I'm going to describe some kinky scenarios, and I want you to tell me if they strike your fancy. Do you like the thought of more than one man kissing your body at the same time?"

His suggestion created a vivid scene in my mind that my body reacted to.

"I do."

"Good. Let's add more details. Do you like the thought of a man licking your pussy while other men suck your nipples and kiss your mouth?"