Pulse

know what you’re missing.”
    Wade jumped over the cord on the right side and took out his Tablet, snapping it from small to large. There were windows high up on the back wall, and as Wade walked toward Faith, the golden light moved across his face. He turned and gazed down the long, darkened hallway, then tapped something into his Tablet. A long line of tiny lights lit up along each side, which made the corridor look like a runway for an airplane.
    “You really know how to impress a girl,” Faith said. As goofy and dangerous as it all was, it was also pretty romantic.
    “I do try,” Wade offered. “And I promise, it’s totally safe. Fast, but safe. I’ve had thirty-seven crash-free launches in a row.”
    Faith found herself short of breath. Was she really considering this madness? She imagined one of the wheels falling off, the way it would feel when she hit the first locker. She would die in a hallway go-cart accident. It would take weeks for them to find her dead body; and when they did, they’d all say what an idiot she was. But then she imagined Wade sitting in the front seat, her arms wrapped around him like the two of them were on a motorcycle riding into the sunset, and she lost all hope of ever getting out of the building without first being flung down the tunnel of love.
    “This is so Titanic ,” Faith said as she settled into the backseat. “You know, that scene in the old movie where they sit in the car and fog up the windows?”
    “Too bad we don’t have any windows. I’ll work on that.”
    Faith imagined all the broken glass in a high-speed crash and thought better of the idea.
    “It’s okay; I like the open air. Keep it this way.”
    Wade Quinn sat in front of her, and she realized how wide and strong his back was. Tall people were misleading that way. It was easy to focus on their height and forget about how much it took to fill in the endless space along their spines.
    “You’re going to want to hold on for this,” Wade said, inviting her to wrap her arms all the way around his chest and hold on. Her hands were shaking so badly it was embarrassing, but she couldn’t stop. The crazy energy of the moment was pulsing through every part of her. Wade fished around under his shirt, trying to get a hold of something; but Faith had closed her eyes and leaned the side of her face into his wide back. She didn’t see when he pulled out a necklace on a thin gold chain. She didn’t see as he looked at the plastic beads strung on the chain and typed the code into his Tablet. The Wire Code would only work once, Wade knew, and later he would take off the beads and melt them down over a flame so they couldn’t be traced back to him.
    “Listen, Faith. I know you’re nervous and all. This will make it easier, and a lot more fun.”
    Faith didn’t have any idea what Wade was talking about, but she lifted her head, feeling his blond hair slide across her face. He leaned to one side and looked at her, holding his Tablet where she could see.
    “What’s that?” she asked; but before she could get an answer, Faith Daniels was looking into Wade’s Tablet, consuming her first Wire Code. The screen was jittery and filled with strange light. Her consciousness shifted; all her senses were heightened. She could smell Wade’s cologne full but distant; she could taste his lips and feel her tongue sliding along his slick teeth. Were they kissing? She thought they were, but then the cart was moving, and her senses burst awake with colors and light. They were careening down the narrow hallway at forty miles per hour. Faith was in love with this moment, out of control and not caring, pulling Wade close, her hands around his chest as he laughed loudly and happily. She lifted her head off Wade’s back and tried to peer around his shoulder. It looked like they had left the ground, but that couldn’t be right. If she was flying then she was flying; that was fine with her. She took Wade’s head in her hands, spun his face around, and kissed him. The wind tangled their hair together, and she let her hand slip down to his neck.
    “Hold that thought,” Wade said, pulling away and smiling as he quickly turned forward. There was a sharp movement to one side like they’d nearly crashed into a wall, and Faith laughed, reeling back in her seat and holding on to Wade with one hand as if he were a bull she was riding into a rodeo ring. Wade applied some brake, and the cart slowed, then stopped ten feet shy of the