Neon Hearts. Alexander Skopintsev

to look at pictures, at the history of art, not to meet men. Do you really think that in this century people go to museums just to socialise? There are still connoisseurs of beauty, you know.

      Dash, finally a little awake and stretching, leaned on the table, involuntarily showing off her breasts:

      – And I got a pass to the library’s science lab,» she said, squinting slyly. – That’s where you can meet the scientists at Syntracore Industries. And they get paid, do you know how much? They say they even have implants to increase intelligence.

      Anya asked in surprise, her eyebrows creeping upwards, creating slight wrinkles on her forehead:

      – Why? You don’t understand anything about prosthetics. Or have you suddenly decided to change careers and become a neuroengineer?

      Dash spread her arms and fell back onto the bed, sipping her nakedly beautiful body:

      – Do you know who’s sitting there? – She stretched out wistfully and romantically, looking up at the ceiling. – Scientists! Aren’t you listening to me? These are not just nerds in glasses, but real geniuses of our time. Can you imagine what interesting salaries they must have? And maybe there is some young and handsome researcher among them, dreaming of a beautiful muse?

      Anya chuckled, shaking her head:

      – And you’re gonna listen to them read or talk to them about prosthetics and augmentation? Dash, honey, you fall asleep when I try to tell you about my work in the chemical metallurgy department. What are you going to do among scientists?

      Dash raised her head, resting her hand on her elbow. Her eyes lit up with a mischievous glint:

      – Oh, you understand a lot about men,» she said with a slight chuckle. – There’s a bar where they can flirt. Can you imagine the exquisite compliments they must have? «Your eyes shine brighter than the quantum processor of my latest invention.» Isn’t that romantic?

      Anya shook her head, smiling. She was used to this kind of talk by now.

      – At the moment when Dash, dressed in an exquisite dress that accentuated her slender figure and graceful body lines, entered the spacious hall of the data centre, a sense of expectation hung in the air. High heels, lightly clacking against the cold floor, created a melody that attracted the gazes of young scientists immersed in their screens and endless lines of code. She walked with her hips wiggling confidently, as if knowing that her presence could wake up even the most inveterate of workaholics.

      The corridors of this huge building, where young specialists worked, were filled with desks littered with papers and monitors on which lines of code flashed. Dash, passing by, cast glances at the concentrated faces of the guys, who seemed to be immersed in their thoughts, like mice digging through their papers. Their faces were focused and their eyes were tired, as if they hadn’t seen the light beyond their screens. In the silence, broken only by the whirring of servos, Dash took a seat at one of the empty desks, pretending to work. She leafed through the forms, read the lines, but her thoughts were far from work.