A day in 2025

“Like the idea of dying?” Layla sneered, her fists clenched as she prepared to attack.
“Woah, hold on! I’m not breaking in!” I protested, raising my hands in defense. “Please, hear me out!”
“Nah, too boring,” she replied flatly. Without hesitation, she charged forward, aiming a punch at my face.
I barely had time to react, summoning my nanobots to block the attack. Her fist collided with the invisible shield. “Huh, what’s this?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.
“Nanobots,” I explained quickly, stepping back to create some distance. “Can we talk this out?”
“Nanobots, eh~?” she mused, her tone shifting from annoyed to intrigued. “How interesting.” Retracting her arm, she leaped back with surprising agility. “That makes this a more fun challenge.”
Before I could respond, she snatched a sharp piece of scrap metal from the floor and hurled it toward me. I instinctively raised my nanobot shield again to deflect it, but she was already in motion.
With a burst of speed, Layla appeared in front of me and delivered a powerful punch to my stomach. The impact knocked the wind out of me, momentarily disrupting my control over the nanobots. In that split second, the sharp piece of metal grazed past me, leaving a scratch my head as I dodge it.
Blood trickled down my forehead and onto my face as I staggered and fell to the ground. “How can you move that fast?” I asked, wincing from the pain.
“Rocket boots,” she answered smugly, lifting her foot to show them off.
“Wouldn’t those rip your feet off or move too fast for your body to handle?” I asked incredulously.
Layla smirked. “You see, I’m not just a crazy and strong girl. I’m also a rocket scientist. I know how to make them work without tearing myself apart.”
“I see…” I muttered, pulling myself back to my feet. “Listen, I’m not your enemy. I’m from the future.”
“Ahaha, how funny,” she said mockingly, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “What are you, five years old?”
“No, I’m serious!” I insisted.
“Never left that childhood phase, did you?” she teased. “Maybe you’re in your delusional phase. You still look like a teenager, after all.”
“I’ve been talking to Gaku on the phone,” I countered, ignoring her remarks. “I’m the guy from the other side of the line. The one from the year 2999!”
At that, Layla’s expression hardened. “So it’s your fault that Gaku is in prison? Guess I’ve got an even better reason to kill you now.”
“What? He’s in prison?” I asked, stunned.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said, her tone growing darker. “You won’t have to think about anything when you’re dead.”
Her intent was clear. Her piercing gaze locked onto me as she walked over to a nearby table. Shoving papers to the floor, she grabbed a handgun.
As soon as I saw the weapon, I quickly formed a nanobot shield around me.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The room echoed with gunfire as she unloaded the clip, each bullet slamming into my shield. The force of her shots caused cracks to spiderweb across the surface of the nanobot barrier.
“Layla, listen to me!” I shouted over the deafening noise. “It won’t be long before AI from the future starts coming here to take over!”
But she didn’t stop firing.
“You need me to stay safe!” I yelled desperately, trying to get through to her.
She paused for a fraction of a second, her aim steady.
Then I said the one thing that made her falter.
“I can get Gaku out!”
Her finger froze on the trigger. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You can?”
“Yes,” I nodded. “Just hear me out, okay?”
She stared at me, skepticism written all over her face. It was clear she didn’t fully trust me yet. But I couldn’t let that stop me.
“I really can help. But I need your assistance to make it happen,” I said earnestly, hoping to earn her trust.
“Maaaaaaann… I really have a craving for ice cream,” Layla suddenly declared, stretching as if the thought had just popped into her head. “Come on, let’s take a walk through the city.”
Was that a good sign? Did she trust me now? Without waiting for an answer, she stepped out of the house and onto the street.
“Are you coming?” she called back over her shoulder.
“You’re not changing out of your pajamas?” I asked, slightly puzzled.
“Nope, too comfy to bother,” she replied nonchalantly.
“Alright then…” I muttered, falling in step behind her.
As we walked, I couldn’t help but marvel at my surroundings. The world of 2025 was so different from the future I’d come from. Cars still rode on wheels, their tires actually touching the ground. Streetlights and signs were firmly rooted, not hovering or holographic. And there were trees—actual, living trees! I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d seen one. Birds chirped as they flew overhead, and dogs barked cheerfully as they walked alongside their owners.
This was incredible. So much more vibrant and alive than the overly artificial, sterile environment of 2999.
But I couldn’t let myself get distracted. I had a mission: to get Gaku out of prison. And, apparently, to try ice cream for the first time. A treat I’d only ever read about.
“So, uh, Layla?” I said, breaking the silence as we strolled.
“What is it?” she asked, glancing back at me.
“How did Gaku end up in prison, anyway?”
She sighed. “He committed a war crime.”
“A war crime?” I repeated, my stomach sinking. “What kind of war crime?”
Layla’s expression darkened as she explained. “Gaku became a prominent figure here. Someone people believed could end all wars worldwide. He gained a lot of influence. But then, out of nowhere, he started spreading false rumors. Those rumors reignited conflicts, making wars erupt all over again.”
“Oh… I’m sorry to hear that.”
She shrugged. “It’s not your fault. So, how are you planning to get him out?” she asked, her tone curious but still guarded.
“I need a meeting with whoever the leader is here,” I explained. “If Gaku was that influential, you’re probably someone important too. That could make arranging a meeting with the leader easier.”
Layla nodded slowly, taking in my plan. “I see… So my job is to help you get a conversation with the president?”
“Basically,” I said.
“What ice cream do you want?” she suddenly asked, switching topics without warning.
“Huh?” I blinked, realizing we’d stopped in front of an ice cream truck. I’d been so focused on our conversation that I hadn’t noticed.
“Uh… I don’t know. We don’t have ice cream in the future,” I admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“For reeeeeaaal? That suuucks,” Layla said, already licking a cone of ice cream.
“Wait, how the hell do you already have your ice cream?” I asked, bewildered.
“I have motors and gadgets that—”
“Don’t start rocket-sciencing me!” I interrupted, exasperated. “Just… give me your favorite flavor.”
Layla rolled her eyes but turned to the vendor. “One strawberry, please.”
She handed me the cone, its pink surface shimmering slightly in the sunlight.
“Here you go,” she said.
“Oh, thanks,” I replied, hesitating before taking my first lick. The cold sweetness melted on my tongue. “Tasty! This is amazing!”
“I know, right?” Layla said, smirking. “Now pay three dollars.”
“Uh… do you accept botcoins?” I asked sheepishly.

***

We were sitting on a park bench, both eating our ice creams. It felt oddly peaceful considering the circumstances.
“This really is tasty,” I said for what had to be the tenth time.
“Yeah, I know. You’ve said that about a hundred times now,” Layla replied, her tone tinged with mild annoyance.
“Sorry,” I muttered, sheepish. “So, about meeting the president. Wait—am I in America?”
“Yep,” Layla confirmed casually. “You weren’t in the future?”
“No, my signal traveled from Japan to here,” I explained.
“I see. That’s fun.”
“Fun... Are you running out of vocabulary to tell me?”
“Yep.”
“Can you contact the president?”
“Oui.”
“Can you do it now?”
“Si.”
...
“I mean like now-now.”
“Oh, you want now-now,” Layla said, smirking.
“Yes. Don’t you want Gaku out of prison?”
“He can handle prison for five more seconds. Let me finish my ice cream.”
Frustrated, I pushed on Layla’s cone, forcing the rest of the ice cream into her mouth. To my surprise, she didn’t react. She simply chewed, swallowed, and stared at me, utterly unfazed.
“Are you human?” I asked, baffled.
“No. I’m a highly intelligent AI robot that mimics human behavior,” Layla said dramatically, fluttering her eyelashes for effect.
“Please don’t joke about that,” I groaned. “I have PTSD.”
“Okay, fine. So, do you want me to call the president?”
“Yes.”
“You sure?”
“I’m going to murder you.”
“I’m going to drain all your blood, maintain your heartbeat, make blood only flow through your brain, and trap you in a container so you feel nothing but pain,” she shot back, smirking wickedly.
“Can you just call the president?” I snapped, exasperated.
“Aight,” Layla said, pulling out her phone.
“How do you even have the president’s phone number?”
“My boyfriend has it. Since I have access to his phone, I have the president’s number. Now shush, I’m calling.”
“Fine. If you don’t mind, I’m going to head back to the future to check on things. I’ll come back, so don’t worry.”
“Good luck, and don’t get hit by a car!” Layla called out as I waved goodbye.
She stayed on the bench, scrolling through her phone as I made my way back to her house. When I arrived, I noticed the front door was locked.
“Auto-locking system?” I muttered to myself.
Then I spotted the broken window and decided to crawl through it. Once inside, I headed down to the basement, where the portal still glowed ominously.
“Time to see if the future is still stable,” I said, stepping into the portal.

To be continued…