That Time I Got Transported to the Future

An annoyingly catchy jingle wormed its way into Ren’s ears as his groggy consciousness surfaced.

♫ “Feeling good, no, feeling great! Sip Green Joy, smile another day! ♫ – Backed by NOVA, helping to bring a bright today, and brighter tomorrow.”

The tune bounced endlessly through his aching skull, louder with every repetition. His stomach churned, head spun, and a wave of nausea surged through him, jolting his eyes wide open. Before realizing, he was doubled over, spewing a rainbow. It even arched and shimmered beautifully in the midday sun.

A warm hand pressed gently against his back, steadying him. “There, there. You’ll feel better in no time.”

Ren grimaced, recognizing the soothing yet deceptively condescending tone. “Oh, Mira…” He wiped his mouth. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you’d be the one to make me sick to my stomach.”

As the dizziness began to subside, Ren straightened up, taking in his surroundings.

They were in the middle of a futuristic city that looked like it had been pulled straight out of a sci-fi movie. Towering, spotless buildings gleamed under a perfect blue sky; their sleek exteriors adorned with holographic advertisements. One such display showcased a swirling can of Green Joy, its obnoxious jingle continuing to taunt him.

Ren’s eyes darted around, his expression shifting from confusion to dismay with every new detail. Vibrant greenery melded seamlessly with the polished cityscape, and a pleasant, eerily ideal warmth tickled his skin.

“Oh…”

The air was crisp and cool, almost tempting him to take a deep, refreshing breath.

“Oh, no…”

Perfectly paved streets guided orderly streams of traffic, and smoothly dressed citizens strolled by with serene smiles, greeting each other like extras in a too-perfect romcom.

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me…”

Once again, Ren was bent over, expelling another glittering rainbow. This time, however, not from the dizziness.

Mira glanced around with worry. “Alright, Ren, that’s enough puking rainbows! You’re going to draw too much attention!”

Ren staggered upright, wiping his mouth again. “Either I’ve died and gone to heaven… aka hell… or you and your stupid cube are to blame for my technicolor misery.”

Mira’s voice dropped to a hurried whisper. “Can we argue about this somewhere less… crowded?”

While most passersby carried on with their day, the rare display of distress drew occasional confused glances.

Before Mira could drag him away, a small hovering robot zipped up to them, its digital face displaying a cheerful emoticon. “Good afternoon! We’ve detected unusually heightened levels of distress in this area. Is assistance required?”

Mira froze, her nervous smile twitching. “Oh, no, no! We’re fine! Totally fine! But, um, thanks for checking!”

Ren raised a hand weakly. “Uh, Mr. Robot… sir, this girl is kidnapping me.”

Mira’s face went pale. “What are you—!?”

The robot tilted slightly to its side, its emoticon shifting to a question mark. “Kidnapping? Clarify.”

Before Ren could say anything, Mira grabbed his arm and yanked him away. “Thank you, no follow-up needed, bye!”

The robot watched them for a moment, processing the strange encounter, before whirring away.

                                                                      ***

The park was tranquil, its greenery familiar but unnervingly perfect—manicured trees, trimmed hedges, and a pristine pond where swans floated in a heart shape. Disgusting.

Ren slumped on a bench, trying to pull himself together. Despite the calm, something felt off. Sparse groups of people dotted the area, their interactions too polished, their smiles and laughter overly measured. Beneath the surface, they seemed distant, though seemingly unaware of it.

Mira approached, carrying a can of Green Joy. “You’re impossible, you know that?” she groaned.

“Yeah, well, so’s this place.” Ren gestured to his surroundings, the park not far from the city center they escaped. “And I thought the present was bad. The future’s a whole new kind of awful.”

Mira sighed, tossing him the can. “Anyway, feeling better?”

Ren fumbled it but managed to recover. He took a sip—then spat it out dramatically. “What is this?!”

“Oh, you don’t like it? I’m not a fan either, but people here love it.”

“How can anyone drink this? Even the health drinks back home aren't this bad.

“Sorry,” Mira said sheepishly. “The vending machine didn’t have many options.”

Ren sighed and set the can aside, his gaze wandering back to the park's idyllic scenery, but the tranquility only deepened his unease. His eyes shifted to Mira, drawn to the rose-shaped ornaments on her hair. On closer inspection, they looked distinctly futuristic—a blend of organic and mechanical design. One emitted a soft blue glow, pulsing faintly. Mira's cheeks flushed slightly under his lingering stare.

“…So.” Ren leaned back with arms crossed. “Guess I wasn’t far off when I said you were from another world. Or… another time?”

Mira hesitated before nodding.

“What year is it?”

“2248.”

Ren rubbed his eyes under his glasses. “Over 200 years…” I almost can’t believe it, but here we are.

A faint burning smell broke his train of thought. “What’s that?”

Mira stiffened, patting herself down. A bit of smoke rose from her clothes, and she yelped, pulling out the cube from before. Its surface flickered with glitchy lights.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no!” Mira held the cube at arm’s length.

“That cursed thing again…” Ren raised an eyebrow. “Wait. Please don’t tell me that smoking cube is the only thing that can get me back.”

“Umm… umm…” Mira stammered, clearly panicking. “Don’t worry! I’m sure we can fix it!”

For some reason, I’m not convinced…

Mira seemed hesitant before calling out. “Hey, Nexi? I might need your help with this…”

Out of her hair ornament with the subtle blue glow hovered out a small metallic orb that grew into a small round robot.

“Yes,” It said in a calm, precise voice. “I’ve been monitoring.” Its tone was deep and a bit sophisticated.

“You’re finally talking to me again,” Mira muttered, avoiding its gaze.

“I warned you about being reckless,” Nexi replied sternly.

Ren sighed, grasping the gist of the situation. He wasn’t one to shy away from owning to his mistakes—especially when they stemmed from ignoring his better judgment. Helping a mysterious beauty and meddling in someone else’s business? Clearly, not his brightest idea. “Look, this isn’t Mira’s fault,” he said. “I’m the one who picked up the cube and messed with it. This one’s on me...”

“How unexpectedly noble of you, Mr. Ren,” Nexi said dryly. “While you did interact with the cube, that doesn’t excuse her actions.” It turned to Mira. “She entered a restricted area under the guise of graduate research and ‘borrowed’ the only prototype time cube in existence.”

“Shh! Don’t tell him that! He’ll get the wrong idea!” Mira protested.

Ren gave her a flat glare. “Too late.”

Nexi continued, “And the odds of pressing the correct sequence of buttons to activate the cube were astronomically low—or would have been, had its security not been set to the equivalent of your time’s ‘1234’ phone password.”

Ren blinked. “You’re joking.”

“Sadly, no.” Nexi glanced at Mira. “No one would dare be so careless with such a device. Yet here we are…”

Under their combined stares, Mira pressed her fingers together. “I was scared I might forget it…”

Ren scoffed. “And to think I almost felt sorry for you.”

“Well, what’s done is done,” Nexi said, scanning the cube. “...Analysis complete. Probability of restoration: high. Estimated repair time: ...TBD.”

Ren groaned. “I don't know how long I'll last in this heavenly hellscape without barfing again…”

“I’ll need further analysis at the computer base to determine a proper timeframe,” Nexi added.

"I guess he will have to stay with us for some time..." Mira stared at Ren. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. Who knew what crazy thing she was plotting?

“To avoid unnecessary complications, I recommend acclimating Mr. Ren to our society. His demeanor risks attracting attention,” Nexi said.

"Hey. This is just my RBF," Ren said.

“Well, your hair is a bit unruly, but you do have sharp, pleasing features.” Mira tilted her head. “The problem is that glare of yours... Can you at least try to smile?”

Ren tried, but the result was an awkward grimace.

“…Never mind.” Mira waved it off.

“Not sure if I should feel complimented or insulted.” She might actually have some potential in sarcasm.

“Well, It’s fine. We’ll figure it out along the way.” Mira clasped her hands with renewed enthusiasm. “Ren, prepare to witness the wonders of the future!”

Ren sighed. “Wonderful… Can I just take the brochure?”