A ride with street racer Noa!

The roads of District 18 have surprisingly less traffic during daylight. Instead there are more pedestrians walking about dressed in more colorful attire than those in District 16.

I slow the motorcycle to a halt in front of Milli and Deci's apartment building. It's around ten stories of steel and cement mostly painted ivory white. By the front entrance are two uniformed security androids. I nod to them and they return the gesture.

The neighborhood itself is fairly clean and well-kept, but the many alleys and narrow pathways combined with the lack of people outside give it a sense of eeriness. It wasn't like this last night, perhaps due to the weekend, or perhaps this district is simply more of a night district.

I turn to the other side of the street, opposite the apartment building. There are plenty of ARtech devices inside the structures and moving about in the air such as drones, but I'm detecting a clump of them somewhere between buildings.

Connecting to Device YHIS668812...

It's dark, but the mic is working properly. Most likely a phone in someone's pocket.

"-saying, hand it over and we'll leave you alone, yeah?"

"I...-"

Disconnecting from Device YHIS668812...

...Best not to get involved.

A minute later, all of them start moving towards my direction and a group of ostentatious individuals exit an alley. I quickly look away to avoid possible eye contact. My sensors detect one of them in possession of two rPhones.

As they turn the corner, Deci and Milli exit the apartment building. Deci is wearing thin, loose-fitting clothing while Milli is wearing a bright, multicolored cap and sunglasses for some reason.

"I've come to return the motorcycle and clothes as promised. Shall I take it to the basement?"

"So straight to the point! Not even a 'Hi Milli!' to start things off?"

"No."

"What about 'I missed you Milli!' or 'I love you Milli!' or- AHH!!"

Milli hides behind Deci as I point my index finger in her direction.

"Noa, mind if I ask a small favor? Think of it as payment for lending you the bike."

I nod to Deci.

"Of course, as long as it's within my capabilities."

"Great! Keep the bike for a little longer and take the little gremlin with you."

Deci steps to the side and presents Milli with a lazy hand gesture. In response, Milli smiles with double peace signs.

"...Where exactly do you want me to take her?"

"To Dahlia's."

"This sounds more like a punishment than a favor."

"Hey! I'm right here!"

"We usually go out to the city to come up with ideas for our metavids and streams but it's been a bit dangerous for our kind to wander outdoors as of late. We rarely get recognized at Dahlia's and you're there so I'd say it's a pretty safe place."

"...Alright, I understand. Are you ready to go Milli?"

"Woohoo! A ride with street racer Noa!"

Milli wastes no time and hops on the backseat. She wraps her arms around my waist and makes herself comfortable leaning her weight on my back.

"Be sure not to do anything that would get us pulled over."

"Scared of the cops, Noa-baby?"

"I'd rather not get detained by the authorities and miss my shift... since I don't actually have a driver's license."

"Eh?"

I start up the bike and accelerate without another word. Deci waves an unconcerned goodbye while Milli clams up and holds on tighter with shaky fingers.