Friday, 4/12/2216, Part 3

“Jesus boy you had three beers!” ChingWei bellowed as I laughed and sobbed intermittently in the passenger seat of the ground car as it drove me back home.

“But, but, y-you’ve been so nice, and I didn’t know, and, and…” I was very drunk, and glad to be at that.

“Blow your nose,” he said as he handed me a tissue from out of the glove box.

I took his advice before considering his words.

“Hey!” I exclaim before counting on my fingers, “Three beers, three shots, that’s six! Read ‘em and weep!” He just laughed as I held up six fingers. I looked up from my hands and started tearing up again as my train of thought roared back into the station.

“But you’re actually a good guy.” I say, gross and high pitched.

“That’s true,” he said, nodding thoughtfully.

“I haaaaated you!” I sob, before cackling then sobbing again.

That got his attention. He picked up his head and looked directly at me with a glimmer of sadness in his eyes.

“Lord have mercy Kriss, you’d be out on the street if it wasn’t for me!”

“I know-b, I know-b,” I struggle to say as my mouth and nose filled back up with snot, “I’m sorry, I was stupid.”

I blow my nose again and smile a big dumb drunk smile. I should drink more often. Maybe alcohol is so out of fashion that it’s cool again. The last time I enjoyed being drunk was probably in college with Seitaro. We would usually just do it internally, unless it was the rare occasion when we went to a party. I assume that’s how most people did it. That way we could switch it off when we wanted to, and there’s none of the associated physical harm. In all honesty, I couldn’t tell the difference between “real” drunk and the NAC simulation, but the pain of drinking might just be an important part of the experience.

I realize I’ve been staring at ChingWei this whole time without breaking my big stupid smile. I chuckle at that.

“Jesus,” he said softly, turning to look out the windshield once again.

“Why do you do that?” I wondered aloud, smile replaced by my sudden curiosity.

“Do what?”

“Say things like Jesus or Lord? Are you religious?”

“No, I don’t believe.”

“Dad did-it-too,” I slurred out, cocking my head before breaking back into laughter, “mom hated it soooo so much. My mom always said more people got k-killed ‘bout religion than anything else ever in all of human history.” Mom is one of those people who think an academic needs to be an anti-theist, and she’s an academic through and through. Or rather, she was.

“And God bless her heart she’s probably right.”

I laughed at that. He smiled but stayed quiet for a long time before he finally said, “That’s probably is true, but I think any powerful body causes death and suffering. It was religion for a while, then it was governments, now it’s corporations, and not a priest or imam in sight. Sometimes I think… maybe enough time has passed… maybe God wouldn’t be the worst thing for humanity right now.”

“Yeah, well, but, like, if God’s so great why dad killed his'self then?”

I didn’t mean to say that. I certainly didn’t mean to say it like that. Even drunk me regretted it instantly, but no amount of regret could negate it or prepare me for ChingWei’s reaction. He just stared at me for a moment, wide eyed and frozen. Strangely, rather than someone who had just heard a tasteless comment from a sad drunk, he was looking at me like I had open hand slapped him. Then the color boiled up to his face.

“You shut your ungrateful mouth! He never…” He screamed before catching himself. He looked around for a moment, almost nervously. “Sorry,” he said, finally.

“No, I’m sorry,” I apologize, feeling much less drunk than I did a moment ago. “That was stupid.”

We spent the rest of the ride back in silence.

. . .

I stumble into the apartment and immediately collapse on the floor, absolutely miserable. What a tragic turn of events. I wouldn’t be moving again.

“Babe, you can’t sleep here.” Ami said, crouching in front of me.

—Main menu.

“I know, I’m sorry, I just…” I mumble before trailing off. I wouldn’t be able to make it to the ‘sleep aid’ plug in.

—Select hard drive.

“Ugh fine.” She said as she lays down next to me. “There’s a glass of water right by the sink if you need it.”

—Select народничество.

Sometimes you have to live dangerously.

“I love you Ami.” I say.

“I love you too.” She says.

—Run program?

Just as I begin to drift off atop the most comfortable carpet I had ever laid my head on, a new message notification pops up.

“Hey can you talk right now?” Ontivia asks.

“Nope!” I respond.

—Select yes.

KB:2178:MO;CM:994 SLEEP

“It’s called blink,” Seitaro says as he sends you a file. You’re in your childhood bedroom skipping school. He cranks up the volume on your shared playlist of heavy electronic music and angry scream rap. “Lock and load your gun, where I’m from, the third world son,” he mouths along silently. Your parents are at work but he keeps the music internal out of habit. Run program? “On three,” he messages you, holding up three fingers. “One, two, three!” Select yes. You blink out. -WAAAAH WAAAAH- the bass explodes in your ears as you blink back in, suddenly hanging upside down off your bed. “Yo this is cra—“. You blink out. -WAAAAH WAAAAH- you blink back in shaking with the bass’ vibrations on the floor of your dad’s office as Seitaro flips through his books. A sign on the ceiling says ‘The Office’, and you point at it trying to get Seitaro’s attention. “It’s fitting isn’t—“. You blink out. -CACHUNK CACHUNK- the machinery roars as you blink back in on a conveyor belt at the Caliber Mechanics factory. You reach out to touch a machine that looks like Ontivia. A machine that looks like Seitaro lowers a gun onto your chest and welds it there. You blink out. You blink back into your living room, looking up as Ami, K, and Seitaro stand over you. -BOOM BOOM BOOM- is coming from the outside. You struggle but you can’t move. You blink out. You blink back to your childhood room. It’s silent now and Seitaro is sitting cross legged in front of you. A smile stretches across his face as he sees you looking at him. “Welcome back.” He says. “Didn’t the bass sound incredible?” You nod.