Chapter 14:

Saturday, 4/13/2216, Part 6

Help! I'm Addicted to Cyber Drugs in a Dystopian City


“Grygor, the whole world should be like your bar. Top tier my guy.” I told Grygor as we were saying our goodbyes. I meant it too. He was great.

I emphasized that point to Ontivia while we were walking to the train.

“I love that guy. No job, no problem. So cool. That guy should be running the world. Meanwhile fucking Plex and Orange are about to kill each other in my neighborhood over who gets a shitty office building.” I said.

She smiled. “Yeah, he’s a good guy. Real down to earth.”

As we walked to the train in the cool night air, it was easy to forget that this was my first time meeting Ontivia in person. I had known her for a while, true, but this walk seemed so regular, so natural.

“I’m glad you came to New York. I’m even more glad you linked me.” I told her.

“Me too.” She said. “Thanks for coming out tonight.”

“Literally any time! Well, not any time, but any time I’m not working I’m so down. What a great spot, what a great vibe. I loved it.”

“I’m glad.” She said. “We can go back sometime this week.”

“Yeah, you’ll be at my house Wednesday right?”

“Yeah, thanks so much by the way.”

“It’s all good.”

“Still, thank you.”

We walked in silence for a while as the green lights of the subway entrance crept ever closer. Once we were within 50 feet of it Ontivia stopped and reached into her bag.

“Here, you should read this.” She said, pulling out a blue rectangle and offering it to me.

“A print book!!!” I exclaimed, taking it from her. It was small and thin with a soft blue cover. What a novelty! I hadn’t seen one of these (outside of movies) in years.

“You can have it” she said as if she hadn’t just handed me an antique treasure, “I have another copy, I just think you might get something from it.”

I read the title. Cyber Socialism and the End of the Endless Fight for Human Rights by Gabriel. Welp, it figures.

“T thank you so much this is so fucking cool.”

“Keep it low.” She said, patting down the air with her hand to represent keeping it low.

“For sure” I say with my face almost pressed against the cover.

She smiled. “It’s the book I was talking about earlier. Make sure you read it.”

“I will, for sure,” I said. Then, looking back up at her “Gabriel is my dad’s name.”

She paused for a moment before saying “Oh, really? Thats crazy, you have to read it then.”

“I will, I said I will, so I will.”

“Ok, well I’m heading back. Let me know when you get home.”

“Ok.”

“And keep it low!”

“Ok, bye T, see you Wednesday!” I say, turning back towards the train. That felt so good to say.

I slid it into my back pocket and focused my eyes on the green light outside the subway entrance. Text appears on my vision as my NAC recognizes it. 'Manhattan bound C train arriving in 18 minutes’. Fucking MTA. I’m tempted to ask Ontivia to wait with me but I don’t want to ruin that well executed goodbye. As I walk across the threshold and down the stairs another message pops up. ‘A charge of 3 credits has been charged to your account’. Worth it. What a fun night!

. . .

The door slides open to my unlit apartment. The entrance light turns on as I walk in. The lights follow me as I walk into the kitchen where a glass of water is waiting for me. I chug it.

“Ami.” I call out. No response.

“Ami!” I yell again.

“What!?” She yells back, suddenly sitting at the table looking irritated.

“Hey.” I say, bursting into a fit of giggles that wouldn’t have been age appropriate for me even 20 years ago.

She is not amused.

“Did you hold hands?” She asks “If you held hands, I will cut off your hand and feed it to you.”

“I promise you, there was no handholding.” I say, still smiling like a madman, “But she did give me a book.”

I pull the book out of my back pocket.

“Oh, a printed book, very cool”

“Thats what I said!”

“What is it about?”

“It’s for her terrorist friends the human’s organizer whatever.”

“Yikes” Ami said.

“Yikes” I agree.

“Hey Ami” I say again after a long pause.

“What?”

“I love you.”

“Uh oh, what’s this about?”

“Come on. Say it back.”

“Ok, I love you too.”

You make a heart sign with your fingers. She does the same.

“T is gonna be staying with us for a few days on Wednesday, thanks, love you, goodnight!” I yell as quickly as possible before running into the bedroom, giggling like crazy.