New Millenium

 

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Introduction

“Why are humans so weak? And now, when humanity is at it’s worst, begging on its knees, striving for life…we humans are pitiful creatures, don’t you think, Sakura?”

    “I do agree, sir, but just what can we do about it?” The woman replied, of course knowing the answer, how ever, no one else in the room did.

    “The things that hold us back, our feelings, our emotions. Love, hate, anger, revenge, sadness, grief, a petty thing stops us from achieving our race’s greatest potential. When a loved one goes somewhere, we worry for them to return. We miss them, we remember them, and thus some things are never done…but if these links were broken, these connections disconnected, like a plug on a computer…we could do anything, without regrets, a worry free environment; we already have scientists working on such a project. Now, does anyone in here hold any objections? It’s for the good of the world, my fellow leaders; you, who hold high positions, are leaders of your respective countries…think for their good instead of yours, for greed is what clouds your minds half the time.”

    No one stood up, except for one in the back, “That’s inhumane, what of our families, our children…how will anyone grow up, like a mindless robot? It defies…”

   “Ling…you were the last one I expected to stand, after all, you paid a handsome sum in donation to our company…”

   “Not for this, Smith…I didn’t fund this project…I would never allow such a thing…” he spoke.

    “I think you need to have a small talk with my fellow associates; John, Jake, please go explain to him, what I’m doing and how it helps the world.”

                 Two men headed towards him as he spoke, “I have children, Smith, and I have things to think about when this sort of stuff comes up.”

 

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Chapter 1

Father left seven years ago…we never heard from him since…

    Lei slept next to me, her tiny form curled up in the small bed, her breathing slow and relaxed. Moonlight shone in through the window, illuminating the room with a lavender hue, and a breeze caused the curtains to flutter and flap.

    I stared at the door, keeping watch. My eyes were a little heavy, but I had a duty, and with Lei beside me, that obligation seemed more crucial. The sleepy ocean waves could be heard in the silence of the night, reminding me of where we truly were, how far we had come…once Hong Kong had been bombed…destroyed…obliterated…everything gone…we were lucky to be in Japan for the summer…but unlucky that we lost mother…mother…she had stayed behind…I missed her, how she kept silent yet noticed everything, her beautiful, soft voice.

    I wiped a tear from my eye as Lei stirred, sitting up with the faintest of whimpers,

    “Ryan…” her voice dripped with exhaustion, and I turned my head to look at her.

    “I’m right here, go back to sleep,” I patted her back as she put her head back on the pillow.

    “Don’t you need to sleep…” she gave a yawn, snuggling closer to me.

    “I did already, now hush…goodnight.” I whispered, and she relaxed again, falling into sleep.

    I stared at her in the moonlight; she looked just like mother…except for her eyes, bright jade eyes. She had long black hair, in a neat braid, and light skin, normal for these places. Watching her sleep, I wondered what she dreamed about, what she thought of.

    Quietly, I slipped out of bed, and looked out the window, making sure to keep out of view…

    The once bustling city of Tokyo was now dead silent, no cars, no people…no ‘real’ humans…since father disappeared…everyone had changed… Lei didn’t know why, and what vague info I had made no sense, even to me…basically, neither of us knew why anything had changed.

Now everyone was a robot, a machine that went to work every morning, came home and slept. No conversations, no parties, just eat, drink, work and sleep, like a four-function calculator. It was as if the world had been sucked clean of its mind and given nothing but a soul, which made what, a wandering soul without a mind?

    I missed it all, the old times, but this cold new world wasn’t what kept me up…it was the dream…even with my eyes open I could see it; see myself, going higher and higher up in that glass elevator, never stopping, not knowing where it took me; and that strange lady, she stood across from me, her head bent down to hide her face, a hat on her head which covered her eyes, and when I asked her why we kept going up, her reply was always the same,

    “This is the same as how you lived your life…”

    How was that my life…going up…the simile was more related to greed, or power, but…I wasn’t greedy…how could I be…

    Mae-Li…the name came to mind…I’d lost her…the idea seemed to click, I wanted her to be mine…not just for her personality, but her looks, and her wealth, she was the most popular girl in school…how stupid of me…I was so naïve…but now she was gone…killed in the Hong Kong bombing...did my actions matter now…and the dream started only a few weeks ago...it had to be another reason...

“When can I get out of here?”

“When you find you can…” she laughed at me…mocked me…I was pathetic…a lost little child…

    I sat on a chair, letting the cold breeze roll from the window over my face, refreshing my skin…could any of this possibly be my fault…was there anyone else left like me and Lei…or was this it…was this the end of humanity as it had been known by us…a new millennium, a new race of people…it couldn’t be, and yet it was…

    I looked at Lei, my eleven year old sister…smaller and younger looking than most her age…so frail looking as well… How could this happen to her, what ran through her mind everyday, and how did she keep so serious, so ready and knowing…she shouldn’t be like that…she needed to be laughing, to not know what was happening, she should be shielded…from the chaos…the bodies…she didn’t deserve this…I did…I was the reason father got to be where he was, I told him to run for election…the reason we all came to Japan, possibly, no, surely I was the reason he vanished…because of me…Lei had no hand in any of this…

    So…why…why do I want to     help her and scream at her at the same time…?

    

    Sun, heavenly gold in color, streamed in through the glass elevator…we climbed higher and higher into the sky,

    “When will we reach our destination?” I spoke.

    The lady looked at me, “What destination? You haven’t died yet. This elevator is no different than your life.”

    “How do I get out of here?”

    “When you realize you can,” she replied again.

    “What does that mean?”

    “Are you saying you don’t know your life? No wonder we keep going up,” she giggled.

    “I want to get out of here!”

    “Then get out.”

    Irritation overwhelmed me, “How?!” I demanded.

    “It’s your life not mine, why do you box yourself in like this? Your feelings, your thoughts, do you see all those clouds, how dark they are...what are you…”

    The glass broke and I found myself falling, farther and farther down, through clouds, freeing myself, the sunlight shining gold and bright, making the sharp glass shards that fell with me glimmer and glint gold, silver, and a rainbow of colors. I could almost hear the woman speak,

“Finally…” and feel the smile on her face…

 

A scream pierced the night air, and I jumped up, gasping as if I’d run a mile…Lei startled awake,

“Ryan,” fear in her voice.

    Clouds had covered up the moon, destroying any light, I knew the sound, and it meant someone had just died, most likely from the city’s security system...there were still a few stragglers in this place. People who thought they could escape in the darkness...

    “I’m here…so don’t worry…you’ll be fine...” I wiped a stray tear away from her face,

    The dream continued on in my mind,

    “How do I undo this mess…?”

    “Simple, finish what your father could never do,” her voice rang in the air as I saw my body from a year ago and collided with it, reentering my hollow corpse.

    I gasped, not realizing I had fallen asleep again, and Lei spoke,

    “Ryan…please sleep, I’ll keep watch…” Lei begged.

    “No. Sleep, I’ll be fine…” I reassured her.

    “Please…Ryan…come sit with me…I’m…” she paused, looking away, her hands balled into fists, clutching the rough cotton blanket.

    I knelt in front of her, “Lei, don’t be afraid to say that you’re afraid, I’ll always be with you…” I embraced her tightly, wishing she had Mama with her to comfort her and sing her to sleep.

    “Why is the world different now, Ryan…did it change because of father…” she asked.

    “You don’t need to worry about that…nothing has changed; I’m still here aren’t I?” I replied in a soft voice.

    “…but…mama…is she still here too?”

    I looked away, at the paint chipped wall, stung by her words, “Go to sleep, Lei, we’ll talk in the morning.”

    She eyed me, her bright green eyes locking onto mine, reminding me of her well hidden pain, “You sound like father…”

    “I said, goodnight Lei.”

I looked at the floor, unable to apologize, my tone more harsh and brittle than I had intended.

    She silenced, and turned away from me, taking her warmth with her…and it hurt to see her so distant.

    ‘Finish what your father could never do…’

    What did that mean…what didn’t he finish?

    “Ryan, where did father go that one day?” Lei spoke, still turned away from me.

    “City Hall, it’s near here…somewhere…why?”

    “I think we should go there…”

    “No. We stay here…tomorrow I’m going to go get some more food from the market, you stay here, I also have work, and until I get back, you don’t go out or stand near any windows, understood?”

    “Why can’t I look out the window?” she whined.

    “Do you not understand what ‘danger’ means?” I was irritated, trying to understand the woman in the elevator’s last words, my mind stressing out with the multi-tasking being done at this hour, and with such little sleep.

    “I know what it means…what if something happens to you? Can’t I go with you?” she was begging again, just like when she begged father, to let her come with us here, to Tokyo.

    “No. Besides, what could happen to me? I’m more worried about you Lei, I want you safe, so, promise you’ll stay inside.”

    “…I promise.”

    I heard the hesitation in her voice but said nothing, listening to her next question,

    “What if they find out you’re different?” worry claimed her voice, causing it to waver.

    “Different…they won’t, you know I’m a great actor,” I smiled as she rolled her eyes, once again hiding her feelings.

    

    

Lei woke me up, finding me asleep on the abandoned hotel’s carpeted floor;

“Ryan, get up…or I’ll take your place today!” she spoke.

“No…” I wiped the tired feeling out of my eyes.

“Then wake up, you big turtle!”

“Hey, turtle beats sloth…what are you doing, you monkey?” I stood and grabbed her, catching her mid-bounce, and spinning her around I dumped her in a chair,

“Hey! Ryan! No fair!” she laughed, brushing her loose hair out of her face.

“Is there any breakfast in the fridge?” I asked her.

“There’s an apple…”

“Can you give it to me, please?” I spoke, debating whether to take a shower or not.

“I ate it…sorry…”

“It’s all right; I’ll get something on the way…” I entered the bathroom, deciding to take a shower after all…at least I’d be out of earshot before she heard my stomach growl…

After ten minutes under a warm, steam filled, spell of rain, I felt better, and almost forgot my hunger…almost…Lei had set out a shirt and jeans for me to wear on the bed, which she had also made…

“Lei,” I called checking to see of she was still here.

“Hurry up and change!” her voice came from a small closet, and I tried not to laugh.

I put on the clothes, “You can come out now.”

She entered, “Ryan, can’t I come with you? Really, at least let me look around…it’s been weeks since I went outside…”

“It’s been a week since time restrictions have been enforced. You know most people are at work, and those that aren’t don’t go out very much, besides, haven’t you noticed that less and less people are out now? It’s not safe with the new police force out…”

“I can’t even go to the market?”

“No, I’ll go; Lei…don’t cry…tears won’t get you anywhere!”

“Don’t yell at me…”

“I’m only trying to protect you…”

“I can take care of my self…”

“Lei, if Mama were here, would you do the same and disobey her?”

“No…”

“Exactly, I’m here now, I’m older, you listen to me, alright, and I know what I’m doing…” I spoke.

“But…”

“No buts, now, do you remember our family tree? How about I give you a project, if you remember it, I want you to draw it out today, so you have something to do, alright…now I need to get to work, bye, Lei,” I hugged her and left, closing the hotel door on the way out.

 

    People, humanoids, milled about in a fanatical rush on the streets, all headed to work, their destination locked in their minds like a safe guarded chest. I followed them, trying to forget this morning’s discussion with Lei…to change the topic, I began to ask myself questions about our family history, now that the family tree that was drawn out on ancient paper back home, was destroyed, and we had to keep it alive with our memory, at least until Lei redrew it…she looked just like mother…and I was named after my American grandfather, named, Ryan, as well. Father was full blood Chinese, unlike mother, who was half American and half Chinese.

I reached my work, a thin, tall, glass building, squeezed into the already crowded row of other narrow buildings. Only this one stood out with its many broken windows. This building’s purpose could have been an office, whatever it used to be, it wasn’t that now.
    Now it was a deserted and daunting place to be. Useful since no one had any feelings anymore…even as I held back the urge to turn away and leave, I felt the hollow chill fill me, and just when the guard at the doorway spotted me, I realized I had forgotten my I.D badge…Lei always reminded me…and today I had been irresponsible enough to not remember…curse my stupidity…

    I had seen the punishments first hand, I needed to leave or keep stepping forward, but either way, punishment was coming, and I now stood frozen.

    “Where’s your I.D?” the guard asked coming up to me.

    “I…left it at home…”

    “You shouldn’t forget things like this…there must be an error in your program…go to the Bio Tech Lab, and don’t try to leave.”

    “Bio Tech….”

    “They’ll fix you up to work perfectly,” he returned back to his post and scanned another person’s I.D, and despite the warning, I found my self running back…but it wasn’t long before I heard footsteps behind me.


 

    There was something warning me in my head…and I wondered what Ryan was doing now…something was wrong. Despite his warning, I walked to the window in our room and looked out. A few white seagulls flew around, and everything was silent…so silent I could hear the ocean as clearly as if it was next to me.

    Where was everyone…and why did everything change…I should probably go…but…if I’m caught…I don’t know why Ryan had to leave me here…

    Looking out I could see the high school Ryan had meant to attend when we first arrived here for the student exchange program. Father came with us for housing and safety reasons, as well as business, and I had begged him to take me with him, not wanting to stay home and do chores with Mama, then again…I was four at the time and if Mama went to work, I’d be home alone…

What happened that day…and why did Ryan refuse to talk about Mama, or tell me anything…I want to know…I need answers…maybe I can find out something from the market…no…no one was the same anymore…I can save Ryan time by getting food at least…

    I put on my jacket, and grabbed some money from the drawer next to the bed, then walked downstairs and out the door, trying not to smile as I felt the sunlight warm my skin, it felt so good to be outside.

 

 “You have a problem, please do not resist, we will fix you,” their voices merged together, in a robotic chorus.

    I tried not to shudder as I heard the request…what happened to these people…I had ended up in the market, there was no way of losing the mob behind me, the market was empty except for a few vendors and some small children…I saw a white jacket, on a small child with long black hair in a neat braid…Lei…I knew just by how she stood, hands clasped behind her back, one knee bent…

    She turned to look my way just as I was pinned to the ground, my face pressed into the earth, not realizing I had stopped, something stung on my neck, like the flu shot I got on my arm before school…

                Lei looked horrified, but I said nothing, and let them drag my unfeeling state away. I saw her slowly following, and I wanted to scream at her, but I was helpless, an animal going for slaughter…

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Chapter 2

I was in a cell, but I knew I was somewhere in the heart of city hall, which made me wonder; was the country ruled by a demented robot as well? Where did Lei go? She was right behind me until she walked away, down a hallway…what was she thinking!? My head still felt funny…

    A man came by, looking in on me, he was tall, thin, and his blonde hair had a mix of gray in it. I kept silent as his blue eyes watched me…

    “I don’t believe I’ve seen you before…you look similar to a man I knew, Ling…” my heart jumped…he knew father…

    “Do you know why you are in this cell?” he asked.

    Silence…

    “You are here, because you not only ran from the law, but because we have found no program on you, you are a member of the old race of people…a race that had to be destroyed…your existence threatens us.”

    “You killed Ling?” I choked out.

    “So you know Ling? You must be his son, Ryan, excuse me, I’m Smith, Mr. Smith, to you. Tell me,” he gripped the cell bars, “Are there more vermin like you?”

    “The only vermin I see is you, where is my father!?” I demanded.

    “Chivalry, dear boy, won’t get you anywhere. The Bio Tech has already given you a chip, and programmed it, unfortunately it won’t begin work until tomorrow evening, so I’ll let you go and enjoy your last free day, but don’t stir up trouble, you’ll be watched,” he opened the cell door but I refused to step out now.

If I left now, Lei would see me become a monster, or maybe our home would be exploited…she’d be hurt no matter what…I love her dearly, but if she wasn’t with me…if she hadn’t come along with father…then maybe I wouldn’t mind becoming one of the robots…

    “You’d prefer solitude then,” he spoke, “It’s my last offer…wouldn’t you like to be free for one more day?”

    “Why do you care…what more do you expect me to have…I’m sixteen, I had a mother, she’s dead now; I had a father, he’s gone too…”

    “And your sister?” he asked.

    “She…she committed suicide…a few years back…”

    “You must feel terrible…to be the cause of such a young child’s death…”

    “I wasn’t the cause…you were…you killed our parents. You bombed Hong Kong…our mother’s death was your fault; you took our father away from us…he was all we had left!”

    “She died in vain if she died for your father, your sister, I mean.”
    “In vain…?”

    “Yes vain, a wasted effort, your father isn’t dead.”

    “If he’s one of the mindless citizen’s of your perfect world…he may as well be.”

    “What do you know of my perfect world, we’ve only just met,” he gave a small smirk, a glint in his cool eyes made him seem demonic.

    “Don’t think my father hid secrets, I was told everything, and even if it didn’t make sense then, it does now, and I understand it perfectly.”

 

 

    I straightened the ID badge that hung on my coat pocket. People passed me, but no one turned to question me. My mind repeatedly spun around the image of Ryan. We were in the main building of City Hall, a place that’s so buried behind other buildings and with such security, its amazing to think I made it through so easily…and without notice or question.

    I felt like screaming at Ryan when I saw him again to stop protecting me like this, at the same time, I wanted to embrace and thank him…my heart pounded like a frightened bird in a cage, but I swallowed my fear, I had to get Ryan out of here…we were no longer safe, we had to run.

    My dream from last night seemed so real…I knew Ryan would be in trouble…why didn’t I go with him to begin with…I could have stopped this all…he risked his life for me…now it was my turn to do the same for him.

    I passed by a room full of blue and violet projections and holograms, then back tracked and entered the aurora filled room. There was a huge semi circle area full of screens, showing images, some showed the current building, like security cameras, while others showed events of the past…the bustling technology filled city of Tokyo, the bombing of Pearl Harbor in America and Hiroshima…and other historical events…below these screens in the middle of a control panel, pulsed a green button that was large and round, like a hand scanner…a warning label was posted next to it, written in Japanese…I didn’t know how to read it…but Ryan did…I had to save him…

    I looked at the cameras and found him after a little searching on the black and white screens…he was in a cell, staring at the walls…

    “What are you doing in here?” a voice spoke, a man with blonde hair and blue, intense eyes had entered, a small name tag read, ‘Marx Smith’ and the word ‘president’ was under it, “Get back to your post, the day is almost over, and I want as much done as possible.”

    I silently nodded and left, but not before pressing the switch camera button for screen six, and grabbing a key that was in an activation slot behind my back.

    I headed down a long flight of stairs, and after five minutes entered Sector E, West Wing.

 

    I heard footsteps, and already I had a feeling, I wanted her to leave me…

    “Ryan!” she unlocked the door, swinging it open and embracing me tightly…

    No…no…no…she could be killed, my heart was pounding to its own demented beat.

    “Get out of here, now! Smith knows about you, but he thinks you’re dead, didn’t you notice the cameras? I’m being watched!”

    “Listen, I found some control room, there’s a weird green switch, but the warning label is written in kanji, I can’t read it…I don’t know what it does but it can help us, I know it can,” she spoke.

    “Lei, they’ve already made me one of them, at least I’m going to be tomorrow evening…just get out of here, and some unknown switch isn’t worth your life.”

    “Ryan, please…you need to check it, please…”

    “Lei…”

    “Please…” she begged.

    I stared at her, tears streamed down her eyes,

    “Don’t let my effort be wasted…” she whispered.

    “I won’t let it, show me, come on…” I sighed, doubt prickled my skin, and wave of fear washed through me, but I followed her out.

    As the door leading out of the cell room opened, an alarm sounded, and Lei took my hand and ran up the stairs. We reached the top, and found one unsuspecting man in a white coat turn to look at us curiously before opening his mouth to scream. Lei ended up kicking him in the throat before he could actually say a word.

    “Lei…” I was shocked.

    “Watching you practice your martial arts helped,” she spoke, running on.

    It was now that I noticed her hair was open, no longer in its braid, and how confident she seemed, I ran after her, down a hall where now there were five white coat people, armed with tranquilizers.

    “Lei, wait…” but she had lashed out again, before the others could get her, I hit the last two she missed.

    More filed in, and she pointed to a room pulsing with blue light,

    “Go!” she shouted, screaming at me.

    I ran, but looked back to see her knock down three with a round house kick, and then back flip over another, throwing him into the wall, she stood in front of me, and then a glass door shut, blocking her from me. Surprised, she looked at me, and before facing the attackers, she mouthed the words,

    “Go, I’m sorry…” she faced the men, and knocked down a few, mainly the ones with the weapons, but then one with a knife got her…

    I looked away, the sudden red on the clean glass shocked me, revolted me…I felt sick.

    Wait…Lei…

    I turned to look.

    “Lei,” I shouted, matching my hands with hers on the glass, the guards began to drag her away, leaving only the crimson stain on the glass.

    ‘Finish what your father could never do…’

    Before the guards could enter, I looked at the label, and sticking the key into the slot, like a car’s ignition, I turned it. The label read, ‘warning, warp hazard; do not press without authorization.’

    “Ryan, quite a surprise,” Smith spoke, “Can I know how you got that girl to help you? Don’t you dare move or I’ll have to hurt you.”

    He held a gun, his aim was set, but he came closer…

    I put my hand on the green pad, ignoring his words, I felt something hit me, knock the breath out of me, but I stood still, taking in a sharp breath.

    “You’re done,” I spoke, “this world doesn’t need you, or your type of people. Humans live with feelings, without them, there’s no life, you’ve murdered the planet, Mr. Smith, and you will pay.”

    I turned to face the screen, not caring for the pain in my chest. I recalled old memories of Lei and me, mother and father, happy times: Lei’s first steps. Mother and Father’s Anniversary; Lei watching me fight, her first place painting at the fair, her kindergarten year…all gone…

    The screen read, ‘Session in progress, 20%.’

    “Do you by any chance have a pen?” I asked him, sliding to the floor, “I’d like to write something before I die.”

    “It’ll cost you a bullet…for every word you write, since I can’t stop the warp process, and determining how slow it’s going, you and I are going to have a fun torture session.”

    “Fine with me, I’ve got nothing to lose.”

    He tossed me a pen, and I wrote on my palm,

    ‘Kill Marx Smith.’

    “Three words, three bullets,” he spoke, reloading his pistol.

    I tossed the pen back, “Three is probably all I can take, looks like your torture is cut short,” I laughed bitterly.

    “So much hate when we’ve only just met,” he sighed, “Forget the shooting, I’ll show you your father, despite our efforts, his body won’t accept the device, come along, I’m sure you’d like to know what happened from his point of view, maybe he’ll get you to realize that you have just made a fatal mistake.”

    I found it hard to move, so he pulled me up, roughly, I staggered to my feet.

    As the door opened, I tried not to look at the red stain on the floor and glass…

    “Oh my, I wonder who caused that mess,” Smith spoke, commenting about the blood.

    I flinched, but didn’t respond as he led me into an elevator, another lady entered, dressed in red instead of white, she wore a hat, like the ones the women harvesting rice wore back home, in China.

    If Smith saw her, he didn’t acknowledge it. The elevator began its ascent upwards.

    “It’ll be quite a long ride up,” he spoke.

    “That’s no different than how you lived your life,” I found myself speaking, though I hadn’t even given a thought to saying anything, I felt drained, yet the words flooded me with energy.

    “What’s that supposed to mean?”

    “You wanted wealth, and hungered for power your entire life. Its brought you here, but if you think about it, you have nothing, the people you have hold no heart, no mind, its as if you’re ruling nothing since no one does anything wrong. I bet, in seven years, I’m the highlight.”

    He laughed, “You’re right about that last bit, quite an interesting kid,” he looked at the floor numbers that were above the door; the numbers were gone, and a perplexed look came on, “We should be there by now…we have to get out at some point; surely the warp isn’t finished yet…”

    There was a screech and with a jolt, the weightless feeling resided and we found ourselves gripping the wall for balance as the elevator shuddered…

    The lady didn’t seem affected at all.

    “You won’t be able to get out…not now or ever; a pathetic man with a pathetic building…aren’t you panicking yet? Your power is over, waning like the moon and sun. I’m not the one who’s going to die, it’s you,” I spoke.

    Sweat beaded his face, and pleased, I sat down, resting, and amazed that I wasn’t dead yet…maybe my injury isn’t as fatal as I thought…

    “Don’t you feel guilty? Your men just killed an eleven year old girl, surely you had a family, somewhere, maybe you’ve kept them normal all these years, and if you had a daughter, what would you do with her if she was dead? If someone you knew killed her…how would you live? I would give up, especially when the rest of my family was gone as well.”

    “Then why are you still here?” he questioned.

    “Because, I wasn’t done with everything…and I still don’t know if I’m done yet.”

    “Well, it’s getting late, and I’m not liking the topic,” he pulled the gun out yet again, “You’re boring me, Ryan.”

    “If I had known I was your entertainment I would’ve prepared better.”

    He managed to twitch his lips.

    “Just admit it, you like me, Mr. Smith, don’t you?”

    Before he could pull the trigger, he fell over…and I stared at him confused, watching a crimson pool form around him.

    “It’s called a silencer; you didn’t hear the gun go off, did you? The warp is at 99%. You need to get out of this thing…” the woman spoke.

    “My father…” I began.

    “He’s alive, but he’s programmed to kill anyone he recognizes, who do you think killed Lei?”

    I hadn’t seen the face, but the others had backed up…impossiblefather?

    “I’ll help you get out,” she began to disappear before I could protest, “Get up,” her voice commanded, and I obeyed.

    A group of silver and navy blue sparkles floated around where she had been; they floated up and opened up the maintenance hatch on the roof,

    “You’re tall, can you reach it?” she spoke from above.

    I reached up, grabbing the edge and pulling myself up, as I rolled onto the roof, I grunted with pain as my ribs contracted with my weight, and pressed on the bullet wound.

    “Relax, you’ve got thirty seconds, you need to get off this…I need to go, good luck.”

    The sparkles vanished, and I stood once again…

    Get off? There was no way…I looked over the edge, a very faint glow was there…I had to jump, would I live…?

                Taking a good breath, I turned my back to the edge, and fell backwards, watching the elevator fly past me, my body numb and rigid, letting gravity take over; and then there was a feeling of warmth, and a wide beam of blue-white light held me and went up further, causing zero visibility. It blinded me and I closed my eyes…hoping I hadn’t messed up, I found myself muttering a small wish, remembering the last family dinner we had, the first day of summer vacation, my letter for the exchange program…mixed into this was the current, father not returning after a meeting, hearing that Hong Kong had been bombed by the Japanese military, Lei’s tears as she realized what the news meant, her birthday…I begged that this was right and I’d be able to go back and fix this mess, stopping it from ever happening.

 

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