Chapter 57: Chapter 57: A Hundred Year Old Grudge

He had seen so much and done so many things in the short days of his life. He was sitting on the bridge of a control tower and saw a space engine come around a bend, particles blasting out of its thruster stack. He was in the Leviant Harbor when they were filming an ode to humanity. He was looking down at USS Arizona as Monocrafts flew in. In his short life, he had seen things and done things that leaves a lasting memory.

Guns blazing was his way of life. It was always his way of life until a certain woman entered it. Mellowing that fire, and taming it for herself. Once in a while , Robert dreamt of her very thoroughly.

Her smile. Her touch. The little nuances that she does when talking to him. How her little movements are caught by him. And in a way he should have been more persuasive about getting her some defensive augments. But like him he had the thought of replacing parts only when it needed replacing.

It was fading away.

A world apart and lost in time.

A story that Robert had decided to keep on the back of his head. He even thinks that the brief stay in the past was nothing more than a consolation to the fate given to him today.

Robert scanned the area with his all–sense before lighting up his hand on fire. He retained the ability to use spells, and yet he found it much more adaptive. He even wondered if it was that being who gave him another gift to manipulate electricity, though limited.

But the rules didn’t change. He could use the ability ten times. The binding light and the seals remained the same. He had a hard time making use of them.

It came to him that he had lost some will in regards to fighting. Like all the enthusiasm he had was just faded. No, it was more like after his soul got shredded, it was just another way to survive.

Sitting on a plastic chair just above his apartment. He looked at the towers in the center while taking a sip of a can of beer. This was his sixth can. And the bartender that told him it was diluted was right.

It tastes like bitter water. The more he drank, the more unimpressed he was with the beer can. It didn’t have that taste he was looking for.

He squeezed the beer can and took the rest back to his apartment. He had recently bought himself a mini fridge to store beer and some ingredients. The money he got from his delivery jobs and the tips were used to buy himself a computer with a jack-in interface.

After placing the beer inside. He checked his computer for any emails before finding his way to the bar he had been frequenting. It was like an oasis with how quiet and isolated it was.

He walked past the vending machines. He stared at the hobo on the side staring blankly at the sky.

“Welcome to Eden!”

Robert pushed the door open and was greeted by Julie only.

He moved his legs on the front of the counter while looking at the stock behind.

“What can I get you?”

“Beer please.”

She sniffed lightly, moving her hands. “You already smell one, Robert.”

“You were right. The beer cans are watered down. Can’t get tipsy with that.”

“Must have been busy.”

“I had been. Not anymore since I can sit down here again. Where’s John by the way?”

“He had to run errands. By the way, any trouble? I heard that there are gangs being rowdy lately.”

Robert stared at the beer she’s making.

“I heard that the Vultures have been fighting certain folks. Other than that, I have not heard anything.”

“For a person who does delivery, you sure don’t know a lot.”

“Now that’s unfair,” Robert said. “I just do deliveries. If anything, shouldn’t it be the role of the bartender to have information?”

“Isn't that unfair as well? I don’t go around the streets asking questions. I don’t have connections and at best I can tell you about the old junkie four buildings away from us that drank a bottle of glue and kerosene.”

“Kerosene?”

She placed the beer mug on the flat of the counter.

“I don’t know the name of the hobo, but I think he was planning to concoct some energy drink. He mixed it with other ingredients, mind you. But still, it was glue and kerosene.”

“Sounds nasty. You saw it personally?”

“I did. Things can be crazy around here. I mean it’s not like in the cleaner parts of the city where a drone’s watching your movement.”

“Does that mean I can ask you about hobos who are sniffing glue in the vicinity?”

“Where did that come from?”

“I don’t know, miss. But that’s one change of expression you got there.”

“Shouldn’t pissed off your bartender for the night. That reminds me, how old are you , Robert?”

“How old are you, Julie?”

“I asked first.”

Robert leaned back and took a sip, “Guess, I’m still 29?”

“What does that mean?”

“I think I'm 29. Hmm, are you 28 by the way?”

“It kind of ticks me that you got it right. Do I have an easy-to-tell age? Also... think you are 29?”

“No, in my case it reminded me of someone your age.”

“That so?”

She crossed her arms. Robert sipped on the foams of his beer. There was old jazz playing in the background with the occasional tune coming from the arcades on the back of the bar. Robert saw the green tea vending machine.

“Do people drink that?”

“Rarely. It’s actually pretty good. Can get ice or warm.”

“Not hot?”

“Never hot really.”

“Iced tea is good. I’d prefer apple tea at least. Never get fond of drinking green tea no matter what temp it is.”

Robert looked around the bar. She was the only one here. His all-sense couldn’t sense anything else.

“You alone for tonight?”

“Boss had to do something and like I said John had to do some errands.”

“Ain’t afraid?”

“Not really. This bar’s been associated with a group here. And look at this.”

She pressed something below her bar and four automatic turrets appeared from the four corners of the bar. The laser pointers on Robert’s head.

“Convenient isn’t it?”

“Ever got a chance to use it?”

“I haven’t. It’s regularly maintained by the Boss to make sure that it works.”

“Your Boss sounds like an enigma.”

“Boss’s a former rigger. She’s a drone specialist back in the army so she has know-hows when it comes to this. She even has an exoskeleton in her office. It’s pretty cool.”

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“Are all bars like this?”

“I think so This is Lux City, and there are a lot more assholes than decent people here. The last bar I worked with had gangsters and chrome junkies addicted to red powder. It’s a good thing that I left that.”

“I’m sure that you left because of that skimpy outfit thing and folk wanting to fuck you in back.”

“It’s tiresome dealing with it. It’s actually only when I started working here that I actually started talking with customers.”

“Ever heard them complain or telling you to fuck off?”

“Thankfully, there are only a few. It’s my job to get them drunk and there are times that they become too drunk to stand and hit their head on the way out.”

“Should you be saying that?”

She shrugged nonchalantly.

“So far you haven’t done anything, and I don’t think you’re the type to hit head way out. I don’t know. Something about you.”

Robert chuckled, “I’m actually a magician from a future, miss.”

“The future or a future??”

“A future.”

“Neat. So is it some kind of roleplaying game or something? I never really got into Larping.”

“That hard to believe?”

“Who knows? I mean we already have many things. There’s already a mars colony, a moon base, and there are talks about a generation ship on the net. Magic isn’t really going to be a game-changer. I mean if I can shoot a fireball out of my hands. Would it even work when most of the mercs and gangsters these days have subdermal skin that resists them? They can resist bullets and I heard some chum on 29th street was able to tank a grenade. Granted that he had shrapnel all over his body. And I don’t know… maybe magic is hard to learn if it’s real since it’s a skill surely. Like a martial art.”

“You are very sharp, miss. How about I give you a talisman? A lucky charm?”

Robert searched his pocket and handed over the trinket he made. It was one of the few things he had learned that could protect people from harm. One of the few things that remained with him. It was wood covered in red cloth with a yarn tying it together.

“Is this handmade?”

“It is. You take that. It’ll protect you.”

She had a face full of skepticism, but took the charm with her. She pocketed it, “I’ll keep it around then.”

Her phone rang. She answered it.

“What? A Curfew? Did something happen? Ah, a terrorism? What about you, Boss? Okay, I’ll close up. That’s a problem then. I don’t know if I can go home without the charter bus.”

Julie turned on the television. An emergency broadcast said that all main roads are going to be closed until further notice. Robert looked at the headline and cringes.

“The Sons of the Solar Temple…”

Like a salted wound.

The rage that he felt a long time ago came back like a wave crashing through sand.

“That’s one frightening face.”

“Sorry,” Robert wiped his face. “I see that the Solar Temple still has folk around.”

“Yeah, they never really left this city from what I heard. It was a long time ago that they said they were annihilated by a cult. I think this one’s just a copycat of the old cult.”

“Really?/ They sell organs? Blood?”

“Human trafficking from what I heard.”

“These fucks never change.”

Robert calmed himself down and finished his beer, “You’re closing, right? I can take you home to your apartment.”

“Ah, don’t bother.”

“You can always tip pay me for the gas.”

Julie hesitated before nodding, “Okay, can you wait outside? I need to close up and activate the bar’s turret defenses.”

“Okay. What about John?”

“He’ll head straight to the lockup probably. I’d send him a text to notify him. Guy's street smart so he knows what to do.”

Robert took a step out of the bar and waited near the vending machines. After a few minutes, Julie walked out wearing her parka jacket and backpack.

He had parked his motorcycle not far from the bar. He started the engine and asked for her address.

“It’s on Neo-Henbane Street’s apartment 3AE.”

“Henbane huh,” Robert placed a waypoint on his smart glasses and drove Julie, avoiding patrols, and weaving through alleys. Entering an empty main road that had been left by construction.

Julie who was on the back commented, “You know your way around this city for a newcomer. Are you using a scanner or something?”

“In a way, I am using one. I could just mess up and get us arrested for having a ride to your apartment.”

“Well, we could just bribe them or tell them that we didn’t know.”

Robert steadied the motorcycle and started at the moon hiding behind the megatower.

“City can be peaceful for once.”

“It is?”

There were sirens everywhere and that city-noise never left.

“You’re a good driver.”

“I can also do some stunts to show you how good I am.”

“Let’s normally go, okay?”

The ride was quiet. They occasionally enter an alley to avoid the cops roaming and finally arrive at the apartment block that she was living in. Robert followed Julie to where her apartment was and stood outside while leaning on the railing just outside her apartment room.

“Thanks for the ride, I’ll wire you the gas money. Oh, here’s some coffee by the way.”

Robert opened the canned and drank, “Warm.”

“Are you staying for a while?”

“I’ll go soon once I finish this.”

Julie nodded and went back to her apartment.

Robert stared at the police lights blaring at the distance.

“Remnants of those cultist pieces of shit are still around eh….”

There was a fire burning in his eyes.

A fire that had never left him even after a hundred years had passed.

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