Chapter 2
Part 1
May 4th, 2513
Budget – 0
Steps – 0%
Calorie Score (-)
The car trundled along with new wheels, an axle, and words of wisdom they'd not understood, at all. It didn't matter, cards were swiped, insurance paid. Pretty faces remembered.
It left a rather despondent Mother, cruising at a newly cautious speed.
Mansfield Metro welcomed them. A city so filled with structures it spilled into itself.
The massive tilt of the land made the Jet-black skyscrapers surround the car like a hug. The entire city was carved into Mansfield Mountain, which was in the shadow of the far larger mountain, the Bolton M.
Massive metal pillars reaching into infinity lined the streets to compensate the mountain's shadow. The light glowed, soft and dim, but in their thousands. The combined light shone like a beacon.
Griff snored, his legs on the dashboard, his chair fully reclined, forcing Kate behind the driver's seat.
Before the city's 'hug' was an air freighter where hover jets rose constantly. A ten-lane road opened into a massive circle with as many exits. They spun around it, the late night left them with a dozen cars to contend with as they spiralled to the centre.
"Food?" Mother asked.
"Sure, I'm sugared out." Kate said, shaking a half empty bag of Jamal's Jumbo Jelly Snakes. It was one of the few consolations of road trips, the massive pre-buying of sugar.
"I'm going to Uber." Mother declared.
"Seriously Mom?" Kate complained.
"Look, I'm tired and it's too dark to drive in circles all confused in unknown territories. So yeah... We're going to rest and eat, and I'll think about the money another time."
"What an example. I am inspired." Kate said with a snort.
"I can still spank the shit out of you."
"Yeah, yeah. Just call the food."
The car turned towards the centre which looked like an airport with half a dozen cars creating small groups like puddles of vehicles. Electric lights in the shapes of arrows on the window led them to a pair of sleek sedans, parked next to each other.
She parked behind, turning a duet into a threesome.
A few buttons were pressed on Mother's wrist. Metal rails rose around them like a cage on a rollercoaster.
"So…" Mother began, the caution in the tone was born of concern. "Boys…"
Mother began. Kate rolled her eyes, realizing where everything was going.
"Don't." Kate warned.
"You're fifteen."
"Mother dearest… I'm sixteen, turning seventeen."
"Yes, darling, that's how the concept of time works." Mother returned, droll.
"Yeah, yeah."
"Are we going to talk about safe sex?" Mother asked in the same tone a policeman would ask a carjacker: 'Can I help you' after putting a hand on the wheel through the policeman's window.
"Am I allowed to have sex?" Kate returned.
"You're not allowed to drive, but I bet if I offered the wheel, you'd take it. And I promise. Some boy out there is gonna make the offer. You're a cute girl, and this is a big city. If even 0,1% of boys pay attention, that's tens of thousands of boys. The idea that one won't hit you right in the heart means you're either an egomaniac or a frigid bitch. And you're too sweet and thoughtful to be any of that. But please baby. Your first thought should be no. Hold onto that one word, those two letters. No matter the pressure you're under. Because, it's like killing in a hunt my love. Once the first one's done. The rest become too easy. And you always remember the first."
"What are you most worried about? Me getting sick?"
"Nope, you've got health insurance. I'm worried about you creating life and then ending it. Which you WILL be doing! I'm not becoming a grandma. And, like losing your V card. You don't forget what happened. And when it comes to your V Card, don't lose it Kate, it's purpose is to be given away."
"Will you say this to Griff?" Kate asked.
The implications behind the words strong like shot of whiskey. Mother merely turned to her.
"You think I haven't considered that? Look at that boy. He's adorable and the way he eats… It's like he doesn't know the food on the plate is his, so he just swallows it Down his gullet. There's no restraint!" Mother shook her head and sighed, "I plan on telling him every day! You think I'm gonna let him bring some tart for us to look after? You're insane. She and Griff will be having an 'accident'."
That was funny enough to make Kate laugh.
A fourth car appeared, trundling to a halt right next to them. The windows were tinted, cheating Kate of an answer to her curiosity. Around them the railing glowed. Freshly settled snow shifted dramatically and all four cars were lifted by the hover jet, white force burst out of the sides as it rose, leaving the city below.
A second drone, the size of a microwave and gushing blue flame, locked onto their window, sealing around the frame. It turned green as the glass slid away.
Immediately their nostrils were drowned in tender red meat, fried onion and deep-fried potato wedges so thick no one could ever consider them to be chips. The heat was mouth-watering enough to drag Griff out of his slumber. He grabbed an oily paper bag like a blackout drunk.
"We there?" He garbled while pulling out a wedge and popping it in his mouth. The thing was hot enough to steam even as he chewed.
"Yeah, we've landed. Sort of." Mother said as they crossed the city to a platform on the other side.
Light and flame changed colour from white and blue to orange as it landed on the roof of a massive structure that stood tall but thin like a needle. It's sole purpose to house vehicles. And where vehicles were not parked, bright blazing logos shined appealing advertisements at them. They were one of four vehicles and the more they separated from the few the more specific the advertising got. The jelly snakes they'd eaten? Why not eat more? Replaced their car parts? Time for a new car. Then as if the advertising had stepped into a huddle and come to an agreement. All advertising focused on the Mansfield capable vehicle.
Soon they were set free of the landing and smooth sailing on the city roads headed out of Mansfield central and into a quiet suburb.
It felt like a team effort as the conscious pair kept their eyes on the street despite the directional light. They had learned a hard lesson and learned it well. The snow hadn't calmed, instead it drizzled lazy spinning and wafting around lazily. But in trillions forming a fog of flakes that were both bright, bouncing headlight beams back at them like glitter but obstructionist enough to leave them blind. They weren't even listening to music, the electric hum of the engine beaten only by the hydraulic churn of the windscreen wipes.
The car quickly crossed tall home after tall home. The buildings and apartments got smaller, the closer to the mountain they drove.
They stopped ahead of a five-floor apartment home. The yard and driveway long and grassy with a slope that made Kate's calves ache just looking at them.
The walk led to an elevator to a three-floor apartment. Theirs was on the second floor, putting them in the middle of the middle.
The door opened to find furniture, a large passage and a collection of balloons spelling 'welcome' floating ahead, their helium weakened from time, and the weight of the many welcome cards.
They were all bypassed, Kate entered her new room and winked out of consciousness as she sunk into her bed.