Afterglow
The world is governed by trivial matters. Mad, insane, disoriented – these are the best descriptions I can come up to picture how this place they once called 'home' is doing right now. Perhaps the world has gone mad for real, but the planet itself has no consciousness, right? By what law of science can such charge be proven true? I know none.
Then I shall correct myself for saying such false accusations.
Here it goes: humans are extremely foolish creatures.
Fifty years ago, birds ruled the air and aquatic beings inhabited the sea. Man resided on lands, given the fact that they can neither fly and stay put in the atmosphere, nor breathe underwater and build their houses on the reefs. These people who believed that they are superior amongst all biotic entities, pursued a different level of knowledge that separated them from the beasts of the wild. Science, it is called. They explored such field in greater depth than those dead people printed on books, and after that the world is never the same.
The undying adage goes like change is inevitable. Be it in good manner or otherwise, it is not controllable. It has become an involuntary volition for the human race ever since the dawn of time. Majority of the population of Cloture believed that human beings evolved from the genus Homo of phylum Chordata. I hate discussing technical terms but I call these beings 'monkeys', because they strongly resemble them. And since Cloturians have this Darwinistic belief implanted in their shiny brains, I shall call them monkeys. Assuming the arguments of this widely accepted theory in the tainted lands of Cloture, change has begun ever since humans evolved. Thus, change should continue.
Believe it or not, these monkeys went overboard. They started to change the nation fifty years ago, wiping out peace and order and replacing them with disruption and war. Their "science" brought them to heights no other human race, color or ethnicity has ever reached, and by the time the whole country was changed, Cloture was a state recognized for its superior weaponry.
The monkeys assuming the titles of leaders altered the system. After strengthening the military forces and seizing the rebellion within the territories, the leaders revised the system which run the country for century long. When the constitution was revised, these monkeys emerged to the throne and had all the people wrapped around their fingers.
"Long live Cloture! Long live the General!"
"Die," I snapped, grabbing the remote from the counter to turn off the TV. When the screen turned black, I hissed.
TV programs were so tedious and nonsensical that I grew tired watching any of it. All shows being aired were monitored by the government, filtering all of its contents. Actually all kinds of shows were permitted, so long as none of these programs could provoke resistance from the lower order. Yes, lower order oralso known as the blue-collar workers and the rest of the starving people. Well, that was so typical. The oppressed were always the first ones to notice how unjust, corrupted and parasitic the system had always been. In a game of chess, they would always make the first move. In my case, the less important pieces, were pawns – that was if I put myself in a typical monkey's thinking.
They always come in greater number, but they were powerless. En passant, forward or diagonal - these were the only moves they could do. They were the only ones to complain. Less-valued but significant in some sense. They were the ones often sacrificed so the other pieces could advance.
"Isn't it too early to be in such sour mood, Miku?" the owner of the TV said, walking across the shop. Her fading blond hair fell a few inches above her waist. Cloturians with normal hair colors – let me mention a few: black, blond, brown, red and white – were receiving a fairly good treatment from the people. Those people who were magically born with a different color from the mentioned colors were - of course - considered vile or something. That's experience talking, mind to tell you.
"I don't wish prosperity or good health for the nation and the ruler itself. I don't care about politics," I followed the woman as she entered her secret nursery over the counter, muttering something about the long-live whatsoever countrymen were always screaming. "Hey, Diva. Can I borrow that book for a while?"
"Sure, why not? Just don't end up brooding about the contents," the blond laughed as she pulled a book out of her shelf. "You always end up twisting your face when you're reading anything."
I rolled my eyes. "That's a common reaction for people who are reading introspectively. My face states that I am absorbing the details."
Cyber Diva shoved the book to me and pushed me out of her nursery. The grin on her face is asking me to quit bugging her already. Shrugging, I walk out.
Welcome to my life.
I was not trying to start a rebellion against the current government with my wonderful introduction. Words couldn't change anything in the existing corrupted system anyway, it wouldn't do anything if they came from a commoner like me. Words bore power when the speaker was powerful in some sense. What I said was based on how I see the society as it was. No power. No sense.
This is reality, the life I am forced to live. The kind of living the government make us swallow.
This is Cloture.
They call me Miku and I am eighteen. I didn't have any memories of my past. No surname, no parents, no siblings, no boyfriend and no teachers. For some vague reasons, all records about my identity were burned together with the orphanage where I (allegedly) came from. Friends were all I have here and now, in the persona of my employer, Cyber Diva, and workmate, Xin Hua.
Cyber Diva was the only daughter of a certain affluent family from the middle order. Three or four years older than me and Xin, she had obtained a degree from the best university here in Cloture, the University of Latria. Such university specialized in sciences and engineering, producing citizens who would continue to advance the kind of living through innovation and technology. In spite of this "highly scientific" background of Diva's alma mater, I couldn't understand why she chose to put up her own business (aka flower shop) instead of joining companies or participating in research competitions sponsored by the private sector.
Xin Hua, on the other hand, was that girl dozing off on the couch. Her long dark purple hair caught up in pigtails reminded me so much of my own hair style, albeit my hair color is a lot nicer than hers. Why? Love yourself, okay? I had enough of this hair scheme discrimination and I never wished to hear more. Teal was better than lilac shade, in my opinion.
Why I slightly cringed at the sight of her sleeping form, it must be obvious. There was no trace of modesty with how her legs and arms dangled from the armrests of the couch. Poor settee suffering from Xin's heavy body. It didn't help that she looked so stupid while her mouth was ajar, snoring and drooling at the same time.
Xin Hua and I met shortly after I woke up in Diva's care. According to Diva, I was just released from the orphanage when a terror attack was befallen on the town where I came from. Diva was currently searching for different kinds of flowers she could plant herself when she heard the explosion half a mile from where she was. Of course, the common reaction of people was to runaway. So, Diva did the opposite and rushed to the scene. But before she could get to the orphanage, she saw me lying unconscious and wounded 200 meters from the burning children's home.
Xin Hua was Cyber Diva's helper in the shop even before I worked for the blond. She was a year older than me - that makes her nineteen - but her appearance would betray her age, anyway. This girl was too lively and bubbly and everything. She was acting a tad childish sometimes, but maybe that was what I liked about her. A girl who was thoughtful enough to take care of an amnesiac orphan like me was a good friend of mine. Both she and Diva were patient and kind towards me, albeit my attitude (at most of the times) was irrationally vexatious.
The wide array of flowers in this shop had done nothing to soften my hardhead. The bright colors were too vibrant as the faint sunlight shone upon their petals. It wasn't my desire to soften it as well, because I couldn't imagine myself submitting to all these unfounded rules and unnecessary discrimination among people. The rich became richer, and the poor got worse. Technology upgraded everything in a quick pace and machines replaced manual labor. People of lower order accepted the job of maintaining these devices (that's the highest job they can get) or start a small business or whatnot. The government continued to apprehend all parties that would oppose them until there is one, absolute voice left to rule the land of Cloture.
When I woke up, I haven't realized these things all at once. Maybe because Xin and Diva were staring down at me curiously with those stupid wide grins. I began to live my life when they told me that Diva found me unconscious on the ground that day of terror attack. They asked questions I couldn't answer like queries about my identity, and so they concluded that I lost my memories. True enough, I had no recollection of what happened that day. Soon, Diva handed me back the bag I was carrying that day and we saw an identification tag (like of those in military) with the name Miku written.
I remembered Diva holding my hand that time, telling me not to force myself to recall who I am. I stared back at her and asked if she truly found me near the explosion and she nodded. I could only nod back, quite unsure of her answer because I never heard of the town of Celeste before, so...
I lived the life Diva offered to me. In mornings and afternoons, we had to tend to the garden and water the flowering plants; make sure that the green mesh shielding the huge nursery was not holed by any insects or animals. It was fun to do all these simple things, eat thrice a day, get a decent pay and smile to whoever buys a flower, had this life not been spent in this country, which lost the authentic civic peace.
Cloturians looked down on their own countrymen with different hair color and social status. They blatantly expressed discrimination and inequity so the society would continue to survive. This was a cycle, they claimed, and like how the water turned to vapor and came back to land, nothing would break it.
That was, somehow, true. But no truth was too absolute to not be deconstructed and reversed. Fools relented with this kind of thinking instantly, but those who could see the hope that this ideology could be broken, were fighting out there. And I, albeit in silence, have to continue the battle.
Knowledge was the only thing that separates Higher Order from the Middle Order. Wealth isolated Lower Order from both of the more privileged orders. However, this wasn't the case for Cyber Diva. She was educated and had a varied knowledge about science as though she was from the higher order. I often see her laughing when science forums were televized, pinpointing the faults and good points of whatsoever was being aired. She would then explain things to me and Xin, and soon I noticed myself getting hooked with science. Knowledge was thought to be exclusive for people of higher order, but here is Diva, more knowledgeable than the celebrity goons who called themselves researchers. Hence the book I borrowed earlier was here with me, pages being flipped as I read through it. There was no written and unwritten rule that prohibited lower orders to gain knowledge.
The book I was reading, Biotechnology, was a mixture of biology and engineering and technology for me. Diva had taken interest in the study of this field, because this was the stepping stone which brought Cloture where it was right now. A bunch of genetically modified animals were existing soundly in the country, most of them were mechanical avatars walking around the capital city as though they were the common stray animals. These mechanical animals are said to be operated by surveillance system. Hence, the criminality was under control of the authorities.
Diva told us before that Cloture had long pioneered in biotech. Cyborgs and stuff like that were already mundane but was getting better day by day. Fifty-and-six years ago, this technological advances began clandestinely in fear of rejection from public. Ethics was the primary argument of the opposition. However, look around today. Everything had changed after five decades.
Technology was at its height in Cloture. It was quite ironic, though, because despite this supposedly good improvement, the life expectancy of Cloturians was declining. I could only wonder why. We, people from the lower order, were not even prohibited to understand the technologies the researchers were developing.
"Ever the dreamer, Miku?" Diva snapped a finger in front of my face, stirring my mind that has been stuck with all these thoughts about the country. Dreamer? Maybe I am.
"You're out of that secret laboratory real quick," I acknowledged her. Diva just rolled her eyes and walked to the couch, kicking the said furniture to wake the girl lying there. Xin fell on the ground with a loud thud.
"A nursery is not a laboratory, Miku. Anyway, you seem upset today. What's wrong?" Diva pushed Xin's legs out of her way before claiming the seat. "I thought books can pacify you and your...hatred towards the nation."
Xin quickly climbed back to the couch, this time sitting with her eyes half-opened. Her hair looks like a bundle of purple pasta. "Hey, guys. Morning," she mumbled and slept again.
"Oh? I am reading. I'm not upset," I told Diva nonchalantly. Really, I wasn't.
Diva chuckled, "Yeah, sure. And you read the book upside down."
Oh! Yeah, I was holding the book upside down. No wonder why I couldn't understand anything for the past few minutes that I was staring at it. I thought this was some Russian book or whatsoever. Sighing, I closed the book and placed it above the counter.
For the first time today, I acknowledged: there was something wrong with me.
Diva flashed a motherly smile and gestured me to come near her. We were always like this, confiding in her as though she was our big sister. When this blonde told us that she was no longer living under her parent's house, she had all the freedom to herself. So if she wanted to treat us like we were her family, she would do so. This was her confrontation when Xin asked why was she kind to us, lower orders.
I pushed Xin on the other end so I could occupy the space between her and Diva. This talk was kind of weird as well, because I didn't know where to start. Got no clue what to say either. There was this magical feeling that randomly materialized in my chest, leading to the birth of this little voice inside my head. The next thing I knew, there was something wrong with me, with how things work now. But I couldn't identify what was wrong, so I didn't exactly understand my own feelings.
"You got something to say, Miku?"
"When you talk like that I want to puke. Don't act so motherly," I looked at her and stuck my tongue out. This was uncomfortable sometimes, mainly because she was an educated middle order while I wasn't anything at all.
"Oh sure. Come on, say it. I swear, if you'll be ranting about how outrageous and dire our society is, I cannot help you." She leaned against the couch and stared at the distance, paying no mind to her flowers surrounding us. For the first time, the colors surrounding us never mattered to the florist.
I want to bring up that talk actually, but she already gave a warning so...
What else could I say? I didn't exactly know what I want to talk about. I didn't even know why I automatically followed her when she asked me to sit with her. Being with Diva and Xin was home, no wonder. Maybe I was just looking for a little comfort.
"I don't know, Diva. Maybe I just feel a little out of place," I sighed, leaning towards the sleeping hog beside me. This flower shop had witnessed a lot of fun memories. I am glad to be here but this place seemed not to be my place. "I don't like flowers as much as you do."
"Oh, dear. Believe me, I don't like it either. I just love experimenting on them. Cross-pollination and stuff," Diva sighed. Perhaps, she told the truth. She had a great deal of knowledge about sciences, after all. Besides, she graduated from University of Latria. "Science makes things a lot less boring. However, this has nothing to do with whatever's weighing you down."
I laughed awkwardly. This was not like Diva at all. I mean she could last a day hiding in her private nursery behind that weird door. Asking about what's troubling me was uncharacteristically fishy.
"Aren't you treating my stuff too seriously? I mean we all have our days. It's just a passing phase." Shrugging, I propped up an elbow on Xin's waist, earning a laughter from the girl.
Diva patted my head as though I was a dog. "Aren't you spacing out a lot today? You won't read the book upside down, water the flowers with coffee and glare at the newsflash like how you did a few hours ago. I should be really worried."
Oh...that's quite reasonable. Yeah, exactly. Why am I spacing out a lot today? But the last one she mentioned was intended. I don't like the governance here. With all of my heart.
I yanked my arm away from Xin as she hopped out of the couch, eyes wide like a voracious bear. Her hair was mussed in all directions, pigtails uneven. She looked from left to right, ceiling to floor, then rushed to the shop's door and kicked it open.
"What are you two doing!?" she yelled, eyes blood-shot. We only blinked at her. "There's an earthquake! Can't you feel it? The ground is shaking, idiots! It's shaking!"
"You're delirious," Diva shook her head and stood, walking towards Xin. "Or maybe...your brain lose a screw because you've been sleeping all day! Now, fix yourself! You won't show up to costumers like that, Xin Hua. Shoo!"
Costumers, oh. I forgot. We were florists. The mere visualization of how I was spending my youthful days with flowers and pollens and allergies (Xin's allergies) made me wonder whether this kind of life was what I wished to have back when I have my memories. We got to eat thrice a day. Living in a house, safe and sound, with sane girls looked ideal, too.
But there's something wrong.
Is it the society? Does it deal with how the society works right now? If it does, that should explain why I am annoyed with all these rules and regulations imposed.
But it seems that the real reason is deeper than that. So deep, I can't reach. So deep, I can't understand.
I don't understand what's wrong.
"Diva," I called, startling her from her own trance. She was always staring afar, too. "Can I take a break today? I want to wander around the mall if it's okay?" Diva creased her eyes, introspectively.
"You must be that troubled to ask for an alone-time," she mumbled. Well, not at all. I just couldn't figure out what the heck was wrong. My life, I supposed. I stayed silent and waited for her reply. "All right, go ahead. Be back before eight in the evening. Stay away from trouble, Miku."
I quickly vanished from her field of vision, scampering along the halls to change in my room. Trouble should stay away from me, not the other way around.
• • •
"Miku! Buy me donuts, okay?" Xin Hua yelled from the entrance of the flower shop, waving the sprinkling pot. "Those with sprinkles above the chocolate whatsoever! I'll pay you once you're back!"
"Not happening! You promised the same thing last time, Xin! Not falling for that plan again. Pay your debt first," I rolled my eyes and ran away from the flower shop, ignoring the loud whines of that childish girl.
Seriously, I am glad that our neighbors aren't kicking us out because of her. Some stall owners were easily pissed off by Xin's unthought pranks, victimizing both sellers and consumers. But well, maybe it was because of her cutesy looks that people couldn't stay mad at her for a long time. With that extremely revealing skirt and flashy tops? I couldn't see why not.
I skipped away from the downtown quick as a cat, to catch up the tram coming from the next street. Ardio Town Center was ten minutes away from here in Mesh District, but the tram would only pass once every half an hour. The tram would go straight to the inner (also busier) part of the capital city and turn to travel back to the outer districts to pick up passengers.
"Weird," I muttered as I waited on the stop. One thing I hated most about this "technologically advance" society was the disadvantages it gave me. This tram, for example, was no longer operated by the classic maglev (magnetic levitation) like in early 21st century. This tram had anti-gravity engines installed at its base, perpendicular to the ground. How on earth gravity was manipulated under this public vehicle, I have no clue. It cancels gravity to make the whole thing weightless. Thus, it floats for about eight feet above the ground and flies down to pick up passengers. It doesn't land, it remains floating for half a meter above the ground so I have to hoist myself inside very quick, which is no fun.
And here comes the tram, by the way. The door slid apart and some passengers hopped down. For some reason, Cloturians are used to this routine. For some reason, I am extremely vexed with this climbing up and hopping down thing. I love to exercise myself as much as possible, the need to be fit is still necessary, but it's kind of hassle if you use this manner of transportation everyday. Or it's just me? Diva, Xin and I don't go out together for most of the times, so I guess that's why.
I gripped on the handrail and tried to hoist myself up that, of course, resulted in failure. Standing aside, I let other passengers went on before me and by the time I was about to get in, the tram operator spoke through the speakers. Ten stupid seconds left.
"What!" With all my strength, I pulled myself up and yet everything ended as attempts. Goodness, if these monkeys were truly intellectual they should have not removed the platforms!
"Miss, take my hand," a young man poked his head out and offered his hand. I was a little hesitant for a moment, but when the tram operator announced the fifth second, I grabbed the stranger's hand. My lack of exercise resulted in such weak stamina. Hoisting myself from the ground to step on the tram has never been perceived as a challenge by yours truly.
The door puffed a thin smoke as it closed, the air-conditioning system finally felt by my skin. That was close. It was only a matter of seconds to shut me out of the tram and force me to reach Ardio Town Center by foot. Nevertheless, all is well now.
"You like helping cute girls, Fukase. Always and forever,"
"Oi, Yuu. You told me to pull her up. You literally asked me to."
I turned around and saw the redhead who helped me. He was a head taller than me, arms crossed on his chest as he talked animatedly to his companion. I guess his name was Fukase and the blond one was Yuu.
"I bet she's the reason why you asked me to give you company. You need some guidance on your first date?" Fukase's shoulders shook as he laughed, head wincing as he watched the blond to shrug.
"I'm not interested with such matter. I told you already, I have an important appointment in Ardio – " the blond was hushed by the redhead's finger on his lips. Yuu was surprised himself but remained wordless about the interruption. What's this? Bro-love?
That was when Fukase looked at me, mocking a bow to acknowledge me. As if I will be moved by his weird gesture, huh.
"Good day, miss. Are you Yuu's secret lover?" he politely asked with a smile.
To return the favor, I did my best to sound the same - minus the sarcasm, of course. "Good day to you, too. Your brain, shall I compare it to a machine, lacks lubrication. Has it become too rusty to understand that you just saw me a few minutes ago and there's no way on earth I'd know who are you?" He gaped at me. "So to answer your question, no."
Shunned by my bluntness, the redhead cocked a brow and soon, glared at me. I wouldn't waste time talking to these guys, but I was truly thankful because Fukase helped. They were just talking nonsense and like what the blond said, I had no energy to waste a single second about this matter. Dating was for losers who needed others to make themselves complete. Another form of parasitism, I guess.
The silence thickened. The blond was laughing at his friend as he nudged an elbow to the quiet redhead, humor was twinkling in his sea-green eyes. Knowing what might happen next, I spoke again. "Anyway, thanks for helping me back there. Have a good day." I gave them a tight smile before turning around, not missing the shrug the redhead made. I walked further inside the tram, trying to find a seat. Though Ardio was a few minutes away, it would be the best option for me – to sit down and ponder about my weird feelings.
The skyscrapers from the inner city came to view. After a few more minutes of riding this tram, I would be able to see those colossal infrastructures towering above me. There would be plenty of animal bions roaming around the outskirts of the city and in the downtown. Many high and middle orders would turn their heads to me, being my hair was so noticeable. Once I got inside the Town Center, I wouldn't care about all these things. I just wanted to spend time to think. By the time this tram stopped at its station, all the established difference between the social orders would be ignored. Or at least I could pretend that I was ignoring it.
The tram came to a halt to load passengers. People who were obviously well off boarded the tram, the scent of coffees and papers and some sort of heady perfume wafted in the air. I, who was not able to find a seat, was sandwiched between the new passengers. For the first time, I realized how it felt to drown amid a crowd.
I wanted to scream and push these people away if I wasn't in a disadvantageous position. There were too many high orders in here, I was just lucky that this tall, sheen high order wasn't brushing me away from him. I was literally pushed against his chest. The girl behind me was laughing and had her hands on my shoulders. Well, I was lucky. She wouldn't hit me now, would she? Was this guy her boyfriend? Ugh.
"Miss, are you okay?" she whispered, her voice smooth and soothing. She almost sounded like an angelic elder sister I could never have. "Your ears are red."
I glanced over my shoulder and saw that she was a bit taller than me. Her pink hair was caught in a messy ponytail, some strands fell loosely beside her face. Her deep blue eyes reminded me of the morning twilight, the sky where stars had yet to vanish before the sun shone. Her choice of apparel was screaming her social status, but wasn't she too friendly for a high order? And her hair was pink, too. She didn't look like a victim of discrimination.
She beamed at me and I remembered that she was asking something. Stuttering, I managed to say "I'm fine" while trying to push myself away from this guy. Nevertheless he continued to stumble towards me (and I, almost tripped back to the beautiful high order behind me). I wouldn't get out of this tangled mess quite soon. This time I decided to stare at the guy in front me. He was grunting something ever since he boarded, cursing softly at every push he would receive from the people behind him. He stepped forward again, his cuss turned up suddenly, making me look at the visage of this foulmouthed individual.
And that was a mistake I shouldn't have done. Peering down at me with wide blue eyes, his blond fringe fell loose like drawn curtains. His pale lips were pursed together in a thin line, I couldn't tell if it was a frown or a suppressed smile. That very moment I forgot that my hands were balled into fists against his chest, that we continued to tumble forward and backwards along the ride. He was remarkably beautiful, his face somewhat nostalgic.
The tram suddenly turned left, the force pushed me to him. I could hear the lady behind me laugh again, her hands still on my shoulders. With nothing to hold on, I instinctively clutched his shirt–or lab gown. Why the heck was he wearing a lab gown in a tram?
That was when I noticed his identity card. SELF Research Institute, it said. My fingers were quickly untangled from his coat, and I established a distance between us. Well, you could hardly call this space.
Diva had told me stories about this government research team which worked the most in strengthening the country's arsenal. SELF made every sci-fi fantasy real in Cloture. This guy was one of those highly intellectual monkeys who didn't invent a platform for this tram. He was one of those people who worked to make the fearsome image of this country. How foolish.
"Hey, Len. We're almost there," there was another guy standing behind him, and he was much taller than the blond. All I could see was his purple hair. "Luka, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, dear." I whipped my head around and saw the girl behind me smile. She was also working for SELF. Taken aback, I tried to face her.
"Are you working for SELF?" I focused on her amiable smile, hoping that she would say yes. And she did, through a nod. "How did...you get in? I..."
The tram halted, the doors slid apart with that familiar puffing of air.
"Luka, let's go."
It was the blond. He spoke coldly, his words sounded like an order. His voice was surprisingly scary for his face. I was not able to talk because the crowd began to push people again. The lady hopped down, the blond pushed me aside to follow the girl. I heard the tall purple-head scolding the blond because of his "ungentlemanliness" before jumping out of the tram, too.
The people continued to push past by me, each of them hopping down to waltz wherever they ought to go. It was not the Ardio Town Center yet so I had no need to get out. But seeing all these grand architecture before me, I was certain that this was the SELF Research Center. This place...was so inviting. The flying cars, the animal cyborgs, the soldiers in white suit...there was no mistaking here. It was SELF. Why it was located near the capital, I got no idea. But science laboratories were supposed to be located somewhere hidden in public, right? Perhaps this was Cloture's way of showing off the power and dominance they obtained from their advances in technology.
"SELF," I mumbled to myself, the word rolled smoothly on my tongue. Right that moment, I was convinced that I wasn't destined to stay as a florist forever.
The doors closed before me. I watched the three researchers scurried towards another blond guy in white. Before I could see the researchers walk away, the tram started to move again, and the whole facility of SELF vanished from my field of vision after several seconds. The huge research facility standing under an ellipse canopy of fiber glass where one could stare at the blue sky directly, was blocked by the tall metallic walls protecting the inner downtown of Ardio City.
The tram traveled through a narrow tunnel outlined with orange neon lights. It was too dark to figure out the texture of the walls, so I kept an eye on the orange lights. It seemed like there was just one straight orange light as the tram continued to move. I could hear the howling wind from the outside, an indication that the wind was going in circles.
The inner walls of Ardio could be accessed only by passing through the seven pair of tunnels bordering the city. It was their state of the art defense, the heptagonal titanium walls built to protect the capital city against any form of intrusion. No wonder why the security was heightened around the heart of Ardio. The official residence of the Prime Minister could be found within, after all.
"Have you seen his name?" someone mumbled near me. It wasn't addressing me by name, I assume, because I knew no one who boarded the tram. "Hey, miss. Have you seen his name?"
I jumped a little when a hand landed on my shoulder. Jerking away from that hand, I turned around and pressed myself against the door, eyes focused on the unknown person who touched me. Why was I attracting willies a lot?
I came face to face with the blond boy and the redhead. What were their names again? I remained glued on the door and blinked at him, and he just batted his sea-green eyes innocently.
"Oh," he averted my stare. "I'm sorry if I startle you. But have you seen his name? The guy in lab coat, the blond."
"What are you talking about?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. Come to think of it, this was the first time that I looked at his face properly. His short blond hair made him look younger. Maybe he wasn't older than sixteen or seventeen. He kept on looking around, obviously uncomfortable with how I looked at him. Was he looking for his brother? Long lost brother?
"The guy standing before you a while ago. I saw you staring at his ID card. Have you seen his name?" the blond boy was still pressing on the issue. When I shot him more puzzled look, the redhead beside him sighed and convinced him to just drop it.
"Yuu, stop scaring the girl. We'll meet the person who'll help you, right?" said the redhead. He called the blond Yuu. What a weird name.
"Fukase, I got a feeling that he was that person. Have you seen how he stared at us?"
"You're delirious. I saw him staring at her. He wasn't staring at you. And get a grip, buddy. He's our senior colleague, he's too loyal to the General to speak up against him."
The two continued to argue, and I was easily forgotten. But they soon stopped talking when the redhead pulled his phone out of his pocket, pressing something on his handheld device and the holographic screen glowed in front of them. It wasn't a habit of mine to read people's messages but it made me wonder why those two were gaping at the message. I could see a few colors from the image they received, however the whole screen was inverted from my perspective. Yuu, the blond, looked at me as though I was a ghost.
"What?" I asked. The darkness of the tunnel was replaced by the luminosity of the bright sky. Skyscrapers towered over the tram, and people walked underneath us like ants crossing the highways. The tram was floating for about a hundred feet above the ground, slightly angled towards right as it levitated downwards. I was finally in my destination, the heart of Ardio City.
"Miku Hatsune?" Yuu called, his hand gripping my right arm. "That's you. We need to talk."
I glared at his hand on my arm and then at his face. "Hatsu...? No, I'm not. What are you–?" The tram released harmless fumes as it settled on the ground. It shook a little as the base touched the solid platform, and before I could escape the grasp of this weird blond kid, he yanked me out of the tram.
People rushed to us, making the exit easier. They pushed me forward like strong waves of a sea I had never been to. I tried to swat these people away as I squirmed in this guy's squirm, but Yuu's hand remained firm. He wouldn't let me go soon enough, or he wouldn't free my arm at all. I let him drag me, I let him ride along the tide. The redhead idiot chased us, his bright head was almost lost amid the pool of people, but he was able to catch up soon.
"Where are you taking me, boy?" I asked, walking at the same pace. "Hey, I'll tell the police that you're harassing me. Let go!"
"Like they'll believe you. I'm working in SELF. Not a big position, really. Just part time. But I guess that would be more than enough to make me more believable than you. No offense, that's how society works." Yuu motioned Fukase to quicken his strides. "You know, I'm looking for someone in that facility until I received a message from this random guy. He's meeting me today," the blond blabbed as we took the stairs down the station.
"Oh, okay! So what does it have to do with me," I rolled my eyes. "Look, I don't know you and I don't care about the drama of your life. Yes, the redhead helped me up earlier, but that didn't mean that I'm instantly indebted to you. Let me go and we're okay."
"Not happening," the blond beamed at me. Seriously, nothing's funny. Don't think his cuteness would work on me as well. Just then, Fukase fell into steps next to Yuu, panting like a dog. "The guy who will change this rotten system asked to bring you with us. Can you imagine how lucky I am to find you accidentally in the tram?"
I shrugged his hand off, "No, Blondie. Are you a part of some organization? I don't have any family to give any ransom you want!" No, he said something about changing the system. He's not a kidnapper. Was he a rebel then?
"Who said about the ransom?" the blond laughed, his hand tightened around my arm. Still, it was a gentle grip. "No, he said you can help finding them. We have to leave; take tram twenty-and-seven. Now we need to go and ride it as soon as..."
"Tram twenty-seven!" I squirmed violently from his grip. "Are you taking me to the countryside? No way. You can't bring me–"
I was interrupted once again when we heard an explosion from the far west. Heads turning around, the three of us gawked upon seeing the Ardio Town Center swallowed by huge red tongues ablaze. The rebels attacked the five-storey building, said the voice whilst instructing the whole population in Ardio to calmly vacate the buildings. I watched as the huge fire lapped the whole building as another explosion started a new fire on the other side of the Town Center, and slowly, the place crumbled into pieces. It was such an ugly sight to see how the flaming red contrasted with the bright blue sky. Aerial fire engines flew near the burning edifice, hydraulic systems turned on to kill the fire.
Everyone was panicking whilst the three of us remained glued on our places. The alarm system of the whole capitol city was asking people to leave the premises, but these calm instructions were, of course, not really heard. Yuu and Fukase were equally shocked, both jaws dropped as we watched the Town Center to crash down. The east wing of the second storey collapsed, beginning the domino effect for the levels above it. People surged in our direction to board the tram and leave Ardio as soon as possible.
Yuu hauled me away from where were we, instructing Fukase to take his leave. When the redhead protested that he wouldn't leave us, the blond told him he had done enough. I didn't understand what was going on in here, but I wanted to leave as well. Diva told me that the terrorist burned Celeste until ashes were the only thing left. I could expect the same thing here in Ardio. If the rebels were able to make it through the heptagonal titanium walls, wiping out the city would be a cinch.
"Go back in Sector Z, Fukase. They needed us right now, I'm sure. Forget about me, I have to make it in Readele." Yuu pulled something from his pocket and shoved a pocket watch to the redhead's chest. "We will meet again, in sixteen years."
The hubbub around us made it difficult to understand the exchange between these boys. Fukase clearly disapproved of Yuu's decision, but the blond continued to push him back to the overpass. While all this drama was happening, Yuu never let my arm go. Right this moment, taking the tram twenty-seven was the safest option, being the farthest station from the explosion. The tram we rode earlier was now packed with people, and it didn't help that everyone's too alarmed. The mob was too tense, too violent, to calm down. However if Fukase really needed to go to back to Sector Z, that was a department of SELF located half a mile away from Mesh, he had to take the same tram.
"Thank you, Fukase. Till we meet again," Yuu nodded and pulled another item from his pocket. Though I never wished to get involved in any of this disaster, Yuu dragged me with him. I couldn't protest though, because he was bringing us to a safer alleyway where few people lingered. The sirens could still be heard, so was the uproar of panic-stricken crowd. The screeching iron bars that served as the pillars of the building echoed all over the place as if it was crying. Ardio Town Center was gone. It never bothered the blond, instead he just ran forward.
As we scampered down the alleys, I wondered why I wasn't sympathizing with the panic of the people. I was surprised to see the Ardio Town Center burning, but there was no feeling of fear running through my veins. Surprised I may be, but not afraid. I wonder why. Diva could say that my brain had prevented such emotions to materialize because I was traumatized by fire once...well, she could only guess.
But right now, Diva was nowhere near me. I could not ask her opinion on what the heck was going on in Ardio. Why the terrorists had broken inside the capital city. I was alone with a blond kid I just met on the tram, who claimed that he was working in the SELF Sector Z. His actions could be dubbed abduction, kidnapping. But in reality, I was letting him to drag me along...which was ridiculous.
"Where are we going?" I asked as we stopped for a moment. Yuu looked around, his eyes scanning the area. Perhaps he was searching for something. We were approximately two-hundred meters away from the tram stop, but the collapsing Town Center and the uproar hadn't died down.
"He said he'd meet us here," answered the blond, yanking me when he began to march again. "He'd give us a lift to tram twenty-seven. Then he'd rendezvous with us at Road 39, Readele. 8:00PM, he said."
The warm wind struck us, forcing me to squeeze my eyes shut. The fire must had gotten bigger this time. I could hear the building collapsing, huge rocks clashing with the neighboring edifices. A fraction of Ardio would look like ruined dominoes if the authorities wouldn't kill the fire soon.
"Do you even know who this he is? You seem to trust him a lot." Yuu began running once more; I ran at the same pace, dodging a bunch of civilians who had congested several roads. Authorities had to control the crowd too, or else...
I heard the boy chuckle. "Yes, I know him well. He started the fire in the Town Center and was associated with the terrorist attacks. Unlike the Prime Minister, he had a straight thinking, Miku. No one had pictured Cloture better than he did."
Wow, how great. Now, I was a tool in this terrorism. "And why exactly am I needed here? I'm just a florist."
"No, you're not. He told me you're not a florist. Nor an orphan you believed you were." Yuu pulled me down with him as we heard a loud howling in the air. Terrorists were launching missile attacks now!? Impossible! They couldn't risk thousands of innocent lives. "You're a vital part of the revolution, Miku. You're the reason why all of this began."
Though his arms had covered my head, I managed to look up at the sky and see the trail of smoke drawn by the fighter planes. Whether such aircrafts belonged to the government or the otherwise, I couldn't tell.
And then, it dawned to me what he just said. The explosion had just taken place when Yuu picked me up to run again.
What the fudge! That was nonsense. "Hey, kid. Look," I dragged him down, stopping his momentum before we could reach the cab waiting at the end of this alley. "Whoever told you that, he must be nuts. I'm contented with my life," – which is a lie – "and I have no idea what on earth you are telling me."
"Of course, silly me, you won't remember. You've been asleep for so long," the blond grinned and pulled me with him, waving a hand on the cab parked at the corner. "I'll explain once we're out here. Now go, hurry." Yuu pushed me at the back seat of the cab. I looked at the driver through the mirror, his amber eyes clashed with mine.
Yuu sat next to him. "You must be o'-two?" asked this stupid blond. The cab driver nodded and drove us out of that alley. His ebony black hair was gloomier than his scowl.
"I'll drop you at twenty-seven, and you know what to do. Whatever happens, keep an eye on her. Your safety is the most important mission here," how could he state those without sounding like a kidnapper?
Yuu nodded. "As long as you keep your promise, I won't put her in danger. Are you really sure she can stop all of this? She can't remember anything."
"She doesn't have to," retorted the raven haired. "We're just brewing a war. It has to start once her memory comes back."
"Hey! Will you believe me if I tell that I'm not who you're thinking I am? Look, I'm just a lower order. I can't lead a revolt–" the brakes screeched and the car drifted a little. I tumbled forward; back of Yuu's seat cushioned my impact. Soldiers in white blocked our way, their long firearms pointing at us. "H-hey, don't get us killed here."
"Fucking humanoids," mumbled the black haired, stepping on the clutch to change gears. "Put on your seatbelt, Yuu. Miku, cover your head and stay away from the window."
He muttered something more, something unintelligible to me as the car screeched and turned around, tackling down half of the soldiers blocking our way. I ducked and covered my head, preparing for a night of reckless driving from this black-haired bastard. The dull thuds of the bodies being hit by the cab shook us, and the vehicle continued to move in circles.
Welcome to my life.
This is the standalone sequel of my very first fanfiction, If It Happened. You don't have to read that story first just to understand this one. Like what I said, this is a standalone sequel. Its storyline is independent from If It Happened. (And yes, I used to write under the pen name Shirai Hisaishi.)
This is supposed to be a full-length one-shot but I can't give my full time and attention for this story, so I decided to cut it in parts. It won't be a long multi-chap coz I'm too busy in the uni to write stories with solid plot.
dedicated for my friend, fingra.
P.S. Yuu and Xin are vocaloids, in case you don't know. Yuu is a part of the Zola Project. Xin is a chinese(?)/Taiwanese(?) vocaloid.