There are many sounds to be heard on a Friday night. The growling of midnight traffic, the screams of drunken laughter from the local pub, even the soft whispers of the ocean breeze create a symphony of their own. I've always spent my life complaining about these, and never thought I'd regret each and every word. I never thought I'd miss the pounding rhythm of a Friday night, not until I heard the silence. I met a man once, a lonely man. He told me that in the 21st century, everything changes. Is this what he meant?
What's he doing here?
On the streets of Cardiff, a lonely figure stood in the pouring rain. The lighting was poor however he seemed to be wearing a long grey military coat. In the darkness the dim blue LED in his earpiece shone like a police siren as he muttered to himself. Perhaps he was drunk, or maybe insane, as he stumbled around in the shadows of the alley.
With sudden interest he looked up and darted out of the shadows, his coat dragging behind in the air like a superhero's cape in an old comic. The man looked in his late thirties, although the depths of his almost blue eyes told a different story. He dodged the light traffic with ease as he reached the other side of the road, before whipping back around and staring wildly into the darkness. "Gwen..." he muttered, fumbling with buttons on his earpiece. Finally, he hit the right one, and the light began to flash.
"Gwen, how's that scan coming along?"
"Maybe if you shut up a second, I could work a little faster..."
"I need some numbers, and I need them now."
"Again, shut up, and I'll get them for you Jack! Now piss off, would ya?"
With a look of mild bewilderment, the man pressed another button, and the earpiece went back to its gentle glow. Despite his experience with so many life forms, he had never mastered talking to Gwen. The man raised his eyebrows and shook his head a little, before entering the chip shop behind him. The sign flickered a bit as he walked in however the man hardly noticed. Upon receiving his portion the man dropped a £10 note on the counter. Despite the confused queries of the server, the man simply muttered 'keep the change' and walked out of the shop.
Suddenly, the earpiece began to violently flash, and the man was quicker to push the button this time. Before he could receive any message, the man was quick to cut in to get his message across.
"Numbers. Gimme."
"Jack..." the voice said. "Jack, get the hell out of there."