02 | This Is Where I Came In

I've seen the story

I've read it over once or twice

I said that you say

A little bit of bad advice

I been in trouble

Happened to me all my life

I lie and you lie

And who would get the sharpest knife.

– – – –

Earth, Philadelphia, 16 September 2156

The streets of Philadelphia were a dangerous place to be in the middle of the twenty-second century. That William Regal immediately had noticed when he stepped foot on those streets for the first time.

Actually only three days ago. Whole Earth was a mess. But Philadelphia probably was the heart and centre of it. Humans had just started to explore space, meet new species – making friends. But they weren't able to keep their own planet peaceful and in one piece.

Maybe because all the good people were exploring while the hostiles and criminals were left to try politics. And mess up entirely.

As for William, he just arrived from England, his home. A friend just called him to come here because apparently he needed some help. But he hadn't heard from him since he arrived. No single word. So, since winter started early in Philadelphia this year and William didn't know where to stay for the nights, he had to improvise.

Temperatures were dangerously close to freezing when William still had managed to build a decent fire in the backyard of an abandoned armoury. So, at least he was able to warm his hands on the flames.

For a last time he tried to call his friend. But then his phone died. And with no power available to charge the battery, there wasn't any chance to get in contact with him. Or anybody else. Something must have happened to his pal. No real surprise in this neighbourhood. But it couldn't happen at a worse time.

Because William just wasn't made for anarchy. He needed just a little structure in his life, some start to work with. But he knew no-one here and apart from his friend had no idea what to do. And without food or some place to sleep he would run out of ideas soon enough.

So, his situation was already helpless when he heard a sound from the long rotten containers that marked the borderline between shadows from his fire and the darkness. First, William hadn't been certain about any noise. But then, he paid full attention, and there it was again: a crack as if someone walked through the night and couldn't see all the obstacles in his way.

Actually, the noise seemed to circle around his fire, all in a secure distance, so William wouldn't be able to see the certain someone.

Or, it was a wild animal that only waited for the perfect moment to jump him from behind.

Darkness always has got this ability to prompt baser instincts in humans like fear and anxiety.

But William wasn't made for either. Yes, at first, he listened closer. But then he remembered that wild animals were fearful of fire, so they wouldn't come any closer. In case there were some. And if it was a human being, he already showed interest, and maybe a fearless counterpart would tell him something.

"Why don't you join me in warming your hands on the flames?" William finally said loud enough, so the originator of the noise would be able to understand.

For a moment, no noise was heard. But William thought that he was almost able to hear the invisible one considering what to do.

And there was still no noise when finally there was a moving shadow which contours became sharper and sharper with seconds past. The shadow behaved like a wild animal with William recognizing as its prey. But it clearly was a human being. That the man with the fire noticed soon enough. Even though with his street dog styled clothes this young man could have been well mistaken for a wild animal – an actual street dog very much.

The hood on his head threw a shadow itself over his face. The man wore heavy boots and some rotten jeans that only its several holes seemed to keep them together. He also wore several layers of shirts and jackets in probably all possible shades of grey. The only visible colour on this otherwise pale figure were his red knitted mitts.

Still without making much noise or saying a word, the man sat down at the fire, right next to William on the T-girder that contained to the remains of the factory. Then he reached out to the flames with both of his hands, not paying much attention to the man next to him.

"You're welcome," William said sarcastically but also in hope to virtually break the ice. And he continued when there was still no further reaction from the man: "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Got something to eat?" the man asked with quite a husky voice to him.

"Not much," William replied, still looking at this strange fellow who still just paid attention to the fire.

"So, you got nothing."

"That's right," William sighed. But to his surprise, the man now turned to him smiling and wiped off the hood from his head, so some wild, brown-reddish locks appeared, together with a pair of piercing blue eyes.

"You've got the fire, I've got the meal. I'm right back in a minute," the lad said and off he went again, right into the darkness he just appeared from.

And William, for just a moment, was left behind rather confused. Would the boy come back? Did he really have some much desired food? Had this really just happened?

Darkness sometimes makes us fearful. Darkness sometimes makes us imagining things we wish for. And darkness sometimes makes us crazy. As a result.

But darkness sometimes also makes for a cosy blanket that hides the good things in life to reveal them from time to time to the good people who deserve them.

Because just a moment later, the street dog boy indeed came back, and he carried a heavily messed-up backpack with him.

"Got this today... somewhere, but couldn't persuade myself to eat it raw," the young man said while opening the backpack to reveal a few packs of welded in meat.

"Have you just got meat in there?" William asked while the other man had sat down next to him again.

"Of course, it's the best to get you full. Potatoes are great, too, but there's too much work in them, too time consuming. Meat is best," the lad said, already opening the packs, then looking around like he was searching for something.

"Are you looking for something like this?" William asked, producing a large metal plate and some sticks from behind his back.

And for the first time since they met, a broad smile appeared on the features of the young man's face. He didn't even ask where William got it from. It had been rather obvious. And just a few minutes later, a delicious smell surrounded the two men while they were eating their spartan meal, in silence and peacefully sitting right next to each other.

"I'm William," the older man finally introduced himself when they had been finished eating.

"Nice to meet ya," the young man mumbled. He already seemed to were on a different place, at least with his mind. Because he still enjoyed to warm his hands on the flames.

So, William waited a few seconds more but his companion seemed to be finished.

"And what's your name, young man?" William finally asked, a little perplexed about his bad manners.

"Why do you want to know this? I didn't ask you about your name? Ya just told me," the man said and fumbled about his backpack. William instantly was afraid that he could want to leave. Then he would be alone again. And all that happened today, would happen tomorrow. The hunger. The cold. Not knowing where to go. Not knowing where to stay.

"You saved my life. I need to know your name," William tried again while the lad already got up. But he stayed and surprisingly enough turned back to William.

"I didn't save your life, come on! At least, you've been the one with the fire."

"And you weren't afraid of warming your hands next to me on the flames."

Something broke during that little back and forth conversation. Mistrust perhaps. Eyes met longer than initially intended. And the young man sat down again.

"I'm Dean but I don't like that name very much," he finally answered the question.

"It's a noble name," William said, actually smiling because of the boy's decision to stay a little further.

"Ya, but I'm not a noble man. My name doesn't fit my character, ya know?" Dean said.

"I see. And this city really isn't a noble place to live, at least I guess from what I've seen so far," William insisted and he got the reply he expected.

"It's a rotten place. No working government, no education and the gangs have separated the city into sectors. There's three drug gangs, then the stolen car dealers, a few gangs of thieves but those lads are very young, since there's hardly anything left in here that can be stolen. This place is a lost city, like so many others on the east coast," Dean roughly explained the situation but surprisingly enough didn't sound depressed. And that was only possible because he was used to his situation for quite a long time already.

"Have you never thought about changing something, making this city better?" William asked but got instantly reminded about some places in England that also have been given up by government.

"You can't make it better when it's all messed up. Where to begin? What to start with? No. When it's all messed up, you've got to leave and start new."

"Like space?"

"Yeah, like space."

It almost came like a natural reply for William. But he was surprised again that perhaps the young man already got this idea in mind. Certainly, all those stories from Captain Archer and his crew making first contact with those alien species, discovering the next neighbourhood of Earth, definitely left huge impressions on the people back home. And deepest on those who didn't have to lose much here.

This was the time of opportunity for those people craving for entirely new beginnings and, last but not least, some meaning in their lives. But only because opportunity was there, didn't mean it was possible for everyone.

Most of times, dreams remained dreams. And some people weren't even able to dream. But that's why William was surprised. Because even though Dean must have lived a street dog's life, every day on the edge of surviving, he still was able to dream.

"I just came here a few days ago," William said after a moment of peaceful silence. "I'm in search of a friend but I'm unable to contact him since I'm here. He wanted me to do something for him but refused to tell me on the phone."

"What's his name?" Dean asked and William could almost smell interest. For some reason, he trusted the boy. But at the same time he still told himself to be cautious about him. After all, he'd just met the man.

"Robbie Brookside. But I've heard he's called..."

"The Golden Boy."

"... over here. Do you know him?" now William indeed was surprised. But also hopeful that he could still find his friend.

"Not personally. But I've heard of him. And he's your friend?" Dean asked and something in his tone didn't sound too promising.

"Yes, he's my best friend. I know him for over thirty years. And like I said, he didn't tell me much about what he was working on but I trust him and I would put my best shirt on him. Please tell me, if you know something about his whereabouts."

William surely wasn't someone for begging. But right now, Dean was his only chance. He certainly knew more than he would admit to that complete stranger, William that was. So, he didn't make his phone call, he promised him, in his presence. He went away back into the darkness where he'd come from. And once again, William wasn't entirely certain that the lad would return to him.

But he did, and he told William that he'd just called someone who had mentioned the name Robbie Brookside a few times. And this someone had given him an address where he might be right now.

Everything about all this was highly suspicious. But did William have another option? There was just Robbie in the entire world he cared for. So, he finally agreed to the boy's offer to come with him and search for his friend.

Actually, the address, Dean got from the anonymous on the other side of the phone call, was situated just a few streets away from the armoury. So, they didn't have to walk too long through an entirely abandoned neighbourhood that just started to get a little less dirty when Dean all of a sudden grabbed William's jacket to drag the man into a dark alley.

Moments later a group of five young men went into the direction, Dean and William just came from. William hadn't seen or heard them coming. But when he was just about to whisper a thank you, Dean placed one hand over his mouth. And instead of leaving the alley, he tugged William deeper into it until they reached a door to a ruin of a house.

Within a few seconds Dean had managed to open the door. But before he was able to get his hands back on William's jacket, the man entered the building without his help.

"That's the place, the very building my contact has given me. Now we have to go to the fourth floor, door number four hundred thirty-eight," Dean still whispered, suggesting that William should do the same if speaking was needed.

But it wasn't until both men made it to the very door. Surprisingly enough, it was already opened, just so the dim lights from the inside were able to escape to the outside darkness as a tiny beam of light.

Carefully, Dean pushed the door wide open, so they were able to enter the premises. Slowly they did, after Dean had produced a large hunting knife from his jeans while William already got some brass knuckles prepared for usage.

But soon enough, through the flickering light, they heard a weak groan that originated from the one big room that was situated right next to the entrance hallway. Both men entered the room at the same time but William reacted first when he saw the hurt man lying on the floor.

"Robbie!" William called out and immediately felt physical pain to his own body when he saw his friend right next to a puddle of blood.

He knelt down to him to try and stop the bleeding on his stomach. Somehow he realized that his friend had already lost a lot of blood and that any further help would come too late. Even though, from what Dean had just told him, this city wouldn't offer too much more help. But still he tried to warm the man, stop the bleeding, try to talk to him.

"Robbie, it's me, William. Tell me what happened. Who did this to you?"

For a moment William thought that he saw a smile appearing around Robbie's lips. Then, his friend tried to open his eyes. He recognized him, and now there was an obvious smile.

It was a painful moment of love and hurt at the same time.

Robbie tried to say something but he failed. When he realized that, he somehow managed to put his hand onto William's neck to get his mouth nearer to his friend's ear. Then he whispered something that William finally was able to hear. Even though it didn't make sense.

When the hand on his neck grew weaker, William lifted his head again and looked down on his friend. He looked to be so full of peace and content that his own heart seemed to contract and drift away.

William felt tears running down his cheeks when everything else happening on Earth right now didn't matter in comparison to what happened to his friend.

"What did he say?" William finally heard Dean asking him for the third or fourth time.

He wasn't sure why this should be somehow important but like he was in a state of trance, William answered anyway.

"Necklace," William said. "And Goldberg."

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