Chapter Two
Felix had his alarm set for noon. However, when he woke up, the clock said 9:02. He sat up and smelled something he hadn't smelled for years. He jumped out of bed and wrapped his robe around him. When he came into the living room, he saw Circumstance standing at the dinner table against the wall, dressed in the same flannel pajamas and big, poofy purple slippers from the previous night, setting the table. She turned to see Felix coming out of the bedroom.
"Ah, you're up." Circumstance said. "Sit, sit." Felix, although still confused and half asleep, obeyed. He took a seat with his back to the kitchen. Circumstance brought a glass of orange juice to him. "I can't believe it. I haven't had real food for a month. I've been living off of instant ramen and soy burgers for months now." She giggled slightly. "Imagine my surprise when I see a refrigerator full of the authentic article."
"What can I say?" Felix replied as he shrugged his shoulders. "Allergic to soy. It's not the rent around here that gives me a problem. It's the food bill." Felix explained. Circumstance brought the two plates to the table. Felix attacked breakfast like a starving wolverine, barely pausing from putting food in his mouth to take a drink of orange juice periodically. He hadn't consumed well-prepared food in his apartment since he moved in. They ate in silence save for the silverware clinking on the plates and the glasses hitting the table. When Felix finished, he leaned back and sighed.
"My god! I haven't eaten that well since I left home for the University." Felix exclaimed. He idly picked a stray piece of bacon from his front teeth. "I'm so bad at cooking, I burn water, so I have to tolerate it. Thanks."
"You're always welcome. I took a class at the local CC to satisfy my parole officer. Never thought I'd have a chance to use it." Circumstance said.
"Parole? What for?" Felix asked, looking up at her.
"Jack without a permit." She too leaned back and sighed. "So what do you have planned today?"
"I am headed out to Tacoma to visit my parents. Explain to them why I won't be graduating." Circumstance looked up at Felix, her eyebrows arched in interest.
"How long are you planning to stay out there?" Circumstance asked with obviously repressed enthusiasm.
"Uh, 'bout three days. Four if I feel like it. Not like I have classes to worry about anymore." Felix said.
"I love Tacoma. The area is really pretty. I wish I could head up there, too." Circumstance sighed. "But now, I have to find a new apartment. Can't stay here forever right? Hope you have fun." Felix exhaled slightly, thinking.
"You want to come up with me to Tacoma?" Felix said. Circumstance looked at him in surprise. Felix thought quickly for a feasible motive, other than he wanted to be next to her. "The ride gets long and boring. So do my parents. I'd love to have company." Circumstance's face beamed.
"Do you suppose I have time to go get a few things for the trip?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess. I wasn't going to go until about one." Felix said. Circumstance jumped out of her seat, went to her small gym bag and withdrew her only other change of clothes. Suddenly, she pulled her pajamas off, totally baring all in front of Felix. He dropped his jaw in surprise and snapped his head in the other direction. She threw her clothes on and trotted out of the house, throwing a quick wave behind her back. Felix sat for a second in disbelief.
"I don't know if she's flirting with me or torturing me." Felix said, shaking her head. He got up and took the two plates into the kitchen. He immediately wished he hadn't. The kitchen looked as if a food fight had taken place.
"Why can't I know people that live, like, well, people?" Felix sighed, and started to run water in the sink.
* * * * * * *
Circumstance came back three hours later carrying two large white plastic bags in each hand. Felix was on the couch, flipping through the channels on the trid.
"I love the University district. Everything's jammed together. So easy to find." She sat down in the middle of the floor, opening packages and removing price tags, putting everything in a new canvas gym bag she bought. Eventually, she worked it down to a single packed gym bag and a pile of trash. She wadded up the trash, jammed it into her old gym bag and went to the kitchen to deposit it all into the trash chute. She stopped right in the middle of the kitchen.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…" Circumstance said lamentably.
"Naw, don't worry about it. Payment for the meal." Felix smiled. Circumstance did as well. She tossed her trash.
"Well, if you're ready, I suppose we can go." Felix said. He stood up, stretched, and went into the bedroom to get his own bag. Felix locked up, and followed by Circumstance, he proceeded down the stairs and down the street half a block to the local car rental agency. The two walked in and straight up to the counter.
"Good morning, sir. How may I help you today?" The clerk behind the counter asked in an appropriately cheerful corporate prescribed attitude.
"Hello. I need a car for three days." Felix said, putting his bag down.
"Certainly. We have luxury, mid-sized…"
"Cheap. I want the cheapest car." Felix interrupted, smiling slightly. The clerk did the same.
"If you could fill out the form there on the monitor." The clerk pointed to a screen in the top of the counter. Felix selected all the appropriate choices in each section automatically. He did so every three months.
"Okay, and your method of payment?" The clerk asked. Felix presented his credstick.
"Um, company policy requires a second form of identification when using a certified credstick, sir." Felix looked at the credstick in his fingers. It wasn't the one with all his vital information. It was the one he received from the job he preformed with Circumstance.
"Oh, sure." Felix said, and reached into his wallet. He withdrew his green faculty card and presented it and the credstick.
"Ah, very good." The clerk looked at the card for a moment. "Hey, you work at the University? Must be an interesting job." The clerk said, scanning the card through the slot along the side of the computer. He placed it on the counter beyond Felix's reach. After waiting for nearly a full minute, the computer finally clicked slightly and the screen flashed.
"Um, I'm sorry, Mr. Page, but…" The clerk coughed slightly. "…it doesn't seem that your SIN number even exists." The clerk said in manufactured disbelief. "I'll scan it again."
"Yeah, that'll work." Circumstance said. She turned to Felix. "Be right back. Have to go get something." Circumstance quickly left the building before Felix could respond. Felix started to feel nervous. A security guard from outside the building moved next to the entrance to prevent any hasty retreats. A very deep sense of dread came over him. However, just before the computer was due to return a response similar to the previous one, the computer beeped happily and a receipt began printing. Felix sighed silently.
"I don't know what happened. Guess it didn't scan right the first time. Sorry for making you wait." The clerk apologized, handing Felix his receipt, the credstick and a set of keys.
"Yeah." Felix replied, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "No problem." Felix looked at the total on the tiny piece of paper and paused. He looked up.
"Am I reading this right? The charge is only sixteen eighteen?"
"Yes sir! You've earned one thousand SmartCar travel points. Those are good for a week of free rental. You're only responsible for tax."
"Oh wow.' Felix replied flatly. "Didn't know that."
"Didn't know that? Sir, I'd figure you'd watch those points closely. We don't give out many at a time." The clerk said, leaning on the counter. "Oh!" The clerk slid the green card off the counter and handed it back to Felix. "Can't forget that. I hear it's difficult getting those replaced."
"Yeah." Felix picked up his bag and Circumstance's, still in a state of semi-confusion. As he walked back to the door, Circumstance came trotting back in.
"Oh, good. Everything taken care of?" Circumstance asked.
"Uh, yeah, I think so."
"Great. Let's go." Circumstance took her bag and walked with Felix to the lot in the back.
"So, did you encounter any problems?" Circumstance asked.
"I dunno." Felix looked over his shoulder. "You think they're watching us?" Circumstance laughed.
"Oh, come now. Don't you like having the car for a week nearly free?"
"What? What happened?" Felix exclaimed in a whisper.
"Not me. Called a friend really quick. He tapped in and filled in the blanks in the agency database. Whoever erased you from the database knows what he's doing. I wish my record was expunged that cleanly." Circumstance opened the door, tossed her bag on the floor of the passenger side and climbed in. Felix tossed his bag in the back and also climbed in. Then the whole thing sunk in.
"Oh my God! I forgot all about that!" Felix said, pounding his fists into the steering wheel. Circumstance crossed her arms and lowered her eyebrows.
"You're damn lucky to have me around, Fletch. I mean, that's the third dead giveaway that you're not a runner! You have your records erased and you go out and try to rent a car by using your University ID card? Come on, man! You'd be some Lone Star sex toy if it weren't for me." Circumstance scolded. Felix shook his head, started the car and started driving out of the parking lot.
"That's right. I'm not a runner, so please, my name's Felix. Felix Page." Felix said, extending his right hand as he drove with his left. Circumstance accepted it and shook it vigorously.
"Nice to meet you. Emily Post." Emily replied. There was a moment of silence. Felix started to chuckle, then went into a full-on laugh.
"What?" Emily asked, slightly irritated. "I can't have the same name as another person?"
"Not with your profession!" Felix exclaimed. "I mean, why don't you write 'Shadowrunning Etiquette'! You'd make a freakin' bundle!"
"Real fucking cute. You finished?" Emily asked, crossing her arms angrily.
"Yeah…" Felix said, breathing hard. "No, I'm not!" He started laughing even harder. Emily punched him in the shoulder. Felix calmed down.
"Alright, alright. I'm sorry." Felix said. "And before I forget, thanks for getting me out of that situation back there."
"You're always welcome." Emily responded.
* * * * * * *
The drive from Seattle to Tacoma is rather interesting. Slowly and steadily the signs of the ultracivilization of Seattle vanished. Gigantic power lines high atop aluminum pillars gave way to a single wire draped across ancient, time petrified wooden poles. Buildings became shorter. Traffic thinned out until Felix and Emily were the only ones on the road amidst thousands of acres of forests.
"It's been four years." Emily said. "I've been in that shithole of a city for four years. The most open and unused space I've seen was fifty square feet of dirt in the park." She looked out to the acres of undeveloped land covered with grass almost a meter high between the tightly packed sequoias.
"Aw, c'mon. Seattle isn't so bad. At least you're never bored. All I had to do back home was read. Or the pinball machine at the neighbor's house." Emily chuckled.
"Yeah, it isn't boring. Sometimes it's damn funny."
"Running? Funny?" Felix asked in satirical disbelief. "How so?"
"Well, let me think." Emily sat in silence for a few seconds, pondering, then exclaimed. "Okay!" She clapped her hands excitedly like a little girl. "There was this one time me and three other guys were doing a series of chores for this Johnson, about two, maybe three years ago. Buncha dumb stuff that he could have taken care of himself, I'm sure. But anyway, after he gets done paying us, or screwing with us for that matter, he gives us this offer for another run. He wants us to geek the vice president of Aztechnology so he can throw his hat into the ring for the job. Not only was the job ridiculous, but he offers something stupid, about like seven grand or so. Well, the leader of our party knew it was all bunk. His name was something like Bad-ass, or something like that in another language. He was the biggest troll I had ever seen. Damn near three meters tall, and probably weighed in at five hundred kilos. How does he show he's displeased with the offer? He jumps up on the desk, and how that desk held up to the sheer bulk I still have no idea, but he pulls down his pants, and without saying a word, he takes a crap right there!" Emily was smiling broadly recounting the experience while Felix was bursting with laughter.
"And I mean this isn't just ordinary load. This is dense, horrible, troll, feces." Emily stated her last few words with heavy emphasis on each one. "By god, I swear he squeezed out a loaf as thick as my leg and twice as heavy. While he's doing this, the Johnson is just sitting there, as cool as Death himself. But, after Bad-ass pinches this turd off, he grabs him by the back of his head and wipes his ass with this dude's face!" Felix was laughing so hard by that point he pulled over onto the dirt shoulder and shifted into park. "Now there's no way this guy can be cool anymore. He's flailing everywhere, screaming, trying to clear his eyes, while we just leave the office, like some badder'n Hell outlaws on the trid. So, yes, I'd have to say that was the funniest thing that's happened to me while in Seattle for four years." Emily and Felix laughed for a solid minute at the story. Felix started taking deep breaths and looked down the highway. It continued straight ahead for miles, but the forest ended a few yards ahead, letting unbroken scrubland take over for a mile or so.
"Hey, uh, Emily?" Felix asked, squinting hard. "I can barely see. Is that a car down the ways a bit?" Emily looked, squinting also.
"Damn, I can't see squat in the sun. Why?" Emily asked.
"Well, if he's stranded, I'm gonna help him out." Felix said, and started the car again. Emily looked at him strangely.
"What? Dude, that's the fourth sign you're not a runner. Why are you even bothering to stop?" Emily asked sternly.
"Because I'm not a runner." Felix replied, smiling back at Emily. Felix drove a little while and rolled up a few meters behind the other car. The bright summer sun and the reflection off the back of the window made the car and the person standing next to it extremely difficult to see. All Felix could make out was the tall silhouette of a person, the rear end of the car, which was rusted and decaying, and steam blasting out of the left side of the car. Felix stopped the car, turned it off, and opened the door. However, he didn't get out. He paused for a second. He looked behind him. The trees were still from lack of any breeze.
"Hey, Emily, is the steam coming out of the left side of the car?" Felix asked.
"Uh, yeah, I guess. Why?"
"That car isn't broken down." Felix said, and closed the door. Suddenly, Emily grabbed Felix's hair and jerked him down against the middle of the seat. They were just in time to see a trio of slugs blast through the windshield.
"Holy…! What the hell!" Felix exclaimed. Emily growled.
"You had to stop and help." She reached into the bag at her feet and pulled out the gigantic gun that Felix stole from her on his first run.
"Damn! You bring that everywhere, don't you?" Felix asked.
"Aren't you glad I do now?" Emily replied. She sat up and fired three shots back at the car in front of them. The rear window shattered, killing the glare into the car. The silhouette dove for cover behind the front of the car. Emily lay back down across the middle of the seat.
"Dammit. Old trick. Paints the back window black so it turns into a mirror. That way, the reflection is so damn bright no one can see the drekhead shoot 'em." Emily explained. Another round punched through the windshield. Emily opened the door, kneeled behind it and unloaded what was left in the clip into the car. As she was changing the clip, another round fired off, ricocheted off the ground and struck Emily in the leg from under the car door. She cringed but continued loading.
"Do something!" Emily growled at Felix.
"Okay. Just don't fire for a second." Felix said and suddenly went invisible. Emily blinked in disbelief.
"Uh, sure." Emily replied. Felix got out and slowly walked to the front of the other car, careful not to make any noise. There he saw, crouched against the front of the car, was a very large orc. Many people might have confused this orc for a troll. He held a gun very similar to Emily's, but it looked puny in his huge hairy hands. Felix looked around. There was no way Felix could take him, even invisibly. Even if he tossed the nastiest spell he knew at him, the orc would figure out what was happening and spray the remainder of the clip in Felix's direction. Felix looked around, thinking hard for an idea. He glanced into the car. There, dangling from the ignition hung a set of keys. Suddenly, Felix had and idea. He slid through the open window and turned the ignition. The orc looked up over the hood just in time to see Felix drop his invisibility spell, smile, and smash the accelerator with the palm of his hand. The car struck the orc and rolled over him, rocking madly as the tires climbed over the frame of the orc. After the second tire came down, Felix hit the brake and turned off the car.
"Yeah! Felix! That was so cool!" Emily shouted, standing on one leg. Felix rushed over to Emily, dropped to his knees and looked at Emily's wound. A large chunk of flesh was gone and blood flowed at an incredible rate. Felix put his hands over the bloody mess and cast a healing spell. The blood stopped flowing and the wound started to slowly close. However, Felix immediately grabbed his head and dropped to the side, making a great deal of noise grunting and groaning.
"Jesus! What's wrong?" Emily asked, dropping to Felix's side.
"Oh, nothing, nothing." Felix replied through clinched teeth. He attempted to sit up with one hand on his head. He had a pretty good idea just how bad Emily had been shot. "Just put too much into the spell, that's all." He coughed a couple times. He shivered from pain. "Sorta like magical recoil. How's the leg?"
"Fine now. You okay?" Emily asked.
"I…" Felix passed out.
