Chapter 2, Raise of the Conductor's Baton
The sun rose over the suburban houses in its customary fashion. A pleasing beam of light shone through Jade Harley's window, tinting her bedroom walls in a salmon color. Her eyes unsealed slowly, absorbing the morning sun. She proceeded to pull her duvet over her head, leaving her legs uncovered, feeling the cold air against her legs, she stretched them until her whole body was purring slightly. After a moment of hesitation, Jade stood up decisively to look out the window, eyeing her backyard. Her crops and flowers were looking quite healthy. Since it had rained most of the night she didn't even have to water them.
Slipping into more casual clothing, she exited her room. The kitchen and living room were both empty; the summer holidays had started for a few weeks, so her parents were having their rightful beauty sleep. The sun had only just dawned on the greyish sky, saturating the clouds with crimson and cyan dye. Silently opening the front door, she stepped out on the lawn. The air was cold and moist. Jade walked directly to the phantom playground; the whole block was sleeping, it seemed. Jade enjoyed these moments of reclusion; she was rarely ever able to be alone in such a small community. After having brushed off a layer of droplets of rain and dew, which burst into a puddle as soon as she touched them, off the seat of the swing, she sat down. While rocking back and forth she looked at her hands. She was wearing a plethora of colored rings, which she used to keep track of things she had to remember. She had read about this particular technique for memorizing important tasks and such in a magazine she had long forgot the name of. She had added a red one in honor of Dave, as a reminder to figure out his motives or whatnot.
After no less than a minute, Dave Strider arrived in the same clothes as the earlier day. Jade greeted the boy, telling him that she had no need for some Tarzan character taking her on jungle adventures or whatnot. He scowled slightly in return, "Don't worry. No jungle adventures will take place." He answered. "I mean," She looked at him through her slightly fogged glasses and explained, "you can't just come around one fine day and tell me I've been living the 'wrong' way." Dave sat down on the swing next to Jade's and replied "I'm not implying that you're doing it wrong. I kind of envy your blissful unawareness, to be honest."
She stopped the swing, planting her feet on the ground. "Hey! I am not stupid, and for the record I am growing tired of your disposition." He stopped as well, standing up. "Well, I'm tired of beating around the bush. I don't know how to break it to you, but this creepy ass suburb extravaganza is not actually real." He paused for a bit, looking for the right words. "Basically, you're sitting in a desolate vault watching your fake sitcom life on a television screen."
His pants were completely wet from the swing seat, but he didn't seem to care; he added to his previous statement. "Hell, you're lucky I found you. Your real body, which for the record is being prodded weird liquid cuisine down its throat through a feeding tube. However, your reserve of gross nutrition stew is running out as we speak."
"So what you're saying is I'm going to die of starvation?" She inquired.
"Well, it is avoidable." He explained "you just have to renounce your fake fairy tale life."
She quipped in response "You mean I have to die to keep living?"
"No," he frowned as he continued "you just have to pull the cork out of your fantasy bath tub world, put some clothes on and start living like a normal human being."
"That's a horrible metaphor."
"Yeah whatever, that's not the point."
Birds were twittering loudly and the sun had lit the scenery up like in one of missus Harley's paintings.
"How am I supposed to believe this?" She asked, looking straight at the boy's face, furrowing her brows.
"This may seem like a pure 18 karat lie to you. But I can prove it."
He walked toward the abandoned house, and she followed right behind him kicking the dew off the overgrown grass in the walkway. "I'm only following you so I can ridicule you afterwards." She snorted. Jade had been in this house often, when she wanted some alone time. There was a huge mess in there, toppled furniture and cinderblocks covered the dusty floor. On the wall there was a hunting target thoroughly punctured by bullet holes. Suddenly Dave began whistling, Jade looked at him with a mystified expression. She knew the tune well, she had often heard Mister Handy play it. A, she smiled as she recognised the name of the shrill notes. He looked around as if he expected something then whistled the same tune again. This time the ground started trembling. Jade stepped a bit away from Dave as dust began drizzling from the ceiling. He whistled again for emphasis as a huge terminal ejaculated from the wall. Dave turned to the girl, nodded and uttered a satisfied 'hm'.
"If I click this button the simulation will end immediately." He looked back at her with a bland, but questioning expression.
"Do it."