The Apartment:
Gerard was an old man. He had spent his days as a janitor in the old elementary school. It didn't pay well but he didn't care. He enjoyed being around the kids. It reminded him of his youth. But in the past 2 months that had all changed. He was old after all and was often tired. He had gotten sick. So sick that it had wiped him of his energy. The doctors said that he was suffering from cellular degeneration. Basically his body had reached its end and was beginning to deteriorate. Soon, within the next month or so, he would be dead. And there was nothing he could do about it.
For the past week or so he was bedridden. He hadn't the energy to work much less reach the toilet. He was so tired. It was during this week that he began to reflect on his life. He was never one to speak up, to cause any trouble or attract any undue attention. In fact if it wasn't for the fact that the classes were always clean in the morning you wouldn't even had know Gerard was there. Dark as night and gray as a ghost, this man had managed to blend in to the scenery. He was not always proud of this fact but as long as he was left alone he didn't mind. He was taught a long time ago to cause any trouble unless trouble cam e looking. Even then he would just hold his head down and continue about his business. Yes the old man was nothing more than a shadow.
"Soon" he thought.
He woke up bright and early in the morning (though you couldn't tell because he always kept the shades drawn in his house) and set about his determined path. The school released him a month ago when they found out that he wouldn't be returning. True he could be replaced by any number of automated droids out and about nowadays but the school always felt a loyalty toward their oldest employee. It was because of this that he had lived so long. People nowadays retire at the age of 50 and reside in rest homes and were never seen or heard from again. Another way to handle population control. Gerard was indeed a shadow, a reminder of a government policy that no one sought fit to question. No matter though.
"Soon"
As he walked across his living room he began to go over his plans. Sitting at his desk he looked at his computer. "Old like me" he said as he look at his prefabricated monitor, keyboard, mouse. He was to old to have an implant. One that would cause the fibrocables laced in each home for the past 10 years to come to life. No, no video game downloads, no touch screen control, no monitor floating randomly in some darkened room obeying his call. Just him and his desk, which was probably for the better seeing how standing had become a chore for him as of late. He sat comfortably in his old leather chair. A chair that was smooth and comforting unlike his skin. Replicated leather never needed oiling but skin did, and he just didn't care anymore.
He looked at the monitor and began to call up images in his mind. Stories. Stories he had heard as a child. Folklore and myths about a world below. About a time when creatures flew through the air. When you had to look up to see the clouds instead of below. He began to imagine the images his father had told him about. Trees, mountains, bodies of water just beckoning to be enveloped in. Grass to run through barefoot. A world where water fell from the sky. He remembered as a child how much he had loved these stories. How his father would sit the family down after dinner and tell them the tales of mythical creatures called birds that flew through the sky with no centralized computer to tell it where to go. He knew he father had embellished in some of the stories, after all, his father had heard them second hand as well. These were stories that were passed down from generation to generation. And they were always followed by the horror stricken reality that the land below was barren and poisoned. They lived amongst the clouds. They were the remains of a race that destroyed itself and the land it walked on.
Even as these thoughts entered his mind, he could feel them leaving just as fast. He wondered if this was the last time he would be able to picture such images so vividly. It was all fading so fast nowadays. Time called on his body like a tooth fairy collecting her dues. His eyes darkened a little as he felt his brow furrow. Gone was his youth, his memories and his innocence. The skin wrinkled and course. Joints that ached upon a thought a thought that faded as the life was slowly being drained from his body.
"Soon" he thought, "It will be all over soon".
He began the pained process of stretching his aged fingers over the keyboard. Glasses sliding to the brim of his nose as he tried to block the ache from his padded fingertips. To old for ocular implants and cosmetic readjustments, he pushed his antiqued glasses back into place as he looked on the screen. "Soon", he thought. The words appeared on the screen, slower than he had hoped but expected nonetheless. "Last Will And Testament" the screen blinked at him.
His family had "retired" decades ago. He had no wife or children of his own and knew there would be no bereaved when his time came. He wanted to leave everything to the school, which had treated him so well. Invisible and old as he was, he still loved being around them. The laughter of children and they ran down the hall to class had always brought a smile to his graying beard. He planned to leave what little he had to them. His worldly possessions, which barely made an impact in this lonely studio apartment. Small and forgotten...much like him.
He couldn't go on like this. He couldn't let something claim him as his anonymity had. He never caused a ripple in the fabric. Always did as he was told. But he wanted to control this. He wanted to be in charge just once in his life, even if it was a matter of how to end it. No more pain. No more forgetting. No more tears flowing down his face relieving the dryness of age upon it. It'll be all over soon. He can finally sleep in peace. Because he said so. He would have the final word and today that word was soon. He finished the arduous task and looked up at the screen.
"Soon" he said
"Soon"
Monday, January 31, 2005
Sunday, January 30, 2005
The Apartment chapter 2
The Apartment
Rene was perfectly happy with her life since moving here. She was a single mother, which was unheard of in these days what with population control and all, but loved her daughters greatly. Kitty and Tabby were about to turn 8. Next week to be exact and Rene was deep in party preparation. It was much easier to do now that she had moved here. Her last apt was so expensive and costly that she could hardly cloth her daughters much less throw them a party. Plus, living in such a high priced area meant the people were fairly snobbish. They often looked down on Rene for being a single mother and not a day would go by where she wasn't called some derogatory name. All under their breath of course. When you deal with that class of people they think money brings them intimidation instead of actually having the balls to say something.
Rene didn't care. It wasn't her fault that the fathers seed carried twins, much less daughters instead of the sons he always wanted. Upon finding out the sex of his children he promptly buried himself in work. He spent so much time there that he was rarely home to help out. Which was fine by Rene. She had her unborn daughters which whom to lavish her time and love on. When Tony literally worked himself to death Rene saw it as a godsend. Industrial accident or not he was gone, and so was his hatred. Not like she missed him anyway. But it was the hospital costs which finally got her. The money left from his death got sucked away by the surgeon fees that were charged to try and save his life. That, coupled with the cost of delivery, had nearly wiped Rene clean. She had to find work immediately after her daughters were born. Luckily for her she had attained a teaching degree 2 years earlier and was able to find a job teaching Planetary Literature Composition right away. One which allowed her to bring her newborn daughters to work with her.
But teaching didn't pay much. Not even in this day and age. She had to find a new place to live. When an opening came in this complex she fell to her knees and thanked the maker. Even though the rent was a lot cheaper, the quality of the complex and amenities made it seem like a costlier place. It was a pure miracle that she happened to come across it when she did, and she never let herself forget that.
The tenants here were much friendlier and more open to her plight. Most women in Rene's situation would have remarried immediately but not her. She had all she needed with her two daughters and let everyone know that that was the case. Her daughters were able to make friends quickly once they were old enough. Enough friends that Rene knew the birthday would be a smash.
With the invitations already set Rene had begun to get her daughters ready to go to the sitters. Today was the day she had planned on gift shopping and entertainment arranging. Having the girls around while shopping would ruin the surprise. She had arranged for the girls to stay over at her neighbors house. Jim and Rose were a wonderful couple with a daughter, Toni, of their own. As Rene dropped off her daughters, she knelt down to kiss and hug them good bye.
"Have a good day mommy, we'll miss you!" , they said.
"You behave for Jim and Rose and have fun. And don't worry, I plan on having a wonderful day".
Rene was perfectly happy with her life since moving here. She was a single mother, which was unheard of in these days what with population control and all, but loved her daughters greatly. Kitty and Tabby were about to turn 8. Next week to be exact and Rene was deep in party preparation. It was much easier to do now that she had moved here. Her last apt was so expensive and costly that she could hardly cloth her daughters much less throw them a party. Plus, living in such a high priced area meant the people were fairly snobbish. They often looked down on Rene for being a single mother and not a day would go by where she wasn't called some derogatory name. All under their breath of course. When you deal with that class of people they think money brings them intimidation instead of actually having the balls to say something.
Rene didn't care. It wasn't her fault that the fathers seed carried twins, much less daughters instead of the sons he always wanted. Upon finding out the sex of his children he promptly buried himself in work. He spent so much time there that he was rarely home to help out. Which was fine by Rene. She had her unborn daughters which whom to lavish her time and love on. When Tony literally worked himself to death Rene saw it as a godsend. Industrial accident or not he was gone, and so was his hatred. Not like she missed him anyway. But it was the hospital costs which finally got her. The money left from his death got sucked away by the surgeon fees that were charged to try and save his life. That, coupled with the cost of delivery, had nearly wiped Rene clean. She had to find work immediately after her daughters were born. Luckily for her she had attained a teaching degree 2 years earlier and was able to find a job teaching Planetary Literature Composition right away. One which allowed her to bring her newborn daughters to work with her.
But teaching didn't pay much. Not even in this day and age. She had to find a new place to live. When an opening came in this complex she fell to her knees and thanked the maker. Even though the rent was a lot cheaper, the quality of the complex and amenities made it seem like a costlier place. It was a pure miracle that she happened to come across it when she did, and she never let herself forget that.
The tenants here were much friendlier and more open to her plight. Most women in Rene's situation would have remarried immediately but not her. She had all she needed with her two daughters and let everyone know that that was the case. Her daughters were able to make friends quickly once they were old enough. Enough friends that Rene knew the birthday would be a smash.
With the invitations already set Rene had begun to get her daughters ready to go to the sitters. Today was the day she had planned on gift shopping and entertainment arranging. Having the girls around while shopping would ruin the surprise. She had arranged for the girls to stay over at her neighbors house. Jim and Rose were a wonderful couple with a daughter, Toni, of their own. As Rene dropped off her daughters, she knelt down to kiss and hug them good bye.
"Have a good day mommy, we'll miss you!" , they said.
"You behave for Jim and Rose and have fun. And don't worry, I plan on having a wonderful day".
Saturday, January 29, 2005
The Apartment
The Apartment.
It was a beautiful morning in Upper Redlands. The sky was clear, as it always is at that elevation, and the weather was a nice 77 degrees. And while the air was filled with the usual morning traffic, Joe was ready to get his day started. Today was the day. Today was the day he was going to ask his boss for a raise. He had spent the entire weekend pacing around in his apartment trying to figure out the best way to go about this task. He worked at Improved Optimistics, a video game conglomerate that had won the console wars of 2119, and was an advanced engine builder. Being that he worked endless amounts of hours creating new gaming engines on which game developers would base future games on, he felt he deserved more benefits and more pay. True he already made more than any other employee of the company, but his rent was decreased recently which meant that more less than desireable tenants would soon be occupying his building. He didn't want to be associated with lesser standards of living. He was 27 years old and felt he deserved to be cut of a higher cloth.
Getting dressed that morning was no simple task. The normal gears and servos that made up his outfitting machine were in pristine order, it was Joe that was out of sync. He found it hard to stand still for more that 30 sec to let the machine do it's job. Having had the same problem in the shower with the autoshaver had already provided him with nics all over his face. After what seemed like an eternity and getting a fair scolding from the machines Joe was ready to work. He hit his vehicle call button on his watch and waited patiently for his '17 Vista Cruiser to arrive for pick up. Once it did, Joe sped off to work bound and determined to make this day happen the way he wanted it to.
It was a beautiful morning in Upper Redlands. The sky was clear, as it always is at that elevation, and the weather was a nice 77 degrees. And while the air was filled with the usual morning traffic, Joe was ready to get his day started. Today was the day. Today was the day he was going to ask his boss for a raise. He had spent the entire weekend pacing around in his apartment trying to figure out the best way to go about this task. He worked at Improved Optimistics, a video game conglomerate that had won the console wars of 2119, and was an advanced engine builder. Being that he worked endless amounts of hours creating new gaming engines on which game developers would base future games on, he felt he deserved more benefits and more pay. True he already made more than any other employee of the company, but his rent was decreased recently which meant that more less than desireable tenants would soon be occupying his building. He didn't want to be associated with lesser standards of living. He was 27 years old and felt he deserved to be cut of a higher cloth.
Getting dressed that morning was no simple task. The normal gears and servos that made up his outfitting machine were in pristine order, it was Joe that was out of sync. He found it hard to stand still for more that 30 sec to let the machine do it's job. Having had the same problem in the shower with the autoshaver had already provided him with nics all over his face. After what seemed like an eternity and getting a fair scolding from the machines Joe was ready to work. He hit his vehicle call button on his watch and waited patiently for his '17 Vista Cruiser to arrive for pick up. Once it did, Joe sped off to work bound and determined to make this day happen the way he wanted it to.
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