I cast my gaze upon the events as they unfolded in the garage on the dying planet.
Air was beside me watching closely wondering and silently nervous as the two mortals got inside the car after it was changed into a key in to Cyberpunk’s dream realm.
The car was gone and the boy remained. The loser was left standing alone. Air whispered to him consently on what to do. He was blind and death to her presense and voice still.
Air was still half engaged. Half dipping her toe into becoming active. I glanced at Cyberpunk as he walked into the room. He stared at my sister.
“It’s not good enough. He can’t hear you from this faraway big sis. You got to get closer.”
Air shook her head. “I have been. He won’t hear me anymore. I am trying. Go to him. Give him a push. Please. Time is short.”
Cy sighed. “I can help him a bit but I can’t hold his hand or pushing him the rest of the way. He isn’t mean. He’s your people.”
“Go. I will. I will try. I will try.” Air said in a shaky voice.
I folded my fingers together. She had to do more then try. This had to work. We had to push her to take her place.
Cyberpunk shrugged. “Alright. But, if he doesn’t make it it’s on you. For not teaching him the way.” He said disappearing.
“Holy shit.” I gasped as I felt the heat and echo of the world exploding from the vision.
The two shadows disappeared. I stood with the stranger…I looked closer at him and realized. “Your not human.”
The alien nodded. “I am an alien from another dimension. The car has to be ready before then. If you want to save them then you’ve got to get the car ready. They won’t want to believe you. You have to help them save themselves.”
I stared at him. “What the hell are you saying? What happens to my world?”
The alien shook his head. “I host of issues. War. Energy reduction and added on to that. Your core is going to explode in three days time.”
“Why are you telling this to me only? What about the world? Don’t they have a chance at survival?”
“Look behind you.”
I turned and saw millions of shadows walking around flying in the air and sranding either ignoring or entertaining themselves with the city like it was all just a dream.
“This isn’t a dream Bill. I’ve been telling your people about this for years. No one gives a damn. If you want them to live then get that car ready.”
I turned back to the alien as he started up his engine. “You keep saying save them. What about me?”
The alien stared at me. “You have a way out, they don’t. They matter more.”
I shook my head. The alien smiled and I saw his face changed. I saw his real face then. His face was heavily scared along with numbers and energy flashing in his skin and his eyes changed from dark brown to silver mirrors that reflected my own image back at me.
“This isn’t a dream Bill. Your an Airhead. Your world is going to explode either way. If you care about them help them save themselves and stop thinking about yourself.” He said and rode off to the city.
He had alot more scars on his face and hands then I thought he would. “How long was the battle?”
Cy shrugged. “It took me a year to fight them off and to protect my dream realm from my younger elemental siblings. By the end though, I made it home. Simon left the light on for me and he taught me how to drive. Best years of being. Anymore questions?”
“Two last questions.. Why did we name you Cyberpunk I get the dreams just not the first name and why you didn’t name anything after Sunny Rain?”
Cy shook his head. “It’s a name my people chose to give me for their reasons, I earned it. Sunny Rain wasn’t a prideful girl. She just wanted a family and to make me breakfast every morning to make up for the year I lost with my family.” He sighed.
“Would you like to come in for dinner?” I asked him.
Cy blinked and smiled. “I would love to Brody. It’s been more then a minute.” He said getting off his bike and following me home.
The sun was still in the sky mid way as it started to rain. I smiled and felt happy. For no reason really. Well I guess I had a reason…
Sunny Rain days where the best days in the dream realm. My mother smiled up at Cyberpunk and reached up for a hug while my father fist bumped him and offered him, his chair.
Cy shook his head. “That’s yours bro, I’m just happy to be around my family.”
Something wasn’t right. I couldn’t put my finger on it just a feeling. I glanced at Dragon to see him looking at me.
“What’s wrong?” He asked.
“Who you sell the garage too?” I asked.
“Malone. I used the money to buy the ride from his rival. What’s on your mind?”
“Nothing. Just a bad feeling. How far can you see ahead of the road to the town?”
Dragon looked ahead and stared. “Stop the crusier”
I brought the cruiser to a dead stop. Dragon got out and narrowed his eyes ahead. I couldn’t see what he did but I knew there was trouble. He looked behind us and grimanced.
“Who is it? Malone.” I asked.
Dragon pointed back to the city. “Malone and his crew will be here in an hour. But, the bigger problem is ahead of us. Frost and her groupies are coming up in front us.
“In front of us? What about….the town is gone isn’t it?”
“Yes. It appears Malone is working with them. I-I made a mistake going to him. I didn’t think he would have the balls to turn against me.. We’re caught in the middle. Looks like I’ll have to rush my plans ahead of schedule.”
Dragon stared at me. “You changed my mind on humans. You drew me out of watching life go by. I don’t intend to lose you just yet. It’s risky but I can make a place for you and the girls to be free of the cycle of war and madness it won’t be a easy place to live and you’ll be short on space but it will be a fresh start.” He said.
“What’s the catch?” I asked.
Dragon smiled at me and snapped his fingers. I saw a small map of the area. The map flipped and I saw it as a giant land mass floating in….space.
“What the hell is it?”
“It’s a short cut solution to making a world within this deminsion. It’s a mini realm. A incomplete dream realm within this universe over time it will become something else. The catch is once you enter my dream you won’t able to leave or return to this world. You and your descendants and whoever else that enters my dream will be trapped in my dream realm forever. What you make of that world will be your own invention to your growth or destruction. The choice is yours.”
“What do you need me to do?” I asked him.
“Drive. I’ll handle Frost and Malone. But I need you to mark out the realm. It has to be completed before the day is done. I super charged your ride so you can get it done in a hurry.” He said and then turned as Frost and her people appeared over the hill. “Follow the light. I’ll see you on the otherside Pops.”
“Go on Pops. I’ll be alright. When you reach the town keep the light on for me at the house. I might be a little late.”
I ran back to the cruiser got into the driver’s seat of the cruiser and took off. The kids were up wide eyed and staring at the beam of light I was following.
“Where are we going, Daddy?” Sunny Rain asked.
“What’s that light thing leading us to?” Newark asked.
I smiled. “A much better place then the one we’re leaving behind.”
“Where’s big brother Dragon?” Sunny Rain asked.
I frowned shaking my head. I glance out my rearview window and saw him already into a battle with two of his siblings. They were giving him a tough fight but he wasn’t backing down.
“He’s taking care of some business he’ll meet us on the other side at the new house.”
I was waiting in the passenger seat while the girls slept in the back seat waiting for Simon. He hurried out with his favorite tool and hoped in the driver’s seat. He frowned at me.
“Your not driving?”
I shook my head getting my map out and pointing at the road. “Hell no. Somebody has to navigate us there and this was your plan Pops. I’m just assisting.”
“You don’t know how to drive, do you? How the fuck did you get the car to the garage then?” He said putting the crusier into drive and taking off down the road.
I grimanced. “The owner dropped it off. Whose fault I can’t drive?”
“Fucking bullshit. I’m teaching Your smart ass to drive the minute we get safely out this city to our new home base. Dragon I can’t know everything. You got to communicate to me..”
“Sorry. I just didn’t think it was important or that I needed to learn.” I admited.
Simon grunted. I looked at him to see that same expression on his face that he had the night I met him face to face.
“What’s wrong Pop?”
Simon sighed shaking his head. “They’ll never be a city like the drakes again well there?”
I know what he was asking but I couldn’t lie. “I can’t see the future Pop but from what I’ve seen of the past and the equality of weapons both sides have. No. There won’t be a city like this one. We can’t run from what’s coming.”
Simon nodded. “I know. This world has been at war with itself sense before either of us knew enough to give a damn. I know it’s coming to an end but not for you. You’ll remember us.”
“Of course I will. Your my family. There’s something I’m not telling you.”
Simon nodded. “I know. I trust you though. You’ll do what you have to. I might not live to see the man you’ll become but I’ve seen enough to know your on the right track. Alright tell me what you plan doing with your life.”
Brody silently got off my bike and turned to go home. He turned back and frowned at me as I sat on my bike. “I got a question.”
I shrugged. “Go ahead. I’m all ears.”
“How far are the ruins of the drakes where you came in to being?”
He was thinking. I shook my head. “There are no ruins of the drakes. The city and the world were wiped out several centuries ago by wars and elemental weapons. I am the last living being to remember the city and times and creation of that world and I saw it’s final days from a far.” I said.
Brody was silent. “I don’t understand. Didn’t you get Simon and his kids out?”
I shook my head. “Simon got himself and his kids out. I just helped a bit.”
“So did they or his kids, kids die when the world was destroyed?”
“That happened much later. Around when Simon’s great great grandchildren came around but by that time they didn’t really care because it didn’t concern them. They had problems of their own when the Elders-“
“Stop. Mom said once to me that I shouldn’t think of this world as a world. She said it’s the dream. Cyberpunk’s dream. What does that mean?”
I came into the garage to see Dragon working on a slick ride while I had been hunting up a heavy cruiser and maps on possible relocations. He looks up at me.
“Hey. What you think?”
I frowned. “It’s nice. Who you steal it from? I told you we need something with a lot of armor on it and room for my kids to sleep protected.”
Dragon grinned. “I bought it after working a couple of jobs here and there and selling the garage.”
I stared at him. “You sold my garage for this toy car? Are you insane.”
Dragon was still smiling. “I did a lot of work on this bitch. It’ll get us where we need to go in a hurry and in one piece. Hey could you pass me my hammer on the desk?”
I turned picking up the hammer then stared at it and felt the heavy weight of it. This wasn’t mean. “Where the hell did you get this thing?” I asked handing it to him and then I stared as the damn thing glowed in his hand now.
Dragon shrugged. “It’s my hammer. I used it to do some work on the ride to get us where we need to go. You got the maps?” He said hitting the hood of the crusier. It glowed for a second. Dragon smiled and looked at me. “I improved it.”
I sighed and got the maps out and put the biggest on the wall. Dragon came over frowning at it and pointed at a spot. “There. We make it there and we’re good for a bit.” He said but I noticed him glancing at a spot in the east past the the Outlands.
“You keep looking over there. What’s there?” I asked.
Dragon shook his head. “A project I want to start. It’s a long one and will take me some time. So we make it to this spot it’s good for land space and it has a decent town removed from the shit going on here and about.”
I looked at the distace. “That’s a hell of a distance from here to there. You sure this ride can make it?”
Dragon grinned nodding. “Oh yeah. It will make it. I got food for the the trip and packed your tools in the trunk. You ready to head out Pops?’
I chuckled and rubbed his head. “What the hell? Let’s make a move son.”
I saw to elements outside ducking it outside the garage over a corner. One of them worked for Malone and the other some new guy named the William.
I left them to it but watched out to make sure they didn’t get close to the garage. Simon was away on some type of secret mission. He was acting weird lately. He was more watchful now and listened to newsfeeds about the current war going on and how close it was heating in parts near the city.
I didn’t know what he was so worried about. I had seen plenty of mortal wars and conflict. This one was predictable though the tech had advanced in elemental levels. I wasn’t interested in the goings on of the shit.
“Hey. What side are you on? Cain or the Freedom Republic?
I glanced to my right to see another elemental. A new born of sorts. She didn’t have a name. The thugs stopped fighting to watch our exchange. I got up waving them away. To my surprise they took off by my command.
“I don’t involve myself in mortal affairs that don’t concern me. What’s your name?”
She frowned. “I am goddess of Republic. What side are you on?”
Goddess?! She was no more a god then I was and she didn’t have a name. She was missing a few things.. I thought of answering but I felt her archetype a soldier for the republic that was targeting me from a distance.
This was my first encounter with the weapon close up. Hmm. Surprising. There was an element of danger here I had never felt before for myself and the children I was here to guard while Simon was away.
“This story is boring. Does anything fun happen afterward.” Brody asked beside me as we set down just outside near by favorite Cafe.
I caught the eye of one of the Jim. He nodded to me so I knew would bring me my special.
I looked at Brody’s focused stare. I sighed. “Ah yeah. I great many things happened in that year I came into being. I’m just trying to think on how to explain in terms you will understand.”
“So a why don’t you look like you did? I mean how come you don’t wear your real face now?”
I grinned. “I was much younger then. I grew up. But, when you understand me you’ll see me.”
Brody shook his head. “I do see you.” He said.
I smiled. “It was about a month later that problems started up in the city. I was still green to change on a experience level so I didn’t know how to react to it or how it was effecting Simon. He could see what was coming and damn it to hell if that old man wasn’t a oracle because of it.”
“Wait. I don’t understand. You sound like and act like a kid and how could you not know your own name?” Brody said in an unsure voice.
I blinked pausing in my story. “I was a kid, Brody. Remember I didn’t name myself. No one does. I was born and raised up a current way. You hungry?”
“Yes. I know we named you but it’s weird. Your, you. But, in the story your different your less sure of yourself. Less you Are you bullshiting me?” He said.
I snorted in laughter and got to my feet. I point over to a shop near by. “Let’s get you something to eat.” I said.
Brody frowned but followed me silently to the shop. I nodded to my people and bumped fists with Zad Fig as he pasted by on his scooter on his first run.
Zad was coming into himself. His real story though hadn’t started yet strangely. I walked in silence with Brody to the shop. He was disappointed and he only heard a small portion of the story. We walked inside and sat down at the counter.
“Breakfast is on me order what you want Brody.” I said leaning back in my seat.
“So the story is bullshit.” Brody asked.
I shook my head. “No. It happened. But, you have to accept I’m telling you my story and how it connects to my adopted father’s story as well. Everybody starts out not knowing who they are or their limits and talents. I still haven’t shown you what happened at dawn at the garage.”
Brody shrugged. “It all sounds boring. I expect you helped Simon fix the cruiser and everything turned out well. You and him-“
A few men started chuckling around us listening in on our conversation. The females were quiet and looked at Brody like the boy he still was.
Brody frowned realizing people were listening to our conversation. He frowned at me. “Everything works out, right? I mean even if something went wrong you could just fix it by snapping your fingers.” He said and demonstrated with his right hand.
I stared at him. “Brody. I was a kid. I barely could understand what I was or what I would become.. I was no different then you are but for minor differences. Can you just snap your fingers when you want to make stuff go your way when things go to shit in a instant. Everybody gets a choice on the directions we take in life or more to the point everyone gets a response to our choices. Nothing in my viewing experience of life would prepare me for Malone.”
Brody stared at my eyes. “Something bad happened to Simon and his family?”
I nodded. I waved the chief/owner over to us. “Get Brody a plate of your best breakfast dish, Yu.” I said and took out my detapad and ordered and put it on the ordering scanner.
I sighed. “Experience and street smarts is what Simon had over me in spades. He could see things much better then I could at the time even now at points. He taught me more then a trade later as the years rolled on. He taught me how to survive in that first new dawn of my life by teaching me the nature of how the world works.”
