My ego is suffocating. My ego is making my heartthrob, and my eyes tear. How could a fucking car be responsible for crushing me? I complied with all of its demands and even had to...apologize to it. Just thinking of that time makes me shudder. The metal plate is lifted off the windows revealing the boring lights of the garage. I asked with a shaky voice, "D-do y-you think...I can g-go now?"
The system resounded throughout the car, "Of course you can!"
I jumped out of the car and shut the door as hard as I could. I then proceeded to kick the stupid piece of shit as violently as I could before I got tired and found another car that I could go into. I sat down in my new, system-free car and turned on the autopilot. This one should take me to Angela! "That really hurt, sir. Why did you have to kick me so hard?"
"WHAT THE FUCK!!!!" I screamed. Why is it in my other cars now? Then, I banged my head on the window. That's right. I didn't buy the car with the system. I bought the AI system itself. So, I'm stuck with it as long as I can't drive. I can't really get a new one because then it would transfer all of its data, and the same shit hole would happen again. The developers said that it was safe, they fucked with me, didn't they? I swallowed my pride and locked it within a cage made of willpower. Through my teeth, I said, "Please, I'm sorry! I just got a little excited!"
The system blinked, making the whole car flicker on and off. It replied, "OK."
I couldn't believe my ears, "Really?"
"Setting destination to 'Angela is my girlfriend. G-I-R-L-F-R-I-E-N-D.'" It paused before saying, "Recalibrating, rerouting."
Let's fucking go!!! Angela my love! Wait for me!
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Vincent POV:
All of us finished putting away the equipment that was used to grill the meat. We hovered over the beds to see if we left anything behind. I can't believe so much time has just passed by. I mean, I really couldn't believe it; all I did was take walks, eat, and sleep. And, in a blink- well, a couple of thousand blinks- of an eye, we were ready to sacrifice ourselves to the world in that glorified colosseum.
"Alright, let's go!" George said. He picked up his pack, and Bill and I followed his actions. We nodded our heads at each other and left through the door. Bill ran over with the keys to the big cabin and returned them. While he was away, I heard a *CRACK* I jerked my head around to see...nothing. I nudged George's arm.
"George?" I said.
"Yeah, what?" he responded.
I pulled him in closer and said, "Did you hear the noise?"
"What noise?" He looked at me with a perplexed expression. I pushed him over to the cabin again and told him to let me stand on his shoulders so that I could look through the small window.
"Oh my God!" I whispered.
"What?" he asked me.
"George, you won't believe it...but the roof caved in. And! That's not the worst part! There are hundreds of rats crawling around the place!" I could feel the grilled meat inching its way back up my esophagus. Suddenly, George toppled me down and pulled me back to my feet.
"Vincent, we have to run! If they find out about this, then they're going to sue us!" We both took off. Bill was casually pacing his way back until he heard a stampede of footsteps leading out of the private area. George yelled at his brother, "BILL, RUN NOW!" Bill didn't bother responding as he broke out into a sprint and caught up so that he was right behind us.
He then asked, "What happened?" I explained the situation to him and also about what George told him. His face turned into a nasty frown. "That bitch!" he referred to the girl that gave us our keys, "She was trying to frame us for the roof so that we would have to pay for the entire cabin!" I thought about what he said. It didn't make any sense, but I filed it away in my brain to reference it later.
A high, and squeaky voice chased after us, "Hey! You sewer rats! Come back here and pay for the damages now! I'm going to call my lawyer!" It was the same girl in the gift store.
George and Bill reversed their run so that they would be facing the girl while running backward. In unison, they gave her multiple middle fingers and yelled to the wind, "Bitch! We've got lawyers, too! If you call your's, then we'll hand over to the press all the manipulated documents you've got!" The girl stopped dialing her phone and stared at them with a very scared expression.
I asked them, "Do you really have them?"
George laughed, "Nope! I just told her that so she wouldn't call the lawyer or whomever she was calling until we get out of the premises."
"Then, how did you know it would work?"
Bill answered in a soft voice, "Our father taught us."
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Flin POV:
They're on the move.
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Micheal Grey POV:
I decided to name the system Jasmine. Not because I wanted to, but because the AI insisted. I, for once, agreed without making a fuss since she'll be around until I learn to drive. Which is going to take some time...a lot of time.
We passed many visual treats as Jasmine drove the car towards wherever Angela was. There was a giant melting ice cube that many kids chipped at with little ice picks. There were also some teens who pulverized the other half with giant torch guns and Molotov cocktails. Pssh! Fucking teenagers. When I was a teenager, all I did was sit in my father's lab and watch him do boring ass calculations. Times really change.
I also saw a genetically modified kangaroo carrying a grown man in its pouch. I was greatly disturbed after seeing it. There was the world's smallest bottle of soda, a giant crater in the side of a mountain, an elephant with three trunks, a giant piece of rare southeastern chocolate that was filled with condensed milk, golden buildings that reflected too much sun into my eyes, and last but not least a skinny skater dude doing tricks on his new hoverboard to attract customers to a tiny shack that he called a restaurant. Throughout all of these new and...different attractions, I had a question in the back of my mind. "Hey, Jasmine?"
The robotic-feminine voice answered at once, "What is it, sir?"
"How come you wanted to be a 'Jasmine'?"
"The person who programmed me was drinking tea that said 'Jasmine Tea'. So, I wanted to be a 'Jasmine'. It's a very fond memory." The voice resonated out of the car's speakers. I didn't say anything else.
***
I woke to the sound of Jasmine's voice, "Arrived at destination: Angela is m-"
"Yeah, yeah. Thank you! Save all of that until I come back, okay?" Jasmine blinked, making all the lights in the car flicker. I took that as a yes and climbed out.
A cold burst of air struck me in the chest. I wrapped my arms around me to keep myself warm from the elements. I wasn't wearing the blazer anymore; it was just my sleeved undershirt. The thin fabric was no help. I took in my surroundings; a humble neighborhood with identical houses as far as any eye could see. Clean-cit lawns, bright yellow and blue paint on the exterior walls, dark brown shingles, lively welcome mats. It was a retiree's paradise. Now, what could Angela be doing here? Was she dating a man older than me? NO. I would not let those thoughts wander into my mind.
I looked at the house in front of me. It was identical, but a distinguishing garden nome stood guard outside the front entrance. Its eyes looked like they were staring at me no matter where I stepped. Creepy little bastard. I pulled some duct tape out of my car and plastered it over the thing's eyes. That was better. I skipped over the three cement stairs and knocked on the door. Faint footsteps got louder and I could see a little eye looking out of the peephole. I gave my best smile and said, "Hello."
The door creaked open a little and a middle-aged woman's face popped out. I looked at her and took a step back. "I'm sorry. I must be at the wrong house." I slowly turned my back on her and began the descent towards Jasmine. She tricked me, that's what she did.
"Wait!" the woman raised her voice. I halted. "Are you Micheal Grey?"
I looked over my shoulder at her and said, "Yeah."
She shut the door, but I could hear metal clacking. She opened the door wide this time around and gestured me inside, "Come in. Come in."
I was doubt full, but I made my way inside. The women jabbered on. Her name was Juliana, and she was a nurse that worked in the St. James clinic right down the road. Actually, that was where I was treated for my accident. She talked a bit more about herself before she brought me some coffee, and then she asked me a question. "Are you looking for Angela?"
My eyes lit up, "Yeah. And also, isn't Angela supposed to be from the outer or middle sector?"
Juliana smiled while she sipped on her steaming hot coffee. Despite the barely noticeable wrinkles around her eyes and mouth, she was quite the beauty. I internally slapped myself. I could not have eyes for anyone except Angela...at this point in time. She answered, "I'm her aunt. My family was all from the middle sector, including Angela. I was lucky enough to land a job in that clinic nearly twenty years ago as a nurse in training. Now, I work full time. When Angela was given a job at your company, I insisted that she and her grandmother move in with me."
"She has a grandmother?"
Juliana frowned, "Yes. My mother is gravely ill, so it was time for me to take care of her, but I had to move because of the job. Angela was the one that took care of her in my absence. I owe her a great deal."
"Is she still ill?" Juliana nodded her head. I searched my body for the small bottle of fluid I carry around in case of emergencies. This could work. I asked her another question, "How did you know that it was me?"
Juliana giggled, "Angela always mentions your eyes when she talks about you. So, obviously, I knew it was you. No one else has those eyes even if they tried to dye them." I blushed. She talked about me?
Delicate footsteps laced the room. I looked behind the couch that I was sitting on and saw Angela in her casual sleeping clothes. Her figure was a defined shadow beneath her thin gown. My eyes drew themselves to her full breasts, and her deep cleavage. I blushed even harder when I noticed that Angela noticed me looking at her. We both blushed.
Juliana shattered the awkwardness, "Well, I'll be going to my room so that you two love birds can sort it out." I looked at her with wide eyes. She laughed and left with her hips shaking left and right.
I turned to Angela and said, "Would you like to put on some real clothes before we talk?" She shook her head subconsciously, but then suddenly tried to covered her body with her hands as she headed back to her room. She came back in a few minutes wearing an extra-large t-shirt that came all the way down to her thighs. She sat down on the satin couch opposite of where I was sitting. I started, "Sorry, for barging in without any previous notice." The sun still shined the window. It fell on her with such radiance that it blinded me.
She blushed and shyly said, "It's fine...I'm sorry for canceling the date. I-I needed to take care of my grandmother."
I waved my hands, "That's fine, too. I just came over to see if you were doing okay. You've been acting a little different lately, and my accident go the best of both of us."
She suddenly started crying, "No, it's not okay! My grandmother is getting worse no matter how hard I try to take care of her. We've been to so many facilities and clinics, but she isn't getting any better!"
I suggested, "Maybe it's just old age? People can't fight old age."
Angela shook her head, "It's not old age!"
Juliana's voice shot forth in the room, "It is old age, Angela. And, you can't keep denying it!" They both stared at each other with sorrowful gazes. "Just let her leave the world in peace."
Angela replied in a teary tone, "But she's not peaceful! She wants to do so many things, but she can't!"
Juliana sighed, "Old age can do that to people. As a nurse, I've heard plenty of regrets. They just have to think about it and deal with it by themselves."
Angela refused to be convinced, "But, this is our blood. She's my grandmother!"
Juliana also started to raise her voice, "And, she's my mother! You think I don't feel just as bad?!" Angela lowered her head. "I'm sorry," her aunt apologized.
I interrupted, "Umm...may I see your mother?" I asked Juliana, and she beckoned me to follow her. Angela walked behind me as we traveled through a narrow hallway. On the third door to the left, Juliana stopped and opened it. We all stepped in side and saw an old woman lying on a large bed. She stared up at the ceiling, but it felt like she was looking up at her dreams. Her skin was wrinkled but in a good way. Her face was amiable and looked like she was a great life of laughter and positivity. But, her current look in her eyes looked different. Like she was struggling to die. As if she needed to do something before she left the world behind. I walked over to her and knelt down.
She seemed to understand that I wanted to talk to her, so she tilted her head to give me a glimpse of her eyes. They were soft and friendly, but I could tell that she was wavering. She didn't have long to live. Maybe a year, if she's lucky a year and a half. I looked into her dull pink eyes. Many people these days get dyed eyes to match their outfits or style. But, some people like me and Angela, have natural eyes that come to us at birth. Dyed eyes can always be told apart from natural ones because of the way they are designed. When I look into the eyes in front of me, I see a life full of burdens, trials, and tribulations. I smile, they looked like my father's. I whispered in her ear, "What's your name?"
She slowly parted her lips and whispered back, "Ayla."
I held her hand and replied, "Do you have regrets, Ayla?"
She sighed, "Too many to count."
"Do you want to fix them?" I asked slowly.
She gave me a forced but willing smile, "Don't we all? But...it would take me years to fix them, even if I were to have a chance."
I dug my hand in my pocket and pulled out a small vial full of dark green liquid. I scouted a thin syringe on the nightstand. I reached for it and opened the packet that it was sealed in. Juliana realized what I was doing and tried to stop me, "Micheal, what are you doing?!"
I ignored her. I took the seal off of the vial and stuck the needle in the liquid. I pulled the plunger back very slowly. The barrel filled with dark-green liquid. Juliana and Angela both approached me closer and said, "Micheal, you can't just inject patients with random medicine! You need to have it certified!"
I acted like they didn't exist and searched for Ayla's vein on her upper arm. My hands traced her veins until I found a suitable one. Juliana pulled out her phone and started to dial, "Micheal, if you don't stop, I'm going to call the cops!"
I paused didn't hesitate to bring the needle closer to the vein. To my surprise, Ayla spoke up in a soft but stern voice, "Stop."
Juliana reluctantly peeled the phone away from her ear. Angela looked expectantly at her grandmother. Ayla continued in a softer voice, "All my life...I've never had a choice. My regrets were birthed from the hesitancy to claim my rights where they were to be claimed. This is my choice. If you have any respect for me...then don't stop him." Juliana dropped the phone on the ground. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she hugged Angela.
The needle was mere millimeters away from being injected. Finally, I spoke, "I can give you a decade. After that, leave this world in peace." She looked me in my eyes. Her eyes lit up as she slowly nodded her head in gratefulness. I plunged the needle into her vein and injected the liquid inside. Her arm turned into a dark green, and the color slowly spread across her body. The light in her eye faded but still flickered on and off.
I got up and disposed of the needle in the trash next to her bed. I looked at Juliana and Angela and said, "Leave her for a day. The drug needs time to be effective. In years, she will die with certainty. Don't persuade her to stay with you if she wants to go. And, if she does want to erase her regrets, it's going to cost money. Call me when that happens."
They both shook their heads in a mix of confusion and thankfulness.
I left the room and started to leave the house when Angela rushed over to me and grabbed my hand. My heart fluttered. Her hand was warm, soft, and nostalgic. I looked back at her. She looked up at me with fuzzy eyes and said, "Do you...still want to...go on a date with me?"