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~~~(POV: Ulysses Kennedy)~~~
~~~(Date: September 25th, 2025)~~~
~~~(Location: Approaching Rucker Park via limo)~~~
~~~(Time: 2:48 PM)~~~
Ellie and I have been to some of the most interesting locations around Manhattan. The limo has been an amazing experience. Not in that we get special treatment, but in the fact that I actually have a comfortable ride for the first time since puberty. When I started growing at an exponential pace, everything became uncomfortable. Vehicles being one of the biggest. The amount of legroom I have in a limo makes me want to ride in nothing but a limo. "Today was such a blast..." Ellie sounds rather tired, and we are on our way to Rucker Park.
I smile at her and wrap my long arms around her into a sideways one-armed hug. "You better get used to it. Once I become an NBA player, you'll have everything you ever wanted. What kind of mansion do you want?" She laughs and hugs me back. "Y'know, thanks for always sticking by me. When mom and dad died, I didn't think this is how my life would turn out..." I lie in the fact that I never thought this would happen. I specially came back to do this. With the help of The Prodigous Basketball System, I've become the first basketball player of my kind.
We silently watch the roads and tall buildings of New York pass as we see it change into a suburban area. The number of parked cars has risen too. The closer we get to Rucker Park. The more and more parked cars. After a while, I see a huge crowd and many police cars. No sirens are on. They are running security. Ellie looks out the window as we approach. "Did you expect so many people?" I shake my head. I never thought this many people would show up. I'm pretty reclusive, and I rarely talk on the internet or do a public event like this.
If I can even call it that. The limo stops, and I open the door. I step out of the limo and help Ellie out. As soon as she's done getting out and straightens up, she and I are bombarded with many people. Young and old, all of them are asking for pictures and signatures on shoes and clothes. None of them are of a brand that I'm a part of. Since I have gotten offers for wearing certain shoes and clothes during my games for money, but I've turned them down. If you do it once, they'll know you'll do it again. Sometimes the offers were insane, but I still turned them down.
After a little bit, the police decide to push the crowd back so I can make it to the court. A path is formed for me by the police, and I make my way towards the court. The people on the other side are obviously upset, not being able to shove their things in my face so they can demand an autograph. I step onto the court, and the game that was going on stops. "Ulysses!" I hear a voice I've spoken to on occasion after some of my games. I turn and see Lebron James walking up with Dwayne Wade. I'm in a clean pair of sweats and some basketball shoes.
I have a hoodie on for the late afternoon air of Manhatten still not as cold as Oregon. "Hey, LBJ! I didn't know you'd be here." We do the traditional greeting basketball players do. "It's nice to see you too, Wade." He was at some of the games where I eliminated his son's team the last three years. We've had pictures and conversations together, just like I've done with LeBron. I step aside, and I wave for Ellie to come over and meet them. She hasn't had an opportunity to meet them yet, so what better time than now.
I spend some time introducing Ellie, and as I do, I see some musicians have decided to come. I wave at them in a greeting, and they take that as a sign to come over and talk, which I don't mind. Their personal security keeps the fans at bay, and soon there is a group of some of the most famous people in the world talking, excluding me. I'm not on their level of fame yet. We talk for about 20 minutes and that's when I decide to do what I came here to do, play some games.
I walk onto the court and I pick up a ball to dribble it. LBJ and D. Wade didn't come here to hoop only meet and watch me play. Soon arguments from the fans breakout on who gets to play. As they sort that out, I start practicing a bit. As I'm doing so, The Singularity's Space badge is already in effect. As the description says, as soon as I step on a court, it activates.