Outside a massive stadium on the outskirts of Kaiden City, dozens of fans were lined up to enter from the outside. They were all here to see the championship game. The Upsilon Unruly up against the Chi Champions. The city was bright, and full of cutting edge technology. It was in fact the future. Birthed from an industrial renaissance, the game of baseball also reemerged as the most popular sport of the modern day.
As each guest gets checked for entry and enters the stadium, another line awaits them. The bulk of the spectators go right through the center of the stadium. The surrounding seats are completely empty. A young boy around the age of 8 and his father await in the enormous line.
"Father, why aren't we over there? In the seats that are all empty," the boy asks.
"Oh, those? They aren't for sports games. The stadium we're going to, doesn't exist," he replies.
The boy looks at his father perplexed. "What does that even mean Dad?" he states.
"You will see soon enough. As soon as we get to the front of this damn line," the dad states as he tries to look around the line to see how far they are from the front.
"You would think that there would be a solution to long lines in this day in age." the dad complains.
Further forwards from the two is a small stage in the center of Kaiden City Stadium. A ramp raises to the floor of the stage that houses 5 different glowing platforms. All in the shape of a circle, and being guarded by an employee. A man at the front of the line is called forth by an employee and is informed to step foot onto the platform. He is then given a countdown.
"Three. Two." The employee calls out.
He looks down at a screen. A loading bar has reached 100%. The words Beam Ready appear on screen.
"One." The employee says as he opens the lid to a button placed right beside the computer he's working at.
The man presses the button and a beam emits from the bottom of the platform the fan is standing on. The beam envelopes the man and digitizes him, sending him to a completely fabricated world. Once spawned in the fan beholds the actual stadium where the baseball game is taking place. He walks off to get himself some food. A large screen is mantled across the room, above the people that spawn in. It displays the two teams facing off and directs the corresponding fan to where they should sit. Seating is a free for all, so it all depends on how far ahead one is compared to the rest.
Today's game is a home game for the Chi Champions. Meaning that the hosted field the visitors attend was designed by the Chi Sector. The benefit of completely virtual fields and people means that there is no limit to what can be built, and the risk of harm is nullified. The Chi sectors field is the largest out of all 24 teams with dead center being 410 feet. Left and right field both reaching 330. The grass is well kept and the chosen weather for today is partly cloudy. Three large screens stand at the back of the stadium. The center one being slightly larger than the two beside it. The Chi Sector clearly valued the symmetry of the field when making it. The small left screen stands to display the scoreboard. The large center screen is what is used to present the batter and run the numerous ads. The small right screen shows the stats of the players. The game begins with the Upsilon Unruly at bat and the Chi Champions on the field.
The lead batter for the Unruly is a man around age 25. Lengthy jet black hair that swoops under his dark gray helmet. He has emerald green eyes, and is sporting a dark gray uniform with purple pinstripes. His name appears on screen, Akiro Ichiro. The hero of the Upsilon Sector. The fans go wild from his mere presence at the plate. He single handedly carried the Upsilon Sector to the finals for 5 years straight. A real life prodigy. Best part is, he's my dad.
My name is Neo Ichiro. This is the story of how I made a name for myself on the diamond, following my own path in this game called baseball. But first, let's finish this little flashback of how this story began.
You see, this fateful game played out a whopping 5 years ago. I was 15 at the time watching the game with my mother, Ofilia Ichiro on television. We stayed home that day because I wasn't feeling well. I managed to catch influenza. Anyway, the game started like any other. My dad stole the show. His first at bat was a solo homerun to dead center.
"AAAAAAAAND IT'S OUTTA HERE!" Commentator Stan yells out.
"That makes 81 homeruns this season. Akiro is still holding tight to the title of most home runs. It's almost unfair wouldn't you say Stan." Commentator Star proclaims.
"Absolutely Star. What we're seeing now is history in the making. Truly a once in a lifetime privilege to watch this man play," Stan replies.
Akiro slowly jogs around the bases, hyping up the fans. Making his way home from 3rd. The number 1 stitched on his back, symbolizing exactly what he was. The best baseball player in Kaiden City. He reaches home plate and stomps his foot on top of the plate as a celebration. The morale boost from that single feat was enough to send the other team into a 2 year slump. My dad was a glorious player to come see. He never failed to disappoint the fans. After all, he eats, sleeps, and breathes this game. It was his life.
One thing I forgot to mention, that may or may not be important. The future had left the game of baseball to die. It was simply getting too dated. Until one man proposed a rule that changed the game forever. The rule was this…
Any support items that do not alter the essence of the game are allowed, given that they are not made to harm other players.
In short, you can be a dripped out badass on the field who is utterly unstoppable. For example, my dad's final 5 star play before it all went downhill. It was the bottom of the 7th inning. My father was out in center field. The score was tied 2-2 with 2 outs. The ball was hit hard to center, a clear homerun from the moment the ball came off the bat. Yet, that didn't stop my dad. He tracked the ball down until he inevitably reached the wall. Except he didn't stop, even for an instant. He just started running up the wall. Then proceeded to launch off the top, catching the ball and landing flashily back inside.
By using gravity boots he was able to walk upon the walls to reach a ball that was seemingly impossible. The application of technological advancements to this game allowed players to soar to new heights, and reach their full potential.
The crowd was so baffled that there wasn't even cheering. My dad walked off the field in silence. Now that, is aura.
The fateful play that changed our lives was closing in fast. My dad was up to bat once again. Letting one ball go by.
"Strike one!" The umpire calls out while pointing out to the side with one finger.
Another ball goes by.
"Strike two!" called out yet again by the umpire, holding out two fingers.
My dad always loved to watch two go by. That way he could get a good rhythm going. But the next pitch was, off-pitch, so to speak.
The pitcher whips a ball straight down the pipe. My father getting ready to crush it in order to take the lead. That was until the ball suddenly swerved off course towards him. My dad managed to twist his back to face the ball, in order to cushion the blow. The ball smashed into the lower back of his spine, causing him to fall over screaming in pain. The Upsilon Unruly rushed out of the dugouts. Half went to aid Akiro. the other charged the mound. The Chi Champions responded reflexively. It was absolute chaos on the diamond.
Medics rushed to the field to get my father to the hospital.
"Go get a mask and put your shoes on hun, we're going to the hospital to make sure your father is okay," my mother said to me in a rush.
We lived in a housing zone located on the edge of the Upsilon Sector. The both of us got into our car and flew out of our loading dock quickly.
Housing zones are designed like skyscrapers so that citizens can have somewhere to stay without taking up space. And yes, we have flying cars.
By the time me and my mother got to the hospital, my father was already resting and taken care of. Hospital's these days are quick. We were waiting on a diagnostic in a designated waiting area. I was too sick to really understand what was going on, but I remember my mom was quite flustered. Anxious leg bouncing and nail biting. She was worried, as she should be. The greatest baseball player of the century just took a blow to the spine with a 100 mile an hour breaking ball. It's entirely unheard off. Breaking balls don't reach speeds that high, it was a first in the game of baseball.
The doctor finally called our names out and my mom launched out of her seat. I stayed put, but the face my mother made when she heard my fathers condition still haunts me to this day. She came back to sit down and tell me the news.
"Your father has been paralyzed from the waist down. He won't be able to play baseball ever again." she said, barely holding back tears.
The news shook me to my core. My mother immediately broke down crying. I can't remember anything else that happened that day. We must have gone back home and I went straight to bed. The next morning I woke up feeling much better.
"Hey mom! I'm feeling much better today! How about we-" I said before getting cut off.
"He what? No! He couldn't have! I'm on my way right now!" My mother stated while on the phone with the hospital.
She rushed out the door without answering me. Seemed like an emergency. And so, I was left to play video games that morning. About 3 hours later she returned home.
The events that followed her return altered the shape of my very being and soul.