Year: 2129

October 12th

“Hello Kasaihana city, this is your news reporter, Tristin Asai, ready to give you all of our local updates. The grand opening of the Zetsubou Corporation building in District 2 has finally been completed. The chairman of the Zetsubou Corps, Danchou Zetsubou, was seen with the Mayor just a few hours ago cutting the red tape of the establishment. We hope to hear more about the new upcoming weapons dealer as he ushers in his new deal with the Kasaihana police department.“

The female news anchor Tristan Asai smiled thoughtfully before she closed out. She was an attractive middle-aged woman, pretty big tits, and blonde hair. Blue eyes, you know? She was the type of chick who lives in district 2. The privileged kind that has never had to struggle a day in her life. What other reason would she glorify a man so heavily indued with the criminal underworld of Kasaihana city? Unless, well. She isn’t aware of his standings there.

I hated people like her. The self-entitled types. She was the same kind of person who only cared about themselves and looks at those less wealthy or well off as inferior. Money doesn’t make you better than anyone, it just means you can afford to be more of an asshole.

I stared at the interior of my room. It was a mess as usual, but it was my mess. Dirty clothes stuffed in the corner of the room while my good stuff sat in my closet. My virtual game sat next to my holo-tv that had been blasting the news before i changed it to a music video channel. My walls were littered with posters of famous gangsters and action heroes, people I immortalized that I felt I held some kind of connection with. 

“Keyome ( Key-OH-mae), are you getting ready for work like I told you to thirty minutes ago?“ I heard my mother say from downstairs. It sounded like she was getting ready for work too. That’s mom for you. We look a lot alike she and I. In plenty of ways, I look more like her than I did my father. Only thing I got from him was my dark eyes and facial structure. Maybe his build too, you know when he was around my age growing up. Before he died I remember him looking like a fucking brute. He was jacked! For a while it made me wonder how someone who looked so indestructible could be destroyed.

Mom, though? She was beautiful. She wasn’t anything like dad. Her hair was long black silk that brushed the small of her back. Her complexion shone a dark bronze. She and I shared the same hair color, but my skin wasn't as vibrant. She was smart and hard working. However when dad kicked the bucket, she just… always seemed busy. It was like she just threw herself into her work completely. It’s been like that for years.

I walked towards the window of my room, the harsh purple light from the neon sign outside cast a strange glow onto the walls inside. I watched outward at the flying vehicles that hovered in mid-day traffic, each one zipped speedily from all directions as they rushed to their destinations. The streets were littered with all kinds of scum. There were crooked officers that didn’t do much policing. Techies stood on every dark corner, looking to make a few bucks for any of the general public's technological schemes. Solos or Slickmans loitered inside mom and pop diners or shit hole bars to off some lowlifes for a few hundred credits. Made-men, that’s code for Yakuza, Italian mobs, members of The Tribe, Triads, and every other criminal scum claiming to belong to an organization or The Syndicate. And that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of it all. The layers of fuckery that sits deep in the dark crevices of this hell hole run deep.

“I’m leaving. “ I said to my mother, wrapping my arms around her waist and giving her a light kiss on the cheek. I began to walk towards my room until she spoke outwardly towards me.

“Don’t forget to take the trash out before you leave. “ She said adjusting the collar of her work shirt in the mirror. Mom was always big on her appearance. She was even more so now that dad had passed.

“You know, it’s 2129, mom. The 22nd century, we have trash disperses now! I think it’s kind of weird how you make me take this stuff out to a dump when we can just vaporize it.“ I called back to her, my hand reached behind me to rub my neck.

“It’s bad for the environment! This is a recycling family. Don’t forget that. We care about the planet, the planet cares about us, remember?“ It was a silly mantra of hers. And an even sillier state of mind if you asked me. The planet has been dead for a long time now. But don't tell her that. She was a bit of a hippie when she was younger. That still hasn't changed. I doubt it ever would.

“Yeah, mom. I remember. I’ll handle it.“ I sighed in defeat while watching her make her way towards the front door of our small apartment. “Hey… mom.“ I glanced up at her, my dark locks falling over my face. “I love you. Have a good day at work.“

She smiled at me nodding her head. “I love you too. You don’t be late for work either.“ She countered.

Truth is, she wouldn’t want me going to work if she knew the reason why I'd been working. But some things are better left unsaid.

I saw her off. Once she had gone, I sulked back to my room, my eyes stared back at themselves in the mirror. I scanned over my body. “Looks like I grew an inch. A good 5’11 now.“ I coaxed myself. I place my hand over the tough exterior of my abdominals. I slid my fingers over my stomach while I stared at my appearance. I examined myself carefully like i did every day. My golden eyes trailed upward towards my hair. I bundled my long shoulder-length locks up into a ponytail before nodding my head in approval. Soon after, I stepped into my closet, pulling on my sleeveless hoodie, not before sporting a black muscle shirt underneath. I wrapped my hands up in my white boxing wraps as usual and put on a pair of blue jeans and some black combat boots.

“It's show time. “ I said to myself. My olive colored skin complemented the red hoodie nicely. On my way out, I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulders.

☯ ☯

“Yo Keyo, you want some more of that Locus Dust? I’m almost out. Best get it while you can.“ One of my dealers managed to catch me as I started walking out of the building.

“I’m good, Ron, told you. I’m off that shit now. I’m focusing on becoming a Made-man, remember?“ I said to him while I continued my stride towards the exit.

“Yeah, whatever. You’ll be hitting my ass up later on. I won’t have anymore and you’ll be sorry.“ Ron scoffed shortly after running a hand over his tattooed chrome dome head. I shrugged him off. Soon enough, however, I made it to the downstairs parking garage. I strode over towards my motorcycle. It was an all red hover-bike with platinum plating and a polished finish so clear you could use it as a mirror. I had it custom built a while ago, took about a year and a half's total of my savings, but it was worth it.

Pressing my fingers to my ear, a blue holographic slate would digitize itself in front of my face. An additional blue hologram encompassed itself around my ear, similar to that of an earpiece equivalent. The small hologram image were no bigger than a picture frame. On the hologram image, a young girl’s face would appear. She was chubby, but the cute kind of chubby. Her hair was chestnut brown and it carefully framed the round features of her face. She had bright brown eyes and plump rosy cheeks. Her large thick-lensed circle glasses sat on the bridge of her nose.

“Isabel, tell your dad I’m going to be a little late,“ I spoke into the holographic set. The projection of Isabel still remained on my Holo-phone. She puffed out her cheeks in frustration.

“And just when are you supposed to be getting here!? You know my dad’s going to report back to Mr. Yoshi if you don’t get here on time! He said that’d be your third warning this week, YESTERDAY!” Her high pitched voice was shrill like a whistle. Isabel had always chewed into me about these kinds of things, ever since we were kids.

“Relax. I’m only going to be…” I looked at my watch. “Five minutes late,“ I said with a smirk on my face.

“That’s bull-shit! I can see your location on the holo-phone. It says you’re still in District 1! That’s a thirty-minute drive from your house to the Ranch. There’s no way in hell you’ll get here in five minutes!” She retorted back to me.

“Have a little faith. “ The confidence in my tone was overcompensating for how correct she actually was. I punched in the ON button to my hoverbike, allowing it to take flight as it floated upwards into the air. The thrusters on its back would shift, growing in size just slightly as I steered the contraption high above into the mid-morning city traffic. “I’ll be there in no time. “ I revved the bike up and took off, blasting into the air. I soared! I was ripping through the clouds like a bat out of hell.

The upgrades on this thing? It's been loaded up with a Nitro-Mitter 300. It’s the custom build for most space vehicles. Was it legal? No, no it was not. It's District 2 material, really. It’s some rich people shit. Most of the D2 civilians have moon resorts and mars resorts. Stuff like that. So, it only makes sense that they would have vehicles rigged up with the same alterations, how else would they travel so quickly to their goddamn lunar get-togethers in the sky?!

I blasted off! Flying through the air, I zipped and zagged in between all the cars. My bike moved past each vehicle with perfect precision as I darted towards the Kasaihana District 1 city gate exit.