I didn't have a rooster to wake me up that morning.
Instead, I heard a noise. I mean, just normal noise from another room or something, but it wasn't enough to rouse me from my sleep all the way.
What did the trick was Aaron turning on the screen again; the volume was loud, and the screen bright. Squinting, I looked around the room, trying to get my bearings. Glancing at my watch, I realized it was late—by my standards, at least.
"Sorry," Aaron said, making the screen quieter. I waved a hand in dismissal.
"Is it morning?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.
"Unfortunately," he snorted and winced, reaching for his temple.
I got up and got ready for the day, and Aaron made me breakfast. It looked like pancakes, but he called them protein pancakes. The coffee from the coffee machine was on point, though. Aaron gave me a list of options before selecting something for me, placing a cup, and the machine made a pretty cup of coffee.
"What are your plans for the day?" he asked as I took a bite of the pancakes.
I shrugged, chewing. "Not sure yet."
"Want to do a daily run with me? I have a local delivery run for work. Then we can grab you some 'normal clothing' and go to my parents for family dinner?"
I choked on my pancakes. "Your family? Why?"
"Relax, if you don't want to, you can explore. But I'm a bit worried about you going out on your own," Aaron said, smirking slightly.
I agreed with his worry—Dad's scary stories had left their mark. And the city was way bigger than my village. I wouldn't be able to find my way back to Aaron's apartment if I got lost. "Sure, I'll go with you," I nodded.
"I'll pay you out of pocket for helping me. I'm sure my boss will go stingy," Aaron added.
I didn't know how to respond to that. I looked around the apartment and asked, "Hey man, I thought you were an orphan, and that's why you live alone," I said, glancing around the small apartment as I tried to piece together Aaron's life. The place was cozy but sparse and far too small for a family.
Aaron laughed, shaking his head. "Nah, man. I'm one of a set of twins, and I have a younger sister. Both my parents are alive and well and live in this city."
"Okay," I nodded, still puzzled. "But why are you living here?"
He frowned, his face turning serious as he touched his prosthetic arm with his other hand. "Well, there are tons of reasons. But I wanted to figure out how to live on my own as soon as I could...wanted to feel alive." I didn't quite understand his motivations, but I wasn't going to pry further.
While we continued to eat in silence, I watched the screen Aaron was flipping through on the wall. It showed stuff about the weather, local news, and announcements. I read that the weather was going to be seasonally mild, with a high of 80, a low of 45, and medium to high humidity. There was an alert for high pollen counts, too. Aaron cussed when he read the traffic report of congestion and blushed at the announcement of the art competition scheduled for the next day. The community board was full of various announcements of birthdays, events, requests, and invitations, but Aaron didn't seem to pay any attention to that space.
I decided to leave my bag at Aaron's place, figuring it would be safer there than carried around. Aaron seemed secure enough to have nice things in his apartment anyway. He drove us to the garage, where we switched from his car to the truck. We stopped by the office, and Aaron explained to his boss that I was going to be his ride-along for the day. His boss grumbled something about not paying me anything, but Aaron assured him he knew that already.
"Alright, let's get going," Aaron said as he led me back to the truck. He showed me how to open the door – a panel on the side that I pressed and held until the door pushed open. It felt unnecessarily complicated compared to a simple pull lever.
"First, we need to pick up the stuff for the five drop-offs today. We should be done by 2 or 3 if we hustle," Aaron said, starting the engine.
I shrugged, "I'm content with following you around until he told me we were done."
"Hey, don't make it sound like you're my puppy or something!" Aaron laughed as we got out of the warehouse. He pointed to a row of boxes and pallets. "We need to load this up into the back." With that, he walked away, leaving me to start loading the truck by myself.
By the time Aaron returned, I was more than halfway done. He stared slack-jawed, holding some sort of machine in his hands. "Dude! Are you a robot? I went to get the loader, and you did all this by hand!"
I looked at him, confused. "It's lighter than bales of hay, so I'm good."
"Clearly," Aaron laughed, using the loader to lift the final few heavier boxes into the truck before returning the loader.
The city streets were a cacophony of sights and sounds, Even more than last night. It was overwhelming my senses in the most exhilarating way. However, on more than a few occasions, I had to just grip the seat belt, close my eyes, and pray for safety.
Aaron expertly navigated through the bustling roads, cursing under his breath at the slow pace we had to drive.
"First stop coming up," he announced, pulling the truck to a halt in front of a store that looked alien to me. With determination, I grabbed the two boxes Aaron had indicated were being dropped off here, surprising him as I managed both "heavy ones" without breaking a sweat.
"Damn, Eli! You don't cease to impress," he exclaimed, leading us inside the store. My eyes widened at the curious collection of tech things I had never seen before. "It's a hobby electronics store," Aaron explained, noticing my confusion. "People buy components and build things."
"Build what?" I asked curiously, still trying to wrap my head around it all.
"Anything they can imagine," Aaron replied with a grin. "From robots to gadgets to even some art installations."
"Wow…" I muttered, letting the new information sink in while Aaron handled the delivery.
"Delivery complete. Please endorse," he said, holding up a display he pulled from his belt holster. The computer chimed back, "Endorsed, thank you," and Aaron flashed a peace sign before turning to leave.
"Thank you!" he called out, and we headed back to the truck.
One by one, we visited different stores throughout the city, each time going through the same routine. I marveled at the incredible variety of establishments, from food markets to clothing boutiques and even an antique shop filled with relics from long ago.
After the last delivery, Aaron declared triumphantly, "Done with all our deliveries, and it's not even noon!"
We headed back to the garage building to switch back to Aaron's car. As we drove, I couldn't stop myself from asking, "Aaron, how do you know how to drive everywhere?"
He smirked and took off his glasses, handing them to me. "These guys. It's not tech the Oldworlders use. Put them on."
Curious, I slid the glasses onto my face and gasped. Before my eyes, a stream of information danced around like the screen at Aaron's apartment. The digital display moved randomly, highlighting the path Aaron was driving, giving notes pointing out car motions and pedestrians. On the side were notifications and messages; on the other side was a to-do list and notes.
Almost instantly, a headache pierced through my skull. I ripped the glasses off and handed them back to Aaron as I buried my face in my hands, trying not to vomit.
"Sorry, that was a bit of a dick move," Aaron said, pulling into the building. "I should have waited until we weren't driving for your first experience with AR."
I waved a hand dismissively. "No, I asked, so it's fine. What is that, anyway?"
Aaron sighed, turning off the truck. "It's Augmented Reality. Basically, it's an overlay of information over the real world that allows quicker access to information." We transferred to his car and drove out, heading in a new direction.
We passed a large park and approached a row of six-story tall buildings with hundreds, if not thousands, of people moving around. My jaw was slack from the sheer amount of activity happening all around us. We pulled into a large parking garage and found a spot.
We entered the store, and I was immediately overwhelmed by the sheer variety of clothing on display. Nothing looked like what I wore back home, and I felt like an outsider. A fish out of water.
A traveler through time.
"Come on, Eli," Aaron urged, pushing me to keep walking from where I froze by the doors. He was leading me deeper into the store. "You need to blend in a bit more, and I promise I'll cover the cost. Consider it payment for helping with deliveries today."
Reluctantly, I followed him as he picked out items that looked similar to his own clothing. He explained they were urban wear, designed for comfort and function over fashion. True, the clothes had plenty of pockets, but to me, they looked ugly. Still, I didn't want to be ungrateful, so I kept my opinions to myself.
As we moved through the store, Aaron suddenly asked, "How did you get so freakishly strong, anyway?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not particularly strong. About as strong as my dad and others in my village."
Aaron shook his head in disbelief. "And you're all unmodified? Like, I mean, a hundred percent biological? No implants, stims, or biohacking?"
I laughed. "I don't even know what those are."
"Figures," Aaron muttered, still looking impressed. "But seriously, you're the strongest natural I've ever seen. You could probably set some records in the all-natural Olympic division. Heck, you might even win some ranked matches in the open division."
The thought of competing in some futuristic Olympics amused me, though I doubted such a thing would ever happen. For now, I was just trying to make sense of this bewildering world around me.
After trying on the unfamiliar clothes and selecting what I would get, we continued exploring the store. As soon as we entered the electronics department, my eyes went wild. I couldn't help but walk around and stare at everything I didn't recognize. Aaron patiently followed me, explaining each item.
"Those are smartphones and personal computers," he said, pointing to a display of sleek, shiny devices. "They're like mini versions of the big screen thing at home."
"Wow," I breathed, marveling at how small and intricate they were.
A few steps later, we reached the camera section. "This is for photography and videography," Aaron explained. "So these here are drones, those are setting sensors, and these are the base models for the cameras."
I then recognized something similar to my e-book among the devices. Aaron confirmed my suspicion. "Yep, that's an upgraded version of the one I got you. I got you the basic school grade version since you don't have internet in the boonies. And your device probably still has a ton of memory left over."
I couldn't imagine needing more memory or features than what my e-book already had, but it was fascinating to see all the different options available.
We moved on to an area showcasing watches. Aaron explained, "These are activity trackers and watch computers. They aren't that useful if you aren't trying to do too much exercise. At least I've not found any use for them other than jogging and paying at the register."
My eyes lit up when we reached the next section: glasses like Aaron's. "Yeah, that's like these," he tapped his glasses. But when I saw the prices, I went pale. It was at least a few times more expensive than the computers.
"Yep, that's the sticker shock I had as well," Aaron admitted. "But keep in mind you won't be able to use them in your village anyway."
The realization hit me hard as I stood there, gazing at the high-tech glasses. They were a marvel of innovation, a symbol of the world I was beginning to explore. But their price tag brought me back to reality, a reminder of the vast differences between my life in the village and the world Aaron inhabited. The glasses were not just expensive; they were functionally useless for me back home. I felt a pang of disappointment, a blend of envy and a sense of being out of place.
This sensation of disappointment was more than just about the glasses. It was about the realization that soon, very soon, I would have to leave this fascinating city and its wonders behind. For the first time, the thought of returning home filled me with an unexpected reluctance. The safety and familiarity of my village, once comforting, now seemed limiting, almost suffocating.
As I followed Aaron through the store, my mind wrestled with these new feelings. The village, with its predictable routines and simple life, had always been my anchor, my safe haven. But now, walking through this maze of modern marvels and seeing life in its vibrant, chaotic glory, I felt a stirring in my heart. A desire to explore more, to experience more than what my village could offer.
The idea of going back home to the same old fields and the same unchanging horizon suddenly felt like a step backward. Or maybe back in time. Here in the city, every corner held a new discovery, every street a new adventure. It was exhilarating, intoxicating even. I wanted to dive deeper into this world, to understand it, to become a part of it.