Menta-Life (Book 1)

Chapter 9: Meet and Greet

My eyes open up to the rusted ridges on my aluminum roof. My stomach growls loudly and I am still tired. I wonder which I got more of: sleep or starvation. I'm not sure if it's day or night outside since I'm underground.

I tap my Econ and ask, "What time is it?"

The female voice informs, "The current time is 6:48 a.m. Do you have an appointment you would like me to set an alarm for?"

Someone out there thinks I do, but I'm not going to make it this or any other morning. "Nope, no appointment."

"Very well. Notify me if you need anything else. Goodbye."

I give a silly farewell. "Goooodbyyyye."

The Econ disconnects and I continue to lie down. I'm not interested in being set up into anything new right now. I'm thinking that whoever sent that letter just wants to talk, although now I'm getting this nagging feeling that someone broke me out to try to kill me. I don't have many enemies, but there could be someone Trex had me steal from who would want revenge. I'm definitely going to be a no call/no show today, but I do need some food and clothes.

The outfit I have on right now is my favorite. Just like every businessman has a suit and every ninja has a second skin, this one is mine. The shop that makes my suits doesn't deliver down here, nor does anyone else, so I go pick them up myself from the cleaner each week. This one is in bad shape, so I have to go get a new one after I eat. My stomach groans again.

I cave in to my stomach, "Okay, we'll go eat."

I get up and dust myself off, then leave my house. Outside, the Deserted are still just walking around in a daze, holding their heads and talking to themselves. I make my way around them and up the first ladder to the south tunnel, then to the second ladder to reach the city. I climb the ladder and push open the manhole to reveal a weak daybreak outside. I climb up, close the cover, and walk to the nearest sidewalk.

All of the city's lights turn off at seven in the morning, so everything is still pretty unnecessarily well-lit, but not for long. Traffic is very light with only a few cruisers on the street level. I walk down the street toward the nearest restaurant. The lights around the city go out which is my indication that it's seven now. I approach a restaurant and the daily special pops up on the right side of me.

A lot of the stores use holograms to display their specials and discount prices to bring people in. I find it creepy because, as a person walks by the hologram, it follows them around like a set of eyeballs in a stationary socket. I don't want the special they have to offer, but I'll go in since my stomach has clearly had enough walking. I enter the restaurant and sit down at a booth in the farthest back corner with a view of the door.

A MechCi server approaches me and greets, "Good morning." It places a small, circular panel down in front of me. "Here, valued customer, is our selection menu, unless you would prefer to simply order our daily special."

"I'll browse the menu for a little bit."

"Very well. May I start you off with an ice-cold beverage prior to your selection?"

"Not yet."

"I will promptly return in three and a quarter minutes to take your order."

The MechCi putters away. I press the button at the bottom of the digital menu and a little 3D schematic of a meal hovers up in front of me displaying the ingredients in layers. It circles around to show everything on the plate. I slide my finger across the panel to show the next selection. Four selections later, I choose an omelet breakfast and keep the hologram in front of me so I can show the MechCi when it returns.