CYBERCITY // SCI-FI

CHAPTER 1

[MAKE SURE YOU'RE LISTENING TO THE TRACK AS YOU READ!]

***

My eyelids fluttered open, irritated by the constant neon flashing through my large bedroom window.
I sat upright, rubbing my eyes furiously trying to get the brightness out of my sight until they ached and the feeling of discomfort settled.

Everything felt chemical, forged, an imitation of what used to be natural. Outside, flashing signs and advertisements for a better world, "Cybercity", mocked me, called my name in a teasing tone and refused to leave me alone. I groaned in frustration and held my head tight in my hands.
Sleep was sparse in Cybercity. It was difficult to find peace in this vibrant paradise where time ceased to exist.

Everything felt like an endless loophole, a never-ending nightmare that would haunt you after you awoke in cold sweats. The lights never left the city, they made it what it was, cybercity.
It irritated me.

Boiling with anger, I decided a walk would clear my mind.
Walking was considered an act of anti-urbanization, but I could care less about their "futuristic" movement.
Walking brung out in me the few facets of humanity I had left. I wouldn't let their chemically enhanced lights engulf my identity and drown it into the void.

I ran a hand through my ruffled hair and stretched, gazing out upon the city. Flying e-cars hovered across the neatly painted streets, neon lights shone onto the metallic buildings and reflective windows. The atmosphere was vibrant, yet it felt forged and irrealistic.

My fingertips made contact with the cold window, the pink and purple glow softly illuminating my hands. It was one of the few moments where I felt at peace with the world before me.

Breaking the connection with the glass, I slid my sneakers on and grabbed my hoodie before exiting the apartment.

Outside was a whole different universe. The tranquility of my tiny apartment canceled out the commotion outside, but nothing was left to neutralize the city and its music once you walked through the door. This was its raw state.

I shoved my hands deeper in my pockets, my fists balled up in anger. Everything was too perfect, too faultless. We were all messed up, why did we need to pretend!?

My sneakers skid across the polished concrete as I pulled up my hood.

Eye contact wasn't encouraged in cybercity. It was everyone out for themselves. Besides, I already knew my way around, muscle memory leading me straight to my safe haven.

Without a thought, I took a sharp right and encountered a dark alleyway, safely shielded from the glowing neon lights of the city. 

As I continued along my path, civilians in suits and pencil skirts became scarce. I could sense the atmosphere change around me, graffitis and trash littering the walls and floor as my feet took me forward. Body language became different, men and women sauntered around with happy smiles and bottles in hand.

I smiled and inhaled the sweet air of lingering smoke and cheap cologne. It smelled like home.

I cut through a minuscule corridor between two battered buildings, my pace quickening as my excitement fueled. I was almost there.

The light blinded me as I suddenly halted, my eyes adjusting to the sudden change and I came to a stop.

Smoke emerged from food stalls down the road as people scurried through the compact, sweaty crowd. Excitement and animation filled the air, adding to the thrill. The smell of freshly cooked food tickled my nostrils as I pulled my hood down, taking in the sight before me. The homely orange glow of various restaurants shone onto the packed avenue, enlightening the faces of the rejects of our society.

I smiled.
Welcome home.

***