Personally for me the city looked more alive during the night rather than daytime. Buildings were so high the tops could only be seen with a 90 degrees head tilt. They were all covered on luminous billboards, neon signs and brand letterings that populated every space available.
In total opposite to the country roads, the city streets were completely taken by cars and people. The subway circulated in exclusive elevated tracks fighting for space between the buildings. Buses had elevating mechanisms that allowed cars to drive beneath them, making them look like moving tunnels.
To get home I had one hour before the last train. Usually I would skate there easily but since I was hungry and sleepy it was better to take the bus.
In theory there was enough time for me to get to the district station before the last train so I relaxed and played some music, instantly the song began to play in my ears thanks to the neural chip.
This nanotechnology was the last advance in technology. It allowed humans to connect their brains to machines. There was no need to do anything manually anymore, all we needed was a thought. It was so popular people began to take out perfect body parts and replace them with mechanical upgraded ones, therefore being called Steelheads.
As I walked to the bus stop the heavy city air made me aware that I haven't used my mask the whole day. In the countryside the air was so clean and light my lungs forgot about the day to day mask. But after a whole day breathing fine, I was reminded of the asphyxiating Eoncity air.
Me and the bus arrived at the same time at the station. A horde of people got in and I was glad I had put on my mask beforehand, there was no room left to move or breathe properly.
Looking at the metal ceiling all I dreamed about was my bed, the recording could be uploaded in the morning, sleeping and eating were the top priorities.
The trip was tiring but I would definitely do it again, not just for the money but to visit Louise, she was very distinct which triggered my curiosity.
Didn't take long for my eyes to get heavy again. To avoid it I put up a movie on my screen that was projected in front of my eyes using a headset I kept on all the time. Just as I played it a sudden break movement made everybody lose balance for a second.
The bus had stopped in the middle of the street halfway to the next station. Beyond the front window there were lines and lines of cars and buses ahead of us, all trapped in an intersection. The traffic light was broken, switching from color to color non stop, causing the cars to bump into each other until they blocked the avenue.
A few moments later a mass of people dressed with dark hoods and gas masks flooded the street. They began to climb cars, smash windows and spray paint over everything. It was madness, as if their chips had malfunctioned and fried their brains.
People inside the bus soon started to panic. Some were shouting complaints as if there was actually someone driving the thing when it was only a recording telling us to remain calm until the situation could be resolved. Others began to hit windows and doors even though they were all bullet-proof.
I don't like crowds, so I pushed myself through the sea of people until I could reach the closest door to press the emergency button.
A loud alarm went on telling us to stay away from the doors before they opened, as soon as mine did I jumped out.
On the sidewalk, I activated my skates that were kept on the sole of my boots.
I asked my Aibot to search for the fastest route to the station, calculating how long it would take to get away from that mess caused by the rebels. Incredible how the rebellion always picked up the perfect days to ruin everyone's lives. What a damn traffic light and some destroyed cars would do to improve their cause. That mystery would have to remain unsolved since I had to move.
Just when I tried to be a normal citizen and travel along with society the skates pulled me back in. As I rolled past the cars and the scared people inside them I remembered why skating through the city was so much better than being trapped inside a metal box.
Reaching the intersection there was an ugly accident between four cars that collided with each other from different directions. Not to mention the other cars that crashed behind them causing a domino effect.
I jumped over a few car hoods, evaded some brainless rebels, punched one that was ready to grab me, just to cross the highway.
Leaving all that mess behind, I saw the cops and ambulances on their way. They got trapped in the traffic jam, buzzing impatiently at cars to move out of the way. Since all tracks were full it would be complicated to get through.
I was moving from the street to the sidewalk to make it left on the next corner when a car trying to make space for the ambulance drove over to the sidewalk and into my way.