Epiphany Energico
Darc sighed, and crouched down besides the junkie. His skin was a mess of rainbow color, though now more blue stung his clothes and face. Darc prodded his face with a finger. He pulled a water bottle from his backpack, and splashed the kid with water.
“Wake up kid,” Darc said. The junkie spluttered, groaning on the ground. Darc sighed, and poured all the contents onto the kid’s face.
“Okay, okay! I’m up! Fuck!” The kid pushed himself to sitting.
Darc pulled down his gas mask. “You alright?”
The kid blinked, and gingerly touched his bruised face. He looked at his hand, blood still dripping from his nose. “What do you call it?” he murmured. “Oh, right… Red.”
Darc watched the streams of blood flow across his rainbow skin. He reached once again into his backpack, and pulled out a cloth. “Go on.” He held it out. “Clean yourself up a bit. We have to get out of here.”
“Why does it hurt so much?!” the junkie shouted suddenly, rubbing his arms, trying to clean off the vibrant blue stains. “Wh-why… is this?”
“Yeah, blue is a bitch, I tell you. Brutal as hell, and stings like it too.” Darc pressed the cloth to the junkie’s nose, and it soon was damp with blood. “Hold this there… I said hold this there! Damn you’re out of it!”
The kid pinched his nose. He groaned. “I guess I don’t know color after all.”
Darc’s eyebrows perked. “You got a name, kid?”
The junkie coughed. More blood splattered on the ground. “Jack.”
“Jac?” Darc held out his hand. “The name’s Darc. Green Gang leader, at your service. You in a gang, Jac?”
Jack held out his hand. Darc shook it. Two of Jack’s fingers were broken.
“Huh?”
“I said, you in a gang? Are you a Green?”
“What, oh…” Jack looked down at his jacket. “This is green.”
Darc rolled his eyes. “Okay, whatever. Stand up. I’ll help you.” He hooked himself under one of Jack’s shoulders, and let out a whistle. The sky bike came down from above, hovering a few feet above the ground. “Sit here.” He helped Jack onto the seat, and mounted the bike behind him. Grabbing the handles, he hugged the junkie Jack so that he wouldn’t fall off in their flight.
“Uh oh, sweet ride,” Jack muttered.
“Damn right.”
----------
As they flew, Jack tried to clear his mind. I need to calm down, Jack thought to himself over all the music howling in his ears. I know this feeling. I’ve just got to stay calm and keep my mind open. I remember the first time I left the Victorian Era… it’s just culture shock. I should be used to this already!
"What Era is this?" Jack asked. They were driving slowly enough for him to speak.
“You mean the model?” Darc said from behind him. “The bike’s a Jamison Free Ride, 4 Evolution.”
“For evolution.” Jack’s eyes glazed over the buildings they passed. “No, no. Era. Year. What year is it?”
They slowed.
“Okay, crazy junkie. Netto’s gonna love that I’m bringing you back.” Darc sped up. “What year is it? No one cares.”
“Well where in the city are we?”
“Street Level. Duh. Leaving the blue-sector now.”
Jack’s whole body went rigid. This man, Darc, didn’t know what he was talking about. This was a sealed off Era. The thought exploded inside him. The epiphany energico. It was so impossible, that for a moment he tried not to think of it, not to realize it. But of course.
He was in the Future. A place where the Black and White Conspiracy couldn’t crush the color away. Jack had made it past December 31st, 1999, 11:99 PM.
Darc sighed, and crouched down besides the junkie. His skin was a mess of rainbow color, though now more blue stung his clothes and face. Darc prodded his face with a finger. He pulled a water bottle from his backpack, and splashed the kid with water.
“Wake up kid,” Darc said. The junkie spluttered, groaning on the ground. Darc sighed, and poured all the contents onto the kid’s face.
“Okay, okay! I’m up! Fuck!” The kid pushed himself to sitting.
Darc pulled down his gas mask. “You alright?”
The kid blinked, and gingerly touched his bruised face. He looked at his hand, blood still dripping from his nose. “What do you call it?” he murmured. “Oh, right… Red.”
Darc watched the streams of blood flow across his rainbow skin. He reached once again into his backpack, and pulled out a cloth. “Go on.” He held it out. “Clean yourself up a bit. We have to get out of here.”
“Why does it hurt so much?!” the junkie shouted suddenly, rubbing his arms, trying to clean off the vibrant blue stains. “Wh-why… is this?”
“Yeah, blue is a bitch, I tell you. Brutal as hell, and stings like it too.” Darc pressed the cloth to the junkie’s nose, and it soon was damp with blood. “Hold this there… I said hold this there! Damn you’re out of it!”
The kid pinched his nose. He groaned. “I guess I don’t know color after all.”
Darc’s eyebrows perked. “You got a name, kid?”
The junkie coughed. More blood splattered on the ground. “Jack.”
“Jac?” Darc held out his hand. “The name’s Darc. Green Gang leader, at your service. You in a gang, Jac?”
Jack held out his hand. Darc shook it. Two of Jack’s fingers were broken.
“Huh?”
“I said, you in a gang? Are you a Green?”
“What, oh…” Jack looked down at his jacket. “This is green.”
Darc rolled his eyes. “Okay, whatever. Stand up. I’ll help you.” He hooked himself under one of Jack’s shoulders, and let out a whistle. The sky bike came down from above, hovering a few feet above the ground. “Sit here.” He helped Jack onto the seat, and mounted the bike behind him. Grabbing the handles, he hugged the junkie Jack so that he wouldn’t fall off in their flight.
“Uh oh, sweet ride,” Jack muttered.
“Damn right.”
----------
As they flew, Jack tried to clear his mind. I need to calm down, Jack thought to himself over all the music howling in his ears. I know this feeling. I’ve just got to stay calm and keep my mind open. I remember the first time I left the Victorian Era… it’s just culture shock. I should be used to this already!
"What Era is this?" Jack asked. They were driving slowly enough for him to speak.
“You mean the model?” Darc said from behind him. “The bike’s a Jamison Free Ride, 4 Evolution.”
“For evolution.” Jack’s eyes glazed over the buildings they passed. “No, no. Era. Year. What year is it?”
They slowed.
“Okay, crazy junkie. Netto’s gonna love that I’m bringing you back.” Darc sped up. “What year is it? No one cares.”
“Well where in the city are we?”
“Street Level. Duh. Leaving the blue-sector now.”
Jack’s whole body went rigid. This man, Darc, didn’t know what he was talking about. This was a sealed off Era. The thought exploded inside him. The epiphany energico. It was so impossible, that for a moment he tried not to think of it, not to realize it. But of course.
He was in the Future. A place where the Black and White Conspiracy couldn’t crush the color away. Jack had made it past December 31st, 1999, 11:99 PM.