Read Online Liquid Cool: The Cyberpunk Detective Series by Austin Dragon - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Austin Dragon
Ads: Link
was a prelude to something else.
"What?"
"If I were to ask you something about my parents, you'd tell me the truth wouldn't you?"
"Of course, truthfulness is the foundation of any good, lasting relationship."
"Can my parents speak English?"
I looked at her for a moment.
"Not a word," I answered.
Chapter 9: Run-Time
I had planned to drop by my favorite late night eatery, but instead I just drove the city. I did it occasionally during those times when the Metropolis that never sleeps was at least taking a nap and there wasn't as much hover-car traffic in the sky. Surprisingly, it wasn't raining, so I had my moon-roof open to feel the cool breeze zipping by at over a hundred miles an hour in the fast lane. My Pony needed its exercise too.
It got back to Rabbit City sometime after six o'clock in the morning. This was home. I stayed at the Concrete Mama. Rather than pull into my residential complex, I parked in front of the building with the moon-roof still open. I had picked up a quick early-morning breakfast snack and sat in the car, munching a churro and drinking my sweet tea.
The hover-limo that descended from the sky was unmistakable, even before seeing the neon "Let It Ride Enterprises" letters on both sides of the vehicle. It landed and Mr. Run-Time himself exited and instinctively knowing I was watching, waved.
"I heard that Dot had the calvary looking for me," I said to him with the driver's side window rolled down and Run-Time half-leaning in.
"And then some. I thought at some point she'd call the police and feds on you, too."
"That's what I heard."
"You must have found a good hiding place."
"One that I plan to use in the future."
Run-Time laughed. "I have a few myself, so I know how important they are for your alone time."
I nodded as I downed the last of my sweet tea.
"And you got to meet the future parents-in-law."
"I did." I said it with a hint of displeasure.
"What happened?"
"Are the Wans criminal bosses?"
He laughed again. "Dot's parents? If megacorp execs qualify as criminal bosses. They're bean-counters. That's how they made their fortune. Why? What happened?"
"Nothing." I sighed loudly. "All I want out of life is to get ahead and be content with what I've accomplished. All I can say at this stage of my life is that I'm a laborer. That's my listed occupation--laborer. That was my listed occupation when I was in high school, so I've accomplished nothing."
"Cruz, why would you say that?"
"Because it's true. I've been so principled. I wouldn't work for the government or some multinational sitting in some cubicle. Yeah, and all my friends who did are managers and supervisors and I sit in my little red vehicle as a laborer. When do I get my break? How long do I have to wait for my one break? I'm getting so tired."
"Cruz, everybody is struggling. Don't be fooled. You want to be them, and they want to be you. Everyone always thinks the grass is greener on the other side. You have to be patient. Your ticket will come.
"I know it looks nice on my company biography. The 'Run-Time rags-to-riches' story. I didn't drop out of middle school at eleven to begin my path of self-made millionaire. I dropped out because I realized it was all pointless. Stay in and get good grades and amount to not much, like my father and so many others. Turn to crime like my uncle and so many others and end up dead or in jail. Those were my choices, I asked myself? Who makes up these rules? They say you have to be able to figuratively bend a spoon with your mind to make it in Metropolis. Says who? I said there was no spoon. I said that the system is rigged, but not by the powerful. It's rigged by the powerless trapped within it. The power to either be the powerless or the powerful is and has always been in my hands alone. I knew the cards that the cosmos had dealt me from birth. This was my road in life, but was it my true destiny? No. That's exactly why I
"What?"
"If I were to ask you something about my parents, you'd tell me the truth wouldn't you?"
"Of course, truthfulness is the foundation of any good, lasting relationship."
"Can my parents speak English?"
I looked at her for a moment.
"Not a word," I answered.
Chapter 9: Run-Time
I had planned to drop by my favorite late night eatery, but instead I just drove the city. I did it occasionally during those times when the Metropolis that never sleeps was at least taking a nap and there wasn't as much hover-car traffic in the sky. Surprisingly, it wasn't raining, so I had my moon-roof open to feel the cool breeze zipping by at over a hundred miles an hour in the fast lane. My Pony needed its exercise too.
It got back to Rabbit City sometime after six o'clock in the morning. This was home. I stayed at the Concrete Mama. Rather than pull into my residential complex, I parked in front of the building with the moon-roof still open. I had picked up a quick early-morning breakfast snack and sat in the car, munching a churro and drinking my sweet tea.
The hover-limo that descended from the sky was unmistakable, even before seeing the neon "Let It Ride Enterprises" letters on both sides of the vehicle. It landed and Mr. Run-Time himself exited and instinctively knowing I was watching, waved.
"I heard that Dot had the calvary looking for me," I said to him with the driver's side window rolled down and Run-Time half-leaning in.
"And then some. I thought at some point she'd call the police and feds on you, too."
"That's what I heard."
"You must have found a good hiding place."
"One that I plan to use in the future."
Run-Time laughed. "I have a few myself, so I know how important they are for your alone time."
I nodded as I downed the last of my sweet tea.
"And you got to meet the future parents-in-law."
"I did." I said it with a hint of displeasure.
"What happened?"
"Are the Wans criminal bosses?"
He laughed again. "Dot's parents? If megacorp execs qualify as criminal bosses. They're bean-counters. That's how they made their fortune. Why? What happened?"
"Nothing." I sighed loudly. "All I want out of life is to get ahead and be content with what I've accomplished. All I can say at this stage of my life is that I'm a laborer. That's my listed occupation--laborer. That was my listed occupation when I was in high school, so I've accomplished nothing."
"Cruz, why would you say that?"
"Because it's true. I've been so principled. I wouldn't work for the government or some multinational sitting in some cubicle. Yeah, and all my friends who did are managers and supervisors and I sit in my little red vehicle as a laborer. When do I get my break? How long do I have to wait for my one break? I'm getting so tired."
"Cruz, everybody is struggling. Don't be fooled. You want to be them, and they want to be you. Everyone always thinks the grass is greener on the other side. You have to be patient. Your ticket will come.
"I know it looks nice on my company biography. The 'Run-Time rags-to-riches' story. I didn't drop out of middle school at eleven to begin my path of self-made millionaire. I dropped out because I realized it was all pointless. Stay in and get good grades and amount to not much, like my father and so many others. Turn to crime like my uncle and so many others and end up dead or in jail. Those were my choices, I asked myself? Who makes up these rules? They say you have to be able to figuratively bend a spoon with your mind to make it in Metropolis. Says who? I said there was no spoon. I said that the system is rigged, but not by the powerful. It's rigged by the powerless trapped within it. The power to either be the powerless or the powerful is and has always been in my hands alone. I knew the cards that the cosmos had dealt me from birth. This was my road in life, but was it my true destiny? No. That's exactly why I
Similar Books
