DatePosted:09.19.1999
Date:12.15.2195
Time:Morning
Phoenix
Boyfriend!????
The bar seemed to fade away, and was replaced with a new setting--a
small but extremely fancy restaurant. Several tall candles cast a
dim flickering light on the plates and silverware that were set on the
table.
Sitting across the table was a young woman wearing an elegant red evening
gown. Her long blond hair cascaded down over her shoulders.
She smiled, and her blue eyes sparkled as she spoke, "Oh, Cyre. You
spoil me."
"It's the nicest joint on the island, actually; only the best for you,
my dear."
He grabbed one of the two wineglasses from the table and raised it up
in the air by the stem. "I propose a toast," he said with a smile,
"to you, to me, to us...to the future."
"A future that we could share together," she said with a mischievous
grin.
The scene vanished, and the bar reappeared. He raised his glass
to his lips in an attempt to appear relaxed. Could it really be
her? She does not look at all the same. Maybe the enhancements
are fooling my eyes, or maybe she has a holomask on like I do. Her
voice sounds different, though. That could also be disguised with
a voice synthesizer like the one I have. If this really is her, then
why is she looking for me? To apologize? Something about this
just doesn't seem right.
"Well, I hope you find him." Not really.
"Yes. Thank you. I think--"
She stopped suddenly and a smile appeared on her face.
"I just realized something."
Uh oh. Does she recognize me? "What?"
"I haven't even introduced myself yet. I'm sorry. That was
quite rude of me." Whew! Of course, how could she recognize
me with my holomask?
Okay. Better start thinking of a new name. "Oh, no
problem." Must keep talking until I can think of one.
"Names aren't important, anyway." A cliché. That
doesn't matter, though--it bought me more time. What would be a good
name for this situation?
She rolled her eyes. "Oh please! That line is so old!
Why do people always say that?"
Glitch! All I can think of is "Cyre", but that would definitely
not be a good choice. Better keep talking. "Because it's
true. What really matters is who you are, not what you call yourself."
Wow, what I just said sounded like it actually meant something.
Can't take time to think about that, though. A name. I need
a name.
"Well, I don't disagree with that, however, I do think that there is
a strong relationship between a person's name and his or her personality."
Okay, I'm drawing a blank here. "Yeah, I--I guess."
Why can't I think of anything?
"Yes. So, tell me yours."
What is happening to me? "My what?" I used to
be able to come up with new names without even thinking about it.
"Your name, silly! We've only been talking about names for the
last five minutes. So, what is it?"
What am I going to do? She'll probably be suspicious if I refuse.
What name was I using earlier today? I can't even remember that.
"You tell me yours first." It better be an easy one to remember.
My mind is already swimming.
"Fair enough. My name is Kiiziiziixii."
Glitch! What kind of a name is that! My brain is not
capable of taking this additional confusion at this time!
"Kiiziiwhatzii?"
"Kiiziiziixii."
"Can I just call you Kiiz?"
"No!" she said quite emphatically.
Lady Luck, why are you doing this to me? Do you hate me?
"Okay. Kiiziiziixii. I think I can remember that." ...only
if I get a couple of memory module implants. I really should be thinking
of a name instead of cracking mental jokes to myself. It would be
so easy if I was like everyone else and just had one name.
"Good. So, what's your name?"
NO! PANIC! DESPERATE! He glanced around the
room. The room was filled with ancient artifacts. One seemed
to stand out to him at this moment. It was a map yellowed with time.
The features of the map was unfamiliar. There were many words sprinkled
about on the map. In an instant, his eye started to scan each one
for a possible name. His eye suddenly stopped on one word.
That one sounds familiar for some reason. I will use it. "Phoenix.
My name is Phoenix." Whew! I don't want to ever go through
that again. Maybe I should just go ahead and keep this name--at least
until I regain my ability to think of names.
"Phoenix? Like the mythical bird?"
I have no idea what she is talking about. "Yes, exactly."
"That's a nice name. I like it."
"Thanks."
"I don't think I've heard of that name before."
"Me neither--" Whoops! Thinking out loud. Not good.
"I mean, it's pretty rare." All this talk about me makes me feel...well...uncomfortable.
Need to shift attention to back to her. "So, since, we were talking
about meanings of names, what does 'Kiiziiziixii' mean?"
"It means, 'enlightened one'. What does 'Phoenix' mean?"
Wait a minute! Mythical bird! Yes! Now I remember!...
Again, the Tavern of the Ages dissolved.
Now he was in a cave. It was dark and musty. A small lantern
lit the nearby area. He was lying on a small cot. A man sat
on a small crate next to the cot. The man was young, tall, had dark
hair and a beard. His smile was very warm and caring, and his voice
was soft and deep.
"...and as the ashes of the Phoenix were still smoldering, a very strange
thing happened. Out of its own ashes, the Phoenix rose up, young
and new and flew off into the sky."
"I love that story, dad."
"Heh heh heh. Well, I should think so! You ask me to tell
it to you almost every night!"
A hand waved in front of his face.
"Hellooo? Are you still with me, or do I need to call a street
doc?"
"Sorry, I...I just remembered something."
"You just now remembered what your name means?"
"Um...yeah."
"Well?"
"It means...'resurrected one'."
Kiiziiziixii smiled and nodded. "I like the sound of that."
"So do I." Thinking out loud again! "I mean, I've
always liked it."
"Really?" Kiiziiziixii responded. "Well, I'm glad to hear that
you--"
CRASH!
She never finished her sentence. A commotion suddenly erupted
at a nearby table. The two men that had been sitting there had knocked
both their table and their chairs over and were now engaged in a fist fight.
Currently one had the other in a head lock. This did not last for
long, however, as the man in the head lock managed to throw the other over
his back and onto the floor next to Phoenix's table. As he picked
himself up, his opponent thrust him back straight into Phoenix! The
force of the impact knocked both Phoenix and his chair over.
By this time, the staff of the bar had not only noticed the fight, but
had already started to take action to put a quick end to it. By the
time the two instigators started to reach for their weapons, the bar attendants
already had theirs drawn. The blue flashes of their weapons were
blinding to eyes that were accustomed the dim light of the bar. With
a thud, the two simultaneously fell to the floor.
Several of the patrons gasped. The manager, who had just now come
out of the back room was quick to reassure them. "Don't worry.
They've only been stunned. This is a low-key kind of bar, and we
know that you, our patrons, like it that way. We like it that way
too. That being the case, we don't allow fights here." Finished
with his speech, the manager ordered the unconscious men to be dragged
outside.
Phoenix was still on the floor when he noticed his internal system alarm
trying to warn him of something. It took him only a moment to realize
that his holomask was down. Glitch! They can see the real
me! Not now! Phoenix quickly tapped his head in the spot
where the holomask module was. It seemed to work, and Phoenix's holographic
face was restored.
I hope nobody noticed that. Just play it cool. He
glanced around and then up at Kiiziiziixii who was standing above him.
"Here, let me help you up," Kiiziiziixii said. One hand gripped
his, and the other slid around to steady his back. Almost like
a firm caress, in a way, he thought. It actually feels
sort of nice, in a strange kind of way. As soon as he was standing,
however, the soft, warm hand on his back turned into the cold hard muzzle
of a small gun.
"What's going on?" Phoenix asked in astonishment.
"Just a little business, Phoenix--or should I say 'Cyre'?"
Uh oh! Busted!
"Let's go outside."
"Whatever you say, dear," Phoenix said sarcastically. "Don't forget
to pay, though."
"I never forget," Kiiziiziixii snapped. She quickly tossed some
cash onto their table, and guided Phoenix out of the bar, all the while
holding the gun to his back discretely enough so as not to attract attention.
* * *
Phoenix stood in the alleyway with his back to the wall of a nearby building.
Kiiziiziixii stood directly in front of him. In her hand was a small,
but lethal-looking gun which happened to be pointed directly at his face.
Well, I think it's time to take a gamble. I'll bet that this
woman isn't who she claims to be. I'll be dead if I'm wrong--dead
wrong. Heh, that was a pretty good one. "So, who are you
really?" he asked.
"Well, I'm obviously not your ex-girlfriend."
"Obviously." Whew! What a relief! "So, what
happens to me now?"
"Now? Now, I am going to kill you," she said simply.
Phoenix raised his eyebrows. "Really? Was it something I
said? My views on women, perhaps?"
"She smiled I must admit that our conversation was quite entertaining.
The reason I found you and am now about to kill you is quite simple.
I was hired to."
"Oh. I see. By whom?"
"I am not allowed to tell you that."
"Why not? It won't matter after I'm dead."
"True, but that just would not be very...professional."
He noticed Kiiziiziixii tightening her grip on the weapon. Time
for one last gamble. "Oh, one more thing,...before I get flatlined...."
Kiiziiziixii rolled her eyes. "What?"
"Just out of curiosity, how many people have you,...you know...killed
in your life?"
"Nineteen. Most of them were people who have attacked me or gotten
in my way--like the three idiots this morning."
"Ah, and of those nineteen, how many were you hired to take out?"
"Four, including you."
"Did you know any of the three personally."
"Yes," she said in a highly sarcastic tone of voice, "In fact, I make
it a point to spend quality time with each and every single one of my victims
before killing them! What do you think? Of course I didn't
know them! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a job to finish."
"Sorry, I was just...curious. I'm just going to shut up now and
let you do your thing. Actually, I think I'll close my eyes too.
That way you can say to your client, 'He didn't even see it coming.'"
He shut his eyes. Seconds slowly slipped by. He felt his
heart beating rapidly; his accelerated breathing; the hard, cold wall against
his back; the slight breeze across his face, and the single bead of sweat
slowly sliding down his (now unmasked) cheek. Somewhere off in the
distance, he heard gunfire and muted shouts and screams. A single
thought lingered in his mind. I really hope it worked.
Thud.
Impact.
Pain.
Phoenix doubled over and collapsed to the ground. He could barely
breathe. Pain shot through his abdomen, and nausea started
to sweep over him. Why did she shoot me in the stomach?
That doesn't make any sense. Why am I even still alive? Dare
I look? He opened his eyes and peered down at his stomach.
To his amazement, there was no sign of a wound.
He looked up at Kiiziiziixii. She was standing over him with clenched
fists. The weapon that she held in his face only moments ago was
now safely back in its holster.
"That," she said firmly, "was for being so smooth." She squatted
down next to him before continuing. "And that," she said as she slapped
him soundly across the face twice, "was for being so nice."
"That's all?" he managed to grunt.
"Actually, I really should give you a couple more for your views on
women, but my hand is starting to get a little sore."
Kiiziiziixii sat down near to Phoenix with her back against the wall.
Phoenix started to sit up. Kiiziiziixii grabbed his arm. "Here,
let me help you." She firmly sat him up next to her. Both of
their backs were now against the wall.
"What are you going to do with me?" Phoenix asked as the feeling
slowly returned to his cheek.
Kiiziiziixii took a deep breath and paused before responding.
"I was just wondering that myself. Apparently, I'm not going kill
you now--a fact that you must be very thankful for. I...I really
feel like swearing right now."
Phoenix was quick to give a confirming nod and smile. Quick!
Get out of here now, before she changes her mind! "Well, I guess
in that case, I'll be going now." As Phoenix turned to walk away,
his ears picked up the sound of some sort of weapon charging.
"Not so fast!" Kiiziiziixii shouted.
Somehow, I didn't think it was going to be that easy to get away.
"You can't leave yet!"
"Why not?"
"Just...well, I need to think some things over first." Kiiziiziixii
looked down and contemplated the ground. "My employer is not going
to be too happy about this."
"Of course. That's understandable."
Okay, she doesn't want to let me go, and I really don't want
to stay a second longer--especially if she changes her mind and decided
to kill me. I think that if I disappear quickly, it will be the best
for both of us.
Phoenix shrugged his shoulders and started to reach inside of his coat.
Kiiziiziixii's gun was back out in an instant.
"Relax! You already frisked me, remember?"
"Maybe I should check again."
"No. You would probably enjoy that too much. Look, I'm just
trying to help."
Kiiziiziixii looked at him suspiciously. Phoenix once again started
to reach into his coat, but this time very slowly and carefully.
He pulled out a small glass vial. The vial was filled with a light
blue liquid that almost seemed to glow in the dim light.
"I don't understand. What is that?"
"It is a chemical called Xelathene. It creates a big cloud when
it comes in contact with air. I always keep some with me to escape
from awkward situations such as this."
He smiled one last time and then suddenly flung the vial to the ground
shattering it completely. The cloud of smoke appeared. It was
so thick that the two could not see each other (or anything else for that
matter).
* * *
Outside the hovercab, the world was a rage. Chaos ruled the city.
He noticed several small patches of riots complete with fires and fights.
He didn't care. The cabby had been particularly good about avoiding
trouble spots in the city, so he was happy. Phoenix sat comfortably
in the back seat of the hovercab and quietly enjoyed the ride.
Heh, heh. I would have loved to see the expression on her face
when the smoke cleared and she realized that I was no longer there!
I must admit, climbing up those drainpipes up to the roof before the Xelathene
cloud dissipated was on of my best exits yet!
The cab pulled up to a small warehouse. Before Phoenix got out,
the driver suggested extra payment for damage to the cab and "hazard pay".
To the driver's amazement, Phoenix forked the requested amount without
hesitation. He even threw in a generous tip. After all,
he did get me here all in one piece. The driver smiled and sped
off.
Phoenix approached the warehouse. After performing the actions
necessary to deactivate its automated security system, he entered it.
Inside, he looked around. The warehouse was empty except for a
few old boxes, pallets, and shipping containers that were carelessly strewn
about on the ground. A thick layer of dust covered everything in
sight. His footsteps on the metal floor made a clanking noise that
echoed throughout the entire building.
Man, I can't even remember the last time I came here.
He walked over to one of the walls. His hand slowly moved over
an inconspicuous part of the wall as if searching for something.
Ah, there it is. Dad made this button a little too hard
to find. He pressed the button, and suddenly a stairwell appeared
at his feet where there was nothing but floor only moments before.
After the steps finally locked themselves into position, he descended
them to the underground room below.
The room was completely dark and lifeless, but only for a moment.
As he entered the room various devices detected his presence and started
activating themselves. Lights, the environmental control system,
music, and even a coffee machine each came to life one by one.
As the lights continued to flicker on, the underground room was slowly
revealed. Amazingly, the room was even larger than the warehouse
above.
Both the underground room and the warehouse that concealed it had been
constructed by his father. The reason that he had built it was a
mystery. In fact, Phoenix had not even discovered its existence until
after his father's death.
The room was filled with trophies of his past conquests. They
were items he had stolen or in some other way "acquired." Priceless
pieces of artwork hung on the walls. Various computers, high-tech
gadgets, robots, and other expensive technology littered the floor.
Two brand-new hovercars sat quietly off to one side. A large black
vault in the corner contained an obscene number of fellinum bars--enough
that if his collection were ever lacking an item, he could easily purchase
it.
The largest and most prominent item in the room, however, was placed
in the center of it all on its own raised platform. This, the most
treasured of all his spoils was a Mark III AirRanger Fighter. This
particular model had been the fastest, most maneuverable aircraft in the
world at one time.
Phoenix gazed at the multitude of objects filling the room. It's
hard to believe that when I first found this place, it was completely empty.
Now it's filled with all of my junk. Most of these things I don't
even use; I just...keep them. I wish I could get organized and get
rid of some of it.
His thoughts were interrupted by the beeping of the coffee maker which
just finished with its duty.
Phoenix turned and looked at it. "No offense, but I need something
a little stronger right now."
He walked over to some nearby shelves where several large bottles and
a number of small glasses stood waiting for someone to use them.
He poured himself a drink and then walked over to a nearby couch.
He slumped down into the couch and gazed up at the AirRanger while sipping
his drink. It looks kind of nice painted black, actually.
Still, I liked the other colors better. In his mind, he pictured
the plane in its original paint scheme. Bright red, yellow, and orange
flames were painted on its wings and body. A flaming "5" was on the
tail. At several places the word "Firehawk" appeared in flames.
Written in smaller letters just below the canopy was his name. But
now, all of that was covered over with a covering of black.
Perhaps if the riots keep going for a while, I'll just hop in the Firehawk
and take a little vacation until things cool down.
He put his drink down and shifted so that he was now lying down on his
side. As he continued to gaze at the Firehawk, his eyes slowly drooped.
Maybe someday, I'll restore the original paint job. That would
be nice. He finally let his eyes close the rest of the way.
In his mind's eye, he was once again at the controls of the Firehawk, flying
it through the sky at breakneck speed. As he was wont to do, he snapped
the craft around in a quick roll and then dove into a nearby cloud.
He smiled. Yes I definitely need to do this again sometime. |