Flashes Of Light

Past - Logar

I was nineteen years old and I thought my life was over.

Not in the sense that I wanted to take my own life. I'd never had the taste for anything suicidal, and perhaps in some cases I was more of a coward than I would have liked to admit. However, in my book, honesty comes before anything, even bravery.

I just didn't know what to do once school was over. I graduated with a low score because I'd skipped too many classes, but at least there I could do what I wanted to do the most: read books and learn. I often interrupted the lessons to make jokes or ask impertinent questions, but it still beat being at home with my father, when he had the decency to show up there.

In fact, as we grew apart, my father started taking a lot of time off from me. When he wasn't working on the flying machines, he could often be found in the bars. I remember he used to tell me that I could go to the bars too, once I was done with school, but I was ever the ambitious little cunt and I remember I didn't really give a damn about turning out like dear old Dad.

I still don't, but I wished I had showed more respect back then.

So, since the music and the wrap-a-pills could only keep a young man busy for a short amount of time, when my former high school teacher told me my grades in physics were so excellent that I'd been asked to work on the flying machines, I accepted.

It would have been Dad's job, but better, since he was only an engineer who fixed them. I admit, this is one of the things that caused the greatest strain in our relationship. He could never see far ahead, enough to understand where my ambition would take me, and I could never be as reassuring as to make him understand that no, despite all appearances, I really didn't want to best him at everything he did. That I really liked him, especially after Mom was gone, and that he was my only long-lasting friend.

I was a little immature for my age. I think he loved me in his own way, but that he would have never considered himself my friend.

If I acted like a brat some of the time, it was due to my young age. Ever since the span of life has reached the average of 100 years per human, the twenty-somethings began to be viewed and treated as kids. Of course, the percentages never count people like my mother, who died young of illness.

I went to this huge convention about the flying machines, and Dad resented me because he was not invited. But it was mostly for young people who thought about working at one of Toutatis' factories, like an open day.

I remembered that I only met The Anti once, and I didn't get a favourable impression. However, my family could really use the money.

At the convention there was a big platform and Michaim Toutatis was on top of it, giving a speech. You couldn't really ignore the guy. One thing I'll say for him, he knew how to make an impression. His black hair was styled in waves, his tanned skin was glowing and he was wearing a pink and baby blue jumpsuit.

For once, even I was impressed. No one else could manage to make that ouftit look good. I felt a little sorry for the first time in my life about my shabby appearance, and tried to pick at a pimple on my chin. 

"Gravity is only a man-made lie," Toutatis was saying. "No, don't look at me like that. Everything you see or perceive is a lie made by men. The universe works in ways our brain can't understand, so the reality is based not on what we see, but on how much of it we can process. Following this train of thought, I was able to create the flying machine. One day, I'll teach the whole human race how to fly. But in the meantime..."

He pressed a button on a little remote he had in his hand.

His shoes levitated from the ground, and sent him flying into the air. "In the meantime," he laughed. "I'm working on a new project! The flying shoes!"