HUMAN

Chapter 19 - Fox Out Of The Box

Sol had urged to take a visit down at the local pub just on the outskirts of town, a proposition that Frank unquestionably denied and labeled him 'stupid' for thinking that in the first place. . . Nonetheless, we proceeded. Sol had convinced him otherwise, which got my head scratching. . .how?

I remember trying to coax Frank to wake up at 05:30 instead of 4. I got 530 push-ups for that.

"Oh, c'mon!" Sol landed a palm on Frank's shoulder. "The kid has his old disguise, and I heard he'd got away with a lot just by this!" He motioned towards the tattered, dark suit I wore. The designer sunglasses borrowed from Sol blatantly stuck out with its gold rim design. Frank could only roll his eyes in dismissal.

Two weeks flew by. Filling up the documents and running errands for confirmation of that document took longer than anticipated, according to Sol's calculations. I am his only client who needed this much work, to which Sol admits it wasn't easy. Getting him to realize something isn't easy in his field of expertise is also a Herculean task. The raccoon takes great pride in his work. . .and I could see why Frank had stuck with him for so long.

Our glasses clinked together. These past weeks have been filled with "nothing but good." Taken from Sol's own words. And I must admit these two weeks have been peaceful for me. . .no need to worry about authorities spotting me, or having to make a late-night run to the shops to buy basic needs. . .but I can't continue living like this. . .

The mask was also functioning. The most challenging part about it was the programming, and the rest should be replicable with its construction process. Basic emotions such as anger, happiness, sadness, fear, surprise, and disgust were implemented to mimic my facial expressions when wearing the mask. But the whole thing is definitely far from perfect if the empty gap on the back of the head isn't apparent enough. The sensors and all the wiring aren't working for some reason.

"One step at a time, kid. We'll get there eventually." The quote that Frank frequently uses is repeated in my head whenever we are stuck on something.

Looking around, the bar was desolate. Blinds were rolled down to cover the windows, leaving the evening rays of sunlight to seep through, revealing the dust that danced in the atmosphere. Chairs were turned over on tables, and lumps of food and other debris hung on the walls and ceilings. The smell was something I couldn't get a sense of because of the mask, but Frank's repugnant expression tells me everything I need to know. Sol argued that it was the refined scent of beer brewing out in the back kitchen. . .or should I say rotting.

The only breathing beings were us and the bartender. Who, mind you, paid little to no attention to us since the bell above the door jingled. So, it was a self-serve bar at this point. "Attaboy Max, but you're missing out on fine dining here." Sol brought the beer up to my face.

"I'm good, Sol, you just enjoy your beer, and I'll stick with this Cola-I mean, fizzy drink. . ." I say as I sip this society's version of Coca-Cola. Strikingly familiar in taste, but the company that made this beverage has its unique take on the drink that I used to know. "Oh, whatever, kid!" He commented between hiccups.

"Franky, a game of shots?" Sol gave him a light punch on the shoulders, but the glare told him not to do that again. There was a moment of panic upon Sol's eyes before the raccoon settled into a nervous laughter, which shortly fell into the silence.

I twisted the swivel chair left and right and blew bubbles on the drink. Frank is invested in solving a crossword puzzle while Sol begins to tap his foot in a rhythmic pattern, followed by snoring on the other side of the counter. "Bartender must've had a busy day." Sol pointed out that I gave a simple smile in return.

A loud clap cuts the silence. "Well, gentlemen and sleeping bartender, here's your tip. This concludes my evening." He got up and buttoned his suit, then left a five-dollar bill on the counter. "I have a résumé to deliver and a human to sneak into the SIU headquarters." He slicked back his hair and dusted off his purple and green-themed suit (I must say he looks great in it), then strolled away.