Words: 1,491
What’s next? I asked myself, staring out the window to the the world around me; my mind drifting back to the stories my great grandmother would tell me when she visited. ‘Kira, look around you, New Earth is a wonderful place to be. I remember when your great grandfather asked me to marry him, that was the day the government created those lovely flying cars.’ She laughed at herself and her memories, A small smile grew on my lips. I looked at myself in the mirror and let a small tear fall from my left eye. On the mirror beside my reflection was a paper picture of when my great grandmother was my age, she always joked that we were twins that were born many years apart.
I blinked twice as fast as I could and a blue light flashed and a voice rang in my ear. “On, what is your command?” The mechanical voice of the Mind Chip asked. “Call mom.” I said in a clear voice. There were three dots that flashed in front of my vision, which indicated that the call was trying to connect; I sat down in the hover-chair beside my titanium desk. After a couple more seconds the voice called out to me, “Could not connect.” I blinked twice once more and a red light flashed, meaning that the chip had turned off.
I stood up and walked back to the window and watched the hover-cars fly around the blue city of New Earth. Why New Earth, you ask, because when the new president took over she changed the government into something completely new and then the changes came to the world. Little by little the human race was fixing the problems that they created to the environment. Yes, almost everything was mechanical now,but there was no smog or carbon monoxide from the H-cars; there was no mountains of garbage because of the incinerators that every house had.
The florescent lights above my head, and the many LED lights that lit the city up were all a blue color; the president said blue means life and so blue would be the color for our cities of New Earth. There were other colors around the city, but not many. I watched as the Maglev trains rushed by filled with passengers, and some even held cargo.
A ringing filled my ears in an obnoxious way. “Answer.” I commanded the chip. “Hi hun, you called?” A voice said in my ear as my mother’s picture showed behind my eyelids. “Yeah, I just wanted to know if you were ready to go,” I replied to her. “Oh Kira, I’m ready when you are. Take your time, I know how close you two were.” My mother sighed. “Okay mom, I’ll be there in a bit. I love you.” I told my mother as a few tears ran down my cheeks. “I love you too, Kira.” My mother said. Once she said that I said the one command that would hang up the call, “End call.” A purple light indicated that the call had ended. Once the purple was gone the menu came up, and tried telling me to check the calendar so I could see what important meeting I had. I blinked twice and the red light flashed in front of my eyes again.
I was left once more with the one question I’ve been asking my whole life: What’s next? I would ask that question when my great grandmother would pause in her stories. I asked the question when something bad happened and I wanted to know what could possibly follow the start of a terrible day. What could possibly come next after everything that the government had already created, what would they invent next to occupy the minds of their people. I turned from the window and walked down the hall towards the garage.
As I walked the floors lit up with a soft blue glow; leaving behind me at least a five footprint trail. I giggled like the overgrown child I am, I start dancing around the halls. As I did small jumps and twists I finally stopped in front of the door leading to the garage. I walked over to the silver H-car, and waved my hand over the circle where the door handle should be. As the door slid upwards I slipped into the opening and sat down. I smoothed my hands over the black dress I was wearing and unhooked the necklace I was wearing; the light crystal. The light crystal was our key for our houses, hover-cars, and some of the appliances inside of our houses. Once you turn eighteen the government gives you a light crystal, a house, and a job to help you start your new life. I flew all the way to my mother’s house that had been given to her after the divorce, and parked the H-car in her garage. She stood there in her black dress; the same auburn curls as mine were pinned up, and out of her face. Her green eyes were red rimmed, I assumed that she had been crying for quite awhile.
Once she stepped in the car we flew off towards the heart of the city where the church stood. We made small talk about the weather, and how our lives had changed so much. “You are so lucky Kira,” Mother said to me. “You had a great grandmother till you were twenty-four, she met your boyfriend, and you two were so close. I’m sorry this happened to you.” She said giving me a sympathetic smile. I let out a sad sigh, but parked the car seeing we were outside the parking lot for the church. I pulled the crystal from the ignition hole that it sat in, and the doors slid open. My mother and I walked to the church along with others to see my sweet great grandmother, and watch her burial. My grandmother stood by the coffin; she wasn’t crying, but she looked very dazed.
Once I walked in and stood in the viewing room someone walked behind me and wrapped their arms around my waist. I turned and found my fiancé, Dmitri, giving me a sad smile as well. I placed my head on his chest and he kissed the top of my head. With Dmitri’s arm around my waist I found the courage to walk to the casket and whisper a goodbye. I looked down, Gigi looked so at peace, it hurt my heart to see her smiling face.
We walked to the sanctuary, and prayed. People said nice things about Great grandmother Helena, they recalled memories about the things she had done, about how nice and kind she was. Grandma recalled the time they traveled into the city and helped the orphanage with a bake sale. Mother talked about the time they rode the Maglev together, and how amazed Gigi was about how fast it could go. Even Dmitri stood to talk about the times that the three of us shared. Finally the priest called me up to say something about my beloved great grandmother.
“Helena Stone was an amazing woman. Forgive me if I don’t retell the memories I have had with her, but I feel that would be hard to share with you what I once with her shared, so instead I’ll say one thing that you all knew. My great grandmother loved everything about New Earth, she was entranced by what we don’t find very important at all; she told me stories about the old days, and the only thing that mattered to her was the new adventure that happened when she left her house everyday. ‘Kira, what do you think will come next? What do you think will exist when you are as old as I am?’ That’s one thing she always asked me. Well, when I’m ninety-eight I hope they invent time traveling so I can see the old world before I’m gone. Thank you for everything.” I finished my speech and walked back to my seat between my mother and Dmitri.
We prayed once more and walked to our H-cars, we drove behind the hearse and parked down on the ground where the cemetery was. Dmitri caught up with us and kissed my temple. As we stood beside the newly dug grave I cried, I placed my face into Dmitri’s chest and cried. I’ve lost something that meant so much to me than anything else. My fiancé rubbed my back as the priest spoke the final words. I looked up once he asked us to place the flowers on the coffin. I placed Gigi’s favorite flower on top of her coffin, the orchid lay there mocking me. I wiped my eyes and placed my head on Dmitri’s shoulder, and he intertwined his fingers with mine. As the coffin went down into the ground, one question ran through my thoughts: What’s next?
