Time Troublemaker

1

New York, December 24 2100

Ever since the almost-World War III and the newly formed WSO. New York has, more or less, became the world capital. Every world-level conference will be held in New York. New sophisticated looking building poped up here and there as the time goes by. And with the first ever Christmas Eve coming up. Under the chilling weather of winter, the bustling sound of people walking down the road, the zapping sound of patrolbot arresting a poor thieve that tried to steal from the wrong lad.

Poor guy...

I, myself is one of the hundreds of people in the crowd, looking for presents for the upcoming Christmas day tommorow. I tightened my coat around me when the freezing wind whirl past me. It really is freezing today. I wonder what happened to my supposedly newly invented auto-heater that supposed to be activated when the temperature is below "comfortable" point. Looks like mom was right, never trust what you see on hollownet so easily. Because I'm pretty damn sure the temperature is way bellow my comfortable point.

Huffing, I quicken my pace as I push through the crowd around me. Finally I found my destination. A small circular dome that emits a sophisticated feeling. Just above it, float a hollow screen read, Merry's Circular Dome. Silly Stone. Never found a more ridiculous name, doesn't he? Nonetheless I walk through the Cdoor. Really convenient thing, I might say. Those Caldus family really know what their doing. You see Cdoor are one of the many things Caldus Co. invented back in the 21st century. It's a small metalic plank that can adjust on whatever surface it's attached on. Easy to attach, and easy to detach. You can never see the door, the only sign it's ever there is the subtle gradation between the Sdoor and the walls around it. It shimmer when you pass. Don't ask me how cause I could never figured it out, at least my current me can't. If you to detach it, you can just scan it with you Smartjewel, another Caldus co. invention, and press "detach" and the door is gone. Giving a nice big bruise for anyone that tried to pass the wall.

"Hey, Jess."

A skinny hispanic girl looked up. Her eyes momentarily narrowed before recognition passed through it.

"Hey, Cole. What brings you here? Christmas present I suppose?" she asked kindly. "Uh, yeah. Any new Smartjewel for my mom? Oh, and is Mario here?" I ask while looking through the floating vendibles scattered around the room "Ah, we've just got the latest Smartjewel model this morning. Here are the new SJ8X+ and SJ8S+ and yeah, Mario's in the undergroud room. You know how much he loves being underground." She said while swishing through the floating goods. Stooping on a fancy looking ruby red smartjewel and an emerald green smartjewel. That never get old. "Can you packed both of them? Oh, and wrapped it too. I'll pay you later, after I visit Mario-the-rat," I say while snickering. "Sure thing Cole. Watch out for the floor, they're still slippery!"

Giving an "okay" I tiptoed on the shiny wet marble. Soon enough I reach the elevator. Pressing the "down" button on the holoscreen and dash to the elevator as soon as the door shimmer upwards. The ride was short and smooth, as the underground room is not too far from the surface. The door shimmer with a ding and I step outside. The room looks really cozy and warm. The floor is made out of oak wood. Bookshelves along the wall filled with various feeling and a real fireplace in the end of the room with fire crackling in it. Those things are really rare these days, as people prefer electrical heater over risky traditional fireplace. It's one of the many reasons I love this place. The other is the man sitting in a supper cushy looking bean bag near the fireplace. Mario Farius, a tall dark skinned asian-african. Successful businessman, at age 30 he managed to be the founder of The Merry's, a transnational gift shop. Very rich but too humble for his own good. But that's why I love him. He build The Merry's in 2092 to honor of his deceased wife, Merry, two years after the WSO was created. The shop almost immediately rise to popularity because of the post chaotic atmosphere, and people need something to distract themselves. Right now he's sitting comfortably in the giant maroon beanbag under the warmth of the fire. Reading what suspiciously to be Harry Potter, a popular children fiction from the beginning of 21st century. Appereantly it's still famous even after a century of its publishment.

"I didn't know you like Harry Potter," I said. He gave a yelp, "How do you get in here?" cheeks red, his hand tried to cover the book. I rolled my eyes, "By the elevator of course! No need to cover it I have already seen it. Awe, i didn't know Mr. Farius, the big-bad Farius loves to read about children and magic." I teased him while chuckling. "Stop it!" his cheeks went even redder, "what are you doing here anyway?"

"Can't this dearest friend give his friend a visit after a whole week of not seeing each other?" I asked teasingly.

"Alright, alright you win. Here take a sit," he said while gesturing me to sit on the bright maroon beanbag, similar to his. "Tea?" "Sure thing," I said while taking and exotic looking teacup.
Taking a sip, my brow raised, "New flavor?" "Chameleon tea, fresh from Burma." "Really? What a weird name for a good tea." "I know."

After that it went silent, the silence where we just enjoy each other presence. "So Cole, how can I help you?" "Well nothing really. I just want to visit you that all." Mario raised a brow, his expression is sceptical, not believing me one bit.

"Uh you got me." "Hah, I knew it!" I just rolled my eyes at his childishness, "Well I just want to ask you if you know anything about time travel."

"What's with the suddenness?" curiosity evident in his eyes. You see, time travel, until now, is still a myth. Noone has ever invent the fantasy time machine. "I'm just a bit," Mario raise his brow again, "okay more than a little curious about time travel."

Mario went into what I call his thinking mode. Only to be interrupt by my sudden moan. "What's wrong?" his brows scrunch up with concern. "I don't now it ju-" I groan when another throbbing pain stab my head. I held my head, trying to ease the pain up by massaging it.

Not working.

My follow up moan get louder as it got more painful. The last thing I see is Mario walk closer to me, eyes filled with concern. When my eyes rolled to the back of my head and the world went back.

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A/N: Hello! How was it? Thank you for reading this chapter, really appreciate that. This chapter was a quite hard chapter to make. I wrote and erase it a few and I'm pretty proud with the end result. Although I'm a quite a bookworm, I quite have a hard time in imagining things decribed in a book. So I have a hard time in creating a description if a place, situation, appearance, etc. I also have a hard time in covercising (chatting to be more precise). So I don't know if those conversations I made a 'normal' or a 'decent' one or not. Oh yeah, is there any plot holes in the chapter, or something off with it? If so, please point it out. Advice, commentary, and construction criticism is welcomed. Vote is greatly appreciated. And I'm really grateful if you read this story. As this story is my first ever, really serious, fiction that I made. But please point out any grammer, vocab, mistakes that I made, as I'm still learning and always will. Okay that's the end of my ramblings.

See you next time,
Sincerely,
Sammy

Extra note:
Caldus: from the word Callidus, the Latin of Clever

Farius: Ferrarius (Latin) means blacksmith