Electric Rain

New York, 2242. (Bee)

New York, 2242. November 25th, 6:57 A.M. Bee's point of view.

Shut up, shut up. I know, I need to wake up and get ready. My phone. Where is it? By my mattress, right. Alarm is now off. I sit up and rub my eyes. When I stand up and move to open the curtain, I see rain. I've always liked rain. Something natural in this city consumed by technology. I open the curtain, and head to the bathroom.

I brush my teeth before showering. I always do. The shower water isn't freezing today, which is a bonus. When you live in a tiny apartment in New York, the water is always faulty. Guess it isn't today, though. After getting out and getting changed, I look in the mirror. Casual black clothes, gloves, the whole getup. My hair is always curly, unless it's wet, but now it's dried. Blonde curly hair and freckles, with blue eyes. My dad always told me I got the rare genes, but the good looks. Can't argue with that.

The café is the first place I head to on my way to work. I've been going here for years, a small place, but a warm abode. Nate, my friend, is the barista today. This café is normally empty, and there's no queue. Nate nods and smiles, and I do the same. As I walk over to order, he starts making me a coffee. He knows my usual, an americano with no sugar.
"Up to no good again, Bee?" Nate smirks, handing me the small cup.
"You'd better believe it, Nate. Gotta piss off the ones in charge, y'know?" I wink, handing Nate the money. I refuse the change. Nate's got bills to pay and dogs to feed, I know his struggle. I always refuse the change. Nate laughs, taking the money and keeping the change.
"How's the wife, man? And the puppies?" I lean on the counter. Nate does the same.
"Great, thanks for asking. Wife is better than ever, and the pups are fine. Landlord wasn't a complete asshat for once." Nate smiles and sighs.
"Must be nice. Mine keeps telling me I have to silence my dog - I don't have any pets. I'm convinced the neighbours just hate me and want me out." I laugh and shake my head. Nate chuckles.
"Excuse me if I'm wrong, but you've got a train to catch, right?" Nate points to his watch. 8'o'clock. Shit.
"Ah, thanks for reminding me. We'll catch up some other time, yeah?" Nate nods. He waves as I run out.

I turn left, then right, then left once more. I scale a wall and perch on the roof of a building that sits by the train tracks. I take this route everyday, so this is normal. There's the train. It's a monorail, modern and sleek, just like everything else in this city. Everything the council actually cares about, that is. As the monorail edges the building, I get ready. I wait, then with a running start, I leap from the roof onto the monorail. I crouch and lie low. This monorail is for the rich, and I'm not. I'm a slum rat to the elitist society; brought up on the scraps and leftovers the well-off don't want. I didn't attend a modern school, I worked with what I had. A below average education in London, and my adolescent years spent working the metro in New York. Now, I live as a resistance fighter to the brutal and sadistic council of this so-called 'equal' world. I see the HQ, and prepare myself to jump once more.