SMS

[rbshinichi]

"Well yeah, I can sing. But not that good. I play guitar and the piano. But if I do say so myself, I prefer singing the old songs. If you can't sing, what can Percy of the 2011 do well? he replied.


Kurt went down and looked around their new house. His mother nowhere to be found. An electronic note left on the table pane. He placed his fingers on top of the table pane and drag the note onto another pane mounted on the wall. The note read "Be back soon. I sent the new keycode for the house on your PVA."


He walked outside and the door made a clicking sound signaling the bolts are locked in place. With both hands on his pockets he started walking down the road. He prefers to walk that to use a hover board or his bikejet. He always thought that his generation lacks exercise because of the convenience the technology provides. If something exists, there definitely is an app for that.


A few blocks from his house, he found a cafe with a huge holographic sign board saying Monet's Cafe. He stepped in. The place was cozy and warm, empty tables and chairs were neatly placed across the shop. It looks kind of deserted save from the old guy on the corner and another girl on the other side. She was about Kurt's age and seemed to be absorbed in reading. She was flipping imaginary pages of something through air. People can't see each other's projections unless their PVA's were connected to each other. He walked to the counter and placed an order, a cup of hot chocolate to the robot manning the counter. "ONE HOT CHOCO COMING UP." it said. Kurt placed his hand under a scanner and the bill was paid. He got his cup and sat down to another empty table. Music started playing on his ear as he commanded his PVA.

 

[Soma]

"what bands? if they r actually old I may even know them, hahah. idk, i draw sometimes. but my biggest virtue is being a bookworm. not literally"





Well, this Kurt guy was actually pretty comfortable to talk with. Percy couldn't even feel that they were from different generation. She just couldn't believe, that in 2048 she would be around 50 years old! That's.. actually old. At least now she thought like this. Probably at that age she still wouldn't see herself as a old hag.


After a while she stood up and decided to send Kurt one of her drawings. She dived under the bed to take out big portfolio, when she placed all of her works. She decided to take a photo of the most recent one - a picture of elven woman standing in the woods. In fact, that was Galadriel from LOTR and she was curious if that boy would recognize that character.


She sent it with a short note. "here u go, that's my work."

 

[rbshinichi]

"I don't know if you know them but I enjoy listening to a band named FM Static. Love their songs. And oh really? What books are you into?" He pressed send.


"Hey, " a soft voice crept from his back to his ears. Kurt was startled. He turned to see the lady from the corner now at a very close distance to his face, staring down to his eyes.


"Oops, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. It's just that..." she paused. "Do you mind if I sit?"she asked, without even waiting for a reply she sat down next to him.


"What are you up to?"she asked. Kurt was lost with what to answer. He can't really say he's talking to someone from the past. Who would believe that? He wouldn't want the first girl who talked to him in a long time tp think that he's lunatic. That's just a real bad first impression.


"Hmmm. Nothing. Really. What about you? You've been so absorbed earlier." He replied. A second message came, it has a photo attached to it. A handcrafted drawing. Not something printed out the screen. A real hardwork. "Wow, now that's talent."he texted.

 

[Soma]

"sorry, don't know them. everything what I can put my eyes on, basically. but i enjoy thrillers and fantasy the most." Percy texted back, and once again did a little trip to her computer. She opened the browser, then YouTube and started listening to the band that Kurt mentioned. Not exactly her music, but it was nice to listen. But she preffered a bit heavier music herself.


While sitting in front of the computer, she logged on few social networking sites she had accounts on and checked her notifications. After that, she checked the news, still hoping to find something about time-travel, but found nothing. Meanwhile another message from Kurt came and she read it. It was about the drawing's photo she sent him earlier.


"meh, i've seen better works than mine." She texted back. She wondered if he was writing that just to be nice, or he really, really meant it.

 

[rbshinichi]

"There's this book from the past that I enjoy reading. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Have you ever read any books of fiction predicting the future?" he texted. He looked up and still the girl is staring at him blankly. "Oh, it was just some absurd book. For research." she said. "I'm sure it's no interesting matter to you... What did you say your name was again?" she asked.


"I haven't said my name yet..." he replied, eyebrows furrowed.


"Oh hm'kay. My name is Violet. Pleased to meet you." she said with an astonishing innocent smile as she moved her hand towards him and asked for a handshake.


"I'm Kurt. Nice to meet you." he said as he grabbed her hand hesitantly. Her palm was soft and smooth without a trace of calluses anywhere.


"Can I help you?" he asked awkwardly.


"Oh no, it's okay. Chocolate just got my attention. I love chocolate." she said staring at his cup.


"Would you like some?" he offered.


Without a second thought she grabbed the cup and took a sip from it. "Hmmm. Thanks."


Another message came and it's from Percy. "But it's rare to see drawings now. Everything's 3d printed. I believe art isn't what it used to be. Because anybody could be Picasso with a computer." he texted.

 

[Soma]

Percy started reading something on the Internet, and it got her attention so much, that she missed two Kurt's messages. it took her around 15 minutes to end reading, and after she was done, she looked at her mobile's screen.


She was more than happy to discover that Kurt enjoyed "ancient" (at last they could feel like that for him) books. She also like books about Sherlock Holmes, generally all kinds of detective books.


She decided to reply to his messages in one text, since it would be probably easier for him to read and respond.


"SH is the best!! yeah, i've read metro 2033, but it wasn't very bright future tbh....


it's a shame, really. back here, there is something called "digital painting" - do ppl still do this?"





She attached another file - another one of her works, but this time it was done on computer, using graphic tablet and graphic programme.

 

[rbshinichi]

Violet was blankly staring at Kurt who was absorbed with composing a reply to Percy. "Yeah! Sherlock's the best. Though I like Agatha Christie's books too. We still do, but everything seems to be lacking of something. Creativity maybe, everything now just lies in presets and what not. So just wondering, how do you think the future would be?"


Kurt caught her staring on the corner of his eye. "Hmmm... Are you okay? Is something the matter?" he asked. It took her a full one minute to respond to his question. "Ahm, yeah! I am okay. Nothing. Anyway I have to go. I'll see you around Kurt." she got up and started to the door.


Kurt looked at her go as she disappeared into the crowd outside the shop. People started coming and going, back and fro. He got up as he sipped the last drop of his drink.

 

[Soma]

Percy read the message with interest, her brows furrowing at the part about Agatha Christie. Agatha Christe was classic, but wouldn't reading her works make Kurt some kind of freak amongst other teens? She should ask him about that later.


"she rocks too. you should read scandinavian detective books, they are good.


i see. but i don't think that 'something' would be creativity, since every single human has some creativity, even if he/she doesn't know about it


i don't think about future, it's too exhausting, haha. but seriously, i like to concentrate on present."





She clicked "send" button, and read her message once again. Damn, she could've been rambling in that text.


After a few moments of thinking, she decided to send one more message.


"hey, you have my phone and there are photos on it, so you know how i look like. but i have no idea about your appearance. do something about it! haha"

 

[rbshinichi]

"yeah she does. " he begun his text while walking, absently typing through a holographic keyboard floating in the air that only he could see.


"Ah, i do believe that too. But people who acts with their creative juices here either ends up in prison or works for the government. You don't wanna even wanna know. "


He continued. He read the message again and wondered, which present she's talking about. Is it the present she lives in, his past. Or is it the present he lives in and her future. Or could there be another present. The present they coexist together. The thought made him a little sad.


In a few more minutes he reached the school gates. There were two security droids manning the gates, scanning everyone and everything entering and exiting the premises. You carry a gun, they would know. You carry a gum they would know. No one really has the right to privacy, except for the stockholders of the school who have different access gate. At the end of the passage there are metal barricades same as the one you see in the train stations. They would open if you swipe your hand underneath the scanner attached to each opening. The school will have your records upon registration. And of course, Kurt's is registered by the agency.


As he wander in the school grounds another message came.


She wants to see him, even in just digital form.


Kurt browsed through Percy's gallery. He can see her photos, including the video he sent her. It's already saved in the gallery. He searched every folder looking for a picture of him. In his mind, maybe there's already a picture of me here, maybe i already sent her something. There were none.


He took a picture of himself with PVA's help. Being awkwardly shy he tried different photos. He attached the photo and pressed send. Message sending failed. He tried again. Same result. One more try, and again, failed. He tried to send another message. "I can't seem to send you one. " he thought that she might think that he's just making excuses so he continued the message with the assurance of "I'll keep trying. "


Absentmindedly he was looking through her photographs. He would smile at some silly photos of her. Somehow he started admiring this girl. "You really are pretty. "he texted. He stopped at a photo of her with a different hair color. He could swear that she looks so familiar. But couldn't recall where and when she saw her.

 

[Soma]

"you don't have to believe me, just read it!


eh, in prison? why? was there some kind of revolt in future or smth?"





She really was surprised after she read Kurt's message. Imprisoning creative people seemed like a beginning of another war to her. Or building socialism, or something sick like that. She really was eager to learn more about her future – and Kurt's present – but she didn't want to spam him with questions at the same time.


She looked at the clock hanging on her room's wall – it was time to go to school. She was already late, so she wasn't hurring, really. Her first lesson was boring as hell anyway, so it wasn't that bad.


"gee, thanks! i bet you are good-looking yourself, you stud! haha" Percy replied, smiling widely at his message. Well, it was kinda nice of Kurt to compliment her. And it was nice to hear – or read, in that case – one.

 

[rbshinichi]

"Oh you can't imagine. It's like no one's free to have a new concept anymore. Everything must fall into categories, presets. And only the government sets them. " he replied. He wondered how would it be like if he could come back to the past, he would be the smartest person to live in that era. He kept thinking there's nothing new under the sun. The government put a hold on the progress and idea conception. The world's already falling apart and they couldn't get any more advanced, or else the world would stop on spinning. As far as he is concern they are pulling back the strands of time.


He was walking aimlessly across the school ground, absorbed to the game he's playing while waiting for Percy's reply. He took a left to the walkway and he was forced to a halt with a thud. He tumbled to the ground along with a girl who's wearing a white lab coat, long enough to cover her ankles, she was wearing eyeglasses and a clip on the right side of her hair, keeping her bangs in place. Her dark black hair shining against the sunlight. "Violet?!" he exclaimed while still sitting on the ground. The girl was surprised and smiled subsequently. "Oh hey Kurt, i didn't expect to bump into you at this school, literally." she answered and chuckled.


Kurt stood up and reached out to her for help. "Are you okay? I'm... I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention." he said. She reached to his hand and replied "It's okay. Me neither."


"What are you..." he wanted to ask but the phone beeped again and he read it first. "I don't think that's true at all. But thanks. What's your school like?" he replied to Percy.

 

[Soma]

"Huh, no wonder why u like old music." Percy replied, frowning over her phone. It must have been really visible on her face, since her friend came closer to her. She was her classmate – Percy was easy to befriend everyone, so she had many friends. It wasn't always good, but she enjoyed spending time with them.


"What's up?" Isabelle asked her and she raised her chin to look at her and grin lightly.


"Everything's fine!" She replied cheerfully, hesitant to share her secret with anyone for now. Maybe it was selfish, because she wanted to feel special. No one else could text with someone from future after all. It could be a breaking discovery, yet she still wanted to keep it to herself. "Just messaging my friend." She gestured to her phone and looked at the screen, feeling the vibrations as another message from Kurt came.


"every school is the same – boring, haha. i don't mind it, to be honest. i guess it's pretty okay, but usually u are almost invisible, because there's that bunch of popular kids, who stole all the fame haha." She quickly texted back, because she wanted to avoid Isabelle's questions. But apparently it was impossible.


"Your boyfriend?" Her classmate asked and Percy snorted loudly.


"Are you crazy?! Meh, 's just a friend." She responded, laughing, and went with Isabelle to their clasroom.

 

[rbshinichi]

"What am I doing here? You'll ask?" Violet asked as she stood up and dusted her lab coat. "You know, teaching and stuff."


"Wait, did you just say teaching?" he repeated.


"Yes Kurt, teaching. Well, I'm a physicist but I would love to impart my knowledge, plus I could have a whole laboratory for myself here, you know experiments and stuff."


Kurt's jaw dropped involuntarily. "What? Well, uhm, you... I.."


He has been cut off by Violet saying, "Well I look young right?" she smiled. 'That's because I'm a genius you know, I wouldn't want to brag but I'm just saying. I am currently studying if we could really be able to travel through time."


"Time travel?" he paused thinking about the phone he found, thinking about the messages he had been exchanging with someone from the past, thinking about Percy. He was distracted with a message that arrived. And then another one.


He read it but still was lost between telling Violet or keeping to himself, he started typing as Violet bid him goodbye, "I'll be late Kurt, I guess I'll see you around." she then walked off the other direction.


"Yeah you can say that. I don't know what they are afraid of." he typed, "Well I guess that didn't change after several decades. By the looks of it you didn't live your school life as alone as I am. Evading any form of relationship and bonds because I'm afraid I have to move somewhere else with new identity any time. It's really hard to get along with others if you can't be yourself." he continued.

 

[Soma]

"Do you know that Jason broke up with Melissa?" Isabelle chirped, while Percy was walking with her towards school building. Percy looked up from phone screen. She wasn't keen on gossiping, but it seemed like other people's lives was the only thing girls her age wanted to talk about, so at some point she had to drag a word or two in.


"Why?" She asked finally, meanwhile reading another message from Kurt.


"Oh, you know, usual stuff. He thought that she cheated on her, to be fair, she probably did cheat on him, but she wasn't going to confess... And now she's really upset and he's looking for new girlfriend." Isabelle seemed excited with that situation and Percy looked at her with kind of amused smile. Was her life *that* boring, so she had to look at everyone else?


She returned to her text conversation with Kurt and frowned at the screen. She didn't understand his words completely.


"new identity? why do you need to change your identity? are your parents some agents messing with the government or something?"


Her words probably would be completely irrational to the boy, but that was what it seemed like to her. Percy's life was completely ordinary, so her only knowledge about things like that came from books and movies. And it was – of course – fiction.


"Hey! Are you even listening?!" Percy looked up again, this time to see Isabelle pretty annoyed.


"Sorry." She smiled apologetically, sliding the phone into her jeans' back pocket. "I'm just a little distracted."

 

[rbshinichi]

Kurt just realized he was too comfortable talking with Percy that he was disclosing vital information.


He shrugged it off because he felt safe. He never really had the freedom to talk to anyone about anything until now. So he was kind of excited.


"Well, my father is a high ranking thug. Or so they call him, so we had to be drowned in the witness protection program. " he replied.


He sat down on a bench in front of a building inside the school. He watched as some other kids his age marched to and fro the building.


He composed another message, "i just realized while browsing to your photos, you doesn't seem to have a boyfriend. "he pressed send.


Kurt buried his head against his hands feeling really stupid with his last message. He felt like he was over familiar and regretted it the moment it was sent.

 

[Soma]

Percy read the message and her eyes widened. Well, she kind of suspected something similiar, but... witness protection program?!


"you must have interesting life then. that's why you don't make friends and all?" She texted, but then wondered if the first part wasn't too rude. Probably Kurt thought of his life as of rather weird, but then, who didn't?


She walked into the classroom with Isabelle, who was talking to her all the time. Literally. Fortunately, she wasn't minding lack of responses, so Percy could message Kurt with peace.


"because i don't have one. and don't ask me why, because i don't know haha." Percy wasn't surprised by question like that. She was really direct person, she asked a lot of questions like that herself, so she haven't minded responding.

 

[rbshinichi]

"Yeah, Let's just call it interesting. But I think that's the understatement of the year. I know people dream of extravagant and luxurious life. But for me I wish I just had a normal one." he replied.


Kurt moved around from building to building and he's getting tired of everything. School hasn't even started yet but he already feels sick of it. The stench of unpopularity and the loneliness reaches his stomach. It makes him sick. He decided to call it a day. He walked out of the school gates and marched back home.


Halfway home he stopped by a basketball court on his neighborhood he sat down and watched as people play a game.


A message came and he excitedly opened it. He was like waiting for the announcement of lottery winnings. A smile formed on his face as he read Percy's message. A sense of relief crawled all over his body. He can't describe it but her response made him somehow feel good.


"With looks like that, I bet you have a lot of suitors though." he texted back.

 

[Soma]

"the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, right? but, srsly, if u had ordinary life you would think of it as boring, believe me." Percy texted back, but it took her a bit more time, since the class stared and she was forced to do it under a table and without letting teacher notice. She usually wasn't causing any problems in class, so the theacher wasn't paying attention to her, but still. She would be in trouble if he noticed.


It was an english class, so she wasn't really paying attention. Mainly because that stuff was so easy and it was boring. Instead of making notes she was sketching some random things on margin in her notebook. In fact, there wasn't a single page in her notebooks that didn't have some drawing on it.


She was pleased when another message came – at least Kurt could safe her from boredom.


"what, are you trying to participate in contest "win percy's hand" haha? but srsly- you'd be surprised." She responded, her words a complete truth.

 

[rbshinichi]

Percy

me

Well I guess that's life in a nutshell.

me

I would be glad to join, where do I sign up?

"Well I guess that's life in a nutshell." he texted back. Kurt kept to himself most of the time so he's lost in his own thoughts. He had a lot of time meditating over things about life, about technology, about every single thing. He watched as the boys played basketball, he was like watching an excerpt from a professional game. Sports, has become more of a science than activity for skills and talent. In his world, where talent and skills aren't learned anymore it wasn't as fascinating to watch great players play anymore. Parents could choose what their unborn kids would do in the future, with their genetic engineering technology they can artificially reproduce a Mozart, a Michael Jordan or an Einstein easily. Driving the ultimate wedge between the rich and the poor. The rich people being the superior in every single aspect of life.


A guy shot over another guy and missed the shot, one rare moments of their game. The ball hit the edge of the rim and it went wide rolling over to Kurt. He got up and caught it. "Hey shoot it man," one of the players called unto him. He wasn't into sports but he's average when it comes to being built up. He posed and took the shot, it went in and hit nothing but the bottom of the net. He was surprised, he hasn't played basketball since 3rd grade. The players nodded to him and he sat back down. As he returned to the bench another messages awaits him.


Kurt wondered with a smile, is Percy teasing him."I would be glad to join, where do I sign up?" he replied. "What would be the criteria?" he continued.

 

[Soma]

She was really glad that Kurt is still messaging her – the class she was having was a really boring one and if she wasn't busy replying to the boy, she would've definitely fallen asleep. She has never had any problems in school, she is good at any subject, to be honest. You couldn't call her a teen prodigy, but she's still smart.


Good think that teacher haven't even thought of questioning her, so she had peace. More or less. Ocassionaly Isabelle shoot her a glance or threw a note on a small piece of paper. Otherwise she has been left to herself.


"so you'd like to have a normal life, huh? like living all your life in one place and stuff?


u need to send ur data on veryseriousmatter@email.com, but beware –i'm picky. basically u need to like books, u can't be a jerk and a sense of humour would be nice." Percy messaged Kurt back, in one text, which was really rare for her. She had a constant storm of thoughts in her head and it was difficult to think of all answers and questions before sending a message. But well, her new friend haven't complained about that yet, so she wasn't really worried.

 

[rbshinichi]

After watching the game, Kurt decided that it is time to hit the road back home. He was stretching as he was walking still thinking of how he made the shot, it felt natural. It was like something his body would naturally do. He wasn't genetically engineered, her mother assured him of that. While lost in his own thoughts a message from Percy arrived. He started typing through the holographic keyboard "Yeah, I would love that, normally socializing with people, building connections, not being afraid to make a life of my own, without the invisible walls of threats and protection."


"Hm, well I think I can be a good candidate. Sending in my resume now." he continued.


He reached his house and his mother was still not around. The place was empty but still warm. He proceeded to the basement to look for things, things he don't know. He would like to grow into the house, at least he'd have a place to belong to, with his mother, with the memories that lived through the house. He found a box on the corner of the room which is covered with dust and cobwebs, obviously not theirs. He pulled it to the light and coughed heavily as he dusted it off.


The box has a label which read, Memoirs. The box was filled with stuff, toys frames, photo albums and others. "Wow, these are vintage. I never seen a photo album in print. " he exclaimed. He grabbed one and placed it over the table where most of the light is concentrated. It was a big album with a small oval engraving on thecover with a picture of a princess. He opened it, there's a picture of a baby, covered in white sheets. The photos have captions on the side or at the bottom, the first photo read Welcome to the world Percy. He scanned through the next 2 pages with a few more baby pictures. At the third page, a photo of a young girl dressed in a pink dress standing on a chair in front of a table with a lot of food designed, and a cake with the number one on it. It was captioned as 'Percy's first birthday.' He felt the warmth from the photos as he looks at her life in print. He composed a message to her "You're a pretty cute baby too. Oh yeah, may I ask for permission to look through your photo albums. "