THE KID

Memory fails me. I remember running with Mr. Cooper as fast as I could, but then, flashes of things that happened flow through my mind.

Shots fired. Central zone police. More shots. Uncle bleeding, crawling.

At some point, Mr. Cooper grabbed my arm and he threw me inside a car. I don’t remember how he started the engine but he just wouldn’t stop screaming.

We escaped and went straight towards the gate A6 from main Central Zone Area.

Things got worse. Believe me.

THE WRITER


Kid, what’s going on?

(…)

Really, who are these people?

(…)

Kid, come back, wait up!

(…)

Jesus! They are shooting everyone outside! Kid!

Come!

Jesus!

He won’t help us.

THE KID

Mr. Cooper said that I could be a nice subject to his book. He said he was a writer, but times were hard and his work had few readers, so he made a living writing all types of stuff for a thousand of brands. He said that everybody needed to tell a story and he helped big corporations to sell their products.
Same products that would end up becoming the same stuff that I found near the dam.

He was still asking me some questions when we heard a loud noise near the scrapyard gates.

Uncle screamed and told us to get inside the house.

We shut the door. Mr. Cooper asked me about a painting on the wall.

“What painting Mr. Cooper?”

“That one. The one with the big red ball.”

I don’t have a clue of what he means.

THE WRITER

That guy from the Uiko: do you know him?
No, sir.
You never saw him driving that Uiko before?
No, sir.
Really?
Well…
Yes?
No.
OK.
Sorry, sir.
No problem. Did the guys from the pet shop ever mention any type of problem regarding central zone citizens?
No, sir.
Why would someone go to an outside pet shop and kill two innocent persons? Makes no sense.
Well, that’s something only Uncle would know.
Who’s “Uncle”?
Never mind.
OK.

(pause)

THE KID

I felt so sick.

Uncle gave me some pills to calm my nerves but I couldn’t swallow’em down. Poor old Jimmy G. was so scared that he kept staring at me with blank eyes, barely moving a muscle. Poor old hound. Shame.

Uncle asked me a bunch of questions about the strange man and I told him that the man had an Uiko and that was all I could remember. He said that the pet shop owner and a crazy old bum were shot before the fire started. He said that I could be in danger and all of that was a typical Central Zone problem.

He slammed the door and went back to the scrapyard. I unpacked my bag and threw most of my stuff on the table, trying to organize all my new belongings from the dam. There it was. My new treasure. So vivid and colorful, beautiful and innocent. But not as the funny animal masks. This was the real deal. Oh boy.

I hid all of my stuff near the staircase and as soon as I was checking my new videos, Uncle came rushing in.

“There’s this funny looking writer that wants to speak with you, but before you go outside, take a look by the window.”

I took a look and it wasn’t the strange man from the Uiko. I gave Uncle a nod and went outside.

He told me that his name was Paul Cooper.

That’s a funny name, mister.

“I get that all the time.”

You are surely funny.

THE CONSULTANT

EMERGENCY DISPATCH REGARDING OPERATIVE [     ].

CONSULTANT RETURNING TO CENTRAL ZONE AREA.

MORE INFO REGARDING [     ] WILL BE SENT AFTERWARDS.

[DISCLAIMER]

THE WRITER

Again: my name is Paul Cooper, I’m a writer.
I got that. What’s your relation with that deceased man over there?
That guy? Well, when I arrived near the mall center, I asked him some questions regarding the pet shop.
And?
He told me to go fuck myself. Repeated times.
OK. We have a problem, we might need to take you back to the central zone.
Why?
Why? You are an identified central zone citizen stuck in the middle of a crime scene. You see those cameras over there? They got jammed and disconnected. We got some idea of three people inside that pet shop and only one leaving after the fire started. Now, it takes a long time to get all of these outsiders to cope with us, mainly because they are illegal immigrants that live outside the central zone based on the UN article of human rights. Which means: they don’t need to help us, anyway.
So, why do you need to take me back to central zone?
Because hell might break loose if you stay. As I can see, you still got 42 hours out here. I think you won’t need a quarantine. Trust me: you need to go.
Give me 5 hours. I still need to check some stuff.
4 hours.
OK.
OK.
Thanks.
Be here in 4 hours.
OK.

THE KID

Old Jimmy G. came running as hell.

He had a tiny bruise on his head and I could see most of the other dogs running all over the place as well. Folks were also running, screaming words in tons of languages and carrying whatever they could.

There was this huge cloud of some rising from the mall center. And there was this man. Standing. Watching. Talking to himself.

As the local police approached, he moved towards his Uiko, only glancing back at the fire that took all over the pet shop.

He stopped and stared at me.

I don’t know what I was still doing there.

THE CONSULTANT
Regarding surveillance operation on subject [     ] at the [     ] outside the central zone borders. [stop] A few hours ago suspect [     ] entered the “non-marked” animals pet shop. [stop] Consultant entered premises. [stop] Suspect engaged in verbal attack against consultant. [stop] Local customers left the store. [stop] Consultant asked questions regarding [     ], [     ] and [     ]. [stop] Suspect continued to verbally attack consultant. [stop] Local pet shop owner attacked consultant. [stop] Consultant proceeded to neutralize local pet shop owner and suspect [     ]. [stop]

5 minutes before local police force arrived, consultant had to burn down the store. [stop] Opened some animal cages, creating major disturbance near mall center. [stop] Consultant spotted young adolescent near freeway exit. [stop] Probable connection with pet shop owner or suspect [     ]. [stop]

[DISCLAIMER]

THE WRITER

Excuse me, I’m Paul Cooper and I’m looking for the famous “non-marked” animals pet shop.
What do you want?
I’m a writer.
A…?
Writer.
OK.
So, where’s the pet shop?
Ain’t gonna tell ya.
…why?
‘Cause I know your type of bullshit, Mr. Copper. People come, people go. Achtung! Here comes another one! Same ol’ bullshit, again and again. Man comes and sez “I want to write about the outsiders”. Now fuck you, Mr. Copper. Fuck you and your demoniac security plazas. Fuck you and your instant food supplies. Fuck you and your EEP. Fuck you and your Orange vision goggles or lenses or what the fuck you people are using these days. Now you come back here, Mr. Copper! Don’t leave right now! Are ya afraid of me, Mr. Copper? I’m the real outsider. I’m the real shit. This is for real, Mr. Copper! This is for real!

THE KID

Jimmy G. is a fine old hound. Uncle says most dogs are gone. Within a few years we will only have marked dogs. “Non-marked” or natural pets will be all gone.

Marked dogs are usually skinny, pale-white animals with mark codes tattooed on their bodies . These codes are translated to the enhanced experiences by each user, so later on the user can adapt the skinny dog to any type of dog he wants. Skinny dog becomes a blue beagle. Skinny dog becomes an angry doberman. So on.

Most “non-marked” pets were forbidden inside the central zones. I hear that the some east European central zones still accept pets. But not this one. They all end up at the pet shop near the mall center.

Uncle says that most of what people see inside the central zones are like plastic masks from kids parties. Nice and pretty, innocent and pure. But also terribly macabre when left alone.

I don’t know what he means.

THE CONSULTANT
Regarding surveillance operation on subject [     ] at the [     ] outside the central zone borders. [stop] Last hours before returning to central zone. [stop] Suspect [     ] seen outside mall center near exit 4B. [stop] Awaiting orders. [end]

[DISCLAIMER]

THE WRITER

Paul.
Last name?
Cooper.
OK Mr. Cooper, you know the rules of exiting central zone, right? After 48 hours you will need a d-tox session plus a quarantine for complete safety measures. An extra charge will be sent to your e-card, regarding you have an updated Orange system. Non-Orange users can apply for a trial version free of charge.
OK.
Mr. Cooper, as you know, not all of your profile of enhanced experiences will be available outside central zone. AT&T, Verizon, Orange, Lee and other companies take no responsibilities for the lack of enhanced images, signals, GPS and maps, etc. There are emergency phones near the roads, but they only work until near the dam. Beyond that is by your own luck.
OK.

(pause)

Can I go now?
Yes, sir.
Thanks.
Suerte.
Gracias.

THE KID

Yesterday I saw something weird near the dam.

Uncle says I shouldn’t mess with the unknown. Like things I’m not sure what they are made for.

Anyway, I collected extra material near the dam. Old Sony’s, JVC’s. There was this one little thing, tiny, shiny, moving, that was special. Unknown. But special. I couldn’t take it, but I’m going to try again tomorrow.

Uncle says I should always return before the sun sets.

So I ran and ran back. Popped by the pet store to check old Jimmy G. and later on went back to the scrapyard.

Uncle says there’s a storm coming. Thunders and all.

That’s OK.

I just want to go back to the dam.

THE CONSULTANT

Regarding surveillance operation on subject [     ] at the [     ] outside the central zone borders. [stop] Subject [     ] seen walking several “non-marked” animals into a pet shop. [stop] Subject [     ] seen smoking “non-marked” cigarettes outside the pet shop. [stop] Consultant [     ] called to ask more information regarding subject [     ]. [stop] Subject [     ] seen talking to a young adolescent. [stop] Adolescent known as “the kid”. No more extra information. [stop] Awaiting next steps. [end]

[DISCLAIMER]

THE WRITER

Wake up.
Hmm?
Wake up.
No.
Wake up, I gotta go.
No.
Yes.
No, stay.
No, I gotta go.
OK.

(pause)

What happened to your eyes?
Hmm?
Your eyes…
EEP.
EEP?
Yea.
You still taking that?
Sometimes.
You are gonna lose your eyes, you know that.
You know that’s bullshit, baby.
OK.
OK.

(pause)

I’m heading outside tomorrow.
Outside? Why?
Gotta cover the outsiders lifestyle.
Hmm.
OK. Gotta go.
Just go.
OK…

THE KID

I live outside central zone B-3. I think.

I spend most of my time swimming near the dam, collecting material, stuff, old electronics, books, more stuff, clothes, pictures, broken old stuff and more things. Later on I shoot movies and pictures with a portable camera that uncle gave to me.

I take pictures of these things. When I can, I also film them.

I won’t take everything back home. Uncle gets mad.

I’d rather not tell him about what happened yesterday.

Anyway, I don’t speak at all. He wouldn’t hear me.

Uncle says that I had a name, but he forgot. Ma and Pa gave me a name. Long before.

They just call me “the kid” nowadays.

That’s OK.