REM

Narrow Escape

Getting into trouble with the law wasn't something I did. Even as a young boy I steered clear of drugs and other illegal activities. I had no interest in being a bad kid, or person for that matter.

As the years progressed, I found myself surrounded by less and less people. Many of my friends would get sucked into the life of crime, most of them serving jail sentences that would result in me never seeing them again.

Over the past several years, cyborgs have become integrated into the Police force, many doing basic security checks since their systems weren't quite flawless. Some malfunctioned while signing people into the airport even, when all they had to do was scan a barcode. The manufacturer made changes and updated them before selling the idea of cyborgs being public servants.

Today was a typical Friday in the city. Vehicles flew through the air in their designated airways, people walking through the streets down below. Myself, I drove in my old gas car, my girlfriend in the passenger seat. It was difficult to get my hands on gasoline, but there was still a high enough demand for it that prices weren't outrageous.

Turning down a narrow street towards home, the car began to sputter. It died just before the main road, slowly rolling backward as some people watched.

"Damn it," I sighed.

"It's all right," June soothed. "We can walk from here."

"And what about the car?" Glancing over at her.

"Can't we push it?"

I shook my head. "Not with the incline. We'll have to walk home and get the tow robot again."

"You mean the vacuum?"

"Yes," I chuckled, "the vacuum."

The robot was able to clean the apartment floor spotless, yet for some reason had the power and gearing to pull my car. It made no sense really, but I wasn't going to write a complaint to the company telling them my vacuum was overpowered.

I tried the key once more, feathering the gas pedal at the same time as the dinosaur-fueled car sputtered to life, then died once more. "All right," I announced in defeat.

We got out and began walking down the alleyway that was converted into a street. It was one of the few historical pieces preserved from the days when people would lay brick. I enjoyed driving down it in my relic of a car, it was rather nostalgic.

As we walked into an old building, a silent alarm had been set off unbeknownst to us. The building began to buzz as we made our way down a hall to the front of the building. Human security in uniforms marched by us, completely ignoring the fact that we were actually the intruders.

I gave June a puzzled look, then headed out the front door with her before we crossed the street to our apartment building. She ran across the street ahead of me, dashing through one of the glass doors. The door closed before I got there, but as I reached for the handle, a cyborg with white hair caught my attention.

She walked right up to me, so I assumed she was heading into the building as well. I pulled the door open and motioned for her to go ahead of me. "After you."

"Thank you," she replied. Once she walked a few feet inside, she stopped and turned around. "Were you aware of an intruder across the street?"

"No, I was not. Why do you ask?"

"I saw you leave the same building with a female."

"Oh," I began. "Must have been an honest mistake then, a wrong turn." Pointing, "I live in this building. It wouldn't make sense for me to break into a place right across from where I live, now would it?"

I could see her facial expression change to confusion as if she was processing the question to no avail. Like I said before, cyborgs weren't perfect.

"I– I guess not," she finally replied, walking back out into the street.

When I arrived by elevator to my level, I sauntered down the hall to my apartment door. As I stepped inside, June was walking toward me with the vacuum in her hands.

"You're not going to believe what just happened."