Prodigy Eternal (book 2)

Chapter Twenty-Three

The three of them boarded the long-tail boat, and set off across the river. As Alex stared out at the water and the colourful murals painted on the large cement wall, she thought about her predicament. Throughout a year of lying low, she had had no problems. Then as soon as she popped up on the public radar, problems started to emerge. She was beginning to question how much of her destiny was a result of the people she surrounded herself with and the choices she made. She exhaled a deep breath and looked over at Aris. For all that he was — a good friend, a strategic thinker, and a protector — he was a bit of a troublemaker. While he could hardly be blamed for the recent events, it did not bode well for his record. Whenever he was around, trouble seemed to have a way of finding them.

Aris sat on the other row of seats across the aisle from Alex with his gaze cast over the Tokyo skyline and the serene water. He was oblivious to Alex staring at him and equally unaware of the thoughts going through her head. But just then, he unexpectedly turned around and flashed his pearly white smile at Alex and winked at her. In that moment, all was forgiven and she could not help but smile back.

When they reached the other side, Glitch docked the boat and made sure it was secure. He exited the boat first, but remained on the dock to lend a hand to Alex as she stepped out. Together, they walked up to the entrance of the stone wall.

"The attack on Tokyo was one of the first in World War III," Glitch said, imitating the guide from their first trip.

The trio continued passed the security checkpoint.

"So where to now?" Alex asked, standing just beyond the entrance to the bomb site.

"If we keep walking north, we'll eventually come across the next district over. I've notified some friends of mine that we're coming. We can lay low there for as long as we like."

With plenty of daylight ahead of them, the three-person group began their trek through the desolate wasteland. They stuck to one of the main roads that ran through the old Adachi district, which like all the others was cracked and crumbling. Weeds and other plant life sprouted through, further separating the pavement and breaking down the road. It was the only sign of nature clawing its way back after the bombing.

Every so often they would come across a lone tourist who stood expressionless, staring at the ruins. It was a bit unnerving and even startling at times. Given the scenery, it was as if the group had woken up in a zombie apocalypse. When convenient, they would reposition stragglers to a shaded area and give them some water. The farther they walked from the entrance, the fewer tourists there were.

As the hot sun bore down its relentless rays, Alex reached for her water bottle. After taking a sip, she passed it around.

"How're you feeling, Glitch?" Alex asked.

"Still a little banged up, but fortunately I heal quickly."

"My back is still killing me, thanks for asking," Aris said.

"Sorry about slamming you on your back, Aris."

"Don't worry about it, I would have done the same to you... if I could lift you. I wish I had downloaded that rapid-healing patch."

"Uploading the patches aren't as simple as uploading data," Glitch explained. "They have to be programmed to your specific DNA, and that takes time. Alex was our priority so we were all working on making sure the patch was compatible with the coding sequence in her genome."

"That was incredible what you did back there for us, Glitch." Alex said. "Thank you."

"Yeah, I've never seen anyone take on a guardian before, let alone try."

"I would have lost that fight if it weren't for you coming to my aid. So thanks for that."

"No problem, that's what friends are for."

"So I take it all is forgiven?"

"Yeah, we're cool."

The plan was to head to the district of Yashio, which connected to Tokyo by bullet train, but they intended to walk. Glitch had some contacts in Yashio who were also not connected to the grid. They had exchanged a few messages and were expecting Glitch and his friends to arrive before nightfall.

"Maybe we should discuss our plan once we get to Yashio," Glitch suggested.

"I didn't want to rely on my mum, but I think she may be our only option in light of recent events."

"Your mum?" Glitch said. "No offense, but what can she do?"

"Her mother is not some homemaker who hosts bake sales and crochets mittens, she's the leader of an army," Aris said.

"Really?"

"I wouldn't call it an army," Alex corrected, "but she has amassed quite the legion of supporters who consider her to be their leader."

"Wow, the daughter of two leaders. That must be a lot of pressure."

"Pressure?" Aris laughed. "Glitch, she's not just the daughter of two leaders, she's the daughter of THE Leader, not to mention she saved the planet, is a super genius, a total babe, and is loved by everyone. I'd say 'pressure' is an understatement."

"You're right, I didn't mean anything by it."

"Don't worry about it," Alex said, brushing it off.

"So this army, or legion, how many are we talking...?"

"A couple hundred last time I checked. Each of them is a specialist in various areas and has access to many resources. I think we could definitely use their help."

"Are those the guys who broke you out of prison? I remember seeing that on the news."

"I can neither confirm nor deny that story," she said with a smirk.

"I gotcha, no worries. So they must all have modified chips as well, right?"

"Yeah, none of them are affected by this whole thing. Actually that reminds me, I never replied to Milo's message. I should do that now."