TekBlade Quest - Vizu Bond Start Ch.1

A high school senior meets with a friend and world which is not as they seem.

As a species, the look of another of our species into our eyes has great power. It can mean a lot of different things: aggression, love. - Chris Milk

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“YOU MOTHERFUCKER!”

I hated this kid so much. He is just like the rest and is worthless to me. I probably haven’t explained much, but there is no point at this part in the story.

“Wait‚ come back I…”

“Fuck you‚ stay far away from me!”

I guess I do deserve some introduction; I am what some would call ‘unique’ or a ‘special snowflake’ by people who hate me. I look like a pretty typical emo with black hair and blue eyes. Total emo‚ except with love for ear-shattering levels and amounts of electro music instead of sadness and death.

So who was that? Just another kid who decided I was an easy target. They thought that just because I was different, they could intimidate me to their bidding. He was just another kid who also knows I’m smart, so they wanted me to be their homework slave. I’m in Grade 12, and I’m 18 years old. However, I’m on the small side and have a distinct lack of muscle definition. For that reason, other seniors think they can pick on me. At least they do until they look me straight in the eyes‚ then they realize they made a grave mistake‚ due to the hatred they see in my eyes. Don’t get me wrong; I love helping people‚ it makes me feel good. It is when people EXPECT me to help them due to age or supposed physical superiority that ticks me off.

I put in my earbuds and started listening to my favorite indie artist. I’m listening to one of his best songs. It’s a song about losing someone in an abstract way. I love it‚ especially because my friends were all ignorant asses who only cared about being popular. Again‚ this isn’t me being a broody ass‚ they said to my face:

“If you aren’t gonna follow the pack‚ then leave!”

“The ‘pack’ won’t do you shit after high school!”

“We don’t give a fuck about some fucking Prime Minister in Fuck-offlandvia‚ all that matters is being the most popular kid this school knows.”

“So fucking the bitches and being a lazy jock?”

“Wow‚ someone is cranky today.”

“Yeah‚ well fuck you too!”

I started to walk away at that point because I wanted nothing more to do with them‚ and them being so shallow. Those assholes picked on me for everything they didn’t like‚ even though they knew I was their lifeline to understanding the world outside of high school. Popularity only lasts so long, knowledge and money go farther.

“Well‚ you know what you are Micah? A fucking NOBODY! Consider us your former friends‚ you fucking bitch!”

In response‚ I had just put in my earbuds and walked away; I already knew they were not my friends‚ they were just jerks.

However‚ back to the present. I was busy jamming out and getting my stuff as last period had just finished. My music always seemed to match my mood and my thoughts; it had switched to a dubstep song with amazing vocals about being deceived and being knocked down‚ yet being able to fight back against the enemy. That’s how I felt about those assholes. I had liars all around me for no good reason‚ but that doesn’t mean I can’t fight back.

This lying also extends to the rest of the student body. Those idiots couldn’t stop spreading lies that I’m willing to help with all their homework for free as long as they beat me up‚ an utter lie. That is the reason why all these assholes have been ‘threatening’ me. I use quotation marks because once I tell them off‚ they run away like scared little kids.

I walk outside a side door of the school and go to my parked bike in the parking lot. It’s a little electric motorcycle‚ a relatively old model too. It set me back a pretty penny though‚ especially with insurance, but I come from a family who is fairly well off.

They made their money through investing wisely in Apple and Facebook‚ they sold only a quarter of what they made in dividends and now are multi-millionaires. Again‚ a little well off. Not like I get things for free though‚ I have to work for stuff like my motorcycle. I have my own business doing simple bug fixes for small programs. I know‚ real complicated‚ but what other kinds of enterprises can an 18-year-old realistically run?

I am also starting to understand how to make electronic music, and I already have a thousand followers. I also am learning to code ML++*, so there’s that. I always have had an interest in coding and computers; It comes from my parents making their money off it and saying if I’m going to be successful‚ I need to be in technology. Not like that is a problem‚ as I have taken to it like a fish to water. I love doing music and coding; the computers feel more personal to me than anyone I know.

Anyways‚ after a short ride, I arrive home after a short drive home. My parents are in their usual spots‚ on their laptops coding up their pet projects as the tv plays the news channel. Did I mention I took to coding like a fish to water? I may have had a little shove into it by my parents…Ok‚ a BIG PUSH!

Does anyone else also find the news‚ especially the stock market relaxing to watch? The announcer is just talking as you listen to small changes in people’s money that cause big rippling effects. You just put that info inside your head‚ sleep on it and make a decision on where to invest. It’s all so soothing to me‚ pure‚ yet quick and always there. Maybe me being a millionaire child makes it seem more simplistic than it should be‚ but I’ve gotten a portfolio, so it’s not like I’m uninvolved‚ just find money fun I guess.

My parents notice me walk in‚ and motion for me to remove my headphones.

“How was your day sweetie?”

“Pretty good‚ nothing significant happened.” Even though there was an asshole‚ it was a non-event in my mind.

“Oh, that’s good because we have a big thing for you‚ we have someone coming over for dinner.” My dad looks up to tell me this‚ rather excitedly.

“Oh‚ that’s nice‚ who is it?” I ask very quickly; as it is a unique thing to have company‚ mainly because we are all introverts and it requires a lot of energy from all of us to have guests over.

“We’ll tell you after you shower.” My mom then points upstairs.

“Ok‚ be back in a bit.” I go upstairs to the bathroom then proceed to strip down and take a look at myself. I guess I haven’t described myself‚ I have talked about my interests‚ but not my actual appearance in detail.

I’m about 6 feet, or so I want to be‚ I’m five foot six, short and lean. I’m not scrawny‚ just have a lot of lean muscle. I have decent endurance due to this‚ but weak strength. I’m agile enough to make up for it, so no one is actively bullying me at least.

I turned on the water‚ the water soon started to steam, and I stepped in and closed the curtain.

After I get out of the shower, I dry off‚ and decide to get dressed.

I put on some nice black pants‚ they are almost like jeans but straight black‚ and a basic black shirt. Then I toss on my light hoodie that has the logo of my favorite video game series. Yes! I’m a huge nerd‚ can you blame me? It’s a great game series, and with the newest one coming out‚ I got the deluxe edition with the steelbox‚ art‚ plushie and schoolbag.

I also consider that hoodie my formal at-home dinner attire. Everyone who comes for supper knows me anyways‚ so no need to be super fancy, and it gets the point across I’m a nerd‚ yet that I care to look somewhat nice.

I walk downstairs, and my parents look at me approvingly.

“All done?”

“Yep‚ so if you don’t mind me asking again‚ who’s coming over?”

“It’s someone moving in today.”

“Ok‚ Who?” I tilt my head slightly like a dog in confusion; this is even less reason to invite someone‚ they just moved in‚ so why do we care? Not that we have anything against new people‚ just that we don’t know them‚ and I know how taxing a meal can be for everyone here when we don’t know anyone.

“Didn’t you know? It’s the York family‚ your old friend Lane is coming to visit tonight and wants to hang out with you again.”

Well‚ this just got interesting.

You may be asking yourself‚ who is Lane York? My best friend? My worst enemy? If I may be completely honest‚ I’m not entirely sure where I stand with him. It’s a long story and one hell of a convoluted one.

We had to move a year ago due to my parent’s ‘job.’ They wanted a place with faster internet to do their pet projects better, and the city was already providing them with the fastest Internet. That’s why we had to move to Toronto‚ Ontario from Winnipeg‚ Manitoba. This city just had faster‚ more reliable Internet for my family’s ‘work‚’ if you can call it that‚ cause they do it all for free. They do open-source coding for small projects to help make the world a better place. It is where I got my belief that the world can be an amazing place if you work for it‚ and also my love of coding.

I did miss going to the Assiniboine Park Zoo and seeing the polar bears and seals face to face. I did it with him all the time‚ and we always had a fun time. We did it every weekend‚ and had such great laughs and bonded together over them. His great smile‚ and his gorgeous blue eyes‚ absolute beauties. I got a huge crush on him‚ and it impeded my judgment immensely.

I never even told him about the move‚ I just vanished…how did I know he found out? He blocked me on social media‚ friends said he wanted to beat my face in for being such an ass and not telling him. Why did I not talk to him? I couldn’t…get the nerve to do it. The only time I wimped out of doing anything, and I fucking hate it every day. If I could turn back the clock to take away his pain, to make him like me again, I would.

Only one thing makes it an enigma‚ he unblocked me as I saw some of his posts‚ and he even requested to be my friend again on social media. We haven’t talked to each other yet, but it was within a few weeks of today. These events seemed too weird for me to just dismiss them as coincidence. It may have something to do that we both haven’t told our parents about our little ‘feud.’ So‚ he probably re-friended me to hide our feud to them‚ although why are they moving HERE of all places? Again‚ too big of a coincidence to be a random thing. Toronto sure is no Winnipeg; It’s a more urban city than Winnipeg, but they have no family here. I wonder why they are coming here?

I don’t have much time to gather my thoughts as my dad asking me a question snaps me back into the present.

“So‚ are you ready?”

“Uh‚ yeah‚ ready as I’ll ever be.”

“All right‚ they should be here any moment.”

Like by magic‚ the doorbell rings right away. I jump a little‚ as I was not expecting it.

“Oh‚ that must be them.”

My mom gets up from the table and walks down the hallway to the door‚ and opens the door. I turn around, and there is someone who I have NEVER seen before. She is wearing a black hoodie‚ with the hood up mind you‚ that looked like it had a galaxy on it. It was beautiful, and she also has some pants that also looked like a galaxy as well. She was also wearing some goggles like looked rather cool‚ like an insect eye model‚ as if it was crafted by those very insects to replicate their eyes into goggles. I didn’t get an excellent look at her face because she was looking down at her phone‚ and blew a bubble from some gum in her mouth.

What the fuck? I certainly didn’t know anyone who was as ‘rave-like’ like her. Sure I listened to a bunch of EDM, but I never went to raves‚ and had squeaky clean programming nerdy friends. So who was she‚ and why was she here? Then I see the thing that shatters my world-view like a bull in a china shop. I see Lane’s parents behind her, and they are smiling and greeting my parents like everyone was here.

But who was this girl‚ and where is Lane? Was it all a lie that he friended me on FB? Was it all a sick joke as punishment for me leaving? A cousin to remind me of what could have been‚ and rub it in my face? Apparently not.

“Hi there Micah‚ how are you doing?”

“I…I’m doing ok‚ where is Lane?”

“O…oh…she didn’t tell you‚ did she?” Lane’s mom said glancing solemnly at the unknown girl.

“W…who…what?” I stutter and ask in complete confusion.

The girl then proceeds to take off her hoodie and stare at me with the familiar blue eyes I would recognize anywhere.

“Micah…meet Lane…or as she now called…Lana”

WHAT?

To be continued

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Appendix

ML++ - A fictional programming language based on the language ML. Its various subsets with the ability to not only perform concurrent operations and modular programming‚ (adding whatever you want) but be able to use VR‚ and servers in concurrence with local memory for seamless reproduction of programs regardless of internet connection or complexity of the program.