I woke up with a start...
The expression on my face, if anyone saw me, was one of excitement. Maybe it isn’t excitement... or I am just confused. It would have been embarrassing if I were in public. Maybe I would be considered a fanatic or a lunatic. Forget that for now... What caused this inexplicable expression?
I have been thinking for a fortnight now; I ran out of cash and was pondering what I could do to make money... you should understand, humans do!
That night, while I was rolling over in bed, my mind in the midst of the ocean of my past mistakes, preparing scenes that never existed just to console my already caricatured mind, I caught a revelation of something that could generate money. What do you think? Do I love money? Don’t conclude; this is more me than money!
This revelation hit me so hard and so real that I felt stupid for not concocting such a scheme a week or two prior. Whew! Maybe my story is becoming boring... Then the fun part!...
I am not human! I wonder if you understand what this means. Here in my world, everything is a living thing, no pun intended. My world is an electronic world called “Megagem”. I never intended to reveal myself here; just know that I am the one speaking.
I wanted to be a coder!
Daylight was here again, and I hate to admit that I hated it...
I rose out of bed, staggered into the bathroom, my mind preoccupied with the strategy from last night. I tried to stabilize my movement for a while and then took my toothbrush from a bowl where it resides. I spent about 2 minutes brushing.
Once done with that, I strode into the living room, sat on the cushion for a few seconds—or minutes—trying to organize my thoughts and prepare a schedule. When I had a set plan on what I wanted to do today and how I would go about it, I stood up and headed to the bathroom again. I had a shower, but I didn’t feel like I had one. My mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the future. I am not so sure I had a good bath, but I had one anyhow.
I selected a pant and a shirt, wore them, and strapped my wristwatch to my wrist, then jumped into my pair of shoes. I don’t have a car—don’t think of a bike either! We don’t use one here. I have a “mobile carpet,” the most common means of transportation. It is a flat, carpet-like machine that is immune to air resistance. Its maximum speed is about 500km/h. The richer ones among us use a "breeze jet", which generates a powerful gust of wind and then blows the wind in a set direction... of course, the user has complete control over the direction.
My mobile carpet is 10 years old—quite an age for such a machine, I must say, especially compared to vehicles used by humans. It is really old. I should have replaced it at the age of 5, as required. According to Bugleon City (that’s the name of my city in case you didn’t notice) law: "Every vehicle is identified by a mega ID which expires every 5 years, and must be renewed once expired. If not obeyed, a fine of *** would be paid, and the vehicle will be confiscated.”
I forgot. I have given out too much information—damn my ill-tamed lips! I flickered into my pal, the machine. I called her Jar. I zoomed off with an excited mind full of ideas—sorry, idea... not even sure.
Jar came to a stop in front of an Igloo…
Alighting from her, I stole a quick glance around the vicinity. I noticed a woman staring at Jar. She seemed attracted by some features that I couldn’t depict. I also noticed a man sitting in the sun, having a sunbath. He didn't even look up, let alone acknowledge my presence. I looked at the woman one more time and nodded at her. That was all she needed; she started strutting, her hands on her hips, with such elegance that I couldn't help but admire her gaiety. She was radiating; now I noticed it. She stopped a few feet away from me.
"You called for me?", she said, her voice sounding distant, like it wasn't me the question was directed to.
I was confused, my mind bewildered. I looked into her eyes, trying to find a sentence, phrase, or word to reply to her with. I haven't had any human interaction in two months, and it just dawned on me. She noticed my confusion, and she said the same...
"You are confused, I can read that in your eyes, and I like that!", she said, a smile smirking on her face, her eyes lit up. I noticed she was just relaxed, and that surprised me. Why would she be so free with a stranger? My naive part started kicking in. I became timid in a moment. She spoke again...
"You are very interesting, so easy to read, yet difficult to understand. I would love you to become my partner!"
That got me! What does she mean? She hardly knows me, and she is talking about partnership. Now she is becoming interesting too.
I threw her a cold, dead stare... but she returned it with a smile. Thoughts and imaginations that couldn't have been mine some moments ago bustled within. My world was spinning thoughtlessly. My immunity to confusion and surprise was broken, destroyed...
"Please, you are killing me... I apologize that I called you—or seemed to call you...", I finally found my voice. I sounded stupid, awkward, not real...
"Now you don't sound like it, man!", she exclaimed.
I turned around, the voice in me crying for isolation, at least from her. I went off from her and started advancing towards the Igloo. She is just kinda omnipresent, and I hated that. I felt happy that my strength did not fail me in escaping her grip.
I stole a look at her again, after increasing the space between us, at the gate of the Igloo. She was sitting in my vehicle, Jar! I stopped in my tracks, my temper rising now. Calm down! She is but a female... I noticed a bustle of rage in me, and it wasn't good. I must breast this!
I started back to her, partly in fear, partly in shame, and partly in anger. I tried to meet her gaze, but it was piercing... I couldn't maintain it. My pace reduced drastically; I was becoming timid again. What is wrong with me?, I asked myself. This is not the first time I met a female, or related with one. I have conversed with many of them on Earth.
Please don't ask me if I had been to Earth, I am a secret keeper!
_"I understood, from past records,
that you are a secret keeper... Am I right? yes or yes!"_, she cut through my thoughts with these shocking words. I became very tensed now; I was perspiring, because I wasn't balanced psychologically now... maybe... even... emotionally also.
I was just a few feet away from her, but her voice was booming like she was speaking into my head. What about the man sunbathing? The man was still sunbathing, without noticing the activity going on. What is going on here?, I couldn't help but ask myself.
"Well, he can't see us! He is not blind though...", she responded.
What is happening here?, I was becoming more confused than ever.
"Only accept to become my partner, and the whole picture will become clear, man!", she responded.
Why is she so keen on my becoming her partner? What business is she into? What makes me the right person for the job? These thoughts flooded my mind. I just couldn't keep from thinking. I needed a job, but am I going to be comfortable with what goes with this job she is offering? Why was she sitting here? Had she been waiting for my arrival?
"You don't need to trigger your fears and anxiety with those thoughts... I am not dangerous. I have gone through your records, and I have found that you are the best at the moment to function in this... Please accept this, and my heart will be merry!", she was pleading now, and that was the most sincere impression I have gotten from her since. Her pleading, searching, and beguiling eyes were so seducing in their rights that it would take more than a man, especially a job-hungry man, to reject this offer.
What offer would be proposed to you without you knowing what the package entails beforehand?, that, certainly, was a rhetorical question. Now I had taken my eyes off her face and was gazing at the vast field some meters behind her. A flock of sheep was grazing on the grass, though I could see no shepherd close by. The flock was having a good time, I guess... unlike I—I am in a dilemma, and a big one!
She grabbed me by my right wrist, which obviously shocked me, and led me towards Jar. I couldn't find the courage to argue. Around her, I feel weak. Whoever sent her is a master of his game. This woman was damn good at her job, skillful in making one gasp for breath. She is also a secret concealer, and good at it! I have just met a breed, and an interesting one.
"Can I ask you a question?...", I asked her, less tensed though.
"You wanted to ask this: 'What is your name?'", she replied, with a devious smile on her face.
I wondered how she read my thoughts; she is just so accurate with it. I wanted to prove her wrong, so I responded...
"For the first time, I regret to say that you failed! I wanted to ask how you got to know me..."
"Don't try to term me a liar that I am not... I can see your thoughts as clearly as I see you. I don't forgive anyone that accuses me of being a liar", she interrupted me with a grave look. She seemed so stern and hurt now, maybe even angry. I was surprised at how such words hurt her. From the look on her face, I couldn't stand hurting her further, because I may end up at the tail of the coin.
"I am sorry...", I said with deep sincerity and remorse.
"I know you are," she interrupted again. "I know it is also painful to find out that your thoughts are clear as crystals. I just can't help letting you know. I know you have accepted the offer; you did that now."
"I don't know what to say, I am very dumbfounded, the worst I have experienced in months, even years," I said in a low tone.
We were in the vehicle, Jar, and we were sitting adjacent to each other... but she was on the driver's side now. Why? She started the vehicle and zoomed off.
I was surprised that she understood Jar's mechanism of operation—most people don't. There is a lot I am yet to know about her; this is going to be my personal mission. I am a coder now, though I have not written a single line of code (A man must certainly have a mission to become a coder). I have found a mission: To learn about the bug that just crossed my path and still gives me goosebumps. I know one thing about her though—She is a female. Maybe this will be more interesting than I thought!