In one quick moment, it was all over. There was no coming back from this—no second chance. No road to recovery. It may have been better if he had just dropped dead there and then.
That morning had started like any other for Jay. He had woken up, gotten dressed in a well-kept cheap suit, and injected himself with the several medications his artificial liver needed to keep functioning. He straightened his tie and slicked his greasy black hair back with a metallic right hand. All the while, that horrid smile that had haunted his life for almost six years now stared him dead in the eye.
So, Jay, were all those quick credits worth the constant pain and having to take meds every morning just to have your piece of shit replacement liver not fail? Not to mention having almost no chance of living to see your thirties? Oh, what’s that? You can’t even express sadness or regret over your choices because of that fucking experimental chip permanently logged in your brain that you got paid table scraps to test?
He sighed, splashing some cold water on his face. “Another wonderful day!” he exclaimed in a cheery voice, each perfectly white tooth taunting him. Another soul-crushing shift, he corrected.
With one final internal groan, he walked out of his apartment and down three flights of stairs. He stepped outside, finding the sky gray and the temperature far colder than he would have expected so close to the start of summer. The neon lights of the city glistened on the water, slowly collecting on the ground. Reflecting the shitty advertisements that had been shoved everywhere someone’s eye may wander.
“Rain again, how wonderful!”
Well, at least he had gotten the words right that time, even if he had meant for them to be sarcastic.
After grabbing an umbrella, he walked for almost three blocks with his hands tucked inside his suit pockets before arriving at the subway station closest to his home. Quickly checking his balance as he made his way down the stone steps, he let out a sigh of relief.
Just enough for a round trip.
His pay had been a bit stretched this week as he had been forced to refill his supply of medication, but at least he would not have to worry about that for a while longer now.
“Where to and how many?” the old, rusted robot running the ticket counter asked as he walked up.
“One to Helix Station, please,” he said.
“Transferred. Your train leaves from platform two in six minutes.”
Jay winced as he watched his savings tick far closer to zero than he felt comfortable with. “Thanks,” he said as begrudgingly as the chip would allow him to. “Wait, did you say six minutes?”
“Yes, sir, please enjoy your ride.”
Fuck! he screamed internally as he took off running. Station two was just over a seven-minute walk away from the ticket booth, and that piece of junk expected him to get there in six? He pushed his way through crowds of people, apologizing with a smile all the way. He panted when he finally reached the platform and mentally checked the time.
Just over a minute to spare!
He boarded the already crowded train, still breathing heavily, and found an open spot to stand, grabbing hold of the handle with his left hand. He never could trust the shitty replacement he had for his right arm. All it was good for was filling a sleeve, or the copper wiring he could strip out of it if he ever needed a quick credit. Every time he put any strain on the damn thing, something seemed to break.
I’m sure plenty of people would have given up their right arm for another spin at the roulette wheel, though, right? he asked, wishing he could throttle his younger self.
It wasn’t like he had even had a bad life. He had well-off parents and a good life path already laid out before him, but he had thrown it all away just for the chance to chase his dream. It didn’t even take long for him to realize that it wasn’t going to work out, but his parents’ insistence that he needed to just quit and come back only drove him to try harder. To take out more debt. To alienate the people he loved the most.
Too stubborn for my own good.
When the business finally failed, he was left alone and buried under a mountain of loans he had no hope of repaying. So, did he go crawling back and ask for the help he needed? Nope, he had doubled down again and gone into experiential trials of new tech just to pay off the money he owed. He hadn’t even spoken to them in over seven years, too embarrassed to let them see that they were right all along, and he never should have left.
“Next stop, Helix Station.”
Reality pushed the thoughts away as another day driving the super-rich around sat just on the horizon. He hopped off the train and made his way out of the station.
At least the rain has finally cleared up, he remarked, looking up at the orangish-red sky marred by years of unregulated pollution.
Walking for another block, he finally arrived at the warehouse where Mr. Larenger stored the fleet of upgraded limos he owned. Jay straightened his tie and made sure his hair was still in place before walking inside. The last thing he needed today was another chastising because he had come into work looking disheveled.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
“Gooooood morning, Jay,” Mr. Larenger said as he walked through the door. “And thank you for not being late for once. I’ve got a big client for you today.”
“Yeah? Who is it?”
“Herald Winchester.”
His mouth dropped. “Owner of half the buildings in this city, Herald Winchester?”
“That’s the one.” He walked over and threw his arm around Jay. “So do me a favor and don’t mess this up, will you?”
“Yes, sir. You can count on me,” he said enthusiastically. Hell no! Choose someone else! he groaned internally.
“Great, I know you can do this. Now, I have you all set up in limo four. Just follow the map to the pickup location.”
“You got it!” He walked over, grabbing the keys from a small board where they were hung.
He got into the long car, adjusting his mirrors and seat before letting out one last deep breath. Without further delay, he was off heading for the destination that had been marked for him. It brought him to a large house located on the edge of the city. He parked outside the front gate of the mansion and waited until a portly man dressed in one of the fanciest tan suits he had ever seen came walking out. He was followed by a woman whom he couldn’t help but compare to a supermodel carrying a girl who looked to be two or three years old, both wearing matching blue dresses. Jay hopped out of the car and opened the back door as they approached.
“Good morning, Mr. Winchester,” he said in a calm and courteous voice while waiting for the family.
“Good morning. So, you’re going to be our driver for the day?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Excellent. It’s my little angel’s third birthday, and we will be going to see a performance at the Central Arena. I expect it won’t be a problem for you to wait for us there.”
“Not at all, sir.” And there goes my night.
“Perfect. Oh, Melinda, why don’t you and Alisan get in first?”
“Yes, dear,” the woman answered in a dull and monotone voice.
Jay waited with a smile on his face as the family climbed into the car before closing the door behind them. He got back into the driver’s seat and punched in the arena’s location just to make sure he took the quickest route. He put his foot on the gas and began slowly making his way there, driving carefully to give his passengers the best ride possible. He drove through winding street after winding street as a strange sense of tension built in the back of his mind. Chalking it up to nerves related to who he had in his car, he ignored the feeling. Still, even if he had trusted the feeling, how could he have predicted what happened next? The world flashed, and he found himself floating within a white void.
“What the–”
“Welcome, new user. You have been chosen to assist in this planet’s technological ascension. The trials ahead will show us who among your race is able to take control of this helpless rock. You have been assigned the role: unremarkable soul. Welcome, one and all, to the 76th Death March!” a robotic voice said.
Its words seemed to materialize in mid-air as it spoke. Jay tried to reach out to them a few times, but he never made contact. It was like they were right in front of him and extremely far away at the same time.
His vision flashed again, and he awoke to shrieking in the back seat. What’s going on? He wondered, gripping his head as a splitting pain passed through it.
He finally looked up to see a strange sight. He could swear he was still in his limo, but for some reason, it looked like he was in the lobby of a hotel. His vision came back into focus, and he was finally able to comprehend what was going on.
Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no!
Rubble sat in front of his car as the wailing from the back seat continued. He slowly turned, not ready for the sight that greeted him. Mr and Mrs Winchester both lie on the floor of the car. Their necks were snapped at unnatural angles, and their data ports sparked. The worst part of it all was their crying young daughter, yelling for them to please wake up. Jay began hyperventilating as he pushed his way out of the front seat, clutching at his chest. He stumbled out of the car, falling to his hands and knees. No longer able to take the stress and the scene he had just seen, he puked.
“Hello, Jay Anderson, and welcome to the 76th Death March. I will be your assistant for this event. Please let me know how I can be of assistance,” a female voice said from what felt like inside his head.
Oh, great, and now I’m hearing voices. What the hell is going on?
“I am not just a voice, nor should you ignore me. I am your assistant and guide for your planet’s introduction and integration. As for what is going on? Congratulations. As an unremarkable soul responsible for killing a candidate, you have been granted candidate status for this planet’s Death March. I envy you.”
Can you hear my thoughts? And what the hell are you talking about? I didn’t kill anyone! I don’t even know what the fuck this Death March is!
“Yes. As your assistant, I am able to read and speak through your thoughts. As for the question about killing, the algorithm has deemed your act of manslaughter enough to gain candidate status. Congratulations! You’re so lucky.”
Lucky? Do you know who that was? My life is fucking over! OVER!
“Hmm, I do not see how that man’s status is of any consequence now. You’re a candidate! And if your luck keeps up, you could even be selected as the ruler of this planet!”
He laughed. I don’t know who you are or what you think this is, but I’m going to jail for the rest of my life. Candidate or not. I’ll be lucky if I’m not executed.
“I do not see how this is an issue. You are a candidate. The elite. The empowered. If anyone tries to mess with you, simply remove their head from their body. Just a simple rip and twist,” the assistant said, making a snapping and popping noise.
What the fuck is wrong with you?!
“Nothing, I am merely preparing you for what is to come. This planet is in a Death March, after all. It’s only a matter of time before the slaughter begins.”
Jay pushed himself back to his feet after using the conversation in his mind as a chance to recover and started running. He wasn’t sure where he would go. If his life was going to be over, then a strange voice be damned, he wasn’t going to make it easy for them to catch him.
**Skill level increased: Running 0 - 1**
He stopped dead in his tracks as a glowing blue screen appeared in front of him. If he’d had better implants, he would have thought it all to be a trick, but he had nothing that could conjure something like this.
“What the heck is going on?”
