Orpheus | Installment Seven – Exploring

“Down your trail into darkness
through their near-Gothic arches
their curves and parasols
their sense of ancient truth.
Deeper and ever more mortal
grows the cool air,
deeper into earth’s kingdom,
moisture, plutonic fronds.
If there were one cardinal truth
it might be found here,
strain your hearing then, try to catch
what the oracle says.”

– Orpheus, by Chris Wallace-Crabbe, 1977

Exploring

“See, the world is full of things more powerful than us. But if you know how to catch a ride, you can go places.”
– Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash

At first, he thought it was just the flickering light coming from the light bulbs, undulating and swinging in the gentle breeze of the night. He was wrong. Those were aerial police drones, very stealthy and silent as they stood pretty much immobile, then buzzing louder and louder as they swarmed the sky, like jellyfish floating underwater. Only, way more dangerous.

Squinting his eyes, Mike looked up and, without even thinking, pulled Lisa closer to him, holding onto her, instinctively shielding her with his own body. Blinking, he tried to guess what kind of police drones were gliding down: were they remotely controlled? Or were they the self-driven, self-sufficient, self-deciding model with their own AI?

The musicians stopped playing and the night went eerily silent all of a sudden; the laughter of the crowd turned into a soft murmur. All was quiet, except for the humming sound of the drones descending onto the small space of the park. The area almost entirely dark now, except for the stroboscopic lights coming from the aerial dronecops. Scanning faces. Monitoring. Recording. Checking and confronting data.

Nobody tried to walk away. The same group of people that, only a minute earlier, had been laughing and dancing now didn’t look too surprised by the sudden interruption. Mike noticed their serious faces and wondered how often stuff like that happened on Level 1. How often trying to live freely and have some fun after what had to be an exhausting day at work meant having to deal with a law that was not fond of those who tried to escape its oppressive control. The illusion of a perfect society, maintained through corporate, bureaucratic, moral, technological control had already crumbled in the mind of anyone who was still capable of some critical thinking. Mike and Lisa were undoubtedly among them, and people living on Level 1 seemed to be as well. Everyone with half a brain knew that all citizens were under constant surveillance.

The electronic voice coming from one of the drones was so loud that Mike winced.

“Everybody freeze. Put your hands on your head and don’t move. Human officers are on their way.”

More buzzing, more stroboscopic lights flickering in the darkness. Nobody did anything but obey the orders.

“Our human officers are on their way,” the drone repeated in its neutral, colorless, robotic tone. “All you have to do is comply with our commands. We are not going to hurt you. Just stay where you are. We are not going to hurt you. Our human officers are on their way. We are not going to hurt you.”

Reluctantly, Lisa withdrew from Mike’s embrace and stepped back, but he kept holding onto her hand. The sudden loss of their physical contact felt emotionally devastating in its intensity.

“Mike… don’t.” She shook her head, and his arm fell to his side, helplessly. “Let’s just do what they say.”

Her voice was calm.

Swallowing hard, his eyes still fixed on her, he put his hands on his head, just like she did. Obeying the rules.

“Lisa…”

“It’s OK.”

She grinned at him, but her forced smile never reached her eyes. She was mildly scared and worried – he could tell. And the sense of impotence that he suddenly felt was not something he liked. Lisa looked even smaller than usual, younger, but at the same time her blue eyes showed a firmness and determination that struck him. She could be so vulnerable, yet so very strong at the same time. Se could be scared and brave all at once.

On the other hand, the only thing that worried him was to be separated from her. Although so far Level 1 hadn’t looked even remotely as bad as he expected, the last thing he wanted was to have the woman he loved there, all alone. Without him.

They just waited, patiently, staying perfectly still as the drones swayed all around them, getting closer, the beep beep beep of their scanners audible, the buzzing of their rotors obnoxious.

Six human officers arrived about two minutes later – the rumble of their motorbikes shattering the quietness of the night even more. They all drove new-generation electric bikes equipped with strobe lights, gyroscope rotors, carbon fiber body frame and 360° panoramic cameras. This shit was more serious than Mike thought.

The little crowd gathered closer to the stage, and the sudden proximity of the drones pushed Lisa and Mike in the same direction. He kept glancing around, his jaw set. Why had he asked her to descend to Level 1, again?

“Are you armed, sir?”

The electronic voice startled him. The drone got closer, almost brushing his shoulder, swayed, then backed off a little.

Mike’s reply came out throaty, through clenched teeth.

“Yes.”

“Put your weapon to the ground, sir. Slowly. Then put your hands on your head again until our officers arrive and tell you otherwise.”

Lisa’s eyes were fixed on him, huge and so very, very blue. Staring back at her, Mike just lowered his arm, opened his coat, reached down for the holster and slowly took out his gun. His other hand still on his head, he merely crouched down and placed the pistol to the ground, over the burned lawn. Shiny black metal on rosy-tinted grass. If those flying things thought that he was some kind of gunslinger about to come at them with guns blazing, they were sorely mistaken. He was nobody. He was nothing but a lab rat spending some time out with his girl. Armed only because he felt he had to.

Quietly, his movements deliberate and controlled, Mike rose from his crouched position and put his right hand back on his head.

“Please wait for the officers to arrive, sir. We are not going to hurt you,” the monotone, repetitive drone cop stated, once again.

Well, duh. Why should they hurt them? They were doing nothing wrong.

Mike didn’t feel exactly relieved when the officers made their appearance, though. They were real cops, human beings, albeit digitally-enabled in terms of equipment: the robotic exoskeleton, the graphene helmet, the wearable computing specs designed to enhance “situational awareness.” It meant that they could be informed about possible incidents on the premises even before they arrived at the scene.

The cop kept his hand on his gun, still secured in his holster.

“Sir…” He nodded his head, curtly. “Ma’am.”

Lisa and Mike exchanged a glance.

“Officer…” Mike said, very calmly.

“Why are you armed, sir?”

The officer glanced at Mike’s gun on the ground.

“Personal security, officer. Mine, and my lady’s.”

The cop turned his head, watching Lisa from head to toe. The specs and the helmet hid his face almost entirely, and it was hard to guess any expression or emotion.

“What’s your name, sir.”

It was funny how the question didn’t sound like a question, but more like an order. Mike once again intercepted Lisa’s eyes. They were begging him to keep calm and cooperate. To stay safe. Her lips were slightly parted. He blinked.

“Mike Jackson.”

“Where do you live, sir. You and your lady.”

“Level 3.”

“And why are you here tonight?”

The officer was now slowly walking around him, checking him with a portable scanner. Looking for other weapons. Weapons that he would not find because they didn’t exist. Mike was a peaceful guy, hated even carrying his gun, but didn’t take orders very well. There had always been a rebellious side of him struggling to comply with the rules. Rules he did not understand and that made no sense to him. At that very moment, he did his best to keep that part of himself tamed.

“No reason,” Lisa chimed in. “We just wanted to see what this level looked like.”

The officer stopped mid-action and turned his head to her, once again. She could almost see him frowning behind his glasses. He looked pensive for a moment, and she bit her tongue.

“What’s your name, Ma’am?”

He seemed to have forgotten entirely about Mike and stepped closer to Lisa instead. He was now totally focused on her. Mike tensed up.

“Lisa Presley…” She winced as the cop stopped behind her back and purposefully stroked her hip with his portable scanner. “…Sir.”

Mike opened his mouth to say something, but Lisa shook her head slightly. He closed his mouth again, pursing his lips. Sweat started trickling down his back.

“Ma’am, I am now going to proceed with the retina scanning…” The officer extracted a small, portable device from one of his frontal pockets. “I am going to need to verify your ID.”

Mike stepped up, his hands still resting on his head.

“Sure. Go ahead, officer.”

At that very moment, the only thing he wanted was to distract the cop from Lisa. He didn’t like the way that guy was looking at her. He didn’t like how he seemed to enjoy a little too much the close proximity to her body.

Mike was pretty sure the officer’s behavior would change the moment their identities were confirmed, because living on Level 3 still guaranteed some benefits and respect. But for now, the cop seemed to think they were lying. And Mike had no idea what that could mean for them.

Anyway, his diversion tactic seemed to work and the guy in uniform studied him some more before placing the electronic device right in front of his face. Mike kept his eyes open as the green dot on the small black screen blinked and blinked. The eye-scanner made a sound.

No ID found.

The policeman seemed surprised and checked the screen.

“Uhm. Stand still, sir. I am going to try again. My device seems to be malfunctioning…”

He once again placed the scanner before Mike’s face. Same sound. Same result.

No ID found.

Mike frowned.

The cop pressed a button on his helmet.

“Agent TS05SMC. I seem to be having issues with my retina scanner. It could be because of the chemical rain. Yes. Over.” He listened, his eyes inexpressive behind the lenses of his glasses and fixed on Mike. “Yes, sir. Out.”

He put the scanner back in his pocket and extracted his handcuffs, instead.

“Put your hands behind your back, sir.”

“What? Hey!”

Lisa took a step forward. The cop turned and looked over at her.

“Stay where you are, ma’am. Put your hands back on your head.”

His voice still sounded calm, but there was also a threatening undercurrent that couldn’t be ignored.

“Like hell! Why are you arresting him? We didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Lisa… It’s fine.” Mike begged her with his eyes, but she didn’t even look at him.

“I cannot confirm your partner’s identity, ma’am. I need him to come with me to the precinct and verify his ID. My scanner is not working.”

He grabbed Mike’s hands and yanked both his arms behind his back. Mike flinched, squaring his jaw.

“Hey! Stop manhandling him! Can’t you just call one of your buddies and see if their scanners work? I mean…”

“Lisa… It’s OK…” He faintly registered the metallic sound of the handcuffs as the officer brought them closer to his wrists. His heart started to race. His skin was covered in sweat.

“It’s not fucking OK!”

She stepped closer.

“Ma’am, put your hands back on your head and step back. I will not repeat it.”

The cop stretched out his arm in her direction, showing her the palm of his gloved hand. An unequivocal message. Lisa was overstepping her boundaries, and he was not going to tolerate her unruly behavior much longer.

Then something distracted him. His earpiece was buzzing. He stilled – and once again pressed the button on his helmet. Still holding Mike’s arms behind his back, he listened carefully.

“Agent TS05SMC. Over.” A long, poignant pause. “Yes, sir. I understand. Out.”

Quietly, the cop let go of Mike and put the handcuffs back in one of the side pockets of his exoskeleton.

“Mister Jackson, Miss Presley. You are both free to go. The central computer at the precinct verified your data. It has been confirmed that you are in no way involved in this unauthorized cultural exhibition.” He glanced at the pistol on the ground. “Mister Jackson – you can also retrieve your gun.”

Mike frowned, then he crouched down and slowly put his pistol back in its holster.

“Unauthorized cultural exhibition? It was just a group of people dancing… a band playing…”

The officer stepped back, suddenly uninterested in engaging in any further conversation.

“Good night, sir. Good night, ma’am.”

And, just like that, he walked away.

“Come on… let’s get outta here.”

Mike grabbed Lisa’s hand and started dragging her out of the park and toward the main street, trying not to hurry but keeping a steady pace. She just followed him quietly, but from the way she gripped his hand, he could tell that she was still nervous. And probably had been a bit scared, too.

“What the hell is going on here?” She whispered.

“I have no idea… I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“You wanna go back up? Home?” She sped up her pace and came to walk by his side.

“Yeah… of course. Holy shit. That was a close call…” He glanced around, massaging his wrists. The road looked pretty much deserted, except for a few people walking back to their houses. “Why didn’t we take my flycar, again?”

She didn’t comment, but tugged at his sleeve the moment she noticed a small squad of cops standing near the undertrain station entrance.

“Mike…”

He stilled, taking a long breath. Then turned to her and Lisa shrugged.

“Either we take the risk to be stopped again or…”

“Or we wait for them to leave… they’ll probably be patrolling the area for a while…” He held her hand tighter, afraid she would slip away from his grasp. “Why are they acting as if this was some sort of terrorist attack? This is so fucked up…”

They stared at each other, not really knowing what to do. Both feeling somehow trapped in a place that was pleasurable, in a sense, but so foreign and uncharted at the same time. It was also apparent that many other people that had been partying at the park were feeling the same way, because a group of them had gathered just across the street, whispering, probably discussing their next move. Meantime, four of the cops who arrived on their bikes now just walked past them and straight to the undertrain station. With them, there were the musicians that had been playing on stage. All handcuffed, their heads lowered. They had all been arrested.

The murmurs coming from the group of people nearby quieted down. Nobody spoke and, for a minute, the only audible noises were those steps on the wet asphalted road. Even the rain had stopped, and now the block looked shiny, dark and spotted in glossy pink. The smell of candies in the air had become even stronger, almost nauseating. The entire scenario was surreal, dreamlike even.

“What the hell… Did they arrest them? For what?” Mike whispered. He was outraged.

Lisa gripped his hand tighter.

“I don’t know. Let’s wait for a while, baby. Let’s just wait for things to go back to normal…”

He just shook his head, staring at the musicians as they were taken in custody and led inside the station.

“I don’t know what’s normal anymore…”

And it was the God honest truth. He suddenly understood that the relative peace people seemed to experience on levels 2, 3 and 4 was the result of them slotting headfirst into a pre-defined, blindly-accepted pattern. And they did it because it was the most convenient choice. If you accepted that someone was making your opinion at your place, you could avoid going through the trouble of having to form one yourself. A belief that might differ from what you were taught and indoctrinated with throughout your life. Ideas, Mike knew, were dangerous. Because they led to decisions. And decisions led to actions.

It was not exactly recommended to go off the rails of commonly accepted societal norms or political system, in current times. Independent thought – and subsequent independent behaviors – were eyed suspiciously. According to the government, the entire world was still functioning despite all its adversities because the few corporations ruling it had firm control over the population and its dynamics. Allegedly, that created a perfect society.

It was all bullshit – the biggest illusion of how the world was supposed to be. There was no perfection if people lived in fear, if megacities like New York or any other metropolis on the planet were inhabited by citizens operating in a dehumanized state – especially on the upper levels, despite common belief – or forced to conform. There could be no perfection if individuality and dissent were considered wrong by principle – just like in this case.

“You heard him? Unauthorized cultural exhibition, my ass…” Mike shook his head, then glanced at the group of people across the street. They were now moving all in the same direction. “You know what? I was thinking about following those folks and see where they’re going… I wanna know why those musicians were arrested.”

“Because they were doing something they shouldn’t.”

Although her words sounded almost casual, Mike could tell that Lisa was just as puzzled as he was.

“Yeah, but why? I wanna know.”

She didn’t move, and he looked at her.

“Don’t you wanna know?”

She didn’t give him a direct answer.

“Those people… did you notice how resigned they looked? As if they were totally expecting those cops to arrive. Nobody protested. And yet…” She scrunched her forehead. “…and yet something tells me they’ll be doing it again very soon. Breaking the rules.”

Mike smirked.

“Yeah.”

“Yeah.” She grinned, too. “Lead the way, Mike. Let’s follow them.”

Well, they definitely weren’t expecting that. They walked behind the small group of people for about twenty minutes straight, across four or five blocks, until they reached an old building that still sported the traces of centuries, like wrinkles on the face of a grandmother. The sign on the front walls swung in the breeze, squeaking, threatening to fall at any second. But it stayed there, and they all entered the Carpe Librum Library quietly. It must have been a beautiful structure… at one point in time.

Everyone noticed Lisa and Mike. From their clothes, it was obvious that they did not belong there. But nobody said anything, and the couple of strangers was silently welcomed inside the structure. On a side note, the old library looked way smaller from the outside than it was. Inside, the spaces were ample and partly unfurnished. Dust covered the hardwood floors and the balustrade leading to the upper level, the old bookshelves and the old tables, still equipped with the traditional desk lamps with bronze finishes and green glass shades. Lisa had one of those lamps in her comfort room, at home, and she remembered very well how hard it had been to find it. Well – there were countless of those at the Carpe Librum. And she was pretty sure that almost none of them worked. Yet, they still were beautiful.

The building was perfectly organized, with the few means those managing it had at their disposal. Several huge rooms were full of books, old records, magazines, tables, chairs, old couches, armchairs. The people scattered, once again talking, snickering. Relieving some stress. The atmosphere relaxed almost immediately, as if the building had the power to quiet down anxiety, stress, fear, like an old matriarch taking everyone in her embrace. Still holding hands, Mike and Lisa looked around, not really sure about what to do. Both fascinated.

“I didn’t even know this place existed…” He muttered.

Lisa looked up at the old chandelier hanging above their heads. Dusty. Half-broken. Exquisite.

“Me neither. But I think it’s one of the most amazing places I’ve ever seen in my life…”

Mike had to smile. Their thoughts were always so in tune.

“Yeah…”

“You know, I was gonna apologize for dragging you down here…”

“Lisa, you didn’t drag me anywhere. It was my idea.”

She tilted her head and watched him skeptically.

“Because I was here first, Mike. Otherwise, the thought wouldn’t even have crossed your mind.”

He just held her gaze, sighing. It was the truth.

“Well, anyway, like I said – I was gonna apologize to you for this mess, but now… I actually think it’s great to be here. With you. Way more fun than the first time around.”

He grinned.

“And way more fun than any party on Level 5…”

“Yeah, that too. I just wish I could show you the black market.”

“Maybe next time?”

He pulled her closer, looking down at her. His eyes were smiling. Despite the events of the night, he did feel safe where he was now. Lisa’s hand came up and touched his face. Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something.

“Why next time? I don’t remember ever seeing you in here, young lady…”

The soft voice intruded their moment of sudden tenderness.

“…Which means that it would be a first for you, too. Welcome to the Carpe Librum, guys.”

The old, beautiful Asian woman smiled at them, showing her still perfect teeth, straight and white. She was probably around seventy-five, maybe even eighty, but she looked way younger. Her dark, almond-shaped eyes shone and even her long black hair, straight and worn in a bun on the back of her head, looked almost glossy in the tenuous light. Her skin looked like porcelain, her frame tiny and slender in the white pantsuit she wore.

“My name is Oshi Suesskind and I own this place. I love it when new people stop by. Can I get you anything? Water? Beer? Red wine?”

She looked from Mike to Lisa, then back at him. She seemed amused, but also very genuine in her display of friendliness.

Mike’s eyebrows sprung up and he exchanged a glance with Lisa.

“Good evening… Well… red wine then, thank you. Nice to meet you, miss Suesskind.” They shook hands. “I’m Mike.”

“Of course you are. Just call me Oshi, please.” Her dark eyes studied him in a very calm manner. Then she shook Lisa’s hand. “And you… you must be Lisa, right?”

Lisa frowned.

“Yes… how do you know my name?”

Miss Oshi just stared at her for a moment, her features inscrutable except for her polite smile.

“Just a wild guess, I suppose. Come… I’ll get your drinks.”

They followed Miss Oshi across the main room, walking through hundreds and hundreds of books. Books that were everywhere. On the shelves, on the tables, on the floor. Mike’s eyes widened in fascination: he loved books. He also loved comics, especially those old, crumpled paper strips with faded colors, but books… they were his passion. When he had discovered that Lisa shared his love for traditional culture, his heart had swelled even more. Another sign that they did have a lot in common. So many reasons to fall in love with one another.

Miss Oshi guided them upstairs, then across another ample hall full of old books and magazines, piled everywhere, even against the walls, and finally to a smaller room that looked like an incredibly old cafeteria. Lisa and Mike sat on the stools at the bar, and the old lady stopped in front of a high wine rack. She chose a bottle of red and opened it.

“So… what brings you here to Zone D, Lisa and Mike?”

She spoke as she served the wine in two crystal goblets. They were old, like everything else at Carpe Librum, but still in pristine condition.

“Well, we bumped into a little live show at the park, down on Liberty Avenue, and then we got caught in what looked like a police raid.” Lisa held the goblet before her face and took a moment to appreciate the deep ruby red liquid swirling inside. “Thank you, Miss Oshi.”

“You’re welcome, dear…” Miss Oshi sat on another bar stool, across the counter, and rested her elbows over the smooth marble surface. “So, basically you happened to be there by chance and got involved in one of the little… inconveniences that we are forced to face on a daily basis. I’m sorry. I am sure it was not a pleasurable experience. Cops down here aren’t nice at all.”

“No, they aren’t. At one point, it even looked like I was going to get arrested.”

Mike took a sip of his wine. It was incredibly good. Way, way better than the one he had drunk at Sydney’s party, only a few hours earlier.

“Really?” The lady seemed surprised. “How so?”

“I don’t know… something about my ID not being recognized… messing their scanner up. I’m not sure. That officer was not very talkative.”

“That’s…” She inhaled a deep breath. “…very interesting. Anyway, did anyone get arrested, eventually?”

“Yeah.” Lisa took Mike’s hand on the bar counter. “All the musicians. Poor guys. They were just playing. The officers handcuffed them and took them away.”

Miss Oshi nodded her head sadly, then stayed quiet for a long moment.

“Well… I guess there was a second infringement, then. We do have some rebellious people, down here.”

“A second infringement?”

Mike placed his glass back on the bar counter.

“Yes. First infringement: the show was not authorized…”

“Do they ever get authorized?”

“No, never.”

He smirked dryly, staring at his wine.

“Right…”

“Second infringement: the band was playing something that’s not allowed by the law.”

Lisa blinked.

“What do you mean? What were they playing?”

Miss Oshi looked at her, her dark eyes shiny and deep.

“I can’t tell, I wasn’t there. But I am sure it was prohibited because otherwise, those musicians would have only been fined. And you’re telling me they got arrested, instead.”

“I am not sure I follow…” Mike interjected, his voice low, even. “I had no idea music wasn’t allowed.”

The lady seemed to gather her thoughts for a moment.

“You are not allowed to perform in public, on Level 1. If you do it, you get fined. And if you’re bold enough to play anything coming from the forsaken list, you’re going to get yourself arrested. It’s illegal. And it’s gonna get you in trouble.”

Mike blinked, his eyes narrowing.

“Oh, right… Now that you talk about it, I remember hearing something about a list of forsaken music, books, works of art… But I thought it was some urban legend… or, worst-case scenario, old stuff… from when, you know, things were even worse than they’re now… and that people didn’t remember about it anymore. I mean, if you stop talking about something, after a while its memory just disappears, right?”

“You think?”

The light smirk Miss Oshi gave him puzzled him. Did he think so? Maybe. Maybe not. Heaven knew what stayed stuck in people’s minds, in their heart. Sometimes hidden, yet still there, somewhere.

“No, Mike. The forsaken list is very, very real. And possibly more extensive than people believe.”

“It did look serious. Other officers were patrolling the undertrain station, and that’s why Mike and I weren’t able to go back up… back home.” Lisa bit her lip. “I guess we’ll have to wait until everything goes back to normal. After what happened tonight, the last thing we want is having more problems with the police.”

Miss Oshi wasn’t smiling anymore.

“I understand. And I agree with you. When something like that happens, the police patrol the entire block for several hours, monitoring who goes in and who goes out, when, how and why. Often interviewing people, trying to understand if they knew what was going on and if someone else is involved, and to what extent. But this…” She took a deep breath, “…This is a safe place. Cops don’t come here at the Carpe Librum. Not because something bad happens here, but because they are sure it doesn’t. You can stay here tonight if you want. We do have some disconnected rooms.”

“Disconnected rooms?” Mike’s interest piqued.

The lady smiled.

“Yes. As you can see, this place is not technologically implemented. Some would even call it anachronistic… no internet connection, no digital equipment, nothing at all. But that’s the way we like it here… old-style living. I believe it’s escapism at its finest. And that sometimes people have the right to be alone, to be… disconnected from their daily routine… so they can get in touch with their inner and most honest self. So,” another deep breath, “I can give you a room for the night, and you can go back up tomorrow morning. If you want.”

Lisa squeezed Mike’s hand. He nodded his head.

“That’d be great, Miss Oshi. Thank you so much.”

“Alright, then. I’m going to ask my staff to get your room ready.” The woman rose from the barstool. “Oh, and by the way… Since it’s your first visit here, you also get one book each, for free. I’m going to try and guess what you like, OK? And if I’m wrong, please let me know. We have plenty of stuff here, as you might have noticed. And just to be clear, Lisa – you did see a black market here on the level, but not the black market. The real one. Which is this place. Once again, welcome.”

She just left them there, quietly sauntering out of the cafeteria, telling them that they would find their books in their room and that someone from the staff would walk them there in a few minutes. To enjoy their wine, relax, and get comfortable in the meantime.

“Hey… Lise! Come here, take a look…”

Fascinated, Mike ran his fingertips across the hardcover of the book he had found on the bed, in the disconnected room that Miss Oshi had set up for them. A place that looked humble, and old, but was also clean and very thoughtfully furnished at the same time. A double bed, a tiny en-suite bathroom, a nightstand at each side of the bed, a very simple closet, a small desk covered with old magazines against the wall.

Lisa sat on the bed next to him, her book in her hands.

“What is it?”

“It’s a photographic book about the Sistine Chapel… and Michelangelo’s work. Look at that…” He was whispering, as if he was worried that even speaking too loud could somehow ruin the old pages he was gently caressing. “I love this. I’m so sad it doesn’t exist anymore…”

Yeah. The Sistine Chapel – just one of the many wonders that had been destroyed during the wars that had taken place about a hundred of years earlier. Lisa smiled, very softly, glancing up at him. Noticing how his eyebrows had distended, how he was looking at the pictures of that fantastic, irreplaceable work of art with childlike wonder. At that very moment, she loved him even more.

“I guess Miss Oshi hit the target with you, huh?”

“Definitely… She must be an excellent judge of characters.”

“She also knew my name, Mike… and that was really odd.”

“Maybe she heard me call you…” Mike blinked and turned his head, looking at her. “Anyway, what about your book? What you got?”

“Well… I guess she was spot on with me, too…” She murmured, showing him a beautiful photographic book about horses.

“I didn’t know you liked horses…”

Mike studied her face, her features looking pensive and remote. He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Then, without even thinking, he leaned in and kissed her temple, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.

“I do. I love them so much… I wish…” And then she trailed off, shaking her head.

Right. Just like the Sistine Chapel, horses didn’t exist anymore. And neither did bears, and wolves, giraffes, lions, tigers, orangutans, leopards, panthers, elephants and hundreds and hundreds of species that humankind had simply wiped away in a handful of decades.

“I love animals, too. I wish we could see them. Alive, I mean… not in pictures or videos or holograms… You know, I could even accept I’ll never see them for real, if only I knew they still existed…”

So many things of beauty didn’t exist anymore. Their time had come and gone in the blink of an eyelid, and the world was now emptied of almost everything that made it worth of fascination. The moment turned melancholic, and yet the complete silence of the room, except for the tick-tock of the clock on the wall, felt comforting. Like a blanket. Like an invisible defense against something evil that was just outside the door, waiting for them. Lisa was glad they had decided to stay for the night.

She carefully placed the books on the nightstand, then turned to Mike, taking his hands, turning his palms up. She slowly pushed the sleeves of Mike’s shirt up and observed his wrists. They showed faint bruises – the result of Mike’s close encounter with the cop.

“Do they hurt?” She gently caressed his wrists.

He glanced up at her, a crooked grin on his lips.

“Not much. Don’t worry. I’m OK… I just…” He frowned, “I don’t know why, but the moment I saw those handcuffs, I almost freaked out…”

“Well… You did nothing to deserve that treatment. That dude was an asshole. Such a fucking clown. You had all the rights to be freaking out.”

“No, I mean…” He stayed quiet for a moment. “I freaked out for real, Lisa. And I don’t know why. I just got really, really scared.”

She held her breath, just staring at him, her face showing concern and worry. Then she took him in her arms and held him. Not really knowing what to say to comfort him, but hoping that her actions could speak better than her silence.

After a while, he started to relax and lay down on his back, bringing Lisa with him. She found herself draped over his chest, just listening to his heartbeat finally slowing down. She kissed him, feeling his warmth through his clothes, her hand caressing his torso. He captured it and brought it up to his lips, kissing it.

Lisa leaned up on her elbow and watched him. In the dimly lit room, his dark eyes shimmered like black onyx. They just stared at each other for what felt like forever.

“I am happy to be here with you… I feel safe here…” She whispered.

“Yeah… I do, too…” He gently touched the side of her face. “And I wouldn’t want to be here with anyone else.”

Mike swallowed, then entangled his fingers in her hair, on the back of her head, and pulled her down toward his mouth. His action was slow, gentle, yet their kiss was passionate and deep right from the get-go, as if that was the perfect means – maybe the only means – to release some of the tension that had built up during the previous hours.

Without even realizing it, Lisa moaned against his lips as his warm hands started roaming over her shoulders, pushing her leather jacket off, getting rid of it quickly. Then his fingers reached back, unzipping Lisa’s dress.

She was a bit surprised – Mike was always an enthusiastic lover, but this time his actions held a different undertone – there was an urgency, in the way he touched her, a fire, that so far Lisa had not experienced. Her body immediately reacted, as if he was a druid and she was the potion – and he ignited her. They moved in sync, each undressing the other quickly, almost frantically. It was so nice to be alone – completely – for the first time. No artificial intelligence, no domotic systems, nothing watching, monitoring, recording them. It was so… liberating.

Within seconds, they were naked. The room temperature was warm enough for them to stay tangled in the thin, light sheets and nothing else. The scorching heat of their bodies did the rest. They already knew all about passion – and they were now going to discover rawness in their lovemaking.

It was nothing calculated. It just happened the way things are supposed to happen: naturally. Instinctively. At that very moment, the time for being cautious and tentative with one another during sex seemed forgotten, and they just acted on pure impulse, on pure desire, merely listening to what their souls and bodies told them to do, just going with the flow.

In a vague spark of lucidity, Lisa felt glad that the rooms were at least soundproof, because she realized that she was moaning, loud. But Mike’s tongue and teeth on her breasts and nipples, on the taut muscles of her stomach as he moved down on her, nipping at her pelvic bones and then at the soft skin inside her thighs were doing a number on her, and she could not hold back. His breathing short and erratic, his hair wild, he spread her legs and closed his mouth on her pulsing sex. Lisa’s hips shot off the bed, and her back arched as her hands reached down, her fingers in his hair, pushing him down, holding him where she wanted him.

Mike had no idea what had gotten into him. All he knew was that he could not stop – he didn’t want to stop taking her the way he was doing. It was as if an ancient spirit was possessing him, asking him to possess her, to own her, to mark her his, to take all of her, until they were both spent.

When she trembled and shattered against his mouth, he grunted and kept going until she climaxed again, panting, whimpering, pleading him. Her body was telling him exactly what to do, how to do it. Like a symphony that he knew by heart, like a long-forgotten song.

He got up on his knees and grabbed himself, needing some relief from a pleasure that was starting to border on pain. His head spun, but his vision was clear and he could see every little detail that made Lisa who she was to him. Her sweaty skin, looking as if bathed in golden sparkles, her tousled hair, her beautiful, red lips parted and those blue eyes, as deep and bright as the ocean. The ocean the way it would always appear in his dreams.

“I love you…” He said, his voice hoarse, deep.

She swallowed, breathless, all the while watching, fascinated, the way his hand moved on himself. “I love you too… so fucking much…”

“Turn around… Lie on your stomach…”

There was tenderness in his voice, but his eyes were firm, demanding. Commanding.

Lisa shivered, bit her lip and complied. The mere sight of her beautiful ass, firm and round and oh so perfect, forced him to close his eyes for a second as his grip on himself became tighter, his movements sharper. He scooted closer to her, finally letting go of himself and reaching down, grabbing her hips, pulling her up and toward him, until she was on all fours.

“You trust me?”

“I do…”

“You gonna let me do this, baby girl?” His voice deep, soft, seductive. He bent over and the tip of his tongue ran along her spine. Lisa’s skin covered in goosebumps, her head dropped forward.

“God, yes… you can do whatever you want…”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah… you can… do me the way you want. Just… don’t stop. Don’t ever stop.”

He exhaled a long breath, kissed the small of her back one last time, loving the taste of her salty skin, her scent, the way she breathed, the way her muscles tensed under his touch, how responsive her body was to him, loving everything about her. With everything he was, and everything he had.

Straightening his back, he rested his hands on her ass. He didn’t need any help when he finally surged forward and into her, entering her fully, the tight, hot, sinewy, pulsing sensation so intense that his whole body felt stunned as if hit by an electric shock.

Lisa cried out and fell on her elbows, and he gritted his teeth.

This was heaven. Whatever his life was before no longer mattered. By finding her, he found himself.

Soundtrack