Between the woods, an old car slowly drives along the road. The road is old, as the car. It was built before Neo-California was even a thought in its funder's mind. Nowadays, you don't usually find these dirt roads, they're all polished and safe, covered by a layer of cement; perfectly created by an automated process, always the right amount of limestone, clay and shale.
It's almost 6 pm, and the car is arriving closer and closer to its destination. Neo-California.
[Inside the car]
I look over to the left, I thought I saw a deer. It must've been my imagination, since PETA was given an anonymous donation in 2028 deers are no longer seen near the roads. Even near old roads like this one.
I remember the day my father told me I could forget about seeing any more animals outside the zoo, when the donation was announced through the radio. He was driving this same car.
At the thought of the radio, I extend my hand over to the Bluetooth button. Then, I speak over to the new AI assistant on my phone
"Aiden, turn on Bluetooth and connect with the car"
{"Done. When will you buy a new car? Bluetooth is obsolete"}
I sigh, I did not ask for AIs to engage in conversation. They just come this way now. Sometimes it's fine. Sometimes it pisses the fuck out of me. Like right now
"Aiden, reproduce 'American Pie'"
{"Sir, that song is 89 years old"}
I grin my teeth before speaking, holding back slightly.
"Do I look like I give a fuck? People still listen to Mozart, so why would I care about how old American Pie is?"
{Understood.}
"Now, shut up"
Aiden seems to actually shut up this time, which allows me to calm down and listen to this masterpiece. The first notes flow from the speakers, and I allow myself to smile slightly.
A long, long time ago
I can still remember how that music
Used to make me smile
I remember listening to this song with my father every time we went on a roadtrip, no matter where we went, it was always on. Moments like these are the ones I hold the closest.
I tap my fingers on the wheel at the rhythm of the melody, immersed in the nostalgic feelings of the notes and the lyrics. It was something that my father did, and as I grew up and ended up driving, I realised how relaxing it was to do it.
But February made me shiver
I gently turn the wheel slightly, focusing on the road as it starts to arc to the left, then the right, and then the left again. The music does not stop as I focus on something else, neither does time. It never did.
For the last thirty years, I've been hearing news about how they were making progress in investigations regarding time travel and time manipulation.
Bullshit.
They haven't made jack shit, if they had, they would have given it to the public. Or else, used it as a military weapon.
They've mentioned multiple times the ironic sentence that to invent this kind of stuff, it takes time. You don't need to be a genius to put together that if they made any progress, they'd speed up the process.
I turn back my attention towards the music. I can notice the chorus is about to start.
So, bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
And them good ol' boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin', 'this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die'
Once again, the music gives me an excuse to show a smile, and I decide to sing along.
Did you write the book of love
"Did you write the book of love"
And do you have faith in God above
"And do you have faith in God above"
If the Bible tells you so?
"If the Bible tells you so?"
Now, do you believe in rock 'n' roll
"Now, do you believe in rock 'n' roll"
Can music save your mortal soul
"Can music save your mortal soul"
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
"And can you teach me how to dance real slow"
I like this song now even more than I did back then. As I gathered more experiences, I started to link the song with them. These kinds of connections have made this song feel more personal, to the point that I would consider it part of me now.
I reply to the question in my head. I have faith in God, but not because of the bible. In this technological world no one gives a fuck about stuff like God. They think it is 'obsolete', that kind of annoys me... It's not like God is just a 'thing' like Bluetooth.
I have faith in God because even in this world where people are too immersed in the meta-world, where everyone is under some kind of drug. I, who refused to take any cybernetic upgrades, who maintained my whole life away from drugs, who didn't enter the meta-world so I could keep myself in contact with reality, when it had been three days since my last alcoholic drink, I had a vision from God himself.
It came on a dream, a murder of crows flying to the left. Remembering some tales from Ancient Rome and speculations from the past, I remembered that birds flying to the left often meant bad omen.
And so, I canceled my express train ticket, and spent the day at home.
That day, the train I was supposed to take was assaulted by some thieves, and out of the thirty passengers, twenty were murdered.
That same day, the building I was supposed to attend a meeting at was destroyed by a bomb, from a terrorist group called Devil's Hand. A bunch of fanatics that said to follow the word of the devil.
Now, I believe that is enough coincidences. And so, from that day onward, I went to Church and reinforced my faith in God.
I feel pity for those that say God is just a pigment of my imagination, for I once thought the same. And even then, God did not let me die.
Again, I turn back to the music.
Oh and while the king was looking down
"...while the king was looking down"
The jester stole his thorny crown
"The jester stole his thorny crown"
The courtroom was adjourned
"The courtroom was adjourned"
No verdict was returned
"No verdict was returned"
Sadly, I need to turn off the music as I make a turn. The car stops lightly bouncing from the pebbles in the old road as I enter a cemented road. I'm now just twenty seconds from entering Neo-Cali.
I'd keep the song on, but driving in Neo-Cali with music is impossible. One single distraction could end up in an accident... At least, that's what I heard driving here is like.
Like goddamn fucking hell.
"Aiden, what hour is it?"
{"16th of May, 2060. 6:37 pm"}
"I did not need the full hecking date..."
With that, Raymond enters Neo-Cali. A futuristic city where skyscrapers under the clouds are rarer than ones scrapping through them. One where practically every building could be qualified as a skyscraper.
This city is not California, it is Neo-Cali. The people who live here built it from the ground, far away from California... Or what remained of it.