The van pulled up, the door slid open, and Emz was greeted by a refreshing blast of crisp, cold air. He coughed as an errant snowflake hit the back of his throat. Stepping onto the snowy pavement, he watched the van close up and drive off. He was two blocks south of Poyz Plaza, the bustling central square of Poyz, filled with pigeons, benches, abstract statues, fountains, and patches of greenery. People jogged, strolled, walked their dogs, painted, met secret lovers, and children skated. In one corner, older residents played chess on molded concrete tables and seats.
He pulled his beanie down to cover his ears, checked the image of Gary one more time, glanced at the time—15:50—then looked around at the multitude of chain restaurants nearby, each claiming to offer the best real steak, cultured steak, or sustainable plant-based superfood. These places filled the retail units in this part of Midton.
Ready for action, he headed north along Marley, crossed the intersection with Orwell, and then, at the next crossing with Ninh street, saw Poyz Plaza. 16:00 exactly, his wearable indicated. He crossed into the plaza through the south gate, scanning the area for the chess players—and Gary.
He spotted him quickly. Gary looked just like his ID photo: a slight, scrawny figure, roughly Emz's height, sitting at a concrete chess table and playing a game with an older Asian man. Most of the pieces were still in their starting positions, suggesting the game had only just begun. Gary held two fingers on his Black Queenside Knight, rocking it slightly as he pondered a jump over his defensive line of pawns.
Gary’s opponent glanced up and, noticing Emz’s attention, smiled in greeting. Gary looked over too, but instead of smiling, he held a neutral expression, sizing up Emz for a moment before nonchalantly returning his focus to the game.
Emz took a step forward, and before he knew what was happening, the chess knight struck him squarely in the forehead. It was surprisingly painful, and then Gary was sprinting across the plaza.
“What the—!” Emz exclaimed, shaking off the shock and setting off in pursuit.
Gary was fast—crazy fast. Emz was no slouch; he hit the treadmill in the small gym in his building regularly and was usually out and about, getting into scrapes. But Gary was outpacing him across the concrete plaza. In an effort to close the gap, Emz veered towards a line of benches, stepping up onto the wooden seating between an elderly couple feeding the pigeons. They jumped, startled, as bread and birds flew everywhere. Emz stepped onto the backrest, launched himself over, landed in a pile of powdery snow on a patch of grass, then bounded onto the pavement. He gained a few metres, coming within reach of Gary, who’d had to detour around the benches by sticking to the path.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
But then a dog dashed out in front of Emz. Its lead, still in the hands of its owner, went taut, tripping Emz and sending him diving to the ground. Luckily, his new winter gloves saved his palms from nasty grazes. Gary regained his lead, dashing towards the west gate.
“For fuck’s sake!” Emz cursed, scrambling back to his feet and resuming the chase as Gary sped out onto Morrison street, heading west.
They crossed Liszt, then King intersections, and reached Midton Mall, which stretched along four blocks of north-south Joplin street. Gary slipped through the entrance doors, merging with a heavy mass of shoppers inside, laden with bags and corralling impatient children. Emz followed, weaving through the crowd as best he could, but where Gary ducked and wove with ease, Emz was frequently blocked, jostled, and slowed. He swore and apologised in turn as he pushed through.
Gary reached an escalator descending to the basement level of the mall. He dashed down, but his escape was ultimately hampered by a standing wedge of people filling the moving steps, forcing him to wait on a slow ride down.
Emz saw his chance. Instead of queuing, he vaulted onto the shiny metal divider between the up and down escalators, sliding down on his backside, drawing gasps and whoops from young onlookers. He nearly caught up, but Gary managed to step off the escalator just before Emz reached the bottom with a wobbly dismount. The gap had narrowed, though, and Emz was almost within reach, weaving around people as he closed in.
Gary was briefly delayed again as he passed through the gates to the mall’s Metro platform. Just as Emz closed in, however, Gary slipped through, and Emz was then slowed himself by the gate’s walking-speed mechanism. On the other side, Gary boarded a departing train, its doors sliding shut a split second before Emz cleared the gate and could reach him. The train pulled away, leaving Emz behind, frustrated and angry.
Out of breath, Emz stood on the suddenly quiet platform, panting hard. The only movement came from a service bot collecting litter and a grinning young man on a bench, wearing dark glasses. The glasses' mode light glowed blue as his hands moved over invisible controls projected in the air before him, signalling that he was fully immersed in a digital reality.
“Fuck… my… life.”
