The Deadman

Boss Pei’s job was simple to understand. You take this package with no questions asked and take it to the customer who ordered it. It was a simple arrangement.

All he had to do was drive his motorcycle with the delivery bag.  You come to the warehouse, ask for anything to deliver and you deliver them.

For a week he had done nothing but drive around the city. It wasn’t so bad since he had to acquaint himself with the city.  Sure there were times that some gangster tried to take the package or force him.

But he was able to handle them usually through punching them in the jaw and drawing the 3D-printed gun that Boss Pei had given his delivery boys.

There was nothing much to say.

After he got his pay for the week. He had the cash to go to the bar that was not far from his apartment. It was a small bar with two bartenders. Robert sat down and looked at the items.

“One corpse reviver please.”

The bartender systematically picked up the ingredients. Robert noticed that they were part of a chain-bar. They had this pin on their outfit. The woman who was mixing his drink was a black-haired woman with a professional face. The other bartender was tending to another customer with exposed augments.

The bartender placed the drink. Robert took a sip of it and then thought back to the taste.

“Saw you driving around lately. Are you new here, customer?”

“Kinda and also not?”

“I see. What brought you to Lux?”

“Fate?” Robert sneered lightly. “This bar’s pretty quiet. Couldn’t hear outside at all.”

“Boss had it soundproofed and we are pretty isolated.”

“I can see. Wouldn’t even have found this place if I didn’t spot it from my apartment.”

“So you deliver right, mister?”

“I guess so.”

Robert took a sip again. He was half-listening to the bartender. He finished the drink and placed it.

“I’d like another one please, uh, what’s your name?”

“Julie. Yours?”

“Robert. I might start coming here often, so nice to meet you.”

She looked at Robert, “You’re the first polite customer I had for today, Robert.”

“Is that bad here?”

“Not really. My Boss’s connected to the Dragoons living around the area so barely get any trouble. There are gunshots and trouble, but most of the time no one finds the bar. What do you think of the city so far?”

“Worse than ever,” Robert said. “I mean… let’s just let people know how great this city was before. Clean air. Beautiful buildings and so on.”

“Really? They must have been pretty old.”

“You could say that. Still, nothing really changed other than the whole feel to it. In the end, it’s still the syndicate and gang-infested shithole.”

“Crimes are rampant,” the bartender agreed. “But there are still decent people around here. And as long as you don’t go out past 5pm, I doubt you'll get into trouble.”

“Must be hard,” Robert watched the bartender mix the drink. “You carry a piece, Julie?”

“For self-defense.”

“Used it?”

“No, I doubt that I'd use it. I have a feeling that if time comes I’d just be too afraid to use it.”

“Good. It’s reasonable to think that.”

Julie stares, “You look like you’re used to it. You have that certain air around you, Robert.”

“Hmm,” Robert thought about what he’d say. No one’s going to believe and he doubts anyone was alive to know him. “I was a mercenary.”

“Was?”

“Got shot, rose from the dead, and then went back to doing similar work, but got into a coma.”

“That’s quite a story.”

“You don’t know half of it,” Robert laughed. “It is… probably why I’m working as a delivery boy at the moment. The last time didn’t work well for me. And honestly I don’t need that much money. Got no one here in this city after all. Well, I do have a friend named Theo. He did live here.”

“Oh, Theo? Old guy with optical eyes?”

“That’s the one. Know him?”

She started mixing the drink again.

“Theo owned the landfill. He used to come here until his liver died. After that he didn’t come here.”

“Well, he probably just doesn’t want to spend money for now. He’s retiring by the way.”

“What about his landfill?”

“Sold to a corporation who’s looking to own his landfill.”

“Another one falls to the corporation.”

Robert looked up and took the drink handed to him.

“Old Theo deserved it. Nicest guy that I met. Honestly, I’d be struggling if he didn’t just take me in until I can get back on my feet. At least enough to adjust to this city.”

“Huh, I did figure out that Old Theo’s a good guy inside.”

Julie spoke of Theo with a bit of animosity.

“You got beef with him?”

“Not really. He slapped my ass so hard once that it swollen . Old Theo forgot that he didn’t have organic hands. He can be… lecherous.”

“Ouch. Yeah, I can see him doing that.”

“You have no idea.  Uh, do you mind if I ask something?”

“Are you a Purist?”

“Purist? Ah, no, I just prefer wearable technology rather than putting them in. It’s more of a ‘why put them inside when you can just carry them in your pockets’ kind of reasoning.”

“But wouldn’t it be much more convenient? I did hear that people like having to see them in their contact lenses. It’s kinda like having a status system since they have a fad now that measures the body through the mod they install. I think it’s called a bio-monitor implant?”

“Do you have implants, Julie?”

Julie nodded, “I actually got a bio-antidote implant for free. It’s one of the freebies that you get when working for chain bars like this. Their reasoning was that it’d be embarrassing if the bartenders can easily get drunk.”

Robert turned to the bartender, listening, “Is that true for you too?”

“It is.”

“That sounds handy.”

“It is. But you sure know how to drink.”

“I do.  I am planning to spend a hundred dollars today. Pays good and honestly I wanted to drink here for a while now.”

“Must be quite a drinker, Robert.”

“Not really. Lately my mind has been freed. Some old worries have been lifted from me and the things that I have recently seen have made me evaluate some aspects of how I should act. I’m quite lucky to be given so many chances and I think I just used my last one.”

“Must be quite an ordeal.”

“It kinda is. I don’t usually talk a lot, but I was planning to tear the bartender’s ear off with my crybaby woes today. Sorry.”

“Not a problem. It’s the least I could do. Honestly, you’re probably the most polite so far that comes here. Well, you and James over there.”

Robert threw a glance at the augmented drinking vodka.

“Yo, nice meeting you, mister.”

“Sure.”

“Name’s Robert, you?”

“James.”

“I’d treat you next time, James.”

“Okay.”

He went back to his drink.

“James usually doesn't talk much when drinking. He’s a gun for hire.”

“Well, he doesn’t seem to mind people knowing.”

“I mean you’re not a cop, so it should be fine.”

Robert swirled the drink and then sniffed it.

“I guess these drinks really aren’t my taste. Julies, can you give me a large beer??”

“Sure.”

She started mixing the chemicals and served the beer in a stein. Robert grabbed the mug and started tasting the foams.

“Really different from the beer cans Theo has been drinking.”

“Most of the beer in the market is watered down for the singular purpose of allowing you to buy more. Ours aren’t. I must admit it’ll be cheaper to buy a case of beer cans than order it here.”

“Hmm, should you be saying that?”

“You seem to be planning to come here anyway.”

“Fair point. It’s comfortable here. Even the jukebox has some nice tunes.”

“Thank you for that.”

Robert drank a mouthful. He was finally feeling something. But he’d need more cash if he truly wanted to get drunk. His body had become strong and resistant.

Robert recalled how in the future there were only chemicals that replicate the taste of ingredients. At least the ingredients are somewhat real here.

A bit pricey compared to the synthetic version. But nonetheless better than not existing at all. Robert leaned forward and was curious about something.

“Been working here for a long time?”

“About four years now.”

“Ah, did you always want to be a bartender?”

“Not really. I don’t know. I wasn’t planning to come here either, but some things just went this way.”

“What would your job have been?”

“Chemist. I was already set to working as one, but I just didn’t go. Applied for a vocational course for two years, and then finally became a certified bartender.”

“You worked in another place first?”

“I did. Bad experience. It was a bar with a disco and a DJ. I have to wear a skimpy outfit. The boss wanted to give me a breast implant to make me more attractive, but I disagreed. The boss reluctantly gave up on it, but after a while. I had enough of junkies who were trying to pay me to have sex with them on the back of the bar.”

“I hope this bar suits you?”

“It does. I do get to wear a uniform like this. And Boss has enough connections to make potential customers behave.”

“Good to hear. If any asshole tries to do something rude. You can call on me, Julie.”

“I appreciate it.”

“Isn’t that nice, Jul?”

“Never call me Jul ever again, John.”

“Geez, calm down will you?”

Julie looked away, then went back to her professional face. Robert swung around and looked at the news.

Trouble in Eastern Europe.

The Great Lake states have trouble with their source of water. Chrome raiders in the Sonoran Desert. The Middle-East creating the tallest structures and focusing on space business.

“Wild world,” Robert muttered.

“Have you thought about traveling, Julie?”

“Aside from paying my rent and subscriptions. I honestly haven’t thought of traveling. The last time I did it was with my ex-girlfriend in Hawaii.

“How’s the place?”

“Believe it or not. It’s still quite beautiful. The cities are advanced but the rural and beach areas remain the same. The place thrives on tourism so they don’t want to mess it up.”

“Planning to go there again?”

“Not really. I don't have anyone to go with.”

“No affairs?”

“Nope. Bartending has occupied my life so far.”

Her face told Robert that there was something more to it. He didn’t want to dig up wounds so he just drank his beer while taking a glance at the TV once in a while.

James left the bar first. A customer wearing a mask with a filter, entered and sat in front of John who prepared the drink. Another customer with long hair and smart glasses walked in. Robert saw that her hands were augmented. The woman sat next to Robert.

“A martini, Julie.”

“Haven’t seen you for a while.”

“I do have a job, you know?”

“Whatever, Miss Decker.”

The woman called Alice swung her head and cast an eye on Robert. Robert greeted with a polite smile.

“Miss, how’s evening?”

“Fine, handsome. Julie hasn’t talked your ears off?”

“It's the opposite actually. I’m surprised she has the patience to listen.”

Julie made a smug face. Alice shrugged her shoulders and warned.

“You shouldn’t praise her too much. She might become too unbearable. Trust me on this.”

“I’ll take your advice then.”

“Hey, I’m here you two.” 

Robert laughed lightly. On the corner of his eyes he saw a notification appearing on the upper right. Another delivery needed to be done and Boss Pei wanted it done.

“It’s nice meeting you, miss. Please, allow me to buy you a drink.”

Alice smiled, “If you insist then.”

“Thanks for the drink!” 

Robert wired the pay and then another for the drink that Alice ordered. He pocketed his hands and left the bar and drove his motorcycle back to Boss Pei’s warehouse.