Equivalence: Chapter 4
Walking around on the open streets of the city felt both very weird and unfamiliar as it did relaxing and exciting. It had been quite some time since I actually felt so... unsure. Honestly I still did not even understand why at the last minute I decided to even go on this stupid outing, but here I was and I was actually enjoying it.
The day itself was absolutely stunning and moderate. The sky was nothing but blue sky with just a few thin clouds hanging sporadically in their lonesome. The temperature was even great, a gentle breeze blowing across my coat gently tickling the skin beneath. We had left the facility a little late due do some late comers who had made up their mind at the last minute. I was, even to my own surprise, early. Of course that meant that it left just myself and Cain. He looked towards me for a split second and decided it would not be worth the time to say anything considering what happened. He nearly occupied himself with other tasks, most of which consisted at looking at the posters and classwork on the walls that I am sure he had seen at least a dozen times.
When everyone was present and we finally did leave, we took a short bus ride to just inside the city limits and were told from here we would be on our own. I could only sarcastically guess that the city did not want to pay for the bus idling in traffic and wasting gas to drop us off in the downtown area.
Hell the downtown area at this point seemed like a whole different Continent with how far away it was, and we had already been walking for 45 minutes, though admitting it was at a far more relaxed pace then I would do if I were alone. Everyone wanted to slow down it seemed to enjoy the country side, which given my past I had seen quite enough and it held no interest to me to see domesticated wildlife munch on hay or a farm tractor cutting grass. Shit the only thing that held my interest was that the fact that the city limit was not actually within the damn city.
Giving a quick glance at everyone in the group, it would be clear to everyone who drove by that we were from the correctional facility by the orange thick wristbands that were made of metal and highly reflected. They shared the same commonalities with handcuffs, such as they were re-sizable and had a lock, though they were a little thicker and our paws were free to move about instead of bound together helplessly. I am pretty sure though by a single bulge on them that they had built in taser that was good for a least one good shock. Other than that we just looked like a large group of normal people taking a not so normal stroll out in the middle of the countryside. We were allowed to wear any "decent" clothes we wanted and bring personal belongings such as media players or comms that we had. I had no electronic devices to speak of as I have never had any money, and most the stuff I did at one point have got left behind with my parents, and honestly I did not want it back.
Turning my attention back to the road in front of us, I noticed a car coming towards us at a speed which I was sure was well above the posted speed limit despite seeing any such signs. It was a bright, almost neon yellow and the build of the body was quite unusual, so no doubt it was either a custom work or one of those supreme rich people cars. I almost wanted to ask myself why they simply were not flying if they wanted to go at such a speed, but that question was soon answered as they drove by, the revving of a very powerful inverter motor growling loudly.
Despite much government debating, having just vehicles that could fly never became a reality. People seemed to want to have both, and some wanted both in the same one. This of course lead to a very expensive travel system. Not only did the roads of old have to be maintained as well as signs, lights, and the such, the flying systems were also being build at the same time and implemented.
The complicated thing came from more of building the actual vehicles. Pure land based vehicles were mostly made with powerful electric inverter motors that both served at the propulsion device for the wheels, but also as a generator to a degree. They still had to be recharged occasionally but they were very efficient overall. Flying vehicles had a power core that was responsible for everything from electronics to sending power to anti-grav systems. Power cores themselves were not nearly as efficient as the land based system, but they offered far more power in a smaller package and were in theory capable of self recharging if given the proper equipment. Most flying vehicles though used internal turbines to catch the wind or solar panels to aid in charging, though as with land vehicles did have to get plugged into a power source occasionally. This was simply to make them affordable to the normal consumer, and much safer as self charging air vehicles had either very over elaborate systems or a fusion reactor.
Truth be told I have always had a affinity for vehicles and the technology that went in them, not just the propulsion they used. Ever since I had ran away though, my knowledge had little expansion on the subject of such tech and I was a good few years out of date. I've been able to pick up little pieces here and there when I went out exploring while I was still in the orphanage, but now that I was in this correctional facility, I had no idea whether or not I was going to be able to keep learning even that much.
The car kept on his merry way with the motor roaring ever so more silent until it was nothing but a speck in the background.Turning back body back into the direction of the city, I saw a sign up ahead, stating not only that the speed limit was 50 MPH, but that the city was still 5 miles away. At this slow ass pace I doubt we would get there before nightfall, and I was growing more and more tired and annoyed for every damn cow or horse I set my eyes on. However it was not like there was anything I could do about it, I was stuck moving at the groups pace, and it was made clear to all of us that if we tried anything, there would be harsh punishments.
Unknown to me, the damn mutt managed to sneak up on my right side and before I could even act, I heard a whispered "Thanks for joining". It carried no direct emotional tone, but it did not sound heartless. He kept his pace with mine, and from what I could hear the rest of the group was more or less keeping the same. He seemed to want to say something more, or so it felt, but nothing else escaped from his muzzle. Despite this fact, he seemed intent n walking next to me for whatever reason, and I didn't bother to fight it. It was strange that despite our little tiff there seemed to be no animosity between us, thought why was something I was not exactly sure of.
After about another mile of walking, the rest of the group seemed to grow bored with sight seeing and our pace picked up a little, which was good considering the bus was suppose to pick us up at the same spot it dropped us off at. Doing the quick math in our head I suspected NW would get to enjoy at least 4 hours in the city to do whatever it was we were suppose to do. For now though the only thing to do was simply enjoy the breeze and the sun, watching the building become slightly bigger with each step forward.
A surprising 20ish minutes later we were crossing the first intersection inside the actual city, appropriately named "Country Crossing Road" and "1st Street". I chucked a little bit at the naming scheme but supposed it made sense, or the city could not think of another name for them when planning out the city.
The city itself was a moderate size, with a few skyscrapers reaching 20-30 stories high, but mostly every other building was "normal" sized. The outskirts where we were at the moment were older, more run down building that looked well over 20 years of age, and even the renovated ones barely hid that fact. The road itself was worn, but not in an all to terrible condition and given the traffic the city probably found no reason to repave it yet, and it was only a two lane road anyway.
"So what are we doing out here anyway. The letter did not exactly state a reason or purpose for this, just that i could come along with a date and time" a typical colored Hyena asked, moving his paws about to emphasize his curiosity. He was a slightly light weight for someone of his species, maybe 140 pounds, but he was the proper height and build. His left ear had the tip torn off and a bald spot where the fur should be, and the scar where they had cauterized the skin to stop the bleeding.
Cain seemed to choose his words carefully for a minute before he answered the Hyena, probably trying to find the best way to make everyone in the group pleased. "Well... I won't lie part of this is a test of my, and the staffs ability to trust you. Everyone who was invited to this group outing is either eligible to go back to school, or outside the facility during select hours of the day. The other part is to let you guys get some fresh air and away from some of the more major offenders who can be bothersome. Of course this goes along with everything else that was mentioned before we got on the bus. In case you missed it or were last minute in joining, the official reason for this trip is just to have fun, get some fresh air, and have some "normal life" time to do as you wish. In time those who can behave will get an allowance to spend for clothes, going to the movies, and the like."
"Hmm, I was late. got caught up waiting for a damn shower. It is what i get though for not watching the time. That and it seemed no one wanted to give up their stalls, I mean who takes a 15 minutes shower? Wait what do you mean by test?"
"I was told not to tell you those reasons officially, but i work on the mindset that if you are going to be honest with me, I'm going to be honest with you. At least I hope that's how it will work anyway."
The Hyena shrugged, seeming to understand the hush on the one part, and no one else seemed to want to bother asking anything, and I certainly was not going to waste my tie talking to the damn mutt. I would rather talk to a brick wall, or punch him square in the snout. Both option were viable ones in my book though I knew in the back of my head that neither would get me anywhere I wanted to go, and I honestly did not want to spend anymore time in this damn place then I had to.
Upon entering the central park of the city, Cain came to a stop and as a result so did everyone else and all focus was on him. He seemed to have no issue with such attention being thrown on to him and he nearly waved an arm about in that familiar "Here we are, go explore" motion. Before fully dismissing us however, he turned his back to us, though keeping his ears in our direction. "Remember, you are being tracked and monitored, and any tampering of those devices will alert all local law enforcement in the area. If you somehow manage to take the devices off, they can still monitor your location via satellite, which will lock onto you immediately and will track you by many different means. Also, the whole group escaping thing won't work either just to throw that under the water, the satellite is more then capable of following you all. Also the built in taser, though limited in power obviously, is still a bitch for the first three fires, but it is capable of more then just that number".
With that he walked forward to a nearby bench and forgot we existed. Giving each others brief look we all went our own direction. A few banded together in small groups, perhaps friends of sorts, but being here such a short amount of time I had no one. Not that I really wanted any one to come along and bug me, but it still gave me a hollow feeling in my chest. Hell even worse was the fact that I had no where I wanted to go. Shopping was pointless, there was nothing I wanted. Exploring was also an equally boring choice as I had have plenty of time before to fully explore the city.
Being at loss I simply turned to go back the way we had come in. Less then five steps into my seemingly pointless journey, Cain decided he finally wanted to once again bother me and try to get under my skin. I did not bother to speed up or try to evade him as his steps grew louder behind me.
"I'm sorry... about... what i did to you. I just..." he cut himself short and just sighed, looking into the horizon. "It is a battle that i fight with myself, everyday". Although his voice carried the tone of resentment, he face and eyes showed none of it. "Perhaps that will be a story for another time, that is.. if you want", As he rounded my left side, he matched my pace but he did not turned his head in my direction. "Can we... Start over? I am sorry i did that to you, it was nothing you did."
I stopped in my tracks when he uttered those words and looked directly at him. "Starting over" was something that was used to try to mend past mistakes done inadvertently, or in a way ask forgiveness. However it meant much more in our culture then it did in Humans, and the request essentially asked that all involved to never hold the past onto the future.
At this point i felt a pang of guilt, something along the lines of a whole being torn into my stomach, then a cork shoved into it to make it feel clogged at the same time. I was ignoring him based on a dream that brought back painful memories. I pondered a moment not meeting his eyes that were at this point starring holes into the side of my face. He did apologize for being aggressive to me, and for what reason he did that I was not sure.
Looking back and the horizon for a few seconds, then back at him, I decided. "Yes, we can." The whole in my stomach seemed to ease, though i still felt anxious and uneasy, but I could not hold that past against him anymore. Though knowing that past and the dream actually happened, still influenced how I felt.
He opened his muzzle as if he was going to say something, but then closed it. No doubt it was about what was the past now, maybe feeling guilty or still wanting to make more amends then he had already. It was clear the something was eating away at him, and for some reason it seemed to be related to my presence. It was as if he wanted me close to him, but at the same time as far away as possible.
We continued walking for a ways in silence, examining buildings and cars as they went by. The part of city we were headed towards was best left avoiding if you were on foot, and even by car it was still somewhat unnerving. It was nothing but rundown businesses, dilapidated homes, and overgrown bushes and trees. That and the crime rate here was high and full of shady individuals.
"We should turn back... This part of town is... best avoided, to put it nicely"
"Hmm, I'm aware of the shit here. Use to have to drive down this road 3 or 4 times a week. still do sometimes, sad its the best road to go if you want to get from the west part of the city to the east. Plus the fact its a main road so it is easy to get to other cities as well. Shame its gone to shit."
A small chuckle escaped from my maw and i actually smiled at his lack of censorship, and more or less because he said what i took the time to phrase politely.
"What do you want out of life? What are you going to do once you get out of here? I know these are thing I should not be asking so directly, or really at all."
Before I could answer i saw out of my peripheral him looking up towards to horizon, tilting his head slightly to the right. "You know, I'm asking you that question but even I don't really know what I want to do for the rest of my life. When you think of all the things you could per sure if you were interested, it makes life seem like it is not long enough while at the same time making you aware that if you make the wrong choice, you will spend a long time correcting the mistake.
"Life is full of regret just as much as it is rewards. Whether you want what it gives you or not is... out of our control. After we make a decision, we have to live with whatever it hands to us."
It was honestly uncomfortable to talk to him still, but not as bad as i though it would be. I guess the dream just put me off more. I already did not want anything to do with anybody and it only made it worse. realizing that I had been ignoring him and treating him so poorly over both of these things made me feel a bit like a terrible person. I guess it was so ingrained into my head by now not to trust people that i pushed away everyone, including those who just wanted to get to know me. Most of the time though, it didn't bother me. With him, it seemed oddly different.
We both heard a strange noise come from behind us and turned. Behind us were two canines, one some sort of Shepard mix and the other a Collie. It was still early in the day so the a mound of traffic was sparse and I doubted anyone driving by would even stop if they noticed. No doubt though the two ,would try to force us down some alley or back walkway.
The Shepard began to outpace his counterpart and drew his paw around his back no doubt reaching for a weapon. He was not particularly healthy looking and seemed if anything starved or malnourished. His fur, though short, was clearly dirty, oily and matted around his scruff. His clothes, while not old looking, were clearly unwashed by just smell alone. The Collie was more or less fairly typical looking, long fur, black spotted white paws, floppy ears, and curled bushy tail. He was a little smaller then Cain, but still larger then I was. His fur was also oily and matted but his clothes were in a much worse condition with very apparent holes, stains, and sign of age and abuse.
Cain stopped in his tracks, standing tall with a puzzled look on his face as if posing the question of "You sure you really want to try this?" The Shepard however did not slow his pace and continued moving towards him. I looked back at where the Collie had been standing only to discover him closing in towards me. "Shit-Fuck" i whispered to myself and made the gap between me and Cain.
As the two came closer, they both made knives viable, pulling them out from their back pockets and bringing them low along the front. This wasn't my first knife fight, but in my past fights I had a knife or some object to fight back with. This time though, I was unarmed and I was pretty sure Cain was as well. He however continued to hold his ground, not wavering and showing any fear. If something happened to Cain, I would have no way to fight off the both of them at the same time.
The Collie stopped his approach to me and motioned for his partner to attack. I watched as the Shepard launch after Cain in full sprint, going for a straight stab in the middle of his torso. I kept my focus as split as I could, watching the Shepard and Cain while making sure the Collie didn't jump on me.
Right as the Shepard was within arms reach, Cain sidestepped his attack with a grace that should have been unknown in relation to his size and grabbed the Shepard by the wrist, twisting it, crunching all the individual bones causing him so much pain he could not focus on balancing his body as it was slung around in a 360 and thrown like a ragdoll back to where he began his attack.
The Collie stepped avoiding the rolling body and had nothing but a surprised look on his face, ears splayed the either side at odd angles. Cain began stepping forward towards the two and the Collie rushed to try to pick up his loudly moaning partner who was swearing rather creative vulgarities under his breath all while trying to look tough by waving his partner off and getting up on his own. Still holding his knife he saw Cain closing in and threw the knife straight at him. Cain was quick to try to dodge it, but it managed to hit blade first into his shoulder deep enough to make him instinctively grab at it and groan.
I saw the blood tinged blade change direction towards me but for some reason i could not move. I watched it as it dug itself right into my torso close to the kidney. I am not sure how loud I must have screamed, or if I did at all. The only thing I knew for sure is that Cain was by my side in what seemed to be an instant. My paws had instinctively grabbed at the wound where the knife had dug itself in to the hilt, but dared not to try to pull it out. In a few of my previous fights I had cut and slashed a few other, and had the same done to me. But I had neither been stabbed or stabbed anyone, but this was before I landed in the orphanage and happened only two or three times.
After the initial sting of pain, my mind wrapped itself back around reality and all my senses came back to me. Cain was kneeling down in front of me, looking intensely at the knife. Looking at it myself, I could see just how large the knife was and why the pain was so intense. It was almost shank size, and the amount blood coming from the wound was alarming. Seeing the blood made my brain even more aware of the pain, making me want to scream in agony but I ignored it, only letting whimper escape my muzzle.
The loss of blood that was now soaking my fur and paints started making me feel dizzy and disoriented, and before I even had the chance to fall down on my own as my legs began to give out, Cain was already catching me, guiding me down carefully into a kneeling position. I could hear him talking and I could only assume he was on his phone talking to emergency responders.
Slowly the world started fading out and my eyes began to close. The pain from the wound was being replaced with the thumping inside of my head, which was slow and matching my heartbeat. Cain's touch from where he was holding me up grew cold and it felt like as if someone was holding ice against my body. The sounds of the world faded as I felt myself drift out of consciousness.