I wave my hand. “No, it’s fine. I like seeing the city in its current form too,” I reply, but Sarah is no longer listening. Her eyes are blank, unseeing as the Vertix forges the connection. For the second time today I envy my friend.
“All right everyone, hold on to your beaks!” the tour guide says, proud of his own joke.
The bus-boat launches forward with a start and my hands flash forward, grabbing the seat in front of me. Sarah is still connecting and doesn’t react in time. Her body snaps forward and her neck recoils sharply.
“Are you okay?” I ask, but Sarah’s eyes grow wide as she turns away, her gaze glued to the window.
“Wow! This is amazing! I’m back during the Revolutionary War. There are British soldiers everywhere. Aww, I want a dress like that.” Sarah sighs, watching the past unfold.
“Did I hear one of you say the Revolutionary War?” the tour guide repeats up front. “For all of you able to keep up with P2P, the Revolutionary War was a dangerous time here in Boston. King George III levied a slew of taxes on the residents of Boston, pushing them to the brink. They couldn’t afford any goods and their dissent with the crown eventually boiled over and a group of men dumped a large shipment of tea into Boston Harbor one night, dressed as Native Americans. Does anyone know what that event is referred to as?”
The bus-boat is silent, save for the quiet gasps of riders exploring the city through P2P.
“The Boston Tea Party,” a weak voice calls out from behind me. I spin around and see an old couple sitting in one of the last rows. The man’s wife smiles encouragingly, rubbing her husband’s upper arm. Both of their eyes are clear. Neither of them has a Vertix.
“Exactly, sir! You must have been a history professor,” the tour guide jokes, waggling his eyebrows. “The Boston Tea Party was a huge turning point for the patriots, sparking the first rebellion that led up to the start of the Revolutionary War.”
“Wow, look at how old that car is!” a little boy up front shouts.
“What year are you viewing, little man?” the tour guide asks, shifting his attention away from the older couple.
“The screen says 1909,” the boy mumbles, a faraway look in his eyes. “Wow, those kids are playing with a wooden circle. Don’t they have video games? Do you know, Mom?”
“Not now, honey. Mommy needs to finish checking something,” the middle-aged woman sitting next to him says dismissively. She tilts her head down and a dark purple Vertix peeks back at me. Is it just me and the elderly who don’t have a Vertix?
I sigh and look out the window toward the beautiful city. The numerous glass buildings shine brightly in the warm sun, reflecting my sour countenance. Maybe the tour will get better once we see the ducks.
“Oh, cute shoes.” Sarah nods appreciatively.
“Which ones?” I ask, desperate to be included.
“See that girl with the navy purse? She has a pair of snakeskin heels on,” Sarah explains, pointing to a young woman standing outside Panera Bread. “I wonder what she’d wear in…1968.” Sarah is silent for a moment and then gasps. “Oh how cool! Maggie, check this out! That same woman just stepped into the history warp and now she’s wearing a bright green knee-length dress with weird, groovy circles all over the front and little white gloves. Her hair changed too. Now it’s cut to her ears but sits in a bunch of soft curls on top of her head. Oh, Mags, look at that dress! Why don’t they sell dresses like that today? No way! Check out that guy!”
I lean away from the window, done trying to keep up with her as she leaps from decade to decade and century to century. “I can’t,” I say quietly, crossing my arms. “I don’t have a Vertix and my iJewel can’t do that.”
“Oh my gosh, check out that girl’s hair! It’s huge! Who thought big hair was okay back in the ’80s?” Sarah laughs, clearly having too much fun to listen to my complaints. “Wouldn’t that be cool if we could find a specific person? I could see what my mom looked like when she was growing up in the ’90s. She wasn’t from Boston though…” Her voice trails away as something else from another time distracts her.
I can’t take much more of this. I growl inwardly, glancing around at the other people on the bus-boat. All of them have their noses pressed to the windows, staring at the past in a new and innovative way. Gone is the need for history books. Through P2P, one can learn about any place at any time in living, breathing color. I can see the appeal…if I had my Vertix. Without it, I’m on an ordinary bus, sandwiched between twenty-five sweaty people.
“Excuse me?” I ask, raising my hand.
“Yes, you in the back. What time period are you looking at?”
“No, I’m not participating in that. I just wanted to know, when does the bus become a boat?” I ask, needing to know how long until the ducks and a possible whale fin save me from this miserable tour.
“Excellent question.” The overweight guide nods. “Typically we finish up the city and then transform into a sea vessel back near the docks. But this group seems to really be enjoying the city.” He pauses and takes a look around the bus. No doubt he’s taking stock of all the riders enjoying the differing views. “Let’s vote then. All those in favor of staying on land and exploring P2P, raise your hand!”
“Yeah, that sounds great! Let’s do it!” Numerous voices shout in agreement before the bus grows quiet again as they return to their own mini history lessons. The tour guide claps his hands and takes a seat facing front, his silver Vertix staring at me mockingly.
“What? That’s not fair!” I say, outraged. “I paid for this tour too. Just because I don’t have a Vertix, doesn’t mean I’m missing out. I’ll be right back,” I tell Sarah out of the corner of my mouth as I rise to my feet.
“Aww, I love the sound the cobblestones make,” Sarah whispers, her eyes blank as she admires the vision in her mind.
I exhale through gritted teeth and make my way up to the front of the bus, holding on to the headrests as the driver swerves to avoid several pedestrians wandering off the sidewalk. A moment later I reach the front and stop beside the tour guide’s seat.
“Hey, I know you took a vote and everything. But not all of us can use P2P and I really wanted to see the wildlife and the lighthouses out there,” I say, pointing toward the water for emphasis.
The tour guide turns and regards me strangely, as if he’s trying to determine if I’m real or not. “I’m sorry, but the rest of the group prefers to stay on land. If you’re still unhappy with the tour, you can try getting a small refund from the ticket office when we return.”
“But the name of the tour is Ride with Ducks. We haven’t even seen one,” I continue, not ready to let it go.
The tour guide’s forehead creases and his lips purse. I can tell he’s getting angry. “It also says at the ticket office that the tour is subject to change based on the guide’s discretion. Just because you want to see a duck, doesn’t mean I’m going to spoil the fun for everyone else, miss.”
“But I just—” I begin, but he cuts me off with a raised hand.
“Look, I’ll tell the driver to find some ducks, all right? Will you be satisfied then?” He’s looking at me, but his eyes aren’t focused, seeing some other time instead. It’s not worth it.
I return to my seat and slide down onto the pleather bench once more. Sarah doesn’t seem to have noticed my absence. I sigh and lean my head back onto the headrest, pulling Sarah’s gift bag onto my lap. I withdraw the tiny black and white magnet, looking at the tiny ducklings following their mama to the pond. At least I have this. I sigh glumly and close my eyes, disappointed as nothing but blackness welcomes me.
• • • • •
“That was so much fun! Wasn’t that great, Maggie?” Sarah asks, stepping down onto the concrete from the bus-boat.
“Yeah, super,” I reply, but she misses my sarcasm.
“I wonder why they call it a duck tour though. They should look into renaming it,” she remarks as we walk to the nearest subway station.
“Y
eah, more like ‘The sit back and look at nothing tour,’” I add sourly while we descend the vertical staircase leading underground.
“What’s got you so crabby?” Sarah asks, clearly surprised. “I thought you wanted to go?”
“I did, it’s just…never mind. I’ll feel better when we get home I guess.” I feel guilty for grumping at Sarah. It’s not her fault my Vertix is dead. I flip my wrist and scan my iJewel and the secure turnstile lets me through.
“Well, okay,” Sarah says, not buying it. “Hang on, just let me pay.” She slows down and presses her thumb to a small green pad above the iJewel scanner. How have I never noticed that before? I watch as a bright laser scans her fingerprint and then a green check mark replaces the image. “So, Andy and I are celebrating our two-week anniversary tonight. Can you believe it?”
“Wait, how?” I ask, pointing over my shoulder to the turnstile.
“I know, isn’t it crazy? Time is just flying. It’s been like the best two weeks though. I’m just so happy,” Sarah gushes. We pick up the pace as the seconds tick down to the next arriving train displayed on a large monitor above our heads.
“No, I meant how did you pay? You didn’t even need to scan anything,” I say as our train squeals to a stop.
“Oh, yeah. I set it up through Enyo. It was one of the latest updates. You can link your bank account to your fingerprint. A lot of places are still installing them. That was only my second time doing it,” Sarah explains nonchalantly. “Do you think I should get Andy anything…to you know, celebrate?” We step into the cool, still air-conditioned car. “I’m thinking I’ll go to his place in a coat but when I get there, he’ll see I’m naked underneath.” She giggles.
I put up my hand, wrinkling my nose. “Come on, Sar. You’re talking about my brother. That isn’t something I want to picture.” I squeeze between an older man in his fifties and a mother overseeing three school-aged boys. The subway is a bit crowded today.
Sarah grabs an empty handle above my head and bumps the mother. The woman doesn’t seem to notice. “Oh, I almost forgot,” she says to herself. Sarah reaches up with one hand and disconnects the Vertix. I notice a few drops of blood decorate the tips of her fingers. She drops the Vertix into her purse and rolls her neck, closing her eyes as she massages the stiff muscles with her hand. “Ah, that feels better.”
“Isn’t it hard for you to walk around with that in? I can hardly focus on one screen, let alone two,” I admit.
Sarah shakes her head and readjusts her grip on the handle. “Not really. It’s easier when I don’t have to walk though,” she admits. “Are you going to get yours fixed?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought about it. I guess I can go tomorrow during lunch.”
“You totally should. Then we can walk around together using P2P! I’m telling you, Mags, that app is amazing.” Sarah grins. “So what are you doing tonight?”
“Well that depends.” I laugh as the subway launches into motion.
“On?” Sarah asks, arching her slender eyebrows.
“On whether or not you and Andy plan on romping around the apartment naked,” I tease.
“Stop touching me! Mom! Hale is touching me!” a nearby kid shouts.
“Am not! See? I’m not touching you. I’m not touching you!” a younger boy yells back, his grimy fingers an inch from his brother.
“Mom! Make him stop!” the kid moans again, tugging on his mother’s arm.
I glance away from Sarah, wishing the mother would put an end to the howling. But when I look over at her, the woman is staring blankly ahead, either oblivious or skilled at ignoring her children’s whining. I stretch my neck to check the back of her. A dark purple Vertix sits contently above her shirt collar.
Sarah rolls her eyes. “Oh come on. I’m not going to romp. I plan on being very graceful and sexy. Besides, he already invited me over to his place so there’s nothing to worry about. You can enjoy your grandma evening in peace.”
“Hey, I have a very exciting evening planned thank you very much,” I toss back, about to say more when a high-pitched squeal cuts me off. I frown in the direction of the rowdy kids and silent mother one more time. Sarah was able to walk, talk and function while she wore her Vertix, what’s wrong with this woman that she can’t hear her kids?
The one doing all the non-touching screams and the older one lunges forward, knocking into the middle-aged man beside me. The man stumbles, stepping hard onto my foot as he tries to catch his balance.
“What the hell?” he cries, his eyes focusing on the chaotic scene for the first time. “Hey, are these your kids?” His eyes are narrowed at me. I quickly shake my head and point to the woman. “Hey! If you’re going to bring these hooligans out in public, maybe you should get them muzzled!”
Before the woman can respond, the man stalks off for a quieter section of the car. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch the woman glance at the retreating man, her lips still sealed as her kids continue punching one another.
“Willow Street,” the robotic voice explains as the doors peel open. Thank God. I’m the first one through. I’ve had enough social interaction for one day.
Sarah follows, still questioning my evening plans. “Let me guess, a manuscript and a big pot of tea?” She snickers from behind me as we climb the stairs to the surface. “Come on, Mags. Live a little! I know you haven’t gotten any in, like, five months. Pick a guy and let loose!” She slaps my butt. “I know that guy from work has been streaming you non-stop. Stop working so much and go get drunk together!”
My hands fly to the back of my jeans and I glare at her. “Hey, stop it! Alert everyone in the neighborhood why don’t you?” I hiss.
Sarah grins like a naughty child and smacks me again. “Come on, Maggie. Put those curvy hips to use girl!”
“Sar, cut it out!” I cry, laughing as I try to hit her with my purse. She dodges me, quite limber in her high heels and races up the metal staircase, shouting embarrassing stats about my lady bits the whole way up to the apartment.
Sarah is several stairs ahead of me when she suddenly pauses in front of a door on the second floor. She flashes a mischievous smile before pounding on the door of 2B. “Hey Ryan! Maggie needs some loving! She’ll be upstairs waiting for you in bed!”
My jaw hits the metal scaffolding and my cheeks blaze dark red. Please don’t be home, please don’t be home. I race up the last few steps, ready to tackle Sarah through our front door.
I reach the third-floor landing and see Sarah is already inside. I quickly race across the threshold, slamming the door closed behind me. “That was so uncool, Sarah. Just because I don’t drop my pants at every oppor—” I stop mid-word at the sight of Andy seated at our kitchen table.
“Dropping pants? I like the sound of that, but only in front of me, right?” He smirks.
“Andy!” Sarah purrs, leaping into his arms. “What are you doing here? I was going to come by later. I had a big surprise all set up!”
“Sorry, I missed you too much,” Andy says flirtatiously.
The love fest is too much. “All right, well not that any of you care, but I’ll be in my room until you two stop spreading your goopy love all over the place.” I stalk past the happy couple.
“Okay. Oh, Mags, can you throw this in my room. I have a feeling I won’t need it.” Sarah says with a wink, tossing me her purse.
“Again…my brother…gross.” I sigh as I exit the kitchen with her bag. “Be safe you two!”
“You too, Mags!” Sarah answers knowingly. I roll my eyes and hear Andy ask for clarification, but the sound of kissing ends his inquiry.
Even though I don’t condone Sarah’s wishes for my evening, she’s given me an idea. I reach into her purse and withdraw her pink Vertix, then toss her purse onto her bed from the hallway.
Live a little, she had told me.
I lounge on my bed, Sarah’s Vertix secure on my neck. The familiar rush of the connection helps my limbs relax and sends my mind
whirling. I start to browse for a movie, but I can’t shake Sarah’s words, her taunts. I’m not a grandmother. I can be wild. Rather than perusing Rennit, I switch gears and instruct the Vertix to take me elsewhere.
“Dating sites,” I whisper, knowing I’d never hear the end of it if Sarah knew what I was doing.
Of course, Maggie, the Vertix says. The endless movie titles zip away and the Vertix shoots me forward through a dazzling tunnel of pink and white. Once the walls stop spinning, I realize little hearts are floating around me like bubbles.
“Ah, not really what I had in mind. Try…hookups,” I correct, keeping my voice low. Even behind a closed door my cheeks flush. The Vertix doesn’t judge and redirects me to a different site, a very different site. Instead of the gooey heart bubbles, the walls that now surround me are crimson and black, filled with dozens of replaying snapshots of shirtless guys and scantily clad girls. I look at a very busty blonde with pouty lips displayed closest to me and hastily avert my eyes. I swear the woman smirks.
Welcome to Hot Love, the hottest site for virtual hookups. Make a selection, make two, and enjoy playing out all your delicious fantasies, a husky female voice explains.
My palms begin to sweat. It’s not like I haven’t hooked up with random guys before, but this is completely different. The majority of the time I was drunk or slightly inebriated, and then that one time where I was head over heels in love. During those hookups I was confident, empowered by strong drinks and irrational emotions, but right now I’m completely sober and there’s a possible chance I might throw up. This is such a stupid idea, I scold myself. Just put on a movie and forget about this. I open my mouth to direct the Vertix when a handsome guy moves inside his snapshot, pulling my attention to the left.
He has short, spiky dark hair and warm golden skin. Unlike most of the guys staring at me, this one is actually wearing a shirt. The light gray fabric clings to his torso, hinting to well-toned abs underneath. I take a step closer to his snapshot and raise my hand, eager to feel his muscles beneath my touch. His name, Marco, is typed beneath his photo, along with a little blurb.
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