Chrome Heights

..."

ーAnd, well, that's how Mr. Kaoz managed to turn this planet into an almost perfect place. If only he had eliminated poverty completely, it would be perfect. In any case, young people, you must prepare yourselves to be useful people, to be able to make a living and survive. After all, no one will make life easy for you. The bell has rung - take care! Tomorrow, April 10, the days off begin, so we won't see each other. ーexclaimed the historical science teacher.

ーAt last! One day off was all I needed. I'll finally be able to relax thoroughly and concentrate on my projects,ーcommented Veill, to one of his friends. ーSee you in two days!ー.

Leaving the school building, you could easily see towering, luxurious skyscrapers even in the distance, where the richest people lived. But this area is not like that; the streets are full of neon, and the buildings feel quite neglected. In areas like this, smog and its smell were almost omnipresent. And despite best efforts to avoid these problems in many areas of the planet, people without many resources were doomed to have this be their reality. It was not as the history records painted it.

Veill moved forward at a normal pace, appreciating the surroundings as if it were not his daily route. It was a contrast of neon lights, thanks to the advertising billboards that were everywhere, which only served to keep people bent to the eternal consumption of products, no matter how useless they were. The buildings were tall and thin, giving the appearance of a dark and oppressive urban landscape.

All over the place you could see exposed electrical wires and pipes, and neon lights flashing and flickering everywhere. Most of the buildings were made of steel and glass, but most were covered in graffiti and rust stains. The street pavement was full of cracks and potholes, with puddles of water and debris collecting in the darkest corners.

Most of the stores and businesses were small and located in the buildings crammed next to each other on the narrow streets. And the streets were filled with cars and people, wearing clothes accented by metallic shades and masks to avoid the pollution they were exposed to daily. Most were people left behind by society, and it was completely reflected in their posture and attitude. They all looked tired and worn out, lacking energy and enthusiasm.

The slums were not given enough attention to be dealt with and have the violence in them diminished. Quite simply, the dregs of the world had moved to places like that.

Unfortunately, Veill's ancestry had lost all opportunity in the past, being forced to live in such a place; not by anyone, but by all of functional society moving forward, leaving stragglers behind. Some decided to move on in spite of everything, and succeeded. Others... were not so lucky. Others simply hated change and died. And those who didn't die were never seen again; it is unknown why.

Despite all that, Veill and his family were able to remain stable to some extent.

As an only begotten son, he felt he had to give caste to a world that gave them nothing in return. All he felt was that he was indebted to the life they gave him and nothing more.

What could a student do in a world that was moving much faster than the universe itself was expanding? He didn't have the slightest idea.

ー Maaaa, I'm home!"ーhe shouted as he entered the house. "ーI have a few days off from school, so I'll be busy doing my own thing. ーhe kept commenting without getting any answer.ー Fuck. Laura! ー He kept calling his mother, but still no one answered.

His parents used to work hard so that they could continue to live decently.

Veill wasn't about to die of starvation, and he could even afford to go to school, but that didn't mean he had luxuries galore.

As he walked along, he found a note taped to a container of food on the table.

Veill held up the note and read it in his mind:

"Son, here Mommy. You may be wondering why we're not here. The truth is we're going away for a couple of weeks. I've left you enough food for a few days in the fridge and a little extra money I've saved for things like that. I know you can manage to get the rest as I couldn't spare it and I'm so sorry, my love. I'm sure someone as smart as you will know what to do. After all, you are my baby! I promise you that it will get better and when I come back, we will have a lot of fun: your daddy, you and I. Kisses! We love you so much, my boy. We will miss you, GOD bless you so much!

Atte. Mom."

ーOkay. So mom and dad aren't around.... Well, at least there's food. ーexpressed Veill, with a slight but noticeable annoyance in his voice. It seems that he liked to talk to himself but loudly. He rarely saw his parents at home and now he would see them even more.

Ever since he was a child, Veill never really knew what he wanted to do for a living. He was always on the move, with no fixed direction. He was witty, but he didn't stand out much with people. And although he sometimes felt sad watching groups of friends having fun, he didn't think much of it. For that reason, his mother and father were very important to him, because all the love he didn't get from other people he could get from them. However, as he grew up, his parents began to be absent more and more. Could it be because he was already considered self-sufficient? He doesn't know, but that is the hypothesis he has.

As his parents were no longer close to him, a girl managed to steal his heart and mind. With this woman he managed to consolidate a couple relationship for several years; Veill was deeply in love in what seemed like a reciprocated love, and both worked hard so that this love could exist. This relationship was more important to Veill than it was to his partner, as he questioned the lack of contact from his parents and sought another source of affection.

However, the years passed and the love that once burned like a star was completely extinguished. His girlfriend and he broke up for the good, but the pain he felt about that was immense, but worse was the feeling of abandonment and self-doubt, having lost the person who gave him the most love for the second time.

ーI guess going to a party is the only thing I can do to not get bored while no one is around. Besides, the food that's available doesn't appeal to me right now. Even though mom says it's not much that she left me, I have enough Arcadian credits that I don't care at all about having fun todayー. Veill ate what her mom had left in the container so it wouldn't spoil and left the house.

The place is dangerous for any outsider, but Veill has been in that area all his life, so even the criminals around there know him and don't usually mess with him. Even though he doesn't commit criminal acts, he also doesn't get attacked by the people who hang around there. That's one of the biggest advantages he has from living in such an area all his life.

In Chrome Heights, one of the most important things in their culture are the parties, because people use them to escape the reality in which they find themselves. Parties exist in key locations in the city, in subways or in abandoned buildings that were later adapted for that purpose. At any given time, there are at least five active parties in Chrome Heights, no matter the day or time.

Going to a party was always the right choice if you don't know what to do in Chrome Heights.... But only for its inhabitants.

Recently, Veill had ended his relationship of several years. Although his age was relatively young, that experience had left him devastated. Not only that, but his lifelong best friend had also just moved away. And now, even though his mom told him they'd be gone for two weeks, he knows that time is really indefinite. Veill is on his own.

Veill is not a person who is used to going out to those kinds of places, but today seemed like a perfect opportunity. Dressed in a style that would blend completely into the Chrome Heights environment, he hit the streets heading to "Chrome Nights," which had a reputation for being the best party one could attend.

The cost of admission was expensive, but it wasn't just a matter of money, it was expensive to the soul of whoever got in; it is said that once you spend the night at Chrome Nights, you will never be able to experience any excitement again unless you return to that place. And, from the testimonials of several people, it seemed to be true.

Inside the venue, in a huge abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city, the techno and electronic music was deafening. It was mixed with sound effects and distorted voices, and the hologram and strobe light show was incredible.

Outside the main dance floor, everything was full of neon lights. People wore extravagant clothes, tight or, on the contrary, completely loose. There was no real style to think about, but they all had in common that their clothes were mixed and matched with technology and glowed in the dark.

The drinks they offered stood out because they also seemed to emit glow of their own, or because they were served in oddly shaped containers. The most popular drink was the Chrome-Tonic, with the promise of forgetting everything with just one bitter sip.

"Chrome-Tonic...?" I'm really not a person who has good experiences with these kinds of substances... or even has any experience in general with them. But I'm on my own, and no one will be able to claim me if I do. Besides, my birthday is coming up, and if I die before then, I'll be frustrated that I'm a man who never did anything interesting in his life. "ー Those were the words that rang in Veill's mind; thoughts, to

"Chrome-Tonic"...? I'm not really a person who has good experiences with these kinds of substances... or even has any experience in general with them. But I'm on my own and no one will be able to claim me if I do. Besides, my birthday is coming up, and if I die before then, I'll be frustrated that I'm a man who never did anything interesting in his life. "ー Those were the words that sounded in Veill's mind; thoughts, to himself. "I already spent money to get in here, and I don't want to settle for visuals alone. "ー Veill concluded.

To the rhythm of the loud bass of the music, Veill finally drank the shiny Chrome-Tonic drink...