Zero Hour

James adjusts the straps of his backpack for the third time as he meanders through the airport terminal without any sense of urgency; his hazel-colored eyes solemnly taking in the bittersweet sight of various civilians happily reuniting with the other men and women in service uniforms he had arrived with just minutes prior.

James felt saddened when he returned to find no one was here waiting for him, despite knowing that it was unreasonable. After all he hadn't been back home once since he was eighteen years old, and considering how poorly things between him and his family and friends had been going just before his conscription; well he should have known better than to expect anyone to show up for him today.

Shaking his head in an attempt to free himself of the thoughts trudging through his mind, the twenty-six year old soldier no longer allowed himself to wallow in the background of the terminal and silently made way for the exit. James adjusted the straps of his backpack as he meandered through the airport terminal without a sense of urgency; his hazel-colored eyes solemnly took in the bittersweet sight of various civilians happily reuniting with the other men and women in service uniforms he had arrived with just minutes prior.

Despite knowing that it was unreasonable of him to feel disappointed that when he stepped off the plane, and no one was here to see him. After all James hadn't been back home since he was eighteen years old, and considering how poorly he had things before his conscription, well he should have known better than to expect anyone to show up for him.

Shaking his head in an attempt to free himself of the thoughts trudging through his mind, the twenty-six year old soldier no longer allowed himself to wallow in the background of the terminal and silently made way for the exit.

¤ ¤ ¤

Moments after moving to flag down a taxi James was confronted by several different drivers eager for his business, but a loud voice from behind the marine shot above the others causing James to start in surprise.

"All of yous best get away from my customer, and fucking Ricky I know yous still got roaches from all those dawgs you stuff in that gullet of yours!"

As the other drivers began retaliating with their own salvos of expletives, James turned to the source of the voice and was confronted with a balding older man in his forties wearing a gaudy, eye-catching floral shirt that stretched in an admirable attempt to fit over his sizeable gut. The man stuck out a hand as he greeted Janes,

"Hows yous doing boss? I'm Darren, the best damn cabby in all of Mistralis. I'll get yous anywheres you needa be clickety splits."

James took a moment to process his statement before shrugging and taking the man's hand.

"I'm James. I need to get to the Concord apartment building on 339 Concordia Avenue over in the residential district."

"Ah yeah, that'll do there boss and it's nice to meet yous and all, but ah I just needed yous bag there in the back so we can get going."

James quickly dropped Darren's hand in embarrassment before slipping off his pack and passing it off to the driver who was giving him an amused look the entire time. While Darren busied himself storing the bag in the trunk James slide into the backseat of the cab; moments later they were quickly on their way towards the residential district of Mistralis. James would have been content to simply stare out at his hometown that was so nostalgic and yet undeniably unfamiliar, but his trip down memory lane was promptly interrupted by Darren.

"So Concord apartments huh, decent part of town for someone so young, yous got family there?"

James grimaced minutely at the offhanded mention of his family before responding.

"No I don't have anyone."

"Ok, so yous a flyboy, a seacadet or a jarhead?"

"I'm a marine."

"Uhuh, ya know I was going to serve too and pike me some Feddies, but I gotsa condition that made me ineligible."

James made no motion to acknowledge Darren as the man began to gesture and monologue about how he'd have probably ended the entirety of those 'Feddy fucks' by now if it weren't for his condition. James instead had his attention caught by several similar themed holo-adverts he only caught glimpses of. Curiousity peaked he risked speaking up as they came to a stop light that had the holos.

"Darren what are those adverts all over the place for?"

"What yous gotta be fucking with me right?"

The fourty-something year old man twisted around in his seat to look back at James and began to explain once he saw that the younger man wasn't joking.

"Everyone's gotta have heard about 'Legends of the Stars' by now, it's all over social media! It's the biggest VR game to be release in just about forever!"

Darren then went on the extole more about the hype around the game and how revolutionary the AI technology involved in it was until they arrived at James' destination.

"The absolute best part is Anima Co. made different kinds of those game capsules for the game and is selling em all at varying prices, so that they got some models that are cheap for us every day schmucks. Oh man my kids loved that especially, I'm saving up for one of the family units so we can all play together. And we've arrived at yous destination."

As Darren stepped out to get James' backpack a red locked symbol lit up on either door and only turned gree once James swiped his ID over it, successfully paying his fare. He then stepped out of the cab and look up at his new home, a towering fifteen story building.

"Heres yous goes boss. 339 Concordia Avenue safe and secure."

Darren hands James his backpack and gives the apartment building an admiring glance before turning away and looking at the marine again.

"Hey yous let old Darren know if you eva needs a ride okay?"

"Oh sure, thanks for the ride Darren."

"No thank yous. Now I can afford to gets my kids that capsule. Seriously kid I appreciates it, oh and Happy Holidays! Now I'm off to get my little buggers their gift before the old lady gelds me." With a laugh the older man rushes back into his cab with false panic and pulls off away from the building.

James watched the man tear off with an amused smile and bends down to pick up his bag, he idly notices a piece of folded paper fall from one of the pockets. Confused he leans over to pick it up and reads it,

'Don't forgets about me now kid,

(XXX) 878 - 4521

Spectacular Taxi Cab Services'

James shakes his head with a rueful smile, but pockets the business card. Darren had grown on him somewhat and the man hadn't been lying about being fast. With a feeling of bemusement , James enters the building and takes an elevator up to his new flat.

¤ ¤ ¤

After starting into a fogged mirror for what seemed to be eons and was instead most likely minutes, James tentatively reached out and wiped away the condensation from the fogged mirror, a grimace marrs his face as he sees his now visible reflection. His eyes follow drops of water as they begin a journey down his torso, sliding down his chest over the puckered burn scars that claimed most of the available real estate across his torso and then as they inevitably draw his attention to gnarled crater of scar tissue that sits high above his left hip and serves as the most prominent reminder of his last tour of duty.

He reached into a bag on the counter and pulled out a spray canister and began applying a faint mist over the scarred portions of his chest, that caused his skin to begin gently tingling. James sighed into the mirror and began to gently massage the scarred portions of his body.

"Twenty-six years old and I've practically been fired from the only job I know...what now?"