Daniel woke up in a sweat again. This was nothing new; he could never get a good night’s sleep because of the pain in his lower back and thigh. He stood up and limped over to the bathroom sink in his apartment, opened a drawer, and pulled out a bottle of pills. He twisted the cap off and shook three large white oval pills into his hand. Daniel was always in pain. He looked down at his left leg and saw the large scar that ran up and along his waist. The scars were the cause of his pain. The entire left side of his body had to be rebuilt after a car crash that happened when he was a young adult. Luckily, he didn't remember anything about the crash. All he remembered was having to drive home as a young cadet exhausted from special forces training, and as he headed home, he turned down what he thought was a back road. That back road was a highway, and as Daniel was turning, a car came out of the dark and hit him headfirst in a collision. Daniel then woke up in a hospital bed, pain down his side, casts on his legs, and bars with weights pulling on his appendages to try to get them to heal in the right spot.
Two years in physical therapy and countless medical procedures took their toll on Daniel. On the whole, they were able to rebuild him as best they could, though he still had a chunk of muscle missing from his left side. Danial also stood a good inch shorter on that side, giving him a slight limp that people would notice all the time. It drove him nuts. People would talk to him as if he had just stubbed his toe, but it always ended with him having to explain the accident and the difference in leg length.
A year after the accident, a cloning firm came and offered Daniel the same deal they gave to anyone in his situation: give them permission to clone him, and he would be paid for the work the clone did. He took the offer, but it quickly became clear that he was a CIP, a Clone Incapable Person. Something about his DNA meant his clones wouldn't wake up. He was stuck as a disabled person, without military benefits because he was off the base for the accident. Daniel had to rely on himself, and only himself, to earn an income.
Daniel threw the pills into his mouth and swallowed them down. He looked at himself in the mirror. His tank top was soaking with sweat, and he could feel the blood pumping as the pills started to take effect. He looked through the mirror at the rest of the room, a studio apartment, basic and simple. He glanced over at the bed that he had just drenched in his sleep; his sheets showed wet marks as they clumsily hung over the edge. Turning around and staring at his pillow, it looked as if it had been used as a sponge.
Rubbing the side of his left leg, he hobbled over and pulled a cup out from under his microwave. Daniel blew into the cup to see if any dust or other buildup had formed; it was a common occurrence since he lived alone. He had a full set of dishes, but used them so infrequently that they were always dirty.
Turning on the faucet, he filled the cup with hot water and drank it. Using hot water was one of the tricks he had learned to get the pills into his system faster. Hobbling back over to his bed, Daniel turned and sat down. He reached over and picked up his vape pen from the windowsill. Catching a glimpse of light coming through his blinds, he took the vape pen and inhaled deeply. He wanted as much of the medicine in his system as he could. Breathing in slowly for ten seconds and then exhaling, the vapor escaped his lungs and formed a small cloud in front of him. Then, shaking his head in an attempt to wake up, he reached over and opened the blinds.
The light of the outside world filled his room, and the view of Giga X, Texas, filled his entire window. As always, the first thing he noticed was the Tesla Towers. Each tower was the same, reaching high into the sky; there, large metal orbs were visible all over the city. These giant antennas broadcast electrical power everywhere and had a plasma glow around them that resonated with purples, blues, and reds. The plasma would dance around the large sphere, phasing like flames into the atmosphere. The sky was still dark, though you could see the blue starting to come from the east, and Daniel was not the least bit excited about the sun reaching the city.
"Just a few more hours, please, sun," Daniel said aloud, begging the sun to slow down so he might at least pretend to get some rest.
Three-dimensional advertisements began to be projected into the sky across the city using lasers. It generally meant it was 6 a.m., as all the coffee shops would start broadcasting their locations, so everyone could easily find them. QR codes would pop up with "Come try our cocoa mocha" or "Breakfast sandwiches, fast and cheap," linking your phone with directions to their store. Daniel was annoyed again as these advertisements kept popping up throughout the city. There was no way Daniel was going to be eating out this morning. Flipping his pillow over, Daniel lay his head back and looked up at the ceiling.
*Thin mushrooms sliced into small squares, onions diced, and half a jalapeño. Butter in the pan, and fry until the onions are caramelized.*
Daniel always found comfort in preparing food; something about focusing on cooking seemed to ease his pain. Today was one of his favorite days to cook, as he would soon have his neighbors come over to indulge in his thoughtfully prepared food. Daniel always announced his homecoming to the neighbors on his floor by cooking something for them to enjoy. He would let the smell waft through the halls.
*Throw in eggs and bacon bits, and fry until the mixture is golden scrambled eggs. I should actually start with the German pancakes, as they will take half an hour to bake. The German pancakes will give off a smell that will announce to everyone I’m home and cooking.*
Daniel lay on his bed for only half an hour more, thinking and planning the meal he was about to cook. He soon stood up and walked, as normally as he could, to the kitchen and started pulling out ingredients. Flour, herbs, seasonings—Daniel began stacking his ingredients on top of the glass stovetop. As he reached over to open the fridge, a knock came at the door.
A little shocked at first, Daniel had a good idea of who was knocking. Daniel tapped the wall behind the stovetop, and a screen popped up showing his front door. A man stood there, wearing PJs with unicorns plastered all over them and square-toed moccasins with a plain white shirt. He had a computer under his arm and was rocking back and forth at the front door. Daniel thought the man looked as tired as he felt. Reaching up, Daniel unlocked the door from the screen. He watched as words scrolled out in front of the visitor: "Come in, Julian.” The young man took the invitation and opened the door to Daniel's apartment.
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