Not a Good Life

In that one day, one hundred and twenty-seven active volcanoes in the former country of Indonesia stretched with their respective activities.

The Earth is continuously exposed to heat because there is no longer natural cooling on its surface, causing increased magma activity at the center of the Earth itself. That means all of these activities increase the movement of the Eurasian plate, the Indo-Australian plate, and the Pacific plate, which is increasingly intense. And all of that exacerbated the condition of the country that was once nicknamed the Ring of Fire. Starting from the stratovolcano on Weh Island—at the northern tip of Andalas—to the highest peak of Nemangkawi aka Puncak Jaya, which has long lost its eternal ice, in Papua.

There was nothing that people could do, especially the outcasts who could only stand still, frightened by the news of the horrors of this natural struggle.

All these events were broadcast on holo-boards, plastered on the walls of the building amid the crowd. The media belonging to the Federation as well as the respective Local Governments with their castles, their palace which were so ironic with life outside its walls. They didn't care about the commoners at all. Or also in open prostitution locations belonging to gangsters.

***

In the Pangandaran area, Tanjung Sodonglandak.

Ryan was repairing a cell phone the size of a matchbox, in his workshop. On the outside, a friend of his was repairing a chameleon.

Once again, Ryan checked. He cleaned the inside of the gadget from fine debris before finally putting it back together and reinstalling the bolts.

The gadget he stuck to his left hand. As soon as the device was attached, from two sides – top and bottom – appeared a small belt that immediately wrapped around his wrist.

Click!

The square screen with a thickness of less than half a centimeter was immediately activated. The surface of the small screen emitted a bluish light, showing a random pattern. Ryan put earphones in his right ear. For a moment, he thought about something. A curved line etched on his lips. Now, he focused on the old computer on the table in front of him.

Intrigued by something, Ryan immediately connected the gadget in his left hand to the computer.

Beep!

On the computer screen appears a notification bar that the wireless connection has been successful.

Ryan opened a few files, his fingers agile playing a virtual keyboard formed by a red laser emitted from the bottom side of his computer screen. He intended to sneak a spy into the sophisticated cellphone that was wrapped around his left hand.

"A bit of a crime," Ryan muttered with his soft laugh. "Does not matter. Looks like they're about to leave Earth. Want to survive alone, huh?"

The phone screen shines a holographic light. With the fingers of his right hand, Ryan enlarges the dimensions of the hologram that forms the virtual screen. The holographic screen is getting wider, up to a size of seven inches. Ryan fiddled with the cell phone program.

"Sorry, Captain," Ryan muttered. "We are not going to die and just give up! Here it goes!"

Beep!

In an instant, the eavesdropping application moved very quickly in another dimension, moving from the computer on the table, and becoming the secret part of the cell phone in his left hand.

"And… Done!"

Beep!

Ryan stopped the wireless connection, his smile growing wider. He pressed the only button on the top side of the phone, the virtual screen disappeared. Ryan got up and walked over to his partner on the outside of the workshop.

"Why are you smiling like that?"

Cinnong—27 years old—tilted her head when she noticed the strangeness in Ryan's smile. Stains of chameleon grease dominated the woman's face, body, and clothes. She tied her hair in a ponytail as she continued to stare at Ryan.

Ryan didn't answer only his shoulders lifted in response to his friend's question. He looked up, directed his gaze to several points, and intended to test the gadget on his left wrist.

Beep!

The virtual screen reappeared, at the same time, he touched the flat button on the earphone on his right ear.

Cinnong stood with her hands at her waist, one eyebrow raised even higher. Just a moment before she resumed her activities, to change the speed of the level-2 chameleon to the max to Level-7. That's the goal.

Without even asking, Cinnong knew exactly what Ryan was doing. The two of them had been talking about this ever since the news of the rampaging nature from yesterday.

***

Still in the Pangandaran area. Dharma–45 years old–stepped a little hastily among the density of buildings and the people with a million needs.

"Fucking hell!" someone shouted. "If you don't have money, don't you dare play with my girls! Do you understand, huh?"

An accomplice of one of the gangsters in the Pangandaran area – as well as a pimp – is cursing an old man, aged 50 years. Two of his men beat the old man.

A prostitute girl approaches an old man huddled in a shabby street, she emerges from behind the pimp. Her clothes were wrinkled, not covering her well because she had just finished making love to the old man who was now being beaten. Only with panties and bras that cover her body. The right bra cup is not fully attached, and it seems to show off her small, slightly saggy breast.

The dozens of people around there were not the least bit bothered by what was happening before their eyes. It may be of concern to people whose steps and goals are hindered, such as Dharma. While the others are indifferent. Things like this one have become a daily scene for them.

Once the girl was in front of the old man, she kicked the old man's back very hard.

The old man let out a long sigh. He lay weakly on the dirty street floor, his face covered in blood. His body as well as the only clothes he was wearing–underpants–were drenched in the mud of the streets.

Then, the prostitute girl violently stepped on the old man's crotch.

The old man howled. Of course, he must have felt pain in his testicles.

"How dare you trick me, huh?!" Once again, the girl stomped on the heels of her shoes.

Thud!

TO BE CONTINUED ...