The Sea Breeze

A mile down the beach from the ’84 Spring Expo Zaron finally left the crowds behind. In an ever changing era as the Sixth World heralded a long awaited resurgence of magic and mutants, the Olympic Peninsula seaside went, for the most part, untouched by the hands of man. It would be hours till he needed to return to the event; back to the mingling of powers and displays of technology and innovation.

What a joke. Zaron scoffed and tugged off his silk necktie to shove into his pants pocket.

“… Evero can drive himself back.”

The humidity and salt from the encroaching surf crashing just yards away would wreak havoc on his cyberware, but the chill wind blowing from the West sapped all of the past week’s stress from his muscles. A simple therapy he didn’t resist. He didn’t wan to think about it all. How hits kept piling up. The illusive tower interloper. Threats of Runs against Koshari cyberspace by Deckers and Technomancers. How his sorely needed cyberware replacements were months out. How tired he was.

Zaron tugged his dark hair free from it’s messy bun, letting the breeze comb through it. Looking up to the partly cloudy sky he wondered if just maybe the sun, after all the times it hid when he was beyond his urban cage, could burn a bit more brightly for him.

But, sun or no sun, it was high time he used up a vacation day. The further he walked the less obligated he felt to turn back. Sweet ocean air, distant cries of gulls, low crashing waves, the soft rumble of a motor–

A motor….

Zaron’s eyes — when had he closed them? His eyes opened, wide and alert. It was a low, smooth rumble approaching from behind, but when Zaron looked back over his shoulder there was nothing. He turned to look the way he walked in case he had missed something. All his sensors and senses were on high alert. Then something pinged to life behind him as the sound drew ever nearer.

The man turned around, tie flying out of his pocket, and he stared at her.

Red hair whipping behind her, the young woman from the race track blazed down the beach on the new Suzuki Mirage motorcycle that had headlined the expo. She kicked the bike into neutral, and glided to a stop several yards away. Pulling off her sunglasses, the woman’s smile shone like sunshine.

“It’s you.”

His heart lightened at the simple recognition. Zaron smirked smoothly. “You drive that like you stole it.”

Her blue eyes narrowed in a mischievous look. “You’re a long way from your friends.”

Zaron strolled a few steps closer, hands tucked harmlessly into his pockets as he looked over both bike and rider. The vehicle suited her. “No one there is friends.”

A chuckle spilled from her lips and it suddenly dawned on him that she wasn’t at all afraid of him.

“You heading my way?”

He glanced down the long beach towards the distant lights and fiberglass pavilions, then gave the woman a charming up-nod.

“Yeah. I guess I am.”