"...in form and moving, how express and admirable; in action how like an angel; in apprehension how like a god..." - Hamlet
A 90's Stormtrooper's body armor, beyond aerodynamic, all molded plastic, sculpted panels, joints, vents, buckles. Muted and glistening grays. A laser would richocet to char nearby walls.
Like walking, only faster, and with the thrill of nearby death.
Holding your breath as you power past a garbage truck. Inhaling the unexpected exhaust of a city bus, tasting the soot settle in your lungs, but smelling the clear breath of the summer stratosphere far above.
Panting at a stop light, squinting through the scraped remainder of a newsbox sticker at the day's headline: "SENATE POSSES BULL TO ROAST, TO $515, MEDIUM WAGE".
Imagine a rollerblade ad: a cross between Nike and "Be All That You Can Be." Young, athletic, serious. Soundtrack: a punk band, or maybe techno, that's willing to sell out. Gearing up: snaps and latches and quick edits. Lock and load. On the street: dodging pedestrians, grabbing taxi bumpers for a block or two. Closeup on the forehead: intense eyes, a bead of sweat, the helmet (pushed back further than it would really be, to minimize the encumbrance), maybe a dangling strap. Kids doing tricks, somersaults, flips. A young mother with her happy waddling elbow-pad-laden child. Cut to a solo athlete, in silhouette, alone at dawn. "Rollerblade." No tag line.
Fade to black.
Copyright © 1996 Alexander D. Chaffee (alex@stinky.com). All rights reserved. Permission to distribute over the Internet given as long as all authorship and copyright information remains attached.
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