Chapter 2: Halo
Lucien slumped beneath the bus stop's weathered shed, his legs stretched out carelessly. A couple huddled at the far end of the bench, arms wrapped around each other as they shot him disgusted glances while pinching their noses.
He didn't seem to notice. Dark shades shielded his eyes from the brutal afternoon sun.
'Ah, it's been forever since I stepped outside... how long? Six months? Eight?'
He squinted at the blazing sky.
'I don't remember the sun being this vicious.'
A heavy sigh escaped him as he pulled out his phone, fingers dancing across the screen.
The girlfriend craned her neck, trying to get a better look at the device in his hands.
She leaned close to her boyfriend's ear.
"Honey, that's the latest Nexus Dynamics AI-7 Pro."
Her boyfriend's eyes widened as he studied the phone.
"Damn, you're right. That thing costs three million dollars. Most expensive phone in the world right now—cutting-edge AI features and everything. It even has that adaptive UI system that learns your usage patterns."