Chapter 5: Midas
Atlanta in 2010 was a city caught between the past and the future. It wasn’t yet the booming tech hub it would later become, but it wasn’t lagging behind either.
Ethan chose this city because rent was relatively cheap compared to other cities in the US, while also having ample opportunities for a young tech graduate like him.
He exited his apartment, this time wearing a black hoodie, pants and some sneakers.
It was time to hunt for a new laptop, after all his Dell Inspiron had given up on him and he wasn’t about to try and revive it...again.
He stepped onto the sidewalk of South downtown Atlanta and was immediately hit by its humid air.
He hated how the humidity caused the t-shirt under his hoodie to cling to his skin, but that was just 35 year old him being picky.
After all, his body didn’t seem to mind, clearly already used to it.
He walked on the sidewalk with a destination already in mind since he had already done his research on places he could get a new laptop.
As Ethan walked down the cracked sidewalk, his eyes absently scanned the streets around him.
South Downtown Atlanta wasn’t the busiest part of the city, but it had its fair share of movement, commuters heading to work, street vendors setting up their carts, and a few joggers taking advantage of the morning air before the real heat set in.
’When was the last time I enjoyed a simple walk like this?’ Ethan couldn’t help but think back to his past... future (?) Life.