Wish Inc.

Blurb: Milo Giacalone wishes upon what looks like a star, but it is a satellite that only a select few can link to. Now, he finds someone has recorded and cataloged his wish, and an agent is now assigned the task of granting his wish.

Milo Giacalone strode through the forest. Beside him, a german shepherd named Cintra padded beside him, alert to the strange and wondrous sounds of the evening. He ran his hand down his dog’s back and let his gaze wander across the night sky.

“Soon we’ll be at the cabin and cut off from the outside world, Cintra.”

The dog barked in excitement and Milo rubbed at the back of his head because of the irony of his statement. Most of the world’s population had their neural chips installed these days. Anyone born since 2050 had them installed at birth.

It gave everyone, at least, according to the government, security and safety for every human on the planet. Milo scoffed at that thought and continued walking. His implant had caused him a few headaches. While the techs back home said they were fine, he didn’t believe them. Not that it mattered, he didn’t make enough to see a specialist.

Only the rich could see them. Money bought a lot of things and that included a better link to the satellites that rotated the planet like rings that rivaled Saturn. He had enough money to get the basic services because of his station. There were some, the Universe’s Children as they called themselves, who refused to get the chips and allow their newborns to get the procedure.

Most of them lived in colonies in Australia, as that country was the last to allow the non-linked people a livelihood. None of them got the benefits of the security and safety the governments provided, but it all depended on money.

Plus, Milo wasn’t sure that he’d want to live in a place that was constantly on the news because of the constant attacks by rebels at state-run businesses or hospitals. He frowned and wondered what it would be like to get his mother the healthcare she needed. The state held those supplies, and it was almost impossible to get them outside of the right clearance or firepower.

While cancer was rare in the world, those who had it were the poor and couldn’t afford the uplinks necessary to get the proper medicine to survive it. As much as he loved his mother, he needed to get away from the city. It was too big and he couldn’t breathe there.

Too much death and desperation made people do crazy things. Not that it stopped him, as he knew he trespassed on some rich politician’s property so he could see the night sky in all its glory without the light pollution and smog of the city.

He saw the pier and stopped. “Hey, Cintra. Race you to the water!”

He took off running, with Cintra blasting past him. The dog met him on the edge of the dock and sat. Milo caught up, breathless, and massaged the back of his head. “You know, Cintra, I can guarantee something is wrong with my chip. I should have it neutralized and move to Australia in the colonies.”

The dog lay down and whimpered. Milo sat down next to him and ran his hand through the dog’s fur. “Don’t worry. I can’t leave mom, and I’d never leave you here.”

The dog’s ears perked up. Milo pet him on the head and stared up at the sky. “Ain’t it beautiful? Can’t get this view in the city. Fuck, you can’t even see the sky in the city. All that haze makes it hard to breathe and live.”

The rings made by the satellites constantly moved and Milo gazed in awe at them. They were no match for the Milky Way and all the stars. The technology held a certain sterile beauty of its own in the sky.

He breathed in the cool, clean air and closed his eyes, allowing nature to ease his soul. His mother told him to stop coming here, but he was his own man and came, anyway. She was right, but Milo didn’t want to admit it.

If he got caught, it was certain prison time and that meant no one to take care of his mother. He sighed and lay on his back. Cintra spread out next to him, the dog’s head resting on Milo’s hip. “You know, Cintra, I could live like this forever. I wonder what living in a colony would be like? It’s not like the chip in my head has offered anything of value.”

Cintra only groaned and had no desire to take part in human politics or problems. Milo only gazed at the sky and let his mind drift. He wondered about going to space and the outrageous costs that rich men and women would pay for a fifteen-minute ride among the cosmos. Most of all, he wondered what it would be like to see his mother healthy again.

“You know, Cintra, things are going to get better. At least I hope they do. I could use a miracle right now.”

Cintra stretched out and waited with patience only a dog could have, his tail wagging, beating against the pier. Milo rubbed the dog’s belly, which Cintra was more than willing to offer to him. He continued to stare up at the night sky and marveled at how far humanity has gone, but also has done so little for the basic needs of the poor.

He understood that he was part of the lower class. While he was far from miserable, it pained him to see his mom waste away, since they couldn’t afford treatment. It was there, but the money wasn’t. Even his many jobs didn’t amount to enough.

He heard stories about how corporations used to offer health benefits to their employees, but at the present moment, Milo considered those stories as urban legends. Health insurance has since passed along with any government help for those in need. The gap between the rich and the poor was at its widest. There was no longer any middle ground.

“No wonder so many are rioting and attacking the complexes. We’re growing desperate, Cintra.”

Cintra perked up at his name and lay back down, his head on Milo’s lap. The young man stroked the dog’s ear and continued staring at the sky, letting the sound of the lake and nature soothe his soul.

He rubbed the back of his throbbed and hoped it would alleviate the sensation. It didn’t quite hurt, but it gave him the feeling his brain was beating like a heart. It was the neural link. His station in the world didn’t give him much. He could access the news and entertainment by closing his eyes. Not that it mattered. It was lies and shit, anyway.

He paid a lot of attention to the colonies in Australia. Many considered America to be the last bastion of freedom, but it turned out differently. America was the first to go forward with the chip implants at birth. His own country made it impossible to survive without one, all in the name of security, they said.

His mother told him stories of what it was like before then and he wished it was like that again. He’d still be poor, but at least he wouldn’t have a shitty malfunctioning chip in his brain. He also wouldn’t have to sneak around so much. To have that freedom back would be great.

Milo sighed and gazed up at the sky and saw a small bright flash as something fell from the sky. He knew it was a meteorite, but his mom would call it a falling star. She told him once as a child that if he made a wish when a star fell, it would come true.

“Well, boy, here goes nothing.”

Milo closed his eyes and made a wish. “I wish my mom was cured of her cancer.”

The falling star faded into nothing and he flinched at a sharp pain from the back of his head. It also ended as soon as he felt it. The throbbing stopped and Milo sighed in relief. It was an odd sensation at the weirdest time, but since the chip stopped making his head hurt, he was glad.

An eerie buzzing sound reached his ears and Cintra growled and stood, his head alert. Milo stood as the buzzing grew louder and a small light appeared at the opposite end of the lake. The light flickered through the spectrum and flew toward him, skimming across the water, leaving a small wake behind it.

Milo stepped back and gripped Cintra’s collar, ready to run. “This isn’t like any security drone I’ve seen before. I didn’t think anyone upgraded them.”

The buzzing grew louder and, as Milo stood frozen in place, his feet unable to move. This is how I end up in prison, he thought. He took another step back when the drone picked up speed and stopped a few feet from where he stood. It hovered in the air, its prismatic colors flashed through another cycle before stopping. It rose to Milo’s eyes level.

Milo heard a small clicking sound, and a voice came from the drone. Milo Giacalone, we heard and granted your wish in accordance with Wish Inc System 10-144387. It has been recorded for future reference and will be a permanent part of our records.

Milo tilted his head and his eyes widened at the voice. “What wish?”

Milo Giacalone, as of 2324 hours, you wished for your mother to be cured of cancer. Your neural link contacted our satellite and our system as recorded it by Wish Inc. to grant. Do you wish to hear your exact words, Mr. Giacalone?

“No, I didn’t think I could link up to a higher satellite. Hell, I didn’t know you existed.”

Wish Inc. is a small subsidiary of Anta Medical and part of the underground resistance that operates within the colonies. Few can link, as the programming isn’t operating at full.

“I want my mom cured, but what do I do?”

Cintra barked as the drone moved right up to Milo’s nose and spoke again. Wait… Agent Anderson of Wish Inc. will be with you shortly to go over the details of your wish. As you’re trespassing, it may be wise to do this quickly.

Milo froze as his heart raced. If the drone knew he wasn’t supposed to be here, then it also knew when the owner of this land would show up. He stepped back, and the drone followed. It flashed its lights and buzzed around him, making him spin around. He watched the drone fly about a dozen feet and stopped. Its lights grew dim. A woman stood next to it.

“Milo Giacalone, I presume.”

Milo nodded, unable to speak as he heard no one approach from behind him. Even Cintra stopped barking, as he wasn’t sure what to do. He sat and whimpered behind Milo, looking from around his legs. Milo tried to reassure the dog by rubbing Cintra’s ears.

“Who are you?”

The women, dressed in a pin-striped pants suit, stood holding a tablet, its computer screen a blueish color. “I’m Agent Anderson, the representative from Wish Inc. I’m here to grant you your wish.”

“Like a genie?”

Her blonde hair fell over her shoulders and she stood tall and carried a sense of authority. She smiled warmly. “Not exactly, but I understand the reference. Shall we go over the wish fulfillment contract?”

“Yeah. I mean, it can’t be too bad, can it?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Do you have legal representation?”

“Have you seen how I’m dressed? My clothes are a little raggedy.”

She looked him up and down and smiled. Milo tried to brush off the dust from the city from his clothes, but with a few holes and the fact they were all he had for the past three years made it pointless to do so. After his mom came down with cancer, he decided he couldn’t afford anything new so he could spend what money he had on his mom’s comfort.

“That is okay. If you come closer, I can show you the contract.”

Milo strode forward and saw Agent Anderson flicker. Cintra barked, and he realized she was a hologram projected from the drone. The imaging was perfect as she came off so real. It was no wonder he didn’t hear anyone. It made sense, as it was a few miles from the city.

“Before we start, I have a question.”

The agent didn’t even look up from her tablet’s screen. “Ask, Mr. Giacalone.”

He shoved his hands in his pocket and gritted his teeth. “How did my chip communicate with your satellite? It makes no sense.”

She looked up in surprise. “Your chip is faulty. It allowed the software to connect to our system just long enough for your wish to get through before another’s.”

“Were the others richer than me?”

“Yes, but Wish Inc. works on a first come first serve basis, no matter what their economic level is.”

“Oh, ok.”

“However, we scanned your chip and realized it’s been faulty your whole life. They implanted you with a bad chip. It should be removed or deactivated.”

“I was told it was working fine.”

Agent Anderson raised her eyebrow again. “Did you believe them?”

“No.”

“Good. Now let’s get this contract signed so your mom can get the help she deserves. As I scan her records, she’s had cancer for four years.”

“It’s three.”

The agent looked sad. “It’s four. She didn’t tell you right away, so you wouldn’t worry. It's all in her file.”

Milo lowered his head and sniffed, fighting back tears. “Dammit, ma.”

She faced the tablet in his direction. “Now, read through the contract and sign.”

Milo scanned the document that the tablet displayed. The whole time, Agent Anderson showed no sense in wanting him to read faster or stop him. He flipped through a few pages and stopped; his eyes widened in shock. His mouth gaped open, and he stepped back.

“What seems to be the matter, Mr. Giacalone?” she asked.

“I have to go to the colonies because of this?”

“Yes. You and your mom will be transported to a colony hospital for treatment. There, you’ll be given work to continue living there or join the resistance movement.”

“Do the colonies own Wish Inc.?”

“That is true.”

“How soon do we leave?”

Agent Anderson pointed to the signature line. “As soon as you sign, and get home. A transport will pick you up with specific instructions so you can get out of the city safely. It won’t be easy, but all three of you can make it.”

For the first time, Milo saw compassion in her eyes. Was she a colony agent? Did it matter at this point? He reached out to sign and stopped, his finger hovering over the line.

“Three?”

“We assume you’ll bring Cintra? He won’t survive long without you, and we both know it.”

Milo signed. “There it’s done.”

“We will need a sample of your blood. Hold out your finger toward the drone.”

Milo did as he was told. A sharp pricking sensation ran up his arm. “Is that it?”

“Yes. We’ll be waiting for you when you get home. Take only what you need as you’ll be traveling light.”

The image of the agent flickered out, and the drone flashed its colorful lights and rose into the sky. Milo watched it disappear and pet Cintra. “Well, boy, it’s time we get moving. I hope I didn’t make a mistake.”

He took off in a run with Cintra at his heels. The city rose fast and Milo picked up speed. A new sense of hope filled his soul.

Thank you for taking the time to read my short story. Please give the story a heart and a share on social media. If you're feeling generous, I won't turn down a tip as it keeps the coffee pot going so I can write more. Visit my website for more info and to join my newsletter. You get a free book by doing so. If possible, write me a review here!