the great wave

 Jago walked down the darken alleyways of Kanagawa town, with his eye out for a deal. A speakers attached to the buildings played 80’s music, right now Petshop Boys ‘Its a sin’ was blaring from the jank. Neon lit puddles from yesterday’s rain, highlighting people selling phone cases, flowers, old tech tape players and bio-upgrades. Anything they could lay their hands on.

 

What caught his eye was a girl, tall, with pink hair, a long nose, and flower hairclips. She leaned casually against the shutters of a closed hairdressers called Midori; her arms crossed across the front of her black tank top. To her left was a red fixie bike, and in front of her, an open briefcase on a built-in stand. Inside the worn brown leather briefcase was what Jago had been seeking. Illegal pirate memory chips.

 He looked around, and then stepped up to the case, looking inside, sneaking a quick look at the girl. In earlier years, street had been populated with 'day girls', women who sold themselves for money doing unspeakable things, like boardgame dates or teaching people to read. The local authorities had painted the street bright yellow to drive them away, and they had been replaced by the day markets and illegal sellers.

 Jago snuck another quick look at her, a kind of pretty but world weary face. He decided she would have fit in with the other girls, and his mind began to wander -

“Are you staring or buying, buddy?” The sudden question made him nervous. He stepped back and took his black backpack off. The girl’s laughter tinkled. Jago reached into his backpack for a wad of paper money. “I -”

“I wouldn't buy from her, buddy!” Cut in a laughing man sitting on the other side of the alley. “My brother bought one of her units, now look at him!” He nudged the dirt encrusted form curled up next to him. The girl frowned. “That wasn't mine!” She yelled.

The laughing man scratched the memory bank on his head, a trail of clear liquid tracking down the side of his head. The sign of a bad memory bank install.

 “Eh, I was just kidding, don't get your panties in a twist.”

Jago licked his lips and pulled out the wad of cash. “I'll take four. Of the TSR-640k’s.” he said, answering her unspoken question.

 A scuffle erupted down the alley and everyone turned to look.

“Oh ho, there coming for you, girly!” Said the laughing man, sounding a little concerned. “Better jet!”

 She looked worriedly down the alleyway, then slammed the briefcase closed.

 “My -” Jago started.

 “Take them” she stuffed the chips into his hands, then jumped on the bike and flew down the road, clutching the briefcase full of forged cash and pirate memory chips.

 Jago looked down at the chipped white cases, hidden among the rectangular chips was another one, a square of orange and black, this one not a memory upgrade. He turned it over, not sure what it was. 

 Suddenly the chasers pushed past him, bouncing him around as they boiled down the street, yelling at the girl.

 Jago looked up, seeing a camera on the side of the building, not quite pointed at him, but near enough. He hustled off.

 

The next time Jago saw the girl, it was on a news board, asking for information about her location. There was a video of her jumping on the bike and hoofing it down the street, and the men chasing her, their blue suits making them look like a great wave.