Convenient store mage
#2381
The clock struck 7 am as Jeff walked into his local convenience store. Flicking through the rows of magazines as he moved, he noticed a headline on one newspaper read, "President Powler runs for the fifth term." He sighed to himself as that would mean continued rations, then walked past the paper stands, up to the counter at the back of the store. Liz was working this morning and greeted him with a warm “Good mornin’,” just as she did every time they met.
“Ah, Liz, looking delicious as usual.” He replied as he reached the counter. “Seeing you gets me through the day.”
“Aww thanks, you’re sweet. You busy today?”
“Nothing I can’t handle. Construction’s coming on nicely. We maybe finished on time.”
She winked at him in approval, “You here for the usual pack of Magis?”
Jeff looked over Liz’s right shoulder. Over to the sealed containers lining the back wall behind her. He scanned the rows of cartridges they were selling. “Shucks Liz, I'm gonna to need something stronger. Give me one them big ‘ol class-2s please.”
Upon hearing this a shadow at the opposite end of the counter perked up from his crossword puzzle. “A class-2? I'm going to have to see your ID for that!”
“Martin, you know I’m in here every day. I'm good to take it.”
“No ID, no class-2 you. The agency is getting on everyone’s ass, now. We’ve been given orders. Confirm your stats with them before we sell something that strong.”
“I can tell you right now Martin, my last test was just..”
“Please, Jeff, or it's not on sale.”
Finally, Jeff broke the tension in the store by rolling up his right sleeve. “Ok, ok! Scan me.” He said as he lay his palm onto a circular device in front of him.
“Jeff Phelps.” The device’s speaker emitted its information. “Age 87. Sotnuric Level 3. Last check, 6 days ago. Class-5 denied. Class-4, denied. Class-3, denied.” There was a pause which seemed to take forever. Both men stared at each other. Unbeknownst to Jeff, Martin had put his puzzles down and was moving his hand to a shotgun under the counter. “Class-2, granted. Class-1, granted.”
“Well?” He stared at the man, trying to provoke a reaction.
“Alright, Liz. Let him have it.” The LED above a container flickered from red to green, automatically unlocked. “But Jeff, you’re walking a line if all you’re allowed are Class-2s. It will be carousel for you soon.”
Jeff snorted under his breath. “I know what I’m doing.”
Martin didn’t continue, instead Liz interrupted. “I’m sorry for that, sweety. We all gotta follow rules." She apologized, trying to garner some sympathy.
“Yer, I know, procedure. By the way, you're doing a wonderful job there Martin, upholding the law like this.” Jeff said with a wink to Liz. Martin grunted in response, mind back to focusing on his crossword.
Liz smiled back at him, acknowledging his remark. "So, what are you looking for, we got Marlboro or Camel?"
"You got any Glaxo back there?"
"Sorry, all out, and the shipment doesn't come until the end of the month. You're stuck with either Pfizer or JJ's."
Jeff sighed to consider his options. Pfizer wouldn't last as long as he needed it to, and the JJ's always tasted horrible. After a few moments of thinking to himself, he decided. "I guess the JJ'll have to do, please."
"Sure thing. A pack of class-2 JJ's. That will be 10 credits.” Liz then moved her head closer to Jeff over the counter and talked in a quiet voice. “Hey, Jeff!” She said as she handed the pack over to her customer. “The machine said your 87. That makes you older than my hunk-a-junk hubby over there. But you don't look a day over, maybe 25.”
Jeff just smiled again and winked “Yer, I'll tell you the secret. Just get plenty of sleep and exercise, and Martin will look this good too. See you around!”
After snatching the pack of Magis and change from her, Jeff said his goodbyes. The morning sunlight warmed his body as he stepped out of the store. He couldn’t wait to get out of there. Having to make small talk with those two idiots annoyed him so much. Moreover, it infuriated him that they didn't have his favorite brand. "Well, this is better than nothing." He muttered to himself. Jeff looked up at the gigantic structure floating in the sky and wondered how long it would take to complete.
He popped the pack's lid off, looking inside he saw the familiar fluorescent liquid he had been craving all morning and drank its contents. Immediate the transform rocked his body. The whites of his eyes clouded to black with irises turning to a blood red. This was the effect the drug Magis had on a person. He felt invincible when his muscles expanded, creating a stronger version of himself. Now he was ready for the workday ahead of him. With the structure in his mind's eye, Jeff blasted up into the sky.