It had been a few days since we had finished building whatever kind of place we had established, honestly it seemed odd that Jack would have this place rebuilt instead of just finding a good place to stay, but everytime I had asked him about it, he never really gave me a direct answer.

I suppose it may be something personal but it doesn't matter to me.

After the days had passed and I had gotten used to the area and how people are, Jack kept reminding me not to get too comfortable with everything on the suface of the streets.

As far as explaining he also passed me a E.I Bracer which is basically your kind of identity badge.

This kind of device is used alot to get around with everything, but this one is "special" with the fact that its under the radar, its also got a specific identifyer on anything in the basic class, but everything else above it is marked as an unknown.

Now I get why it would be useful, but what I don't understand is how he got his hands on one of these.

Usually everyone that is born in the system that is not identified by anything is deemed as an outcast from everything, meaning that they wouldn't be able to buy or sell, or even live at all.

I have a mark, but I haven't seen if Jack has a mark mainly because he always wears a scarf. Maybe he's hiding something, since the neck is the usual place where they place that mark.

S . S . S

"Crow, Did'ja find anything new?"

Popping me out of my own world as I zoned out into the fire that had been set up as we were eating was Jack. He was elated about scavenging.

"No, nothing new today, just the same old..."

"Ugh... Then I guess we have to keep looking"

"Can you remind me why we are looking so hard for whatever it is we are looking for?"

He was eager to find something but he has never told me about it. In fact it had felt like he has been hiding things, who knows, would'nt hurt to ask.

Looking at me he pulled his right hand towards my face and pointed with his showed me.

"This is why.."

I looked on his hand to see what it was, and it showed a burn mark that appeared like a symbol.

"This sign is'sa special mark that can solve every problem! If we find something with this mark then we will be able to save and help all the other kids like us!!" His widened smile could make any mother hug him like he was a plushie, and also, that mark was a circle that had a line going down on it with horns at the tip of the top of it.

"Huh?? But thats stupid, the majority of this worlds problems aren't even based on us kids.."

Its only logical, some stupid childish thing like wishful thinking wouldnt even save a fish in this gigantic ocean of predators.

"Thats what you believe, but just think about it... If the problems that you say aren't based on us, then who makes these problems?"

"Well thats pretty easy.. Adults and stupid people who can't even wash their butts"

Jack laughed at my remark, and I did too after hearing him laugh.

"Hehehe, still, will ya help me find it, friend?" He held out his hand towards me.

I looked at him, he was just a fool, like no one I have ever met, but still a fool. Yet somehow, I wanted to help him, oddly I also wanted to be his friend... Since I didn't really have any.

...Huh?

"So wha'ddaya say? Are you gon'na leave me hang'in?

"Hm, maybe" I smiled curtly as I grabbed his hand.

"Hahaha, then i'll make you grab it" He grabbed even harder like he was attempting to crush it, and I did so the same.

....

That day we clicked like best friends we ever could be, It was only a matter of time..

S......S......S

It had taken us weeks and weeks to find it but finally we did find whatever Jack was looking for... It was a node..

Somthing like a small metalic rock that contained recorded information, I remember from somewhere that these things were no longer in use since about a century ago.

This node was a small green glowing metal rock, but I am not sure if there are of other colours, or if there is of any specific different ones.

During the time we had found it though, it was on the top floor's edge of a destroyed highrise building far to the east of the 10th, Jack had the odd intuition that it'd be there.

Anyways, back to the main deal, right now I have to wait for at a small abandoned and closed off house Jack since he wanted to grab a tool he had requested from a merchant he knew near here which is the 13th district.

Soon enough he would be getting back, and I'm just waiting here sitting on a broken desk looking out of a window.

Any time no-

Interupting my thoughts, speak of the devil.

it was Jack, and this time he looked like he had ran with the sweatdrops on his forehead, and with that chivalrous smile on his face it seemed like he was eager to crack open this node.

"Now lets get things started" He said.

S . S . S

"What are you doing?! Just bashing it isn't going to work!"

Jack had already gotten real mad because it had taken us about a good 2 hours trying to figure this thing out.

Even with tools like a hammer this thing hasn't broken.

"Then... What... Willl!" Every pause from his breath was a hit from the hammer to the node.

Before the last hit though, I decided to stop him.

"Hold it!, Let me take a look at this thing"

"Bu-"

"Give me a sec, you haven't even let me get a good look at it, all you did was pick it with an old screwdriver and then a hammer"

A small pause of silence, and then a sigh from him came out.

"Fine..."

As the node was on the ground I picked it up and looked at it.

It was a round shaped ball with small hard to see lines going all over it, layering eachother lines too.

However it looked like if you pressed in a certain space at the same time it would open.

I Tried so and I heard a click... I waited for a moment yet nothing happened.

I tried again and the same thing.. I was beginning to suspect that there was a pattern. So I kept at it for a few minutes.

. . .

It took a bit, and then there had been 2 clicks, then 3.

Lastly after a dull 10 minutes of trial and error, I had heard something different then a click, but a ticking sound.

"Okay so have you figured anything out?"

"Just a second, I think I did something, I keep hearing this wierd noise"

"huh? what wierd noise? Let me hear?"

I held it in my hands while he listened, for a quick second of hearing it he slapped it out of my hands away from us.

Not having any time to think Jack pushed me and the node exploaded...

S - - - - S - - - - S

It just reminds me the mistakes that had been made that day...