Staircases threaded up the side of the faceless building. Mr. Holmegolud trudged 
up them, a package under one arm. He wore a grimace on his face. He knocked 
at the door of apartment 07 and stepped back.

Shuffling came from inside. Then the door opened a crack, and then wider, as a 
voice said, "Mr. Holmegolud! Come in."

"Thanks," he replied. He took off his visor as he crossed the doorjamb into the 
room. The apartment was small, even for one resident, never mind two; but it 
was clean and ordered. Bureau here. Beds there. Electronics across from them. 
Light came in from outside, through the open window. The curtains waved in 
the breeze.

"Be quiet. He just fell asleep." The young man was tall and thin, effeminate 
almost. His hair was stylishly unkempt, and the cybernetics of his body were 
custom-made and of excellent quality. His eyes were as sunken and haunted as 
when Snev and Holmegolud had met, so many months ago...

He stood by the side of the crib, one hand on the railing. Holmegolud had never 
known Snev to speak in a voice higher than pianoforte. Except when Snev 
screamed. Holmegolud had watched Snev scream. He would never forget it.

With the aid of a chair, Holmegolud peered down into the crib. The child had his 
father's long nose, but his mother's round face. Holmegolud's eyes wandered. 
There was one pillow on the bed. "What happened to Lorna?"

"I paid her for being his mother, then she left. We see each other, oh, once a 
month. She doesn't work so hard anymore. She's all right."

Holmegolud leaned against the chair's back, his face half in the light. "Huh. I'd've 
thought you two would have made a couple."

In the shadow, Snev shook his head. His eyes radiated with the memory. "We 
tried it, for a while. But every time we touched, there was so much pain."

"Beretta?"

"Beretta...Adam and Accel...and then..."

the jeering crowd

the end.

"...when I got forced out of Motorball, it hurt." He sat upon the bedsheet and put 
his hand over his eyes. "I had to go. Not like that." His hand fell, and he was 
grimacing. "I wanted to go out like a Motorballer. Not a victor or a loser. Just 
goodbye to the circuit. I didn't want to be chased off."

beer cans empty bottles shouting people pointing

"'Course not, Snev."

Snev restored his usual weak smile to his face. "I've got a boyfriend now. He's a 
great guy, would you like to meet him sometime?"

"Sure. You want to bring him to the circuit...?"

Snev shook his head emphatically. "I'm through with it. I regret how it ended, 
but not that it did. Justin doesn't even like Motorball."

"It's the right thing for you to do, boy." Holmegolud jabbed a finger at Snev. 
"Motorball's a drug, no different from Adam or Accel. It'll eat you up, body and 
soul, if you get too close to it.

"I'm far gone. I'm an addict, and I will be until I die. You should--"

He stopped, his voice had risen. Both men fell quiet as the baby in the crib beside 
them gurgled and rolled over in his sleep.

"Sorry, Snev."

"Don't worry about anything, Mr. Holmegolud." Snev stood and looked over the 
crib at the tiny child, warm and secure in the pallid sun.

"So what'd you call him?"

"I...ha ha ha...I followed Lorna's suggestion, and I named him Adam."

"I like it."

Adam. The first child.
--
Copyright 1998 Daniel Snyder. Permission to distribute in any digital/binary/e-
mail form; however, any physical printout is strictly forbidden. 
Haisha/AshenVictor and all characters are by Yukito Kishiro. Any reseblance 
between persons living or deceased is purely coincidental.