[ WP ] In a world where people can buy and sell skills , you work at a skill pawn shop and someone is trying to pawn a skill that you ca n't value or appraise .

The harsh scream of sirens sounds throughout the city streets as people scramble past one another, desperate to find any kind of shelter before curfew begins. 
 
 Through the store window, I watch as the once busy streets empty of people one by one, until finally there is only a still silence. The only trace of the previous chaos can be found in the trash slowly rolling along as a gentle breeze blows past. 
 
 My reverie is interrupted by the doorbell signaling the entrance of a customer. With a sigh, I plaster a smile on my face and walk out behind the counter, turning to him and asking in a falsetto voice, `` What can I do for you today, Sir?'' 
 
 He remains silent, his eyes roaming the store as he slowly makes his way up to the counter. 
 
 `` Sir?'' 
 
 His eyes finally meet mine, and I'm startled by the panic just barely contained within. My stomach twists with nerves as the feeling of this situation being so completely and utterly *wrong* is brought to the forefront of my mind. 
 
 `` Um...'' My voice catches and I have to start again. `` Is there something I can do for you, Sir?'' 
 
 His hand reaches inside his coat pocket, pulling out a jump drive and carefully setting it down on the counter in front of me. 
 
 `` I need this to disappear.'' 
 
 I look up from the jump drive to see him scanning the store again, causing both my fear and my curiosity to increase. I need to know what's on the drive before I can accept it; those are the rules. 
 
 Moving my hair to the side, I feel for the port located just behind my ear. As I insert the jump drive, I see the customer lunge towards me, his lips forming the word `` No'' in an attempt to stop me. But it was too late. 
 
 Once the drive is fully inserted, the download begins, and I succumb to the powerful flood of memories and information found within. 
 
 Seeing this man's life through his own eyes, I watch as he creates the plans for the very first Super Computer. I feel his pride at the success of his model, feel his amazement as the machine is able to complete a full scan of his test subject's brain, and create a perfect copy of it on a hard drive. 
 
 I watch his machine sky rocket in popularity, as people pay for new memory implants, for some memories to be altered, or for memories to be wiped altogether. I see him further developing his technology and tailoring it to more specific skills, allowing the population to simply download skills instead of having to go through the painstaking process of learning it themselves. 
 
 And just as I saw him rise to the pinnacle of success, I also watch as he falls from his pedestal. I watch him burn. 
 
 Through his eyes, I see the civilian population begin to abuse the technology, watch as crime drastically increases, and chaos reigns. 
 
 I feel his fear at the creation of a newer, much harsher government towards the skills market and its creator. And I share his experience as he chooses to leave his life behind and live on the run, live within the shadows. 
 
 As his memories end, I am slowly able to return to myself. I breathe in the musty air of the shop, am comforted by its soft lighting, and am eased by the quiet hum of the air conditioner. 
 
 `` Do you know what you've just done?'' 
 
 I look up at the man standing before me, and nod my head. 
 
 `` I've just become a fugitive,'' I whisper. `` I'm now the only other person alive who shares the knowledge that you do, the knowledge to build what you can build. And if that fact is ever discovered, they'll kill me, just like they want to kill you.'' 
 
 He holds my gaze for moment before he nods, confirming my suspicions. 
 
 `` I should have told you beforehand not to look at the merchandise,'' he says. 
 
 I remain silent as the full weight of the situation hits me. I will never be able to go home again, never be able to see my family, never be able to see my friends. I'll have to leave everything behind in order to save myself and protect them. 
 
 `` Well,'' I reply. `` I guess you can add this to your list of failures.'' 
 
 I feel no sympathy as my words make him flinch. 
 
 We stand in silence for a few moments longer before the sound of the militia marching down the once quiet streets can be heard through the shop walls. 
 
 Once again, the man meets my gaze. 
 
 `` You know if we stay here, they'll find us.'' 
 
 I can only nod my head in reply. The fear sits heavily within my chest, weighing me down and rendering me speechless. 
 
 `` Come,'' he says, grabbing my hand. `` It's time we run.'' 
 
 With that, he pulls me through the shop, out the back door, and into the shadows. With my hand in his, I leave behind the only life I've ever known, and disappear into the darkness.
