[Editor's note: Ninth night. Mack's getting sentimental. Red rain's coming.]
So you've been around the town, right? You seen one of those blue lanes?
Have you actually gone through one of them? Probably not, because if you're not trying to hide from the system, you're not really paying attention to them.
Anyway, usually you can get through one through multiple ways. Some people? What they do is they bribe the guy at the front, he lets you in. Some people are already known people: Paper Saints, regulars. Remember that guy Rook I told you about? He probably can get into one of those blue lanes. Hell, half the fucking bouncers at the entrances probably owe a debt to him anyway.
So yeah, if you can actually get in there? It's so peaceful. As long as you stay away and don't bother the Paper Saints. They got a job to do and they are on a leash and a timer. They're not arrogant fuckers, but if they can't get to their destination in time, old lady Miss Anna might not get her heart pills or something, you know? They help out the people who need help and can't help themselves. That's why we call them Papers.
They don't do anything digital. They route their traffic so that nobody can bother them. And that means you gotta get out of their fucking way when they come.
As for the rest of us? It's just peaceful there. No worrying about network interference, or the Tidewall Authority, or anything like that. You can hit up a bodega and it feels like a real sanctuary. Grab yourself a couple snacks, then hit your ass back home.
Oh yeah, Papers, right. I know a few of them. Usually they don't tell you if they are a Paper Saint, because I don't know, they're like... some weird reserved, introvert kind of person? They're just, I guess they don't like talking to people. Stick to themselves. Not in a bad way or asshole kind of way. They just, you know, got their thing to do and we got our things to do, you know?
But I got a friend who is a Paper Saint. Her name is Daisy. Well, that's her street name.
I mean, in another life I'd probably be on one knee in front of her, too.
Let me shut up. I might be a little too drunk today.
But yeah. By the way, since you didn't get the memo last time: there's a red rain event happening in about 40 minutes from now, I think. So if you figured out if your commlink has a volume thing, or at least an off switch, you might wanna do something about that. Or maybe just get your ass home.
I'm probably gonna grab another drink and, I don't know, walk around Mezzanine. It's so pretty over there.
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