Nightless - Chapters 3 & 4
Our Hero gets herself in deep with the Gang and the Foil finds himself powerless in another episode of Nightless.
OFFICER’S LOG 05:30 15/7/2063
IF MY EARS AREN’T BLEEDING
AM I REALLY LISTENING
The club music rattled the whole structure. If I wasn’t looking over my shoulder, I might have had some fun. Hundreds of people bouncing up and down amongst the strobing lights and scanning lasers.
My contact Erik was a hand of Torsk’s, an Immortal Dawn gang Envoy who ran this nightclub. Today Erik was seated in the privet section with the Envoy himself, roped off from the rest of the club.
I tried to get his attention but he had just taken a hit of something and his eyes had rolled to the back of his head.
The Envoy noticed me and nodded to the bouncer to let me through. I hadn’t expected this and my nerves were tense, as this guy was a ranking member of the gang. I tried to play my cards close to the chest because you could never trust these techno zombies not to randomly become violent.
I’d never interacted with an Envoy until now. The Envoys, as they were called, were leaders in the Immortal Dawn. Each with as many cybernetics as their body could take. Some of them had as many as 1500 urchins under their command.
I was nervous, but I got to thinking, a powerful Envoy such as Torsk must have quite the collection of Essence as he should be closer to production. Especially if he had urchins like Erik pedaling this expensive drug around the dance floor like he did.
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I was ushered to sit on a couch next to Erik who promptly fell over twitching as the drugs took full control of him, synthetics and all. I slid as far away from the convulsing Erik as I could, getting closer to the Envoy.
The Envoy was covered in ports each with a cable plugged into it. I’d heard the new TruFeel TM Technology was so well integrated with the nervous system you could just get high off programming.
Envoy Torsk moved his head slightly, as much as the cabling would let him, to get a look at me. His movement was restricted by the hundreds of wires plugged all over his head and back.
When he wasn’t satisfied with the view Torsk leaned forward letting the wires restricting his movement pop out one at a time revealing the ports built directly into his body. His skin that touched the ports was enflamed and puffy like wounds never healed.
Torsk leaned close to me so I could hear him over the club music.
“What brings someone so pure to a place like this?”
My augmentations were made specifically for law enforcement undercover use, low profile, and hardly noticeable. His use of the word “pure” let me know he thought I didn’t have any augmentations at all. But the word was also uncomfortable. There were a lot of sexual fallacies about women with no augmentations like they were some sort of virgins. It made my skin crawl.
I brushed off the comment as best I could and got straight to the point.
“I see my dealer is out of commission,” I gestured to Erik who’d slid onto the
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floor. “Could you help a girl out?”
Torsk shifted and gave me a long look up and down. “I think I could do that for et vakkert kjøttstykke.”
The comment made my blood boil. Torsk, who is named after a fish, just called me a beautiful piece of meat. I’ll show him what a piece of meat is when I turn his ass into a punching bag.
He got up and began heading for a set of stairs that lead above the dance floor. I tried to calm my nerves, I didn’t want to blow my chance of collecting the evidence he had on him. If any of the Essence DNA was linked back to those dead bodies we would have a pretty compelling case to put these guys away.
Torsk’s office was nearly pitch black. I engaged the infrared lenses in my eyes allowing me to see and record everything in his office. There were bundles of fiber optic cables strewn about and a messy workbench with a MEDR Corp branded Doc-Chair that was used to do major surgical implants of synthetic augmentations without a doctor present.
Torsk went to a small fridge propped up on the workbench. He opened it and mist poured out just like the freezer at Vet’s.
I peered in to see a couple dozen capsules, not even a fraction of what Vet had.
I moved forward to see better and I counted only about 30 or so capsules. Intrigued, by this new fact that Vet must be pretty well connected to have so much Essence at his place.
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I felt a chilling sensation as Torsk put both of his hands on me.
I let my training and synthetics take over. I was lucky I had access to both.
I threw my elbow back into him as hard as I could. My augmented arms giving me superhuman strength, enough to bring the Envoy to his knees. I activated the “less-leathal electronic submission device” standard issue police tech that allowed me to subdue even the largest and most tech-filled monsters.
I grabbed his face with my charged hand unloading a huge amount of energy. His arms and legs seemed to curl up as the energy fried the circuitry in his brain.
He fell over ridged with what I hoped was permanent brain damage and I made a brake for it. I figured I had only a few seconds before someone came by.
I didn’t stop running until I had made it to the air pad, where Seven my police partner was waiting. I was sure someone was following me, and I let the adrenaline drive my speed.
The Undercover Quad door slammed. “I hate this shit!” I screamed my anger out, as my partner Seven began to take off immediately.
“Tweakers?” He asked in a calm bordering on casual response that lacked his usual concern. I could tell he was feeling relaxed after spending the last few hours at the bar waiting on me to finish. I liked Seven well enough, he always had my back and I trusted him with my life, but sometimes he could be a bit dense.
“I had to palm-tase him off me!” I said staring directly at Seven. Who quickly realized the severity of my statement and quickly changed his demeanor. I began the
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process of taking off my wig and costume. “Torsk was definitely not taking no for an answer. He called me Kjott. He had two hands on me and I was about to kill this man.”
“Logan, that’s not you, not us as a police force we protect life not destroy it.” Seven said with a sternness that set me off.
“I’ll put a motherfucker out of his misery if I have to, and save your little holier-than-thou speech for the media, you know damn well how fucked up this town used to be in my father’s era.” I retorted while rubbing the makeup off my face.
“Leave your father out of this we both know where he stands and as for his time, there were mass migrations because of a dying fucking planet. We’ve solved those, this is a different time.” Seven’s grip was noticeably tighter on the steering wheel.
We hit turbulence flying over the mountain. I smeared the lipstick, I was attempting to remove, up my cheek. I gave up my effort.
“We didn’t solve shit, we may have stopped the progression, mitigated the damage, but we solved nothing. Half the planet is still uninhabitable.” I wanted to keep arguing with him, it was keeping me awake.
“Logan, that’s beside the point. You’re hurting yourself here. You’ve been dragging me out every night until the wee hours of the morning, for what? A street drug? Or a medal of valor? You are playing Vice, shit is bound to happen.” Seven said with a tired annoyance.
“I am simply doing what I believe is right. I saw those bodies the same as you did. I am willing to do what it takes to bring justice to a tragedy. And if that means playing vice so be it. But I’m still human and calling me or anyone meat is dehumanizing!”
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I started frustratedly punching Seven in the arm with an annoyed sibling’s amount of force. Seven was trying to make himself as small as he could against the driver’s door.
“Ow. Even Vet? Ow, Ow, ow, ow, ow...” He was playfully trying to annoy me into stopping, but I was not letting up.
“I thought you at least liked him. Ow.”
I went on punching for another moment until Seven was actually done with it.
“Would you please quit!?” His desperation was finally enough to make me stop.
“Vet was ok, but something was off, he knows something is up, the innocent girl Lance is struggling to say the least.” I looked down at the wig in my lap. “I can see that he’s got this selection. It’s big, It’s organized, it’s almost like it’s curated. No other dealer has anything like it. He’s got to be close to production or something to have that much variety and access.”
“Have you asked him about it?” Seven said flatly.
“Of course, I’ve asked him about it, I’ve asked them all about it.” I rolled my eyes at the answer I was about to give. “Vet said that information was between him and my fucking fake mom. I’m literally picking up the fucking drugs. What is so bad you can’t tell me?!” I vocally sighed, shrugged, and looked out the window. “And you know what the others do.” I made my voice into a mocking voice. “Just try it, how do I know you’re not a cop.” I sighed heavily.
Seven was silent for the rest of the drive. He’d been my partner for years now, he was almost better at reading me than I was. And I now appreciated the silence.
It was morning. I only knew because of the increase in traffic. The sun hadn’t set
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in the past few weeks. I wondered why we kept using time-descriptive words, like morning and night even though it wouldn’t be night for another couple months at this latitude.
I shook my head and tried to focus on the massive structures that occupied the inner borough of Longyear. Towering high rises that challenged the ridges of the surrounding mountains.
The precinct occupied the first dozen or so levels of one of the massive buildings toward the center of town. A concrete uninspiring ground floor that had all the hallmarks of a rushed municipal project. Above were 11 floors of police offices for the Longyear PD, and the rest of the building above housed petty courts and government offices all the way to the top.
I yawned so powerfully it hurt.
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VET’S EXTENDED MEMORY MODULE - SYNTHETIC SOUL.MME 15/8/2035
I looked out of the two story jagged hole in the side of the Goliat toward the skyline of Longyearbyen that I could just barely see. The Goliat’s boat dock was like an ocean cave, providing calmer water for the small boats to come and go.
One of the crude tanks blew a massive hole in the side of the oil rig after detonating the lingering fumes that had sat unchecked for years. Now it’s the main hub for getting on and off the floating city unless you can fly.
I lingered by the water for Chaz, who came and went with the bustle of people who commuted to Spitsbergan’s many cities. I would bring small work projects to finish up as I waited for her.
Today I was rewiring a left hand with cheap off-the-shelf fiber optics and taking the more expensive product-specific cables out to sell separately. Resale augmentations and parts for repair are big business for the Dawn and I was excelling in the craft. I’d even earned myself quite a few upgrades and augmentations for myself. Including a set of cybernetic magnifying lenses for my eyes so I could see the delicate wiring and circuitry.
I worked under Gader, the head synthetic-technician of the Immortal Dawn’s SSH-MMA fight arena med-bay. It wasn’t the only medical facility on the docks, but it was probably the most brutal to work in. The fights commonly ended in complete rebuilds of the entire body, with these guys being little more than vital organs in a synthetic body, after only a few fights, and thats only if you win, if you keep loosing they will probably harvest your augmentations for a better fighter.
Gader said he learned what he knew in the military, but tells me he was never
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deployed. He looked mean, like someone you wouldn’t want to piss off. He had broad shoulders and an attitude that would laugh in the face of authority. He was intimidating as hell. But he was easy to work with and told you exactly what was needed and when.
I was overjoyed to have a position where I didn’t have to go hunting or fight just to keep my home anymore. But I still spent lots of my spare time down at the boats waiting for her.
Chaz put up with me well enough. Even though she said she had no love for us Dawn urchins. Despite her being one of the few who would put up with us and the unsavory nature of our outings. But it didn’t stop me from asking her to hang out, though at this point I knew the answer would always be soon but never now.
She gave me the time here at the docks and I savored it as best I could. But with her little boat full of daily commuters she began to undock. I yelled after her.
“When will I see you again?” I called out over the bustling sounds of our surroundings. I asked her this every time she left. She gave me a shrug and a little smirk. As she always did.
I let the thought of her rule my mind. Her smile would sustain me, but deep down I knew that she was independent. Chaz would never make room in her life for an Immortal Dawn Urchin like me. But at the end of the day, I was just happy to have a friend not associated with this crazy cult.
I made my way back to the med-bay, never once letting the thought of her face leave my mind. I don’t even remember the walk letting that memory marinate until I was interrupted. I snapped out of it as Gader called my name.
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“Vet, where the hell have you been? The preliminary rounds have started. Shit, much longer and you would have missed Mat’s first title fight!”
Gader had prepped a number of beds for the amateur fights and a few of them were already full of groaning contestants who’d been beaten within inches of their lives. A tradition of the Immortal Dawn to prove who was most fit for further synthetic augmentations. It was very illegal. The synthetic tech pushed the limits of the fighter’s abilities but at the end of the day they were only human and brain trauma was still brain trauma regardless of how many hard drives and switches they could stuff in there.
The fights were incredibly popular and streamed all over the habitable world. I’d heard that broadcasts of the fights had even made their way to the Martian colonies.
Gader had a projector covering one full side of the med bay and put spotlights over the beds to keep the light dim so he and his other synthetic technicians and nurses could watch the fights while they worked. Some were quite exhilarating but I found myself closing my eyes as they came to an end. Something about it brought me back to the memory of my own misdeeds and the nausea of attempted murder.
Mat was a true seeker of immortality and had made his way into the ranks of the main card. His fight was painful to watch.
I’d never seen his opponent before. He was introduced as Yazza. He was from another Immortal Dawn house down in Barentsburg about 40 miles south of us.
At first, they felt evenly matched. You could hardly see the speed at which they moved, throwing blows and blocking. But it didn’t take long to realize that Mat was indeed the underdog.
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The moment of realization came in the form of a foot to the chest. Mat just didn’t have the speed to counter. He was thrown into the fence that surrounded the ring. A mist of blood came from his mouth as his head whipped back into the chain links.
I could feel the whole floating city shaking as the crowd roared and got to their feet. The arena, full of thousands of spectators.
Mat had little time to recover and was quickly met with a flurry of attacks from this opponent who moved so fast it was all a blur. But Mat was a tough bastard and wasn’t going out without doing some damage.
The opponent’s flurry of attacks was cut short with Mat slamming his foot down on top of Yazza’s foot who was forced to take a step back.
Mat planted his right foot and twisted into a roundhouse kick. Throwing his augmented shinbone into Yazza’s ribs. I could see immediately that his ribs were broken. Yet Yazza only smiled and adjusted his stance.
Mat, in desperation, tried to gain control of the ring by throwing jabs and moving toward Yazza. Yazza answered this unguarded approach with his own forceful kick. Mat was no match and was again pushed back drastically despite blocking in time.
At that point, I turned away and began feeding fiber optics into the control module I was working on in the corner of the bay. It would eventually help to control someone’s arms or legs. Maybe even Mat’s, when he inevitably gets wheeled in here.
And that he did, bloody and broken. I felt like I was moving in slow motion. The ring-side nurse was holding an IV bag over Mat with his left hand while taking Mat’s heart rate with his right hand.
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I rushed over with a stand for the IV and helped to get the cart next to the Doc-chair. The chair was an automated surgical device that could perform a whole array of procedures. It was used by Synthetic Technicians who aren’t actual surgeons.
I fought back the emotions that began to well up. Seeing Mat like this. I’d only known him for a few months. But he was one of the only close friends I’d ever had.
Gader, the ringside nurse, and I lifted him onto the Doc-chair. A strange medical device that looked like a scorpion with many tails. I could feel how broken Mat was as we moved him. Joints shifted that should never shift and titanium bone felt bent where it should be straight.
My throat closed up as Mat cried out in pain. I could only close my eyes and scrunch my face as I let go of him allowing him to slide into the chair.
Gader went to work on the computer at the foot of the Chair. There were many arms that extended from the top of the chair each with a different medical tool on the end. The arms began to scan and move about. One of the many other nurses put their hand on my shoulder. Before I could move the doors to the med bay flung violently open.
I turned to see a man hardly clothed. His upper body was bare and too perfect to be real, like he had been molded from plastic.
“Let him die!” The intruder yelled as he crossed the floor.
Gader ignored the outburst and leaned closer to the screen to focus. One of the nurses stepped in front of the uncomfortably perfect man, but it did little to stall him. The Nurse froze in a suspiciously ridged manner.
Gader smacked a key on the keyboard and stood up laughing.
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“How much did he cost you Medder?” Gader crossed his arms and smirked.
The arms of the chair descended on Mat moving in small rapid twitches. I watched as an arm topped with a scalpel plunged into Mat’s skin. I turned back to Gader who was standing face to face with Medder.
“He was representing our House, how can we consider ourselves the most worthy House of Immortality with a pitiful show like that!” Medder poked Gader in the center of his chest with his finger. Gader brushed it away and shrugged.
“It was a good show and last I checked only you keep tabs on the immortality list, everyone else is just here for the fights. By the way, have you actually succeeded? Is your life span any longer with all that plastic.” Gader flicked at Medder’s bicep.
“Don’t make me repo your parts, I know what you’ve got. I gave every piece to you.” Medder tried to look stern but his doll-like perfection cut through his intimidation. The other employees of the med-bay took to ignoring the conversation and went about their business. Gader Laughed directly at Medder for a split second before freezing. It was concerning because Gader didn’t stop laughing for anyone.
“Careful big guy, I think you’ve forgotten I still have my leash around your neck. Now if you’d please I’d like to start culling some of the fucking rejects that we have been collecting like a fucking public orphanage.” Medder was screaming only millimeters away from Gader’s face and Gader remained so frozen not even a breath was exhaled from him. “None of you are worthy of Immortality! The rejects of society, you are just cannon fodder, to throw at the immortal wall and see what sticks without risking anything of worth.” He gestured at me. I’d finally had enough of whatever bullshit this man was
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spewing.
“Who the fuck even are you?” I took a step towards this man who was relentlessly demeaning my direct superior demanding my best friend be killed. Medder turned and looked me directly in the eyes. He had this strange smile on his face like he was about to enjoy this.
I was then blinded by a green laser that seemed to project from Medder’s eyes. I couldn’t see and I felt the synthetic lenses in my eyes engage.
I realized what was happening but there was nothing I could do. Gader had mentioned in passing as he installed my synthetic eyes. They had an optical communication port, like plugging in a fiber optic cable without the cable. Short-range laser communication was hugely popular, and often used for secure monetary exchange. Medder had just used my unsecured port to plug in and take control.
My whole body went limp and I crumpled to the floor, left with only my thoughts. Cut off from the mechanics and circuitry that was abundantly more me than I was in this terrifying moment. I had no control. I couldn’t move or close my eyes. I couldn’t breathe.
Like a sleep paralysis nightmare, the seconds seemed to last forever. I could only observe what was happening, knowing I was about to suffocate.
Medder squatted down next to me and grabbed me by the face lifting my whole upper torso and moving me around, looking me over like he was quality control and I was simply an object.
“There’s not a single thing about this person that I deem worthy. Gader you really need to raise your standards.” He looked back into my eyes still holding my face.
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He let me breathe again. I tried to take some massive and desperately needed breaths but he was still in control limiting how deeply I could breathe. It was so horrible I wished he would just let me suffocate.
Medder continued to rummage around in my synthetics. It felt like he was in my brain it was more intrusive than I could possibly articulate. I immediately understood Gader’s submissiveness. You can’t fight if you have no control.
“Gadreel find some better specimens. I’m sick of wasting my perfectly good technology on such insignificance.” Medder let go of my face, giving back control of my own body. He patted me on the shoulder like this was some routine inspection. “His body wouldn’t even survive the augmentations needed to get him to the bare minimum. We don’t need to damage him any further.”
I let my body slump over on the floor. My eyes clenched shut. Hoping he would just leave me alone. I heard the sound of a paper business card being flicked toward me.
“Here kid, don’t say I never did anything for you,” Gader said softly.
I refused to look up at him. Medder addressed him and their voices trailed off leaving me on the floor.
I laid there weeping, now that they were gone.
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