Beta Gamer Three (Preview)
A new-age tech-driven world staring a hardcore independent woman warrior
Chapter One Preview
(In the sewers of Xion)
“I hate this city.”
Tink. Tink. Tink.
Water droplets pinged on a long rusted pipe that stretched for miles beneath the city.
Tink-tink-tink-tink.
I kept my breath low, determined to steady the hammering beat in my chest. Despite my efforts every step sent a rippling echo to cascade down the dark tunnel. Though this supply run had become routine, the jitters never faded, the excitement of doing something dangerous heated my skin.
Tink-tink-tink.
In the center of the sewer a few passes ahead a blue beam of light poured down like a waterfall. It lit up the dark secrets buried beneath the streets. A rusted animatronic arm with green and blue wires poking out like loose tendons laid haphazardly on stacked sheets of junk metal and garbage. One of the chrome fingers with blue accents that once resembled veins, was mangled–bent at an unnatural angle to the left.
I knelt down to inspect the damage, to see if it was worth swiping.
Fig isn’t going to be happy if I don’t bring him something useful.
From my lungs, a soft, depleted breath slipped out as I looked up. I extended my reach, my fingers just barely scraping the smooth metal that separated me from Xion’s streets.
As I turned the semi-elaborate locking mechanism, my hairs stood on end.
Did I really want to jeopardize my freedom for a few supplies? I went over the mental list in my head:
Food generator core
Fake digital ID replacement
Power core
Water
A pitiful groan rumbled through my lips as the truth of my situation became evermore pressing; waves of hunger rose to my chest.
I hate this place.
It was safe to say that I would rather be stung by a million Pinching Thistle Wasps than live here. Only the most dire of circumstances could get me to walk among these people. Avoiding this brainwashing hub was the only way to be alive. If you were unfortunate enough to believe that this city was the best place to be, I felt little empathy for you. You were too far gone and just another disposable piece of equipment that couldn’t think for themselves.
The surrounding lands of Xion were vast and mainly undiscovered. From what I found there were dangers that bended the mind, things that were foreign but rang with truths that seemed just out of reach.
Inside the walls of the city the streets were built like a labyrinth. Alleyways turned into hellspots, sewers became hidden dumping grounds, industrial storefronts swindled the poor while haggle shop owners did everything they could to get by. Neighborhoods were divided by income brackets, cyborg class mods, societal roles and the occasional outcasts(me).
Neon lights lit up the city in a sickly green glow, coating everything it touched in a translucent slime. Many found the hum of the city soothing, but I couldn’t shake the nauseating feeling that something truly evil clung to the walls of Xion.
For as long as I could remember, I ran. I ran from the Society Protection Units (SPU), clung to the shadows, became a street rat. I stole to survive and lived beyond the walls, far away from surveillance and drone patrols. I found solace on the side of a mountain where an old lab used to be. What it was once used for, I didn’t know.
Come on Cecelia, Fig is waiting.
The gears to the latch clicked loudly, booming through the sewer in layers. Paranoid, my eyes darted around the space to see if anything had changed.
Looking back up at the dome shaped porthole, the shape began to change. I watched as the dome collapsed into the lining, the blue light from a neon sign shown on my face.
With fluidity I jumped, hooked my fingers to the rim, swung my legs to gain momentum and forced myself up and out.
The sewer porthole was located in the back end of an alley illuminated by a blue neon sign with a half lit arrow. “Figs Animatronic Rescue.”
A glass bottle clattered behind me to my left. Quickly, I pulled my enchanted hood over my head and pushed on the rare bejeweled emblem that laid atop my sternum. The fabric began to melt into my skin. It weaved in and out of every molecule until I was invisible. This cloak was one of the best gifts I had ever received from Fig, I was lucky he looked out for me. Without him there would be nothing left of me.
The familiarity of the worn down alleyway guided me mindlessly towards Fig’s dwelling. Shattered glass, discarded batteries, and half-functioning androids lined the narrow space. I ignored most everything in my path, until I came across a cyborg sleeping with their back against the weathered brick wall.
Glittering beneath the surface of his chipped arm was a faint golden disk. Instinctively, I crouched down and began to shimmy closer. His head hung heavily as he slumped forward, taking in deep rattled breaths.
From what I could tell, he was a worker for one of the factories, not an SPU soldier. From my belt I grabbed a small tinker tool and gently tapped the plate surrounding the disk with my pinky. A puff of condensed blue smoke billowed out as the golden disk began to lift from his forearm.
He shuffled, the gravel scraping softly beneath his rusted chrome boots.
Frozen in place, I waited for him to readjust, the arm I was working on fell limply by his side. Even though he was a worker, the quality of his build was surprisingly light. Most factory workers were dense in build to protect them from being crushed by the heavy machinery. For whatever reason, he was not built this way. He was built as if he was a runner. Like a mail runner.
Maybe he did do deliveries. I just thought they were treated better than this.
I loosened the wiring that wove deep into the fibers of his person, careful not to slice through the delicate machinery and after a few moments, I was able to release the golden disk. Similar to that of an eye, long strands hung loosely from the base. Beautiful, shimmering wires of silver ribbon. Each glittered and glowed, holding neurons of data and coding that connected people to the government’s digital I.D database. Strong enough to trap a nation of people, delicate by design.
With the quick pass of my tongue over my teeth, I activated a cool breath that filled my mouth. Gently, I blew onto the strands, coating them in ice. The strands began to coil upwards in a protective hold until they were reabsorbed by the golden disk that was now frozen over.
He seized my elbow, glowing eyes of silver and green stared with a dumbfounded expression at the floating disk.
“What the hell is going on?” His voice demanded in a blurry haze.
Without thinking, I bashed my forehead into his, freeing my arm from his grip, and shoved his I.D disk into the hidden pocket of my cloak. He yowled in discomfort.
“Not again!” His voice came out as a plea.
I backed away slowly, careful not to disturb my surroundings.
“Give it back!”
He was standing now, waving his arms about in search of me.
Shut up!
From my pocket I pulled out a small vile full of green liquid and threw it at his eyes.
“Please-” He collapsed to the ground snoring loudly.
“You’ll get another one by morning.”
The SPU will see to that.
I continued out of the alleyway into the semi lit green glow of the street like nothing happened.