by Drew Cordell
“Hello, Caeldra. Who is this?” he asked as he eyed me suspiciously. I really stuck out in my street clothes; everyone else on this level was in uniform or guild leather.
“This is Jake. He’s a new Initiate,” she responded.
I kept my composure, not wanting to discredit her lie.
“He was given a scrip from a mysterious stranger on the surface and would like to redeem it if it’s valid.”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the scrip that entitled me to Asset 47CZ-K8b and handed it to him. He looked it over and then looked back at the two of us.
“This is quite old. Let me check the system to see if we still have it.” He typed something and looked it over with appraising eyes. “It’s still here. Sending a request to have it brought up.”
A few minutes later, two men emerged pulling a cart with a large metal footlocker on it. “Asset 47CZ-K8b,” one of them said.
They brought over the footlocker and set it in front of me. My heart froze when I read the faded writing on the box:
Asset 47CZ-K8b, Property of Wesley Ashton.
13 WINDFALL
∆∆∆
I staggered back when I read the label on the crate but somehow managed to catch my footing. Caeldra observed me and grabbed my arm to support me from falling.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, worried.
“That’s my father’s name. Wesley Ashton was my father and Edgar told me he didn’t know him.”
“Well, it’s possible another Guild member acquired the box from your father and had it stored. Let’s not jump to conclusions. We can discuss this with Edgar when there is more time. You can either open it up now or wait until you hear from the Council.”
“I’ll open it now,” I said.
I reached down and fumbled with the two latches on the crate and opened it. Inside was a menacing looking gun that rested on top of a leather jacket and backpack.
“Guild leathers, a Runner’s pack, and a C-15. Wow. Well, this will help you reduce your costs for supplies if you are admitted. The bag and jacket are a little old, but they’ll do the trick.”
I pulled out the jacket, careful not to jostle the gun too much, and tried it on. The inside was still soft, while the exterior leather looked slightly cracked. It was a perfect fit.
“That jacket needs some oil, but it’s still in excellent condition,” Caeldra commented.
I picked up the backpack and examined it. It was made of some sort of synthetic material and only had one strap. A sealed envelope rested inside. I picked up the envelope and carefully slid it into the pocket of the jacket I was wearing. I didn’t care to hold the C-15, as Caeldra had called it, because I had no experience with guns and didn’t want to put anyone in danger. It was a short and stocky looking rifle that held a massive tank of some sort of gas under a metal cage.
“That rifle won’t be ideal for your occupation, but it will fetch a nice price from the Armory and will help you purchase the gear you’ll need.”
“Why isn’t it a good gun for a Runner?”
“Too bulky, too heavy, too big. You want a compact firearm that will be ideal for close to medium range only. You also want it to be quiet. Take a look,” Caeldra said as she pulled her handgun from her hip holster and flipped it in her hand so the back of the gun was facing me. The gun seemed to be made out of a light metal alloy which had been painted black and neon pink in an exotic pattern.
I took the gun from her and examined it in my hands awkwardly. It had a decent weight to it, but felt very nimble.
“Press the button on the side to open the targeting sight.”
I pressed the side button, and a digital hologram sight digitized from the top of the gun. The digital sight seemed like it would make aiming easier. I nodded and handed the weapon back to her. After returning it to its holster, she turned back toward me.
“It’s a CZR-7. Single or burst fire with a hybrid receiver that accepts CO2 or Hexathoxian. Best weapon a Runner could ask for, and also way cheaper than a C-19—which is the much newer version of that rifle you’ve got there. The C-15 does have its merits, though.”
“You do realize I have no idea what you’re talking about, right?”
She blushed. “Yeah, but you’d better start taking notes. Anyway, I’ll store this stuff for you right now, and we’ll get you back up to wait for the Council’s decision.”
Caeldra closed the footlocker with all of my stuff in it and handed it back to the man behind the counter.
“Keep it safe for me please,” she said to the Quartermaster. The small man signaled one of the workers to grab the case, and it was moved behind the counter.
“Again, don’t bring this up with Edgar until we hear from the council and be respectful when you do. You need to give him the benefit of the doubt that he didn’t lie to you. He’s gone out of his way to help you, much more so than you probably know.”
“I understand. It’s just odd.”
“I hear you, Jake. Let’s get you back up to wait for the Council’s decision.”
Caeldra led me back to the main level, and after several flights of stairs, I felt winded and short of breath. Caeldra seemed completely unfazed by the trip. She led me back to where we stood and waited outside the Council Hall. I didn’t really feel like talking, and Caeldra didn’t press me; she could probably tell I was upset. After about fifteen minutes, Justicar Chloe Schaff opened the doors and motioned me inside. It was impossible for me to discern any clues from her calm demeanor. I sat at the desk and looked at the Council members before me. Edgar was also impossible to read, though I suspected he was required to be professional on official Guild business.
Justicar Schaff addressed me and started the session.
“Jake. It is with great pleasure that we offer you admittance to the Champions of Liberty and invite you to become an Initiate under an accepting sponsor. Once you find a sponsor in your chosen path of specialty, you will be eligible to earn a salary as well as promotions. Until you find a sponsor, you will be assigned to the barracks for general training. You will speak to the Admittance Counselor to get everything in order. For the record, all but one of the members of the Council voted for your admittance. If you would like to proceed and join us, then we will swear you in right now.”
I nodded. “I’m ready to swear in.” I saw Edgar give me a proud smile as I said the words. I didn’t react and tried not to look at him or think about what was troubling me.
A man in a suit walked over and handed me a sheet of paper with my oath to read to the Council.
“Please place your right hand over your heart and recite your oath,” Justicar Schaff said to me.
I placed my hand over my heart and began reading aloud.
“I pledge my honor, life, and faith in The Champions of Liberty. I vow to serve the Guild and serve the people in all of my actions and to preserve the truth until my death. I will seek to better myself and others through the unalienable rights given to me as a human being, the rights the Government has taken from me. I understand and accept the dangers of being in this organization and pledge never to betray this Guild or any of its members. Above all, I swear to preserve the concept of liberty throughout time.”
“Jacob Ashton, it is with great honor and privilege that we accept you into our ranks. You are dismissed to speak with the Admittance Counselor,” Edgar said to me.
I nodded my head and took my leave. Caeldra was grinning at me when I exited the room. She pulled me into a hug and slapped my back a little too hard. “I’ll take care of your paperwork; I’ll be sponsoring you. Let’s go get you geared, and we will start your training.”
Caeldra guided me toward the stairs we had descended before.
“I’ll cover your gear, and you can pay me back with your earnings. It isn’t going to be cheap, but you need it all for the job you’re going to do. Without the right gear, you're likely to lose your life,” Caeldra said to me.
“All right. Will there be an interest
expense?”
“No, I don’t plan on gouging my student. You’ll earn one-quarter of your wages until your debt has been paid. Leroy will get you fitted for everything once we get down there. You’ll have a couple of choices to make with some of the pieces available to you, so he’ll give you some gear to try out over the next few days to decide what’s best for you.”
“Got it. Thank you, Caeldra. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me out. I’m looking forward to learning from you.”
“Again, we’ll see about that when we start your training,” she said with a smirk.
After descending all the stairs, Caeldra led me over to a counter close to the Quartermaster where a tall man with dark skin in his twenties stood. He had a thin beard and short cut brown hair. He was cleaning some sort of rifle on the counter and had various parts and tools scattered across the workspace.
“Who is this?” he asked Caeldra in a warm voice.
“My new apprentice, Jake,” she replied.
He wiped his hand on a small rag and extended it toward me. “The name’s Leroy,” he said with a smile.
“My pleasure,” I replied as I shook his hand.
“I’d imagine you are here for some gear. Let’s get your measurements,” he said.
“I’ll be right back, Leroy. Jake has a mystery benefactor who has provided him with some equipment. He’s got something to trade in as well,” Caeldra said as she walked over to the Quartermaster.
Leroy nodded and began measuring me with a tape ruler. After a couple of minutes, Caeldra returned with my footlocker and placed it on the counter. After opening it, she pulled out the short rifle, and Leroy’s eyes lit up.
“A C-15? Very nice. We’ll take good care of you for that, Jake,” Leroy said as he took the rifle from Caeldra.
Leroy examined the gun in his hands and adjusted a small knob on the gas tank. He aimed the gun at the floor and pulled the trigger. The weapon hissed to life, and small bolts of energy began to slam into the concrete ground producing small scorch marks.
“Excellent condition. I’ll give you fifteen units against your gear.”
I was stunned and looked toward Caeldra who gave me a slight nod. I had no clue how much everything would cost, but fifteen units was a lot of money—a small fortune actually.
“He’s got a working jacket and backpack in here as well so he won’t need those,” Caeldra told him.
“All right. Let me grab some stuff from the back, and we’ll get you set with your kit,” Leroy said as he walked into a back room. After a few minutes, he emerged carrying a large cardboard box loaded to the brim. Leroy handed me the cargo pants and running boots first.
“Military grade synthetic material. It will adapt with your Artemis link to keep your temperature regulated.”
I almost asked what an Artemis link was, but waited as it would probably be addressed. Next, Leroy passed me a black harness with a hip holster and large looking carabiner attached to the front of some sort of mechanical gadget.
“This is your harness. The hook will be essential for moving quickly between levels on your routes. It’s designed to be comfortable. Go ahead and put on your jacket, Jake,” Leroy said to me.
After doing as he asked, Leroy attached what looked to be a metal plate to the front of the jacket.
“This is your Nanotech module. It will protect you from energy blasts as well as kinetic forces and can be morphed into a variety of tools or weapons that include mechanical parts. Of course, you will be limited on what you can create in terms of mechanical devices due to the nature of Nanotech. This module will link with your system. Now for the most important part.”
“Can I change the appearance of my jacket?” I asked.
“No. Nexweave isn't available anymore, and we can’t manufacture it. I'm guessing you saw Justicar Barton’s jacket. Cool, huh?” he asked.
“Yeah, it's awesome,” I replied.
Leroy pulled out a thick looking wristband which included a large screen. I pulled up my sleeve as he slipped it on my right arm, the one without the cast.
“You’ll feel a slight pinch,” he told me.
I winced as his words proved true. Then the screen lit up and displayed my heart rate, along with several other stats as well as a small map with my location. I felt my jacket shift and looked down to see the Nanotech patch dissolve into the leather.
“Pull down your sleeve, then think about seeing the display,” Leroy told me.
I did as he said and when I willed the screen to appear, it did—only it looked as though the display had been delicately sewn into the leather jacket itself.
“You’re now connected to Artemis, our most powerful asset. Caeldra will teach you to use it, but Artemis will keep you alive and give you access to any information available to us.”
Leroy then attached a flashlight to the shoulder of my jacket and slid a large sealed pack of medical supplies, food, and water to me. He passed me a strange looking earpiece and small black box.
“The earpiece will allow you to communicate with others as well as receive audio information from Artemis. Just think of what you want to do, and Artemis will take care of the rest. The small box contains your contact lenses. They also connect with your system and will augment your vision. Now, let’s get you a weapon.”
Leroy opened three cases in front of me. I recognized one of the pistols as the same one Caeldra carried, but the other two were different.
“We’ve got the CZR-7, which is what Caeldra uses, the CZ-7, and the C8 here. You’ll have to decide which one is best for you. The CZR-7 is specifically created for Runners, the CZ-7 is the standard sidearm for the Guild, and the C8 is designed to have more power at closer ranges at the cost of accuracy and ammo consumption.”
“Your choice, Jake, but the CZR-7 is more versatile than the others,” Caeldra told me.
I picked up all three weapons and liked the feel of the CZR-7 the most. The CZ-7 felt a bit heavier than the CZR-7, and the C8 felt clumsy.
“Can I change this out if I don’t like it?” I asked as I realized the weapons might perform differently than they felt just by weight and balance.
“Yeah, we’ll get you taken care of. That’s a fine choice,” Leroy told me with a grin as he passed me three extra magazines and a large CO2 tank.
Finally, he gave me a small bracelet which held the glass pill containing the poison concoction Edgar had mentioned. “That will be thirty-two units in total,” he told us.
I gawked at the price of the equipment. “Is that the cost before or after my trade-in?” I asked as I tried to keep the fear out of my voice.
“That’s with your trade in. This equipment is worth the cost, though,” Leroy said.
Caeldra paid Leroy, and we both thanked him. He wished me the best on my training as we departed. Caeldra led me farther down to the locker rooms and gave me a key with the number 731 written on it.
“Get changed and store your footlocker. You’ll need everything else.”
I nodded and walked into the room. Thick clouds of steam and a strong but pleasant scent flowed through the tiled room. Several other people were walking around the locker room, and I could hear the hiss of water from the showers in the back. A naked woman walked past me, and I did my best not to stare. Reading through the steam proved difficult, but I eventually found my locker.
I decided to return the unopened letter to the footlocker so I wouldn’t lose it in training. After storing all of my old clothes and changing into my new ones, I slung the backpack over my shoulder and walked out. Caeldra grinned when she saw me.
“You don’t look so green now. Let’s get your bag packed,” she said.
Caeldra showed me where to put all of my supplies as well as how Artemis could keep track of what I had on hand. After packing everything, we walked over to a thick steel door that was marked with a spray-painted skull. Caeldra placed her hand on a scanner, and the door clicked open. It was pitch black down the narrow corridor, and I c
ouldn’t see anything past a few feet. She motioned me to take the lead and walked behind me as I slowly moved forward.
“Hey Jake?” she asked.
“Yeah?”
“Your training starts now,” she said as she gave me a hard shove on the back.
I stumbled forward and suddenly felt myself falling into a pit of darkness.
14 DARKNESS
∆∆∆
I felt a cold rush as I rapidly fell. My breath was pushed out of my lungs as I unsuccessfully tried to scream. The air started to whistle in my ears then howled as I accelerated. I hit something soft that gave way under the impact and seemed to crunch. I groaned and rolled onto my back, trying to pull myself out of the deep pit my body created across the surface of the landing pad. I grunted and focused on breathing as I tried to stretch out the tension in my shaking muscles, still unable to see a thing.
It was much hotter down here, the air was thick with unpleasant moisture and the smell of rot. I was thankful I hadn’t landed on my bad wrist.
“I'll assume you've landed now,” a familiar voice called through my earpiece.
There was no way of telling where I was in the darkness.
“What the hell! Caeldra, where am I?” I yelled.
“We like to call it the Gauntlet. You’ll have to choose whether you make it out. I don't think you’ll have long before the residents of those parts realize you are there, especially if you yell like that. Use Artemis, and you’ll get out alive.”
My heart was pounding in my chest and the fear of the residents Caeldra mentioned caused my thoughts to become manic.
“Who lives down here, Caeldra?” I asked as quietly as I could.
“I think you mean what, Jake.”
Despite the heat, I felt chilled as goosebumps crept along my skin. I tried my best to collect my thoughts and remembered the flashlight on my shoulder. I turned it on using my mind and circled around trying to see my surroundings. The darkness of the place was the worst part; there were no lights in this portion of the Undercity, and it looked like the area had been abandoned for a very long time.
