by Gideon Mills
Upgraded
Gideon Mills
Contents
Prologue
1. Life Sucks
2. She has to Help
3. Alive
4. Saving a Life
5. I’m Different
6. Learning the Ropes
7. A new Home
8. An Argument
9. Adventure
10. Mischief Afoot
11. Work, oh my
12. A trip home
13. An old Friend
14. The Resistance
15. Seeing the truth
16. Experiments
17. Adjustment and love
18. A night to remember
19. Mother, please
20. About to change the world
21. Attacking the Mine
22. Pain and Suffering
23. We need to save him
24. Time to save him
25. I’m alive
26. Missing friend
27. Feeling Dirty
28. In search
29. What is going on?
30. The world is different
31. Back home
32. Some fun
33. A talk
34. Unable to help
35. A scary talk
36. Talking to William
37. Going on the Run
38. Traveling
39. Old and New Friends
40. Into the city
41. Riot
42. Clearing her head
43. A Fight
44. A Victory
45. A night of Bliss
46. Heading Home
47. A fight
48. Recovery
49. A Giant Loss
50. A fun talk
51. Running for their Lives
Author Notes
Also by Gideon Mills
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Copyright © 2020 Gideon Mills All Right Reserved
Typography by Dark Cover Designs
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, whether by electronic or mechanical, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations for reviews.
For the people that made this story possible. Thank you.
Prologue
An Attack
Marcus Ward sat in his office in his house on the family compound on the fifth level of Detroit. As he worked, his cat, Soul, walked over to him and rubbed against his leg. The cat, like Marcus, was modified with cybernetic parts added to his body.
A young man in his late twenties, Marcus wasn’t much in the world, and not a high level. Not that he really wanted to level up, or be the top dog in the video game that was life. For the most part Marcus was content with his level.
That was the way life was for the wealthy in the New Republic. Those who weren’t part of the elite didn’t have the luxury or the privilege of being modified. Non-mods were something that Marcus didn’t see often. Not that he would have to travel all that far to see it. He lived in a city with some of the most prosperous families, but it also housed many of the unfortunate. The Street level and level two were for the poorest of the poor. No one on those levels was modified. The Mara Corp didn’t deem them worthy.
As Marcus finished his work for the day as a programmer for a company in the city, his phone rang. Looking down, he saw it was his good friend William Mara calling. William was not in the good graces of his aunt Keres, the head of the company. He was one of the few who wasn’t frightened by her.
“What’s up?” Marcus asked. It was the early evening, and they didn’t have plans together that night.
“Haven’t hung out in a while.”
William was right. It had been two weeks or so since they had. They typically didn’t go through long stretches like this.
“Luke and I are down at my place having a few drinks,” William said.
Marcus smiled. They didn’t drink often, since it wasn’t the smartest thing to do with the cybernetics attached. It could at time mess with the implant at the brain stem that integrated the mods and allowed them to work properly.
“I have a few things to do,” Marcus said. “But when I’m done, I can join you.”
“Great.”
The line went dead.
Soul followed Marcus around the house, watching him prep for the night. Marcus had to go meet with his family. Even though he lived close by, he rarely visited them. One of the problems of residing near family was that if he went too long without seeing them, his mother could easily give him hell.
Marcus wished he had been like William, who had moved and now lived on level four. That was much better for William and gave him plenty of distance from the rest of the Maras. Especially his mother.
Twenty minutes later, Marcus stood in the main house on his family’s compound. It was one of the largest homes in Detroit. Only Keres Mara’s main residence was bigger and grander. Not that she spent a lot of time in her home. Marcus heard she was busy at the building where his brother, Jameson, worked.
The main foyer of his family home was large and inviting, at least to most people. Marcus had grown to hate it with a passion. Memories of meeting important people at the house and greeting them made him flash back to many painful memories. They would try to butter him and his brother up to get on his family’s good side just because they were ranked socially up there with the Maras.
It was fake to Marcus, and he loathed it. Having to deal with all those people had grown tiresome. That was one of the many reasons he didn’t work directly for the Mara Corp, though he had learned that the company he worked for was a part of it. In fact, most the businesses in Detroit and many in the New Republic were in some way part of the Mara Corp.
Most of the citizens realized that the President of the New Republic did Keres’s bidding, but Marcus had learned firsthand how powerful she was. Having seen her dole out her justice over the years, he was relieved to have some distance from her, however small.
“Marcus,” a voice said. His younger brother Jameson walked in. His brother appeared to be happy. “You’re late.”
The older brother shrugged. “If you say so.”
“Mother said you would be here ten minutes ago.”
Their mother always had certain expectations for them. She often got on Marcus and Jameson about having families of their own. It wasn’t like Marcus was old. He wasn’t even thirty yet, and his brother was a few years younger. They both had time, and Marcus felt no need to rush. He wasn’t even sure if he’d ever find someone to love.
The pair walked through the house and into the large dining room with its vaulted ceiling and ornate details. The molding was old, from before the war that led to the rise of the New Rebulic.
World War Three had led to the demise of America. Weapons of mass destruction had wreaked havoc across the world, and many of the largest cities were no more. Detroit was one of the few that had been able to rebuild. The northeastern area of old United States of America was still devastated.
At the table sat his mother and father, plus a bonus guest. Keres Mara. It took all Marcus had not to groan. Some of the worst memories of his childhood were associated with her. Ones that he refused to think about. Seeing Keres here surprised him. She did not normally visit with his family. Marcus’s heart raced in shock. Keres visiting was never a good sign.
“You could have warned me,” Marcus whispered to Jameson.
“And miss you shaking in your boots? I don’t think so.” It was no shock that Jameson didn’t give Marcus a heads-up at all, since he could be a jerk at times. Almost too cruel to those around him.
They walked to the table and took their places, which luckily were on the
other side of the table from Keres.
The modifications in Marcus’s body automaticaly scanned everyone in the room. Not that he needed them too. He knew all the readouts on them, and their levels.
A readout that only he could see:
Keres Mara: CEO Mara Corp
Stats:
Intelligence: 10
Strength: 9
Cunning: 10
Speed: 5
Modification: classified
Every time Marcus got to the last line with Keres it shocked him. She had removed her data from the system, and that gave her an advantage, and Marcus loathed that. She was gaming the system. Like she had her own little cheap code. Marcus needed to figure that out.
Marcus nodded at her and turned to his parents. “Mom. Dad. It’s good to see you.”
His father nodded but didn’t speak. He gave Marcus a look that said, “do not embarrass me.”
His mother smiled. “It is about time you visited.”
“Mother, it hasn’t been that long.”
It had been close to a month, and that didn’t feel lengthy enough for Marcus. He just didn’t want to be here. Anywhere but here.
“Too long for my liking.” She glanced at Keres as if to say, “Bear with me. I need to get my son in line.”
Marcus despised it when she treated him like a child and wished he could do something about it. But he also knew that if he did, he would regret it.
“I’m sorry, Mother.”
“Good. Don’t let it happen again.”
Keres smiled as if this had been part of her everyday life, which Marcus knew wasn’t the case. She had no kids or family to speak of. She worked every day and spent more time at her office than at her house.
“How is the facility coming?” Keres asked.
“Fine,” Marcus’s father said. “We should have it upgraded in a month.”
Marcus had no idea what they were talking about, and he didn’t care much. His father was in charge of the drone/droid division of Mara Corp. It was both important is some ways and irrelevant in others. At least, that was how it was seen in many peoples’ eyes, but not to his father and not to Keres. It was clear they had plans, ones Marcus wanted nothing to do with.
After fifteen minutes of polite chat, servants carried in the food and it meant he didn’t have too much longer to stay. Unlike the rest of the table, Marcus dug in and ate fast. He didn’t care if it made him look uncivilized. The faster he could leave, the better.
Once done, he stood. “It’s been great, but I have to go.”
“Really. You aren’t going to stay?” his mother asked.
“I can’t. I have plans.”
“Meeting William and Luke doesn’t count as plans,” Jameson said.
Marcus glared at his brother. Jameson used a tone that oozed with a nasty attitude. Marcus could almost see him saying, “I want to ruin your plans.” Marcus despised the voice his brother used when he did that.
His brother was the minor game antagonistin his life. The one that was always nagging at him. Peeking at him. Trying to make him strike. If Marcus did, he knew that would be when the big baddie of the game would apear to kick his butt.
“I never said that was what I was doing.”
“You don’t have to,” his mother said.
Marcus sighed and nodded to his father and Keres. “It has been great.”
He departed his own personal hell.
Outside the house was his motorcycle that he left out front after riding it over, a nice machine that his family disapproved of. That might be part of why he enjoyed riding. It was a way of defying his family and having a bit of fun. Riding his motorcycle was sometthing that gave him great joy in his life, though that happiness came from the displeasure of his family.
Marcus strapped on his helmet and jumped on the bike. It revved to life with a push of a button. Speeding away from the manor, Marcus let the wind hiss by him as he went. One of the many reasons he liked the motorcycle was that it let him actually drive. Most of the vehicles now drove themselves to keep people safe, but motorcycles hadn’t been integrated into the system yet. Marcus hoped they never were put into the system, but he feared that Keres would make it happen. What Keres wanted, Keres got.
Even though they weren’t part of the system, the bike still intregated with him. That allowed him to see the world in a different way. Through the bike and around him, taking in a more three hundred and sixty degree view. Almost as if he was playing a third person action RPG.
The sun set on Marcus as he rode to the elevator that would take him down to level four. Only the top level saw the sun since each level was covered by the ones above it. Marcus wondered if the Streeters ever saw the sun and what they thought of it.
The buildings on level four were massive. The top level was more of a residential part of Detroit, home to the elite. Not to say there weren’t a few large buildings housing the millions of people who lived here.
After the war, Detroit had became the largest city and the capital of the New Republic. Even thought the elites numbered in the millions, it didn’t feel that way at times. The Maras and a few other families made up the center of power.
The ride down on the elevator was slow. Going from four to five or vice-versa was never fast since the fourth level was home to the biggest building in Detroit.
William lived near the elevator, about as far he could from his work and get there in a reasonable amount of time. Marcus parked next to the lavish apartment building. It was home to many people who wanted to live on level five but couldn’t.
Marcus used to give William a hard time about it but had stopped recently, knowing that it rubbed William in the wrong way. William hated the teasing and loved his home. Being away from his family was a curse and blessing for him, but Marcus was also jealous of him.
Marcus knocked on William’s door after a short ride up.
“About time,” Willam said and stepped aside to let Marcus enter.
It wasn’t much of a place, but it had some extravagant furnishings to match the man. He was tall with a beard. In his hand was a tall glass of beer.
“You started without me,” Marcus said.
Luke appeared behind his brother. “You know Willy. He can’t take anything seriously and is so impatient.” The younger brother held two glasses and handed one to Marcus.
“Thank you,” Marcus said, taking the glass.
They made their way to the living room. It was filled with a nice couch and a large TV and sound system. Turning it on, they watched the latest news. It was all that the Mara Corp allowed on TV at this time of day. They controlled all the media, and it wasn't until later evening that they allowed for more entertaining broadcast. There were ways around the limited programming if a person dared. Marcus and company did not dare. They knew they would be made an example of if they even thought of it.
“Put some music on,” Luke said.
William changed it to some electronic music he enjoyed as they started on their second drinks. Marcus smiled. It was nice to relax and not worry about his job or family.
The night rolled on as they continued to drink. It was a small miracle that Marcus’s cybernetic arm still worked as he consumed more alcohol.
“What are you thinking about?” Luke asked Marcus.
“On the way over, I was thinking about the sun and the Streeters. You think they have ever seen the sun?”
William shrugged. “I doubt it. They live in hell.”
“How would you know?” Luke asked, his speech at this point slightly slurred.
“It’s what they tell us,” Willam said. “I see no reason for them to lie about that. If they said it was great and luxurious, then I would think they were pulling our dicks.”
The trio laughed loud and hard, more than the joke deserved, but that didn’t matter. After a while, the men settled back down.
“I wonder what it is really like,” Marcus said.
Willam and Luke glanced at each other and
smiled. Marcus didn't like that one bit. He knew something bad was about to happen.
Sure enough, both of them blurted out, “Dare time.”
“Ugh,” Marcus said.
Willam leaned over to Marcus. “We dare you to go to level one. And not just ride the elevator down and up. Legit down. Get off and take a good look around.”
They had a rule between them, and it meant he had to accept it or pay a very high price, one that he wasn’t willing to pay. “Very well.”
“Good,” Luke said. “Tomorrow afternoon.”
The next afternoon, Marcus stood in front of William’s building. The brothers were going to drop him off and then wait for him to call back. Loitering wasn’t allowed in the city.
Willam exited the building with Luke in tow.
“You ready?” William asked.
“As I’ll ever be.” Marcus gave William a dirty look and walked to the car.
It was a long and dreadful trip to the second level and the special elevator that conneccted the upper levels to the street. Stopping, Marcus regretted even talking about the first level. Now, he was going to witness it firsthand. He exited William’s car and walked to the only entry point available to the first level.
They had other ways to leave the city without going to the first level. Not that Marcus had ever ventured from his city. Not many people did. The war had left much of the country barren. There were few other cities, and they had lots of people packed inside them too.
