Neon District: ALPHA (The Neon District Trilogy, Book 1)

by Chad Campbell

  “Yeah I’m all good here. Just had a little scuffle, nothing to worry about,” he said.

  “Oh, man. I’m so relieved! Are you hurt? Wait! Is your friend Caiden there? Last time I saw him he took off after you.” Yvora said.

  “Whoa, slow down now. Take a deep breath. I’m fine, and yes Caide is here with me now,” Vantz said.

  “Oh, good! So glad you guys aren’t hurt! Hey, um, would I be able to speak to Caiden really quick?” Yvora asked.

  Vantz grinned. “Uh, sure.” He gestured to Caiden with the phone in his hand, ear to ear smile on his face.

  “What are you smiling like that for?” Caiden asked.

  Vantz gestured one more time and Caiden took the phone. “Uh, hello?” Caiden asked tentatively.

  “Hi. It’s me, Yvora. Are you okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah, more or less.”

  “I think we should hang out some time. I mean, well, it’s just that you seemed to be having such a good time on the dancefloor back at the club. I figured we should, you know, pick up where we left off? Maybe?” Yvora said.

  “Um, sure. O-okay,” Caiden replied in shock.

  “Great! How about tomorrow night? Well technically it would be tonight since it's already three in the morning now, but you get what I mean. Meet me at my place around eight p.m. Sound good?” she asked.

  “Okay,” Caiden replied.

  “Awesome! I’ll see you later! I’ll have Vantz give me your number and I’ll text you my contact info. Don’t forget to check your phone when you get home. Bye!” she said, hanging up. Caiden handed the phone back to Vantz.

  “Looks like somebody’s got a date! Am I right?” Vantz asked.

  “I dunno. I guess?” Caiden replied.

  “Look at you! ‘Uh, uh, o-okay’. That’s all that you could say? You should see the stupid look on your face!” Vantz said, contorting his face and imitating Caiden’s surprised expression. “This is awesome! I just knew you two would hit it off man! You got the prettiest girl in the city, hands down. And you put in zero work for it, all thanks to me!” Vantz continued with a celebratory tone.

  The two friends were a few feet away from Caiden’s concealed hypercycle. As Vantz basked in the glory of his own magnificence, Caiden, who was lost in thought, felt that same feeling he felt when he was being watched back in Merchant’s Rowe once again. He looked around; perhaps it was a false alarm.

  “Hey, Caide! Back to reality, Caide! You okay, man?” Vantz asked.

  “Yeah, sorry. It’s been a long night,” Caiden replied.

  Vantz, still in his attire from the club, adjusted his disheveled jacket and dusted off the dirt on his sleeve. “You’re absolutely right. Let’s get the fuck outta here. I’m gonna need to visit a psyche booth after the trauma I’ve experienced tonight,” Vantz said.

  Caiden shrugged, then removed the chameleo-ware cloak from his hypercycle. They both got on. Caiden revved up the engine, and they traveled back to Vantz’s apartment. A person emerged from the shadows before disappearing again; Caiden’s intuition had been right.

  It was a little after three a.m. upon returning to the apartment. An exhausted Vantz went straight to his bed and passed out. The affair took a massive toll on him. Caiden, now alone in the living room, was also in shock as he stared aimlessly. Things keep getting more and more out of hand...I dunno how much more of this I can take he desperately thought to himself.

  Unable to quell the restless energy, he grabbed his keys, the clothes delivery the twins ordered, and headed back out to his hypercycle. His destination was Home-base. Knowing the twins would be sleeping, he wanted to at least drop off the clothes and then head back to Vantz's place in hopes that the ride would help him clear his head and allow him to get some much-needed rest when he returned.

  CHAPTER 21

  ---usr/systems/server-x/TEAR UNIT DISPATCHED---

  It was almost half past three in the morning. The TEAR unit was on site near some abandoned warehouses in West Andromeda District.

  “General Cain, sir. We have arrived at the site. We will begin the livestream transmission now,” Lt. Daav said.

  “Good. Changing communication channel to encrypt mode. From here on out you have lead of the mission,” General Cain replied.

  “Affirmative, sir,” Daav replied.

  “Alright, you pansies. Time to get shit done. Everyone, activate your tracker visuals and night vision. Weapons locked and loaded. We’re splitting up into four groups; Kena and Romi are with me. We’ll be inspecting the Clone Farm. Tranes and Callum will cover the western area of this warehouse graveyard. Violet and Tona, head half a klick north, survey the area. Regos and Mox, you guys remain here Guard the vehicles and inspect the surrounding area. If any one of you find anything, any clues, report it to me, then the rest of the team. We will rendezvous at the coordinates I sent you in fifteen minutes. Let’s get a move on,” Daav said.

  “Yes, sir!” they replied in unison.

  The skillful unit dispersed, thoroughly searching high and low for clues of the intruder’s whereabouts. Equipped with powerful tracking devices, each member was capable of identifying the footprints of anyone who traversed the area for up to five hours after the prints were left. Daav and his team, using their devices, traced the footsteps of the intruder through the secret entrance of the Clone Farm.

  “Looks like this guy is an exceptional hacker, sir,” Sgt. Kena stated.

  Daav marched into the facility. Officer Dames had finished his shift and left shortly after his call with General Cain. With no guards on standby, the facility was running on automated mode.

  “No equipment appears to have been tampered with, sir,” Sgt. Romi stated.

  “None of this makes any sense. Why hack into a place like this and just leave? Unless this guy was out to expose government secrets. But who would be that nuts?” Daav thought aloud.

  “Perhaps he found his way in here by accident.” Kena suggested. “But that wouldn’t explain anything either.”

  “Let’s keep looking,” Daav said.

  They followed the footprints out of the facility. They found themselves above ground again as they continued to follow the intruder’s steps. Regardless of the trail left behind, there was no one in the general vicinity. There was nothing to report. Lt. Daav began to sense something was amiss and contacted his team.

  “Team B; Regos, Mox, anything on your end?” he asked.

  “No, sir. Nothing yet,” they replied.

  “Sir, Tranes here. We’ve found several footprints near the west wing. Looks like there was a large group of androids here,” he said.

  “Anroids? What would they be doing here?” Daav asked.

  “Ahh! Shit!” Tranes yelled in agony.

  “Tranes! Status update!’ Daav shouted.

  “We’re under attack! Tranes Watch out!” Callum replied as their communication feeds were suddenly marred by static interference.

  “TEAR unit, we have a bogey westward. Tranes and Callum are under attack. Rendezvous point has changed. Provide back up. Move out!” Daav commanded.

  Daav reveled in conflict. The effects of the ScioN serum provided a rush of endorphins through his entire system. His optic implants were at optimum levels. His body was eerily relaxed; he was ready for combat.

  The team responded swiftly; guns loaded and eyes peeled. The entire squad arrived at the rendezvous point in less than two minutes, to find Tranes on the floor, gripping his left shoulder; blood was streaming from the wound. Officer Romi, a first aid specialist, got to work, doing her best to clean and dress Tranes’ mangled shoulder. Had he not been holding it together his arm would have fallen off.

  “Okay, bud, we gotcha. Just try your best to relax,” Romi said comfortingly as she and Officer Regos, gently lay him flat on the ground. Tranes was wide awake, but speechless, in complete shock from his injury.

  “Callum, what the hell happened here?” Daav, unfazed by the carnage, asked his subordinate.

  “Sir, it
’s hard to explain. We were attacked from behind by some sort of crescent-shaped concentrated energy blast. As soon as I turned around to see who it was, this thing—”

  “Spit it out, soldier!” Daav demanded.

  “There was a person, no further than an arm’s length away from us; this white armored humanoid. It looked like some sort of cyborg, ninja, machine, or something. But I’m not sure; e-everything happened so damn fast. I was lucky to even get a shot off at that thing,” a flabbergasted Officer Callum said.

  Romi had finished cleaning Tranes’ wound and was preparing to apply a sealer solution. “Okay, bud, I’m gonna have to apply the sealant. This may sting a little, but you’ll regain some use of your arm and at the very least, it won’t fall off, okay? Get ready for it,” Romi said soothingly. Tranes nodded quietly, eyes wide in anticipation.

  “Here goes nothing,” Romi said. Out of a cylinder came a thick, foamy substance that Romi inserted into the gaping wound in Tranes’ shoulder.

  He let out in a blood curdling scream. The foam was painful, but it was necessary to stop the bleeding. The sealing foam completely stopped the bleeding. After a few minutes, Tranes was able to stand again.

  “Officer Callum, escort Tranes to the vehicles and be on guard. Wait for our return,” Daav ordered.

  “Yessir!” Officer Callum replied.

  “The rest of you; formation Sigma A! We’re going hunting,” Daav said with a menacing smile. The rest of the TEAR unit prepared for confrontation.

  “Sir, I’ve picked up freshly made tracks but they’re rapidly disappearing, sir,” Officer Violet said.

  “Whoever attacked our guys is a professional. It’s got to be that intruder. We bring them in at all costs. Let’s follow the trail before it fades,” Daav said. The unit began to jog, following the disappearing footsteps. They soon ran into a dead end.

  “Sir, the footprints seem to go up this wall, sir,” Violet said.

  “I’ve seen stranger things. Get your E-Graps ready. We’re goin’ up too,” Daav stated.

  From their military grade utility belts, their pulled out their energy grapples, or ‘E-Graps’, for short. It consisted of a spear attached to a coil rope, made from neon energy and a magnetic field. It could extend up to seventy feet and could be used in a variety of situations; attacking and binding an opponent, saving someone from a dangerous fall, and scaling buildings.

  Each member aimed their E-Graps upwards and shot at the wall. The energy coil materialized and they tugged on it for good measure. They each pressed the coil function on their belts. The coil reeled them up to the rooftop.

  “Sir, it appears that the footsteps stop right here,” Officer Violet said bewilderedly.

  Lt. Daav abruptly put his hand up, signaling for his team to stop. They readied their weapons. Lt. Daav’s instincts were that of a predator. He smelled danger, despite there being no clear evidence of any. Daav, using a series of hand signals, communicated to his team to fan out. But before they could comply, a powerful burst of compressed energy cut right down the middle of the building. The foundation of the building began to collapse. Dust and debris blasted upward. While the team made their escape, Daav noticed someone standing by the rooftop access door. When did he get there? How did I not notice him before? Shit! he thought. Using his enhanced vision, he could see that the intruder was wearing white armor. Before he could get a clear visual, the attacker sent out a powerful jamming signal, rendering everyone’s visual feed temporarily useless.

  Unwilling to accept imminent death, Daav and his team narrowly escaped, using their E-Graps to attach themselves to another building. A few of the officers sustained injuries from the falling debris. Despite the dire situation, Lt. Daav maintained an unusually menacing grin. He was truly enjoying himself. As Lieutenant Daav crashed safely into the adjacent warehouse, he fired off his weapon in the direction of the attacker, but they were long gone by then.

  “Shit! The fuck was that? You assholes in one piece?” Daav asked. He felt exhilarated; the man had nerves of steel.

  “Barely,” Officer Tona said while catching his breath.

  “Well that was a shit sandwich! Fuck. We gotta report back to HQ, stat,” Daav said.

  The crew headed back to their vehicles, left West Andromeda and headed back to HQ. Mission; Failure.

  CHAPTER 22

  ---usr/systems/server-x/THE NEW DEAL---

  Lt. Daav and the rest of the TEAR unit arrived back at headquarters around four fifteen a.m. Tranes was carted off to the ER while the rest of the team returned to General Cain’s quarters for debriefing.

  “What happened out there, soldiers?” an impatient General Cain asked.

  Lt. Daav stepped forward with the report. “Sir, we gathered some intel on the clone farm intruder. It looked like there was heavy android activity in the warehouses as well. But before we could collect any more evidence we were ambushed,” Daav said.

  “Ambushed?” General Cain asked.

  “Sir, yes, sir. The ambush resulted in Tranes’ severe injury. We narrowly escaped with our lives. This person was good, well trained, and possessed powerful capabilities. Before we could ID the threat, the perp had already launched a preemptive attack on us,” Daav said.

  “Even you were caught by surprise? Did you get visuals on the target?” General Cain asked.

  “Barely. I’m uploading recorded footage from our feed to your holo-display.” Daav said.

  The general saw the incident from Lt. Daav’s perspective. He studied the moment of the attack. He rewound the footage to the spot in the feed when the attacker appeared and paused the frame. He was concerned and visibly upset; his fists were tightly clenched.

  “Sir?” Daav probed.

  “TEAR unit members are dismissed. Recharge and be ready for my call. Lieutenant Daav, remain here, please,” General Cain ordered.

  “Yes, sir!” the officers said, before marching out of the office.

  “Sir, what’s really the issue?” Daav probed.

  “We have a potential leak. This person you saw. I recognize them from a top-secret project we put on ice nearly ten years ago. A high stakes project between us, C.E.L.L. and Quantum Corp.

  “The Adriel Project, right?” Daav said, taking the words right out of the General’s mouth.

  “Why am I not surprised? Of course, you would know of such confidential information,” General Cain admitted.

  “Sir,” a flattered Daav replied.

  “You do realize how serious this is, right?” General Cain added.

  “Well, I’d say we’re caught snugly between being screwed and fucked now that that thing is running loose. Unless—”

  “Someone let it loose on purpose. And there’s only one person I know with the access and the knowledge to do such a miserable thing,” General Cain said.

  “Dr. Stein fucking Volda, huh?”

  “That goddamn bastard.”

  “Whaddya want me to do, sir? I can ice him in his sleep. He wouldn’t feel a thing,” Daav suggested.

  “No, don’t underestimate that madman. He’s worth more to us alive than dead,” General Cain said.

  “So, what’s next?” Daav asked.

  “I’m calling him here to meet with me immediately. We have some things to discuss.,” General Cain said, with determination. “AI, contact Dr. Stein, please. Connect the visual call to my holo-display,” General Cain ordered.

  “Calling Stein Volda,” the AI system responded. The call connected.

  “Hmm, to whom do I owe the divine pleasure, oh powerful one?” Dr. Stein said with a sardonic undertone.

  “Cut the bullshit, Stein. Meet me in my office. Now!” Cain demanded.

  “Ooh, for a man of your stature and influence demanding the counsel of a mere scientist like me at four thirty in the morning must mean it’s serious. Despite my deep intellect, inexhaustible hunger for knowledge, quest for unattainable absolute power, you do know that I am not a morning person, yes?” Dr. Stein said.

  �
��Get your ass here, stat!” General Cain shouted, disconnecting the call.

  “Jeez, couple nuts short of a scrotum, huh?” Daav said.

  “He’s always been that—”

  “Sir, Agent Bloodfall is calling. Shall I put him through?” The AI system asked.

  “Yes.” The AI system complied. “Agent Bloodfall, I anticipate good news,” General Cain said.

  “Sir, the still taken from the security footage proved insufficient. The target is essentially a ghost; no pictures of him online, no social media profile, no medical records, no police records, no name. Absolutely nothing. He’s good; extremely good. Nearly everything we’ve tried has failed,” Bloodfall replied.

  Cain let out a long sigh of discontent. “Keep looking. Don’t stop until you find him.”

  “We’ll do our best,” Bloodfall replied, before ending the call.

  “Sir, while we still have some time before wack job Volda gets here, I believe you also wanted to talk about Councilman Ren Krong at some point?” Daav said.

  “Ah, yes, the beloved Ren Krong. Touted champion of the people. Reformer of justice, and leader for the working class. A major fucking thorn in my side,” General Cain said.

  “For far too long he’s been getting in our way, cleverly using the system established by The Chosen Three, against us! He won’t take corporate Creds. No bribery. He won’t accept any promotion, and he’s hellbent on changing the system we use to rule by law and order. Shit. And above all of that, he’s got the unequivocal support of most of the city’s population,” General Cain said.

  “Lieutenant Daav, I think it’s time we handle that problem. But we need to be smart about it. Keep it off the books. I want him erased. Do you still have a contact within the ZOBE organization?” Cain asked.

  “Yes, sir. Agent Marken reports to me every seventy-two hours on the organization’s movements. I’ll get in contact with him as soon as we finish the meeting with psycho-doc,” Daav said.

  “Good, and tell him he will be handsomely rewarded if he completes his mission,” Cain said. Just as they were about to get into the logistics, they heard a knock on the door.