”Before the White Knight had a chance to jump, Caiden fired three more shots, this time to the left of the knight, forcing him to dive toward the guarder rail. Simultaneously Caiden threw the EMP charge with such force that it connected and latched onto the knight. The charge let off a powerful stream of voltage, shorting and incapacitating the knight as he lost control of his body. The momentum from his jump combined with the inactivity of his limbs left him at the mercy of the bridge. He plunged into the river. As soon as Zolaaf saw this happen, he pulled over to the side to locate the Knight’s body. Caiden hopped out first.
“Too late. He’s become one with the water,” Caiden stated with contempt and satisfaction at the same time.
“Shit! Guess that tin can is nothing more than a piece of scrap metal now! Whelp, you’re coming with me!” Zolaaf exclaimed. He pointed his gun at Caiden. The other drivers began to panic and tried to cut in front of each other; it was chaos. Caiden could hear Psi-Corp police sirens in the distance.
“You sure you wanna do that?” Caiden pointed his gunblade at him.“Lemme guess, that psychopath, Stein, made a wager with Dragon, and made you their backup option if by some slim chance I defeated that shitty knight.” Caiden presumed.
“Don’t you worry about my orders, I keep telling you to worry about yourself,” Zolaaf replied.
“No no, I will concern myself with your orders cuz you see, your orders mean that my life is put in danger at the pleasure of others. And last time I checked, I enjoy living my life relatively unharmed and discretely. So I’m just gonna shoot your head off so I can be on my way away from all of this bullshit,” Caiden replied.
The fierce stand-off became more and more intense with every blink of the eye. The torrential downpour stopped, now leaving a slow and thick mist to rise from the damp concrete of the busy bridge.
“So what’s it gonna be dealer?” Caiden asked menacingly.
“Why couldn’t you just get beat by the machine like a good little boy?” Zolaaf sarcastically asked. He motioned to shoot Caiden and a loud shot rang off. He looked down and realized his gun was destroyed.
“My Gun! Holy shit!” Zolaaf yelled. Caiden turned and walked away.“ Wait a minute! Where the hell are you going?”
“I'll be taking your car now,” Caiden said as he searched the vehicle for the tracking beacon that allowed the white knight to follow them. He reached under the dashboard and pulled out a small device with several protruding wires attached.
“I gotta admit, Dragon is a pretty smart fella,” Caiden said as he threw the broken tracking device at Zolaaf’s feet.
“See you around, dealer. Oh, yeah. Thanks for the drugs, asshole,” Caiden snickered.
He hopped in the car and drove off. “You got what you deserved, dealer. Serves you right,” Caiden said.
He looked in the rearview mirror and saw the flashing lights of the Psi-Corp police arriving at the scene, and Zolaaf making a run for it through the traffic.
The pain and fatigue overwhelmed him not long after he got off the bridge; he was starting to get tired. Damnit, I gotta get back. Need to rest, Unconsciousness tugged at him. Each streetlight, seemed like miniature exploding suns of blinding luminescence, causing him to squint his eyes. The cumulative damage of the night had him reeling badly.
“H-Home. Need to—” he mumbled as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and closed while he was still on the road.
The car swerved off the road, crashing into a large ditch. Upon impact, a protective foam shot out of the steering wheel, dashboard, and all four car doors, protecting Caiden from any more serious injury.
***
He came to. No police or pedestrians had come to check on him. This meant that he was close to Darkside. His neck was aching. His arm was tangled in an awkward position and wrapped up in the passenger-side seatbelt. He was pretty sure he had a dislocated shoulder too. Once he was able, he opened the car door and used brute force to push it off its hinges.
He stumbled onto the concrete and started to make his way back to Home-base on foot. The night was quieter than usual. It was unnervingly eerie and calm. For good measure, Caiden summoned his gunblade. Bloody, battered, broken and bruised, he limped his way through streets of the neighborhood.
There was a crowd a down the street so he decided to take an alternate route to avoid them. Hanging out of their back pockets were purple bandanas edged in red. They were the Alley Kids, gang members also known as ‘The Young AKs’. They were young mindless idiots looking to make a name for themselves committing petty crimes. They only showed their face around Darkside when they knew the bigger, more dangerous gangs were elsewhere. Caiden walked down a back street when he felt like someone was following him.
He stopped in his tracks, activated his NOVO Lenses, and began scanning the area. There were four heat signatures. That number doubled as more gang members showed up. They were running down adjacent alleyways trying to trap him. Caiden readied himself for conflict. The Alley Kids closed in on him, swinging knives, chains, metal pipes, and homemade chivs. The NOVO Lenses didn’t detect any firearms. I should be able to get rid of these assholes if I play my cards right, he thought to himself.
“Man, oh, man. What the fuck happened to you? Looks like you had a hell of a night, bitch!” one of the boys said.
“Just shut the fuck up and get on with it,” Caiden replied as he stumbled over in pain. He used the art of deception to appear much weaker than he really was.
The first member rushed him, hoping to take advantage of Caiden in his frail state. Caiden effortlessly sidestepped the attacker causing him to lose balance. Caiden put his gun to the gang member’s ribcage and fired a round with ruthless efficiency and accuracy.
The blast of the gun sent the thug flying into his friend, knocking them both unconscious. It was only a pulse round shot; a non-lethal bullet that caused concussive blasts. He only resorted to these rounds shortly after he ran out of his regular rounds back at the Mid-town bridge. The remaining six were frozen in place, frightened by what they had just seen. Another Alley Kid charged Caiden from his left. Caiden took half a step back and turned his head. The attacker’s fist whizzed past Caiden’s nose, no more than a centimeter away.
Caiden’s gunblade retracted into his right arm, freeing up his left hand. He pivoted under the Alley kid’s arm, shifted his feet, and used all his remaining strength to throw the attacker over his shoulder. The boy’s bones cracked upon impact with the concrete.
Caiden turned to look at the other gang members. He glowered at them with his turquoise eyes. Use tactics that make you appear more than human during conflict to up your advantage. He could hear his master’s words in his mind.
“What the fuck are you, man?” one Alley Kid asked.
“Someone you shouldn’t have pissed off, prick,” Caiden replied.
Another Alley Kid charged toward Caiden with inhuman speed. Must be a Hybrid, Caiden thought. He was right. The Alley Kid had cybernetic legs from the knees down. By the time the Alley Kid managed to get close, Caiden had drawn his gun in the blink of an eye and shot him at point-blank range; showcasing tremendous reaction time and speed despite heavy fatigue and injury. The thug was unconscious before he hit the ground.
“Next?” Caiden inquired, pointing his gunblade at the rest of the Alley Kids.
“Hey, man, we’re cool! Everything’s cool. We’re sorry! We don’t want any more trouble. Just, please, don’t kill us!” one of the Alley Kids pleaded.
Pitiful, none of these punks were worthy of being called a true man. No pride or fortitude, just cowardice, Caiden thought to himself.
The remaining Young AK members scrambled to pick up their injured friends and shamelessly ran off into the night. Thank you master Ao for all you’ve taught me, Caiden thought to himself. Once the coast was clear, he trudged onward toward Home-base.
Keeping his NANO-Lenses active, he kept an eye out for any threats. In the distance he could see the decrepit and secluded buildin
g; he was almost home. He typed a code into his holo-watch and a small underground passageway opened. Once Caiden had limped through, the passageway closed. He’d finally made it back to safety.
CHAPTER 36
---usr/systems/server-x/I AM YOU---
After securing the air locks he stumbled into the living space.
“Nami! Hitomi!” Caiden called out. “I’m back.”
He dropped to the floor, still soaked from the torrential downpour and barely keeping conscious. He rolled over onto his back and called out to them once more. They didn’t respond. He roll onto his side and crawled to the kitchen island. Using it as support, he pulled himself up and rested his entire body weight on the island. His vision was hazy and unfocused. He noticed a neatly folded piece of paper on the counter with his name on it. He opened it and found a handwritten letter.
Dear Caiden,
Let us start by saying that we love you very much. This wasn’t an easy decision for us to make. Please believe that. The time we spent with you was one of the most amazing, liberating, and eye-opening times of our lives. You treated us like humans, as equals, and you gave us a reason to keep living! But we needed to leave. We have to go home. We don’t want to burden you anymore than we have already.
We can’t thank you enough for everything you have done for us. You’ve given us a second chance! We really do hope to see that beautiful face of yours again, so please, stop living with a death wish! We know you’re special, but if you push too hard you may end up doing more damage than good, and that’s the last thing we want to see.
Please, find your peace and live the rest of your days happily. We love you, Caiden.
Nami and Hitomi Haneda
“I told them I would take them home myself! Why would they be so fucking stupid?” he yelled.
He turned to head to the bedroom, but tripped and fell, knocking some of the barstools down with him. A couple of the Sky Blue pills fell out of his pocket. He reached for one of the pills and swallowed it.
“I’m fucking tired! I’m tired. I’m so fucking tired,” he kept mumbling to himself.
The effects of the drug didn’t take long to manifest. The room began to bend and twist. Images of surf waves, birds, demons, naked women, guns, knives, notebooks, and spaceships began floating around the apartment.
The ceiling turned into a soft pink and orange sunset with cotton candy clouds. As he stared at the clouds, an image of Yvora appeared; she looked peaceful as she smiled at him.
“Caiden, it’s okay. You don’t have to fight anymore, it’s okay. Just do one thing for me,” Her beautiful smile began to contort. “Become the blade of retribution! Destroy all who destroyed everything you loved!”
The pink sky turned black, lightning flashed, and heavy rain began to fall Caiden closed his eyes and shielded his face from the storm.
“Hey, pretty boy!”
“Wake up, handsome. We’re making breakfast. If you don’t get up, I’ll make you get up, if you know what I mean,” the new voices giggled. Caiden’s eyes opened to the bright and vivid colors of what appeared to be a derivative version of his condo.
“Nami!? Hitomi!?” Caiden cried out.
They smiled as they slithered and crawled toward him. They were wearing the same outfits that they wore at The LoveMaars. They both began to undress him. The pleasurable synapses in his brain took a hold of his body. The Nami caressed his torso, specifically over the wound he received from the fight as she kissed him gently.
“How do you feel pretty boy?” Nami asked him.
“I feel good. Actually, I feel kinda hot. What did you do to me?” he asked.
“Don’t you worry about that. Just sit back and relax. Let it all go,” Hitomi said, kissing his forehead.
The twins faded away. It became dark and cold. Caiden could hear faint echoes. They kept getting louder and louder.
“Rez! Rez Fayte! Get yourself together, Rez! You can do this,” another voice called out.
“Rez? Who is Rez? Am I Rez?” Caiden asked the voice.
“You will know soon enough. You can do it. Pull yourself together,” the voice echoed.
“Mom? Mom, wait! Is that you?” he uttered.
Everything faded, getting even darker than it had before. The darkness gradually lifted like a curtain on a stage, and gave way to a strange new space. There was no ground to stand on, at first. Above was a multicolored sky reminiscent of the aurora borealis, pulsing with beautiful chromatic fluidity as if it were a living, breathing entity. This area was vast; endless. In the sky were stars and planetoids moving and shooting like bright comets.
Intangible streams of gaseous light flowed with the fluidity and formlessness of water and air. The sound of windchimes rang out in the ethereal space. Everything about this place centered around tranquility and serenity. Is this heaven? he wondered. Wherever this was, it was unlike anything he’d ever see before. Despite its otherworldliness, he felt as if he belonged.
He felt his feet touch something, but the sensation was hard to describe. He looked down to see that he was standing on a water-gel like substance. Then he realized he wasn’t standing on it, but floating just above it. His entire body felt light and weightless. The ethereal liquid began to stir. The entity that emerged from it was encapsulated in a warm, soothing purple light. As it surfaced, the purple light faded. The entity looked like a humanoid in unique attire. His body flowed like water. The humanoid looked just like Caiden. It’s like looking at my reflection in the water.“What are you?” Caiden asked.
“I am Rez. Rez Fayte,” the entity said. “I am you.”
”“You’re me?”
“Yes. It’s finally time to finally awaken,” Rez said.
“I don’t understand,” Caiden said.
“You and I are one and the same. I represent the highest and purest form of your subconsciousness. I am the purest form of all that you are. I’ve been with you this whole time,” Rez said.
“So, the fragmented memories, the strange dreams, communicating with my nanocells; that was all because of you?” Caiden asked.
“Because of us. Your experiments and, your growing abilities were the catalyst, further establishing a connection between us,” Rez said.
“It all makes sense now! I died, right? How else would I get to this astral plane, of sorts?” Caiden surmised.
“You’re partially correct. Yes, this is like the Astral Plane, but no, you did not die. Right now, I’ve managed to keep your condition stable. I’ve been waiting for a long time to talk with you. You being here is no accident,” Rez explained. “This was all planned. Eventually, you were to come here as designed by your mother, our mother, Amiko Fayte,” Rez said.
Wow, this is crazy! Caiden thought to himself.
“No, this is fate,” Rez said with a smirk.
“How’d you do that? Oh, yeah, you’re me. Of course, you’d be able hear my thoughts,” Caiden said as he and Rez both smiled.
“So, what am I supposed to do now?” Caiden asked.
Just as he asked his question, the ethereal water beneath them began to bubble. This time, five large rectangles made of polychromatic light slowly emerged. As the last of the droplets trickled down from these rectangles, the light dimmed. The rectangles began to ripple and turn in to five unique doors. The doors formed a pentagon around Caiden and Rez.
“What are behind these?” Caiden asked while pointing to the doors.
“Important memories. Think of these as some of our psychological backup hard drives. They’re memories of your life,” Rez said. “Follow me.”
”They walked up to the first door. It automatically opened and they stepped through. Time seemed to speed up. Everything contorted and warped. Caiden and Rez walked into some sort of astral theatre where they could observe their memories as spectators.
***
The First door
Amiko Fayte cried out in pain. She was lying on a bed in the delivery room.
“That’s it, Amiko. Ju
st one more push!” the doctor said encouragingly.
She screamed again. What followed were the sweet sounds of a baby’s first cry.
"My son," she said, sobbing with tears of joy.
“What a beautiful child, Ms. Fayte. What’ll you name him?” the doctor asked.
“Rez. His name is Rez,” she replied.
The doctor smiled and began to take measurements. “Wow, a solid eight pounds on the scale. A, hearty, healthy boy!” he said happily.
Amiko was full of pride. She had never loved anyone more than her son.
The astral projection rippled and dissipated.
“How is this a memory when I wasn’t even cognizant yet?” Caiden asked.
“The nanocells. We were built to be special. I was introduced to you shortly after you were conceived. It was during the initial gestation period, that I came to be. It will all make sense soon, trust me,” Rez said.
They re-materialized back to the area where the rest of the doors were. The door they walked out of broke down into millions of particles of light. The light rushed to Caiden, encompassing him. It began to pulsate until the light dimmed. Caiden took a deep breath and opened his eyes.
“Wow, I—”
“Remember, right?” Rez finished his sentence.
“Yeah,” Caiden replied.
“Let’s go to the next one,” Rez said.
Rez guided Caiden to the next door. This time they were transported to a different memory of Amiko.
***
Neon District: ALPHA (The Neon District Trilogy, Book 1) Page 35
