The rain began to slow, before it let up completely. Rez turned from the window and made his way to the bed. On the bed were weapons and tools, all ready for the infiltration; the black fabric chameleo-ware body suit, and a variety of different magazines for his gunblade, including regular, hollow tip, explosive, smoke, powerpulse, and shock rounds. He’d snagged an E-Grap from a guard he took down at the construction site. He placed his custom-made earpiece in his ear to communicate with Marx and his crew. He also had two specially made data codecs, containing two unique viruses he planned to use, along with the universal keycard that would give him access to all the doors in the building.
Rez’s objectives were simple; infiltrate the building, sabotage both frequency generators, and escape unnoticed. He knew that the job would be far from easy. He turned his focus on utilizing his newly absorbed energy shield. With the updates he made, and his subsequent assimilation of the device, Rez dubbed it the Electro-Kinetic Shield System, or the EKSS for short.
Since checking into the hotel earlier, he had been working on materializing and dematerializing the shield from his left palm. He had worked out the kinks in his mind, applying what he’d learned and using it on each subsequent release. He eventually narrowed the recovery time of three minutes in between use to sixty to ninety seconds. With a little more time and practice, there would be no cool down period in between usage.
Memories of Yvora flooded his mind before he got a hold of himself and pushed the memories away. It had only been a day since the tragedy occurred and it was a miracle that he was stable enough to persevere. Fighting back the tears, he focused all his energy on one goal; destroy. It was ten twenty-four p.m. and everything appeared to be in place before he received a call. It was Knight-1.
“Rez, where are you?”
“Near Zonos Tower,” he replied.
“Whatever plan you have about charging in there head on, it may be wise to reconsider a more plausible option,” Knight-1 said.
“Look, if you think you’re gonna talk me out of it, think again. Zonos brought this on themselves,” Rez stated.
“I really think you should reconsider,” Knight-1 said.
Rez cut the call short. He was hellbent on making the establishment that had been the epicenter of all things wrong in his life pay once and for all.
He packed up his gear and put on the Chameleo-ware fabric bodysuit. On the bed, was a simple black t-shirt, black athletic Joggers, flexible black running sneakers, and a long black overcoat with a hood that he intended to bring with him as well. He programmed his holo-straps and turned them on, leaving the hotel room with all his clothing and belongings in the single strap, all-black backpack. He made his way down to the ground floor lobby, then to the busy street.
Nova Central, as always, was vibrant. Bedazzling lights from holo-ads, storefronts, and street lights made for a beautiful portrait of a cityscape. But it was all a lie. The people walking around, enjoying the luxuries of the city, were nothing more than sheep. They were blinded by the ugliness that would guide them into oblivion; Zonos Inc.
Rez felt a rush of power surging through his body. As a result, the NOVO Lenses made his eyes glow. The hotel was only a block away from Zonos Tower. After a brisk walk, he was standing across the street from it. His attire allowed him to naturally blend into the night. The holo-straps began to wear off. Rez called Marx.
“Ah, Mr. Rez, right on time as expected,” Marx said.
“Are your guys in place?” Rez asked.
“All set and ready for your signal,” Marx replied. They waited until ten thirty p.m.
“Do it,” Rez said to Marx.
“Here goes nothing. All Gunner teams, initiate sequence now!” Marx commanded.
The lights of the one hundred story building went out instantly! At the same time the building blacked out, Rez was already gone. He had made his way to the building’s loading dock, at the rear of the tower. Peeking around the corner, Rez spotted building maintenance employees who were in the middle of unloading crates from a van. They were halted by the building’s blackout and were trying to figure out what was happening. There was an opening in the loading dock. Initiating the chameleo-ware bodysuit, Rez walked past the employees. He sprinted to the large opening and made his way down the utility corridor. His NOVO lenses afforded him an added ability of using the blueprints of the building he’d uploaded, in conjunction with his eyes’ natural and growing ability to see in areas with limited light; by mapping out a virtual layout of the areas he traversed in real time.
“The door leading to the basement is ten meters away, further down the hallway,” Xandra said
Rez made his way through the darkness to the door. He pulled out his custom keycard and placed it in the slot. A few seconds later, he heard the latch unlock. Despite the power being out in the building, Rez specifically ordered the Gunners to keep only a few power lines active so he could access the building’s service elevators.
“G1 team, restore temporary power to grid line 4-3A. I’m taking the elevator down now,” he said into his earpiece to one of the Gunners.
“Got it. All set,” the Gunner said. He headed through the door and to the service elevators that lead to the basement.
Before the elevator reached the floor, Rez picked up a heat signature right in front of the elevator door. He stepped to the side. The chameleo-ware bodysuit was still active. The elevator door opened to reveal a very confused security guard. He stepped in with his flashlight to investigate why the elevator was the only one working. Rez punched the guard in the face so hard, that the impact of his body hitting the elevator wall left a human sized dent. The punch knocked him out cold.
The elevator door closed. Rez stepped out, and made his way to the generator enclosure. His keycard easily bypassed the security panel. The entrance gave way to a small staircase that led the way to different generators. Using his NOVO Lenses and the data Knight-1 had sent him, Rez zeroed in on one of the two generators that was causing the mind manipulation in the government-distributed datashades. The other generator was located at the top of the building.
Rez pulled out the codec that carried the virus meant to disarm and reverse the algorithm that controlled the possessed citizens. He resurfaced his holo-watch, using a fiber optic cable to connect it to the port on the generator. He pulled up a holo-screen equipped with a terminal window. With the codec plugged in, he initiated the sequence to begin the disarmament of the COGLIMs.
Thirty seconds passed, and the disarmament was complete for that generator. Holding his right arm out and to the side, Rez materialized his gunblade and kept it in gun mode. He loaded a magazine of shock rounds and shot at the generator. Electricity surged through and overloaded he machine until it shorted out. The generator was destroyed. He changed his weapon to blade mode. He began slicing through the machinery, shredding the generator so that repairing it would be nearly impossible. He made his way back to the elevator, dragged the unconscious guard out, and headed back up to the first floor.
“Marx, how we lookin’ on time?” Rez asked as the elevator carried him up.
“Blackout should last for another five minutes or so,” Marx said.
“Good. That’s more than enough time. Be on standby,” Rez said.
He reached the first floor and made his way through the utility corridor just as power was unexpectedly restored to the building. The lights came back on and systems were restarting. Rez took cover behind a wall just to be safe, despite his chameleo-ware still being active.
“What happened!? Marx, what the hell is going on?” Rez whispered into his earpiece.
“I don’t know! My guys didn’t make any changes,” Marx replied over the communication line.
“They must’ve established backup power from another grid that we didn’t know about. Shit!” Rez said, frustrated.
“Well what’re you gonna do? It’s crazy to keep going now,” Marx said.
“I still have a complete layout of the building. I�
�m pressing forward. Be on standby. Try to figure out how to disrupt their rerouted power source,” Rez said.
“Jesus man you’re just asking to die. Alright, we’re working on it. I’ll let you know as soon as I can,” Marx said.
“Thanks,” Rez replied, before cutting communication temporarily.
The Psi-Corp security regrouped rather quickly. Peeking from around the corner, Rez saw a task force of at least thirty soldiers packed into the large corridor, receiving briefings from their captain.
“Alright boys and girls. We had a power outage. Nothing to worry about. This is just protocol. Split up into groups of two and report back to me if you find anything out of order. Dismissed,” the captain said.
The Psi-Corp Unit split up and went about their duties. I need to get to the roof. The elevators will be occupied. Service stairs may be the best option, Rez contemplated, before he used the HOLO Lenses to summon the blueprints to find out where the nearest set of stairs were.
“Two doors down to your left, are a set of service stairs that are currently unoccupied by any heat signatures,” Xandra said.
Rez hurried through the double doors. He locked the doors behind him and began shuffling through his bag. He pulled out the E-Grap, strapped it around his waist, and scaled the building without using the stairs. He reached the fiftieth floor when he detected two heat signatures two flights of stairs above him. Shit! he thought. He redirected the E-grap to pull him to the side and out of sight.
“Hey! You hear that?”
“Hear what? You trippin’ out again, buddy? You gotta get off that stuff.”
“Shut the hell up,” the soldiers joked among each other.
“This is Red Captain! Red Captain reporting to all units. Irregularity found in generator enclave. Frequency transmitter has been destroyed. Search for potential intruders. I repeat, search for potential intruders! Over and out,” the captain said from the soldier’s walkie talkie.
The soldiers hurried down a flight of stairs and then exited the service stair way onto the fifty-first floor. Close call, Rez thought. His NOVO Lenses began picking up many heat signatures beyond the walls of the service stairway. They were making their way down to the lower floors of the building. Taking full advantage, Rez picked up the pace and continued upward. He landed near the door that lead to the seventy-fifth floor.
“Picking up heat signatures just beyond door,” Xandra reported.
A loud explosive went off and the door was blasted open., It crashed into Rez, knocking him over the railing! Rez shot the E-Grap and it attached the railing of the floor below. Rez swung to the side, avoiding the falling rubble and moving out of sight.
The person who shot the RPG peered over the edge to confirm the hit. It was Lieutenant Daav August. He stood at the destroyed stair ledge with a horrifying smile etched across his face. The dust and smoke from the blast made it hard for him to see if he made a direct hit, even with his augmented eyes.
“I hope he’s still alive after that one. I wanna have some fun after being called here on my night off,” he remarked.
“I’m headin’ up. You three, hang back here in case cupcake wants more tender love and care!” Daav said while laughing and walking away.
“Yes, sir!” the guards replied. They were Officers Mox, Romi, and Kena from the TEAR unit.
Rez prepared to go through the seventy-fourth floor door when his chameleo-ware suit reached its limit.
He changed into the clothes he had in his backpack. I guess it’s go time. Now or never, Rez thought to himself, before materializing his gunblade. He cautiously opened the door. To his left were two passing guards. He opened fire with shock rounds before they had a chance to respond, swiftly taking them out. Rez strolled to the main elevators, before being intercepted by another two guards who were in the elevator.
“Hey, you! Stop right there!” one soldier yelled.
“Drop your weapon! Now!” he said again.
Rez smiled defiantly. “Okay, sure,” he said, dropping a smoke bomb instead.
Thick smoke filled the corridor as Rez shot point-blank shock rounds into their chests, sending them tumbling violently backward.
“Team One! Team One! Come in! Report!” the captain shouted into one of the soldiers walkie-talkies.
“Team One just got their asses kicked,” Rez said into the walkie-talkie.
The second elevator’s doors opened and out came five more Psi-Corp soldiers. They immediately noticed the unconscious soldiers and Rez, who was standing above them. Rez rested his foot on the back of one of the soldiers in defiance.
“Back away! Now!” a soldier yelled.
“I’ll pass,” Rez said nonchalantly, before firing the E-Grap. The spearhead of the E-grap pierced the shoulder of the soldier and Rez reeled him in, using him as a shield while the other soldiers aimed at him.
“Ah, ah, ah! You shoot at me, and this guy dies. Hmm, on second thought, maybe you should shoot then,” Rez said with a sinister laugh.
“Please! Don’t shoot!” the hostage yelled out to the others. Rez backed into the open elevator. The doors closed.
“You won’t get away with this,” the soldier said.
“Shut the fuck up,” Rez said flatly.
“Floor seventy-five,” the elevator announced, before the doors opened.
Rez yanked the spearhead out of the soldier’s shoulder. He flung the soldier into the opposite wall of the corridor, causing it to crack from the impact. Rez had to look for a specific set of elevators to access the upper floors. Just as he stuck his head out of the elevator to get a view of his surroundings he heard gunfire coming from the left down the dark corridor.
The NOVO Lenses detected three soldiers. The one in the middle of the hallway was safely guarded by a bulletproof shield, and the two other soldiers were hidden around the corner. They were shooting in Rez’s direction. Rez used the elevator for cover. Swapping the shock bullets for hollow tips, he armed his gun. Rez used the NOVO OS to create a trajectory guidance system. With the trajectory system ready, he held the gun out into the hallway. He fired three shots in quick succession.
Rez could hear the guards grunt in pain as they were shot. The shots were debilitating, but non-lethal; the soldiers were incapacitated, but alive. Rez walked up to them to inspect what equipment he could swipe. Aside from a powerful reverse shock grenade, they only had regular magazine clips. He grabbed the reverse shock grenade and hurried up another floor.
“Hey! Rez! You there? My guys gave me a status update. Zonos had another backup power grid. You were right! Need us to disrupt the power current?” Marx asked through the communication device.
“Do it when I say so,” Rez replied.
“On it,” Marx responded.
“Floor seventy-six,” the elevator voice said.
“Hit it,” Rez commanded.
“Here we go!” Marx replied.
The power for the whole building went out again as the elevator doors opened. Rez was rushed by TEAR officers Romi, Mox, and Kena. His back was slammed against the elevator wall.
Romi held a gun to his head as she reported in. “Lieutenant, suspect still alive. What are your orders?”
“Tough son of a bitch isn’t he? I would say to kill him and all, but the boss wants him alive for questioning,” Daav said.
Rez began laughing.
“What’s so funny? Finally realized this is the end of the road for you?” Mox asked.
“No. Quite the opposite,” Rez said.
He freed his left hand and summoned the Electro-Kinetic Shield System. The force of its summoning combined with its powerful deflective properties blew the officers away with excessive force! Rez rushed out of the elevator and into the dark lobby to locate the executive elevator bay. He suddenly felt an energy coil wrap tightly around his left ankle, upending him and causing him to hit is head on the marble flooring. Officer Mox was on his stomach while holding the coil of his own E-Grap. He pressed the recoil button to reign Rez in. The f
orce of the recoil was powerful, dragging Rez across the floor. Rez set his gunblade to blade mode and sliced through the E-Grap line. As he got to his feet, Officer Romi sent a powerful kick to the back of Rez’s head.
The kick caused Rez to drop his weapon, but he did not fall. Romi's strike allowed Rez to use the forward momentum from the kick as he bent down, extended his hands, planted them in the floor and pushed off. He extended his leg in a kicking motion of his own hitting her directly in the stomach! As he connected he could feel the air leaving her chest as she let out an excruciating gasp. Rez attempted to return to his fighting stance and assess the next threat, but he wasn't given the time.
Officer Kena quickly intervened, delivering an incredibly coordinated volley of combinations forcing Rez solely on the defensive. Despite blocking and evading the majority of Kena’s strikes, Rez could feel the power of each shot all the same. These people were incredibly skilled. He could tell that these guys were different from the regular Psi-Corp soldiers. Three against one with this level of skill would only prove disadvantageous to Rez if he let it drag on. I gotta make a move, he thought.
Mox recovered, coming in from below with a sliding sweep in an attempt to take Rez off balance. Rez caught on quickly, stepping back and allowing some distance between them, frustrating the TEAR unit soldiers. Romi dashed to Rez from the side in an attempt to tackle him. She was fast, and relentless. Rez hit her with an upward elbow strike that connected with her jaw, leaving a nasty gash. She fell backward upon impact. Rez's power was surging. Each strike became more accurate and powerful than the last.
Mox came next with a knee strike. Using his fast reflexes, Rez pushed Mox’s knee down, causing him to topple head first. He caught Mox while he was falling and grabbed a hold of him with a pulverizing grip. Rez sprinted forward with Mox in his clutches, leapt into the air and used Mox to break his fall. Rez could feel Mox’s ribs crack from the vicious tackle. He quickly got up to deal with Kena, rushing him and hitting him with a furious flurry of strikes. Double left power jab to the face, low right leg kick to the back of the knee, straight right cross, double left uppercut; all followed by a thrusting left roundhouse to Kena’s midsection executed in lightning succession.
Neon District: ALPHA (The Neon District Trilogy, Book 1) Page 39
