Sunday evening. Charon Server. Hub City Outer Limits.
The sky was crying.
Which was exactly what it was programmed to do. There were no real clouds in the Network, merely simulated images that ran across the virtual heaven above. Artificial winds blew off the digital sea that bordered the Hub and through the city, following carefully calculated algorithms to properly recreate the weather patterns of Earth. It wasn't quite a perfect mimicry, but it was close enough for people to forget that the world around them was composed entirely of code stored on countless moly-circ servers secluded underground back in the real world. Most people had gotten used to it quickly, either not seeing anything they could do about it and simply rolling with the punches or they were young enough that they grew up on Network, but for some it was still yet another unwelcome reminder that for all the worlds beauty, it was still the beauty of a gilded cage.
Just like real rain though, it brought with it a blessed, comforting quiet. It was something that challenged the illusion of reality, and it was the illusion that came away the lesser for it. The sounds of traffic, pedestrian and otherwise, would always dwindle as most people sought shelter indoors. Some would push through it, treating as some barrier that needed to be overcome, and then there were those that reveled in the rain and the soft hush.
Cliodna Evans was one of the latter. Standing in the alley outside the side entrance to her apartment complex the rain cascaded over her head and off the back of her leather jacket. She flexed her hands inside her leather gloves as she slowly shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She’d rather have been back inside finishing up the coding for her latest project, but an opportunity to settle an old debt, as well as picking some much needed cash, was more important.
The weather could have been worse. The wind hadn’t kicked in yet, and the air was just the right shade of cool on her skin. It wasn’t quite cold enough to see her own breath yet, but it wasn’t too far off. It was refreshing though, the chill bringing a sense of clarity with it. The rain washed away the smells of the city and left behind a familiar scent that brought up what few clear memories she possessed of life outside the Network.
The repeating sound of a short melody spoiled the silence as a transparent floating square appeared in the air. A soft sigh met its appearance, as a leather clad finger reached out and tapped the answer icon. The square wobbled in the air as it expanded to reveal the face of a prematurely grey-haired young man.
"Hello Matthew." Cliodna said flatly.
He laughed, as much for her dry tone in such wet weather as simply for laughter's sake. “How many times do I have to tell you Clio; call me Matt. Today's the day, you ready for this?"
“As I’ll ever be,†came the resigned response. “Do I really have to do this? I still have at least, at least, another five hours of work on my current job.â€
“Yep! I'm sure we'll be done with more than enough time to spare,†he chirped happily. “Trust me, you do this and your rent will be more than covered. Besides, I have no idea what you’re worried about, it’ll be a piece of cake. I’ll be by to pick you up just as soon as I finish rounding up the rest of the guys, so sit tight.â€
“Fine.†Clio stated, the screen vanishing with a quiet pop as she ended the call. She sighed and gave her head a shake, creating a smaller shower of water that was lost in the downpour before running her fingers through her long red hair, the one concession she made towards her appearance. Honestly, of all the times for her friend to call in his marker and it had right in the middle of one of her commissions.
Thunder cracked overhead and Clio took a step back as the downpour redoubled in its intensity. She sighed again and pulled up her latest project on her Personal Interface Terminal. A wireframe model of a sleek motorcycle representing the structure of the program appeared in the air before her and she set to work. There was only so much she could do outside of her workshop, but she did owe Matthew a favor, not mention she dearly needed the money.
She spun the model around and she tapped one of the glowing nodes on the rear wheel of the wire-frame image. A second screen appeared in the air next to the model, its display filled with the cascading code that composed the program's motive functions. Clio cracked her knuckles and called up a holographic keyboard that suffused the falling raindrops with a soft electric blue glow.
While the finer adjustments would require tools from her workshop, any Coder that had a grasp of the Third Circle of programming could do the more general changes with their P.I.T. Clio was one of the few Third Circle members that worked independently of the Coder’s Guild. The Guild's rates and reliability made it hard for those who didn't sign on to make a proper living, but as always, there were those that preferred to deal with individuals rather than large groups.
The contractor for her current project was just that. The son of one of the Network's Upper Class, most of whom had taken advantage of the chaos after the Network was cut off from the outside world in order to set themselves up to profit off the opportunities before them, he possessed a hobby for racing bikes and a distaste for the strict regulations the Guild enforced on their codes. Arrogant and a ladies man who tried to flirt with her every chance he could, Clio would have happily gone her life without having met him, but Matthew had referred him to her and his contributions to her wallet had helped ease the weight of her debts quite nicely.
Matthew himself was an exception among Clio’s small circle of associates that could loosely termed friends. The two had actually met in a bar, when Clio had come down to bail out one of her friends from a gambling debt they’d acquired. Matthew had taken one look at her, dressed in the business suit she reserved for professional meetings, and had pegged her for an easy mark. Had he known she was a Coder, maybe he wouldn’t have tried to con her, but he had, and after she turned the tables on him, he had decided that she was worth his time in getting to know her.
A well known - and going by the number of women he had dated over the years, rather handsome - face in almost every bar and pub across the Hub, Matthew Kane had an easy smile and a ready joke for every situation. He was the kind of guy that knew everyone’s name, and everyone knew his. Money was never a problem with him, thanks to both his family connections and his own ventures, and Matthew could always be counted on to buy a round or two for bar.
Clio on the other hand, was everything Matthew was not. He was charming and social, while Clio preferred to stay in her room coding new programs and rewriting old ones, her social life consisting of the occasional trip to the store or nearby coffee shop. Her work paid decently, enough so that she could work her own hours and still afford her own apartment in the less populated outskirts of the Hub, instead of one of the many Megahabs that crowded the center of the city. At night the soaring residential complexes lit up the skyline like torches, dwarfed only by the spotlights of the Arena and the grand edifice that was the Administrator’s Tower.
An old grey van turned the corner and pulled up in front of her. It’s tires ran through a puddle and splashed water over the toes of her boots, causing her to sigh as she saved her work and dismissed the interface. The age and wear of the van was another development of the Network’s self-evolving code and forgotten creators. She watched as a piece of rust flaked off the side and settled in a puddle. The side door slid open, spilling out several empty energy drink bottles and take out containers as Matthew jumped over them into the rain, his smile undampened by the weather. Clio sighed as Matthew wrapped her in a bear hug, staring over his shoulder and giving the van a dubious look.
“Where did you find this old piece of rust Matthew?†she asked as she extricated herself from his grasp.
“Oi!†Clio and Matthew turned to see the driver leaning out the window, a ridiculously tall fedora perched on his head and a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. He was staring at Clio with narrowed eyes. “Don’t you be mocking my ride, ya hear me?â€
“My apologies,†she responded quickly, her cheeks tinged a light pink. “I did not mean to cause offence. It’s appearance is rather... Deceiving, I suppose.†The driver gave her a serious look for a few seconds before erupting into boisterous laughter.
“Ah forget about it, I know she ain’t a looker, but she still runs like a dream.†He stuck out his hand. â€Name’s Rocky.â€
“Somehow I doubt that,†she said as she eyed the hand for a moment before taking it. “Cliodna.â€
“Just call her Clio,†Matthew interjected,“she doesn’t mind.†The redhead turned and gave him a glare that slid off his wide grin.
“Clio is acceptable,†she said after a moment.
Rocky snorted and jerked his head towards the open door. “Should probably get in. Don’t want to keep the boys waiting.â€
Matthew offered his hand to help Clio up into the van, which she pointedly ignored, as she stepped up and over the various energy drink bottles that littered the floor. Her lip curled slightly as she swept a pile of books from her seat and onto the floor. The author on the cover of one caught her eye as she sat down.
The van rocked on its wheels as Matthew got in and slid the door shut. He paused to whisper into Rocky’s ear before continuing past Clio to his own clear seat. Rocky deftly directed his van off the side street and onto one of the main roads as they headed towards the low spires and arcing tesla coils of the Hub’s Industrial Spur. Clio picked up the book from the floor and casually glanced through it, her eyebrows rising as she looked through the other books and came across an unusual find.
“You have a copy of Weidmar’s Precepts?†Clio asked. “I thought his theories had been discredited.â€
Rocky gave her a surprised look. “Only his theory on using SQUIDs to contact the Outside, and even then that was only because nobody has the balls to defy the Moderators and put it to the test.â€
“Coder?†Clio asked with a raised eyebrow.
“First Circle, barely. You?â€
“Third,†Clio stated with a proud smirk. Matthew rolled his eyes while Rocky let out a whistle and shook his head.
“Damn, that’s pretty sweet. Think you could do me up one of those swanky pocket drink dispensers? You know, the ones that you don’t have to refill?â€
“Only if you can pay for it.â€
“Geez,†Rocky clutched at his chest dramatically as he spun the van around a corner. “You’re killin’ me over here. Whatever, once we get done with this raid, I’ll have more than enough cash, sound good?â€
“Raid?†Clio repeated, as if her ears had deceived her. Her eyes slid over to a no longer smiling Matthew. “What raid?â€
“Well,†he started,â€you remember the that virus that wandered in from the Wastes into the industrial sector last week? Right, so someone managed to track it down, and the businesses it hit put a bounty on it. Rocky and I know a few guys, so we decided to put together a raid group and bring it down.â€
Clio took a deep breath and closed her eyes before responding. “Matthew, I was under the impression that I was to check the stability of some equipment for one of your jobs, not participating in a raid! You do realize how dangerous raids are, correct?â€
“It’ll be fine. Reports had it as just a Class Three, which means it’s big and dumb, and an easy target. Relax,†he said, his grin back as he slapped Clion on the back. “It’ll be quick and easy, and you’ll even get a cut of the bounty. I wasn’t even lying about your part. All you need to do is check and make sure everyone’s gear is functioning properly, that’s all. â€
“Somehow I doubt it will be that simple...†Clio trailed off with a sigh as she turned and stared at the passing sights of the city, the apartments buildings and residential complexes reminiscent of Old New York, though on a massively larger scale. Eventually the apartments and houses gave way to factories and warehouses and the sky above became obscured by a thick haze of smog.
Matthew twisted in his seat, opening and closing his mouth a few times before he sighed and relaxed into his seat. The van took several turns before Rocky turned it down a sidestreet. Matthew leaned forwards past Clio and tapped Rocky on the shoulder. Rocky grunted as he slowed down and turned down a side street to where Matthew pointed out several couple of cars parked in front of a nondescript warehouse. “Here we are, and it looks like the rest of the team has already arrived.â€
He reached in behind the seat and pulled out a hammer with a head larger than Clio’s torso. Matthew winked at her as he slid open the door and stepped out into the rain, leaving her to scramble after him as he headed towards the warehouse door. Once again his energy had her hooked and dragged along for the ride behind him, no matter if she was willing or not.
He stopped and held the door open for her, his grin at full force. “Time to go slay ourselves a virus.â€
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My entry into Original Fic 2014. Feedback on it would be nice, since I intend to enter this into a couple other contests too.
The sky was crying.
Which was exactly what it was programmed to do. There were no real clouds in the Network, merely simulated images that ran across the virtual heaven above. Artificial winds blew off the digital sea that bordered the Hub and through the city, following carefully calculated algorithms to properly recreate the weather patterns of Earth. It wasn't quite a perfect mimicry, but it was close enough for people to forget that the world around them was composed entirely of code stored on countless moly-circ servers secluded underground back in the real world. Most people had gotten used to it quickly, either not seeing anything they could do about it and simply rolling with the punches or they were young enough that they grew up on Network, but for some it was still yet another unwelcome reminder that for all the worlds beauty, it was still the beauty of a gilded cage.
Just like real rain though, it brought with it a blessed, comforting quiet. It was something that challenged the illusion of reality, and it was the illusion that came away the lesser for it. The sounds of traffic, pedestrian and otherwise, would always dwindle as most people sought shelter indoors. Some would push through it, treating as some barrier that needed to be overcome, and then there were those that reveled in the rain and the soft hush.
Cliodna Evans was one of the latter. Standing in the alley outside the side entrance to her apartment complex the rain cascaded over her head and off the back of her leather jacket. She flexed her hands inside her leather gloves as she slowly shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She’d rather have been back inside finishing up the coding for her latest project, but an opportunity to settle an old debt, as well as picking some much needed cash, was more important.
The weather could have been worse. The wind hadn’t kicked in yet, and the air was just the right shade of cool on her skin. It wasn’t quite cold enough to see her own breath yet, but it wasn’t too far off. It was refreshing though, the chill bringing a sense of clarity with it. The rain washed away the smells of the city and left behind a familiar scent that brought up what few clear memories she possessed of life outside the Network.
The repeating sound of a short melody spoiled the silence as a transparent floating square appeared in the air. A soft sigh met its appearance, as a leather clad finger reached out and tapped the answer icon. The square wobbled in the air as it expanded to reveal the face of a prematurely grey-haired young man.
"Hello Matthew." Cliodna said flatly.
He laughed, as much for her dry tone in such wet weather as simply for laughter's sake. “How many times do I have to tell you Clio; call me Matt. Today's the day, you ready for this?"
“As I’ll ever be,†came the resigned response. “Do I really have to do this? I still have at least, at least, another five hours of work on my current job.â€
“Yep! I'm sure we'll be done with more than enough time to spare,†he chirped happily. “Trust me, you do this and your rent will be more than covered. Besides, I have no idea what you’re worried about, it’ll be a piece of cake. I’ll be by to pick you up just as soon as I finish rounding up the rest of the guys, so sit tight.â€
“Fine.†Clio stated, the screen vanishing with a quiet pop as she ended the call. She sighed and gave her head a shake, creating a smaller shower of water that was lost in the downpour before running her fingers through her long red hair, the one concession she made towards her appearance. Honestly, of all the times for her friend to call in his marker and it had right in the middle of one of her commissions.
Thunder cracked overhead and Clio took a step back as the downpour redoubled in its intensity. She sighed again and pulled up her latest project on her Personal Interface Terminal. A wireframe model of a sleek motorcycle representing the structure of the program appeared in the air before her and she set to work. There was only so much she could do outside of her workshop, but she did owe Matthew a favor, not mention she dearly needed the money.
She spun the model around and she tapped one of the glowing nodes on the rear wheel of the wire-frame image. A second screen appeared in the air next to the model, its display filled with the cascading code that composed the program's motive functions. Clio cracked her knuckles and called up a holographic keyboard that suffused the falling raindrops with a soft electric blue glow.
While the finer adjustments would require tools from her workshop, any Coder that had a grasp of the Third Circle of programming could do the more general changes with their P.I.T. Clio was one of the few Third Circle members that worked independently of the Coder’s Guild. The Guild's rates and reliability made it hard for those who didn't sign on to make a proper living, but as always, there were those that preferred to deal with individuals rather than large groups.
The contractor for her current project was just that. The son of one of the Network's Upper Class, most of whom had taken advantage of the chaos after the Network was cut off from the outside world in order to set themselves up to profit off the opportunities before them, he possessed a hobby for racing bikes and a distaste for the strict regulations the Guild enforced on their codes. Arrogant and a ladies man who tried to flirt with her every chance he could, Clio would have happily gone her life without having met him, but Matthew had referred him to her and his contributions to her wallet had helped ease the weight of her debts quite nicely.
Matthew himself was an exception among Clio’s small circle of associates that could loosely termed friends. The two had actually met in a bar, when Clio had come down to bail out one of her friends from a gambling debt they’d acquired. Matthew had taken one look at her, dressed in the business suit she reserved for professional meetings, and had pegged her for an easy mark. Had he known she was a Coder, maybe he wouldn’t have tried to con her, but he had, and after she turned the tables on him, he had decided that she was worth his time in getting to know her.
A well known - and going by the number of women he had dated over the years, rather handsome - face in almost every bar and pub across the Hub, Matthew Kane had an easy smile and a ready joke for every situation. He was the kind of guy that knew everyone’s name, and everyone knew his. Money was never a problem with him, thanks to both his family connections and his own ventures, and Matthew could always be counted on to buy a round or two for bar.
Clio on the other hand, was everything Matthew was not. He was charming and social, while Clio preferred to stay in her room coding new programs and rewriting old ones, her social life consisting of the occasional trip to the store or nearby coffee shop. Her work paid decently, enough so that she could work her own hours and still afford her own apartment in the less populated outskirts of the Hub, instead of one of the many Megahabs that crowded the center of the city. At night the soaring residential complexes lit up the skyline like torches, dwarfed only by the spotlights of the Arena and the grand edifice that was the Administrator’s Tower.
An old grey van turned the corner and pulled up in front of her. It’s tires ran through a puddle and splashed water over the toes of her boots, causing her to sigh as she saved her work and dismissed the interface. The age and wear of the van was another development of the Network’s self-evolving code and forgotten creators. She watched as a piece of rust flaked off the side and settled in a puddle. The side door slid open, spilling out several empty energy drink bottles and take out containers as Matthew jumped over them into the rain, his smile undampened by the weather. Clio sighed as Matthew wrapped her in a bear hug, staring over his shoulder and giving the van a dubious look.
“Where did you find this old piece of rust Matthew?†she asked as she extricated herself from his grasp.
“Oi!†Clio and Matthew turned to see the driver leaning out the window, a ridiculously tall fedora perched on his head and a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. He was staring at Clio with narrowed eyes. “Don’t you be mocking my ride, ya hear me?â€
“My apologies,†she responded quickly, her cheeks tinged a light pink. “I did not mean to cause offence. It’s appearance is rather... Deceiving, I suppose.†The driver gave her a serious look for a few seconds before erupting into boisterous laughter.
“Ah forget about it, I know she ain’t a looker, but she still runs like a dream.†He stuck out his hand. â€Name’s Rocky.â€
“Somehow I doubt that,†she said as she eyed the hand for a moment before taking it. “Cliodna.â€
“Just call her Clio,†Matthew interjected,“she doesn’t mind.†The redhead turned and gave him a glare that slid off his wide grin.
“Clio is acceptable,†she said after a moment.
Rocky snorted and jerked his head towards the open door. “Should probably get in. Don’t want to keep the boys waiting.â€
Matthew offered his hand to help Clio up into the van, which she pointedly ignored, as she stepped up and over the various energy drink bottles that littered the floor. Her lip curled slightly as she swept a pile of books from her seat and onto the floor. The author on the cover of one caught her eye as she sat down.
The van rocked on its wheels as Matthew got in and slid the door shut. He paused to whisper into Rocky’s ear before continuing past Clio to his own clear seat. Rocky deftly directed his van off the side street and onto one of the main roads as they headed towards the low spires and arcing tesla coils of the Hub’s Industrial Spur. Clio picked up the book from the floor and casually glanced through it, her eyebrows rising as she looked through the other books and came across an unusual find.
“You have a copy of Weidmar’s Precepts?†Clio asked. “I thought his theories had been discredited.â€
Rocky gave her a surprised look. “Only his theory on using SQUIDs to contact the Outside, and even then that was only because nobody has the balls to defy the Moderators and put it to the test.â€
“Coder?†Clio asked with a raised eyebrow.
“First Circle, barely. You?â€
“Third,†Clio stated with a proud smirk. Matthew rolled his eyes while Rocky let out a whistle and shook his head.
“Damn, that’s pretty sweet. Think you could do me up one of those swanky pocket drink dispensers? You know, the ones that you don’t have to refill?â€
“Only if you can pay for it.â€
“Geez,†Rocky clutched at his chest dramatically as he spun the van around a corner. “You’re killin’ me over here. Whatever, once we get done with this raid, I’ll have more than enough cash, sound good?â€
“Raid?†Clio repeated, as if her ears had deceived her. Her eyes slid over to a no longer smiling Matthew. “What raid?â€
“Well,†he started,â€you remember the that virus that wandered in from the Wastes into the industrial sector last week? Right, so someone managed to track it down, and the businesses it hit put a bounty on it. Rocky and I know a few guys, so we decided to put together a raid group and bring it down.â€
Clio took a deep breath and closed her eyes before responding. “Matthew, I was under the impression that I was to check the stability of some equipment for one of your jobs, not participating in a raid! You do realize how dangerous raids are, correct?â€
“It’ll be fine. Reports had it as just a Class Three, which means it’s big and dumb, and an easy target. Relax,†he said, his grin back as he slapped Clion on the back. “It’ll be quick and easy, and you’ll even get a cut of the bounty. I wasn’t even lying about your part. All you need to do is check and make sure everyone’s gear is functioning properly, that’s all. â€
“Somehow I doubt it will be that simple...†Clio trailed off with a sigh as she turned and stared at the passing sights of the city, the apartments buildings and residential complexes reminiscent of Old New York, though on a massively larger scale. Eventually the apartments and houses gave way to factories and warehouses and the sky above became obscured by a thick haze of smog.
Matthew twisted in his seat, opening and closing his mouth a few times before he sighed and relaxed into his seat. The van took several turns before Rocky turned it down a sidestreet. Matthew leaned forwards past Clio and tapped Rocky on the shoulder. Rocky grunted as he slowed down and turned down a side street to where Matthew pointed out several couple of cars parked in front of a nondescript warehouse. “Here we are, and it looks like the rest of the team has already arrived.â€
He reached in behind the seat and pulled out a hammer with a head larger than Clio’s torso. Matthew winked at her as he slid open the door and stepped out into the rain, leaving her to scramble after him as he headed towards the warehouse door. Once again his energy had her hooked and dragged along for the ride behind him, no matter if she was willing or not.
He stopped and held the door open for her, his grin at full force. “Time to go slay ourselves a virus.â€
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
My entry into Original Fic 2014. Feedback on it would be nice, since I intend to enter this into a couple other contests too.