Anyone who's ever read a Night world book will know that the concepts typical of the series are not mine! Enjoy and don't be afraid to give feedback – it encourages me to write more!
::chapter one::
"In other local news today, outspoken minister of resources and technology, Dr. Robert Bernhan, has died early this morning. We'll cross over to Stephanie Tanier for more details."
"Thanks Chris. According to police statements just released, Dr. Bernhan has indeed passed away. As one of the founding co-directors of the world's second largest biotechnology companies, Overland, Dr. Bernham was recently appointed minister of resources and technology. Reports came in early this morning that the minister was found dead in his car on the driveway of his family home. Apparently…"
The news reporter neatly dressed in a pale purple blouse, glanced at her holographic pad held in front of her as tiny news blurbs scrolled across the bottom of the giant screen plastered on the high rise tower but no one seemed to pay any attention. They continued on with their baskets full of groceries, occasionally glancing behind to bark at their children to keep up. Scuttling across the market square, head down, lists in one hand and another guarding their pockets. Monday mornings were always bustling with shoppers. It was market day after all, the day to restock supplies and the only day anyone ever really left their humble shacks besides to look for work. Burly shopkeepers would bellow about their produce and thrust handfuls of freshly cleaved meat around while poor women would drag unsuspecting customers to their makeshift stalls. In the background, bridges and pylons sprawled above, covering the sky from view as projected images covered the length of buildings flashed with colourful kitsch commercials advertising everything from the latest gadget, to soft drinks and even brothels.
"Get your fresh produce here! We've got carrots going for five dollars, potatoes at five, get your broccolis for seven dollars!"
"Nine a bag of apples! Cheapest you'll find, come and grab your apples!"
As she followed the slow stream of moving bodies, something caught Maya's eye on the other side of the stalls.
"'Ave a look at our gen'wine amulets craf'd from tha skilled folk from tha southern border. Don' be shy, you'll never grab 'em wi'out these!"
Gripping the calico bag in her arms, she squeezed between two women to have a look, almost dropping a bag of yo-yo cookies along the way. Beautiful, shimmery gems of all colours, shapes and sizes were inlaid into twisted wreaths of silver and gold, capturing the light and reflecting a different colour at each angle. Maya loved the twinkle inside amber pieces and the rustic gold flecked into turquoise rings. The mass of colours reminded her of the pendants and rings her mother used to wear. A nice little gift for herself every once in a while wouldn't hurt...
"Ou'a tha way luv, if yain't gonna pay then move 'side!" croaked the shabby looking shopkeeper and she whacked her cane into Maya's leg for good measure.
"Ow! Hey, watch it, you old coot!" Maya bit back, turning to elbow her way back through the thick crowd. The croak continued with her pitches, slowly fading into the constant buzz of the market.
"Thinkin' a teachin' 'em a lesson? Try tha real stuff!"
Trying to rub her leg while balancing her bag and the bread loaf in her arms, Maya weaved around the rows of stalls, crossing items off her shopping list. Frankly, Maya hated the market. The close proximity of bodies everywhere, climbing over each other to grab the last of the canned vegetables. It was a constant reminder of human instinct: fight or you won't survive. A cruel reminder of the terrible things that one can do to another. No one cared if you fell on the street, they'd try to take your wallet but they wouldn't stop to help. Just like how no one cared that a man had just died, possibly been murdered.
Still, life continues and there are usually two things on everyone's mind on a Monday morning: get the groceries and get back home in one piece, although she was headed back to the laboratory instead of home. Drawing the short end of the straw, it was her week to refill the kitchen stocks and as a result, she was now battling her way out of the market down in the slums.
There were all types of shady characters down in the slums, an area home to roughly three quarters of the city population who had been living here ever since the global recession hit. That was almost a century ago, when nature seemed to reach its' peak, unable to withstand the rapid expansion of global populations. Experts agreed at the time that climate change was the ultimate cause. Human greed pillaging the land, sudden changes in sea temperatures, the el Niño effect – it was all disturbing the natural growth of the planet. It accumulated into one big fireball that rained down on each continent. Labelling the events as severe natural disasters would have been an understatement.
The resulting mess was a social gap so wide that the remaining survivors were left on their own to pick up the pieces while the corporate companies preyed on the vulnerable. Across the world, it was the same situation; everyone was left to fend for themselves while the governments pretended to help while secretly lining their pockets. A century later and peace and prosperity was still no where to be seen.
Maya had to count herself fortunate. Coming from a middle class family, she lived above the slums and it showed whenever she had to venture down. Her mid-length black hair was neatly tied back today, showing off her pale skin and bright brown eyes. Just because she worked a decent job in a laboratory didn't mean she had to dress up every day but even when she was wearing a thick overcoat with a plain black skirt, she still stood out. No wonder that old hag hit her. She looked too clean, too fresh to be a native of the slums.
A buzz alerted her to an incoming call. Shifting the bags to one arm and propping it up from the bottom with her knee, Maya quickly pressing the button on her connexin ear piece. Holographic blue bars slid across Maya's vision with the words: Tahlia Goodwin. Her image soon followed and she saw Tahlia holding a snack bar with her lab glasses propped on her head like a headband.
"Maya Hart, where are you?! I'm gettin' hungry and lunch is ticking by quick!" she whined, pointing to her watch. Maya sighed as she headed for the skyrail platforms.
"I'm coming, I'm coming. Look if you wanted it quick then why didn't you come out with me? Do you know how heavy your stuff–"
"The next skyrail will be departing for Fairmont. Please stand on the yellow arrows. The next rail will be departing for Fairmont. Please stan…"
"Oh, the rail is about to come, I'll be there in 10 minutes! Terminate call!" she disconnected the call and the holographic image slid to the left of her vision.
The hum of the skyrail was getting louder as Maya raced to the scanning gates. With her arms full, she was thankful the ticketing gates were automated scanners and not the old ticket swipes. A green light flicked on with a ding! as she passed the scanners and crammed onto the carriage, bumping every person in her path along the way. Full carriage, again. No seats but at least she was grateful for the warm blast of air that was blowing from the air vents. The skyrail gave a hoot and smoothly accelerated ahead along the bridge towards the city's medical district.
…
"…no word on the cause of death, but reports state that the car was heard running for at least two hours or so until one of the neighbours noticed Dr. Bernhan's body at five o'clock. Police are treating this case very carefully and have not ruled out homicide at this point. That's all for now, back to you Chris."
"Thanks, Stephanie. Looking at today's stock figures, a slight jump by Ignis Tech was the only positive sign today by the science sector while the big banks fell…"
"Yes, I've just heard the news…it's quite unfortunate…and the directives?...Yes, of course. I understand. Thank you, sir."
Catherine pulled the ear piece out of her ear, setting it onto the glass table and pressed a button on her console. The image of the news anchor disappeared and the holographic projector quietly slid into the ceiling and the blinds automatically drew open.
Stepping to the front of her desk, Catherine caught her reflection in the mirror on the wall, giving herself a good once over. For someone who was three-hundred and forty-five, she was still hot. Straightening her skirt and unbuttoning the top button of her blouse, she was careful to show only a peak of cleavage before applying a fresh coat of ruby red lipstick. Tossing her thick wavy mane behind her a final time, she buzzed her console again. A projected image of her receptionist appeared before her.
"Janis? Send the client in, would you?"
A moment later and a black haired man dressed in a black suit walked through the sliding doors into her luxuriously furnished office. The deep blue eyes were a stark contrast to the pale skin and dark attire he wore. Catherine smiled like a cat as she leaned onto the edge of her desk. She knew he was far too young for her but that never stopped her. He just looked so…youthful like he had an abundance of energy just waiting to burst. In her experience, that was something she needed in her bed.
"It's so good to see you again, Tarius. Take a seat," she gestured to the leather sofas, "can I get you anything?"
Tarius took a seat, shaking his head, "No thank you, I'm quite alright, Catherine. Is Marius here?"
"I'm afraid my partner is in Paris today. He has been overseeing the new manufacturing plant we've acquired recently. How has it been adjusting to the Council? You were most impressive during the last meeting; Lucifer was quite aggressive but I was relieved to see that you handled yourself well."
She turned around and picked up a black folder, walking over to him.
"It hasn't been too hard. I've been shadowing the Senator's activities for a while so I've adjusted quickly, thank you for asking." he said politely. Always so formal like he was scared of her; she wanted to see him relax a bit.
"Well, we were concerned when we heard about Lord Boron and his condition. Do send him our well wishes for a speedy recovery." she said while placing a hand lightly on his shoulder.
Tarius politely nodded and gave no other response. She took a seat, daintily crossing her legs and slid the folder across to him.
"This is the report from the board meeting yesterday. I'm glad to be telling you that the progress we've made from all our outsourcing projects has almost completed. We're nearing the finalisation process and we're expecting mass production by mid-next year. I'm sure you will find the details of the report very interesting." she smiled.
"I'm sure it will be. There were a few concerns raised in the previous report by one of the companies. I'm assuming that has been resolved?"
Catherine gave a knowing grin. "The problem is being taken care of as we speak, you won't need to worry about it but...if you have time, we can discuss this during lunch…" she smoothly said, testing the waters.
Tarius examined the handheld reader, swiping his finger over the screen, satisfied the contents were in full and skimmed the papers accompanying the report before snapping the folder close. He barely showed any reaction to her suggestion until he finally looked up.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible. I have a prior engagement I'm afraid."
She felt a weight suddenly thump across her chest. He refused her offer and worse, he didn't even look at her!
"Thank you for the update, Catherine. I'll be sure to inform the Council of the latest developments after I review the report."
Catherine watched him leave with a sly smile on her red lips. She'd get him sooner or later.
…
Arms brimming with bags stocked with groceries, Maya set them down onto the bench of the tiny office kitchenette and began to unpack as Tahlia walked in.
"How were the scavengers today?" she asked with a bright smile. The voluptuous blonde was glowing from the way she was bouncing around the bench.
"You're in a good mood today, what happened to you last night? By the way I got whacked by an old hag and someone grabbed my ass on the train, thanks for asking. You could have helped by coming along." Maya grumbled with a frown while twisted her leg slightly to check there were no lasting marks. She knew she should have worn pants today instead of the pencil skirt.
Tahlia grinned devilishly and began filling the fridge.
"You know I'm allergic to slummers. By the way, last night was amazing," she raved on, "Dom and I both tried the tonic and we were going at it for hours last night. He could barely move this morning! God, I've never had such a wild experience! Where did you say you bought it from?"
"I told you I didn't buy it. And it was a birthday present – I can't tell you where it's from!"
Automated door slid open with a zip and Kayle walked in, tying her long dark-brown hair back. She was in her mid thirties like Tahlia but she actually acted her age. It was no wonder she had been recently promoted to senior researcher, she was dedicated and efficient, reliable and observant. Her higher status in the laboratory meant that she was the go-to when there was trouble but outside of work, Tahlia and Kayle played the part of the older sisters Maya never had.
"Guys, will you hurry it up? Goddard is coming soon so get ready for the meeting!"
...
Dr. Clancy Goddard was one of the foremost experts in the biotechnology industry. Prolific and intelligent, she was a driving force for many advances that helped revolutionise aid for the disabled and improved the living standards of the poor despite her tender age of forty-four compared to her much older peers. Joint partnership with Overland, the top developer of medical cybertronics, meant that she was able to develop a synthetic 'injectable skeleton' that fused with the template bone structure, giving a new lease of life for the elderly and those who were suffering from bone diseases.
Their next venture was towards integrating prosthetics into the body but the sudden collapse of Overland meant that the project required funding from another source. That came in the form of Overland's biggest rival, Biogenics, which specialised more in biomolecular neuroscience technology. The result was the production of cyborg parts that were able to fluidly move as the brain instructed, even performing the most delicate of work such as threading a needle. Clancy Goddard was a role model but her tough, no-nonsense, result-driven personality meant she had little patience for errors.
"How was your trip?" asked Tahlia as they gathered in Clancy's office.
She passively waved her hand and brushed her wavy red hair behind her ears.
"The conference was like any other. Old men smoking their cigars while they argued about the significance of gene regulation procedures. Completely out of touch and uninterested in the advancement of medical technology." she said indifferently.
"Well, we are doing some pretty cutting edge stuff that involves tinkering with the genetic code..." offered Terry, a gangly-looking rookie who officially joined the team as a postdoctorate a month ago.
"I don't know why I accepted the invitation. They don't even care about what I say...anyway, enough of that. What's the progress on the coding, Kayle? Have you got that sorted yet?"
Taking out a transparent plastic board with metal tapering on the sides, Kayle swiped a card across the magnetised strip on the board and digitised graphs appeared on the PDA. Dragging her fingers across the board, cell culture images of spindle–shaped cells scattered around a massive clump of cells appeared with a genetic sequence of rows upon rows of four letters arranged in random order.
"What we had produced previously was a result of an incorrect primer that started to synthesise the strand here," she pointed to a spot in the sequence, "we've changed the primer with the one you provided us and it actually starts here."
She pointed to another spot further down the page. "We did all the tests and all the major protein fragments were present."
"Yes, that does look much better. Okay, what about the cells?" Clancy asked while examining the various blot tests on the screen. Kayle looked to Maya to continue and she leaned forward to reach the PDA.
"The cells that we altered actually worked perfectly and we incubated them with the antibody formula that our volunteer patient provided." Here she tapped at one of the images and an enlarged image showed an immature reconstruction of a hand.
"This is at ninety minutes. The regeneration was almost complete at four hours as predicted. It went just like our animal models."
"Excellent. How soon can we implant the tissue?"
"A month. It should be fully developed and reactive by then."
...
Picking up the cigarette, Kayle took a long drag and leaned back into the seat, already feeling the tension in her shoulders ease. She took off her glasses, setting them onto the table while she shook her chocolate hair out of her face.
"Smoking is gonna kill you one day." Tahlia warned before taking a sip of hot coffee and rested her head in her hand. She had known Kayle since their high school years and still Kayle was as much a chimney as she was back then.
She snorted and held up the cigarette. "Unless you find me a better habit, I'll stick to this."
A couple minutes silently passed as they lounged around the table until the swish of the automated door broke them out of their reverie.
Maya appeared with her bag slung across her shoulder and her connexin in her ear. "Guys, I'm off. I've left the gel running so it should be done by 6." And with that, she left the two to their silence again.
"You know, sometimes I wonder why I'm doing this," Tahlia said, running her fingers over the corners of her eyes, "working late every night is hell on my skin."
Kayle gave her a sympathetic smile, inhaling the smoke and slung her slender arm over her seat.
"Tell me about it. But if they want it done, what are we suppose to say? Just think of the cash, Tahlia. Think of the cash."
Tahlia sat up in her seat. "Where do you think Goddard got the sequencing fragments from? They're pretty unstable to be from humans..."
"Of course it's human – it passed the regulatory board; besides, you shouldn't even be asking, we're not supposed to know."
"Right. 'Cause we're robots. Okay, well I know I'm not the only one who's curious. No commercial cell line is able to replicate so quickly in such a short amount of time."
Kayle shrugged as stubbed the cigarette into the ash tray.
"Do you think they'll really try to get a patent on the transplants? I'm not keen on having any of that stuff in me." Tahlia said with a shudder.
Kayle gave her an incredulous look, shaking her head and aimed a finger to Tahlia's forehead.
"You've been working on the project for three years and now you're asking questions?!"
"Well, maybe it's just pre-testing jitters. I just hope we haven't wasted our time on something that'll fail again."
"Stop asking nonsense questions and keep your head down, alright? Come on, breaks over."
"Yeah." Tahlia said unenthusiastically as she took a gulp of coffee. It was going to be another long night.