Hi !

So, what about this fanfic… I'm just trying to have a bit more Deus Ex to eat before Humankind Divided is finally out. And since I like to write stories… Let's write one !
I don't guarantee it will be perfect, or that it will really fit the Deus Ex universe. In fact there will definitely be inconsistencies, but since we just have little knowledge about Humankind Divided, it okay, right ? But I wanted to write a prequel to Humankind with what we know of it. You will see soon.

Disclaimers : The setting and some characters belong to Deus Ex creators.

My phone was ringing. I looked around me, a bit annoyed, but well. There was barely no one in the train at this hour anyway. So… I picked up and lowered my voice :

"Hi, mum !"
"Sweetie… How did the interview go ?"

I grimaced. She couldn't see me since I never used webcam, what a relief…

"Well, it could have been worse… They were searching for something more… mainstream. But at least they didn't say it was crap."
"Oh…"

Trying to find work in the entertainment field, these days. The world was taking quite a bad turn so you might have thought that it was a thriving business for musicians and artists of any kind. Didn't people like to hang out at a concert, in a theater or laugh at a funny show during the darkest of times ? Apparently, not anymore. Except in some places like... Well.

"…Maybe I'll have to try nightclubs sooner than I thought" I said with a sarcastic tone.
"Don't you say that… Did they tell you anything about your Natural status ? If you were proposed to get an aug again, I'll swear I'll…"
"They didn't imply anything mum, don't worry. It's not like you can get augmented here anyway. I'm still in the Natural part of town, so…"

Yep. That's how it was. There were the Natural suburbs, and the Augmented suburbs, facing each other and separating the Nat and Aug Prague. Which one was the best, who was I to know ? So far, the Nat-subs were shown as blank by Picus all around the world. And it was the same thing with any city in any part of the Earth. Nat-cities : almost perfection. No problems whatsoever. But getting jobs other than in the security field, in management, as a janitor or as a worker… Meh.

We didn't get to see each other anymore. I mean, Augs and Nats. Except in stations, where sometimes Augs were allowed to go in Nat town. We were apart. On both sides, terrorism was at its peak. Yeah, "on both sides". Because it looked like the news took a great interest into keeping the Nats completely innocent… But who did actually begin this big Apartheid ?

"And did they know your name ? Did they implied anything about your… Oh please, Hellen, would you be so kind to just… I don't know, start a career in another field ? You could have so many wonderful jobs, you would earn so much money and… You know…"

There we go again… And about what I was saying earlier ? Oh, yes. My opinions. They bothered people. So much I got rejected many times by programmers during festivals, lives, concerts, even jam sessions in bars. We were in the Nat-subs, you know. You didn't get to speak about that kind of things in Nat-territory. "Augs ? They are beyond salvation. They gave their humanity away. William Taggart was right, by the time. May he rest in peace. We should have listen to him." This was what you heard in the streets these days. Every day. Since the Panchaea incident, where the big heads from Humanity Front, Tai Yong Medical, Sarif and Darrow Industries had disappeared into the ocean, aggressions against Augs had been even more violent. So violent the government (or so we were said) decided to create some new kinds of Berlin walls (or so I would say) for each big cities. It had resulted on the biggest rural exodus ever seen in History. Well, because these walls were not constructed in smaller villages and towns, and thus people were afraid of mixing population. Nat cities and Aug cities were now over-inhabitated. We had capsule hotels everywhere.

"Mom, I still got to try. People are afraid, that's all."

I didn't say much more than that. She would understand. I was not alone in the train anyway. Having this kind of conversation in public might have been bad for me... Well, I gave up on this one, I know. But only because it was late at night and I was tired enough not to want any trouble on my way home…

I changed the subject :

"How is it at the retirement home ? Sorry I didn't have time to come by."
"It's okay. It's a bit hot in here but the nurses are kind. And it's great to have some traditional health care around. That brings me back to a time in which life was much easier, honey."
"Ah. Did life was ever easy ?"
"You are so pessimistic, Hellen…"
"You always say that when you're upset about my lifestyle so…"

I looked out the window. Final destination was not that far away now.

"Look, I got to hang up. I'm almost there. Love you, mum."
"We'll discuss later. Love you too."

"Discuss later". Never a good sign. I should learn to just lie and tell her that everything is okay, that I found a secure job somewhere over the rainbow and all… But that's not me. I don't feel comfortable with lies.
That's pretty much why it's a nightmare to live in Nat-subs, I guess.

I got up from my seat, along with the four or five persons who have been in the train with me. The mechanical voice on the train speakers announced our arrival.

"Terminus – Taggart station. Taggart station."

I rolled my eyes and took my guitar to put it on my shoulder.
In the big station, the ant community of citizens was moving. Security guards were everywhere, especially at the boundaries of the area, discretely waving their guns while watching at the crowd through their helmet. I frowned. This was a common view, yes, but there were more guards than usual. Plus, red lights was shining above the big doors showing the limits between Augs and Nat Station. A new terrorist action ? Which side, this time ?
I shivered. It was a common view anyway. But I kept shivering everytime this happened.

"He has passed the barrier, Jensen, you have to hurry… You'll have to go to Nat-territory..."

The voice in his ear was crushing a little. Too many wave interferences here… At least security was bigger. Communicating via secret channels was tricky now. Adam looked at the crowd around him. Just in front of him, the guards seemed tense. They must have felt the same in the other side of the barrier. Some people from the crowd looked at them with puzzled expressions, but they went on their way rapidly. You don't stay in front of guards too long. Especially when you're an Aug.

"No way… Did he go through the airvents ?" murmured Adam.
"I don't know. Through the roof maybe. He is too massive a pitbull to go as smoothly as you through airvents or whatnot."
"I'll need you to disappear for a while, Stanley. Get off the grid. You can't risk being spotted in the other part of town."
"You'll go alone ? That's insane man…"
"Do we have a choice ? I'll contact you ASAP. Cutting the channel off."

With a click, the conversation ended. Adam got behind a phone booth. He turned himself into nothingness. Invisibility Cloak. He couldn't get directly through the radars. He'd have to get around. Quickly. And if his target had gone through the roof ? Well, he'd go underneath…

First chapter – DONE. I hope my English was not that bad (I'm French but I'm a foreign language lover). Have a nice day everyone and… see you soon… *Cloak activated. Wooosh.*