That same afternoon at a bustling fast-food restaurant, a group of five girls eating their meals until their phones pinged simultaneously. From each of their appearances, they're college students.
“Emergency alert: Traffic Accident on the B.Q.E resulting in several casualties,” the woman said exhaustedly sipping her soda, lazily flicking the phone screen.
Adjacent from her, one of the girls reaches over sneaking a single frie from her friend’s plate. “Looks like we’re going to be here for a while. Hey, I heard there’s a new upscale hotel on 43rd Street with tons of activities and a fancy pool. If we have time to spare, I’ll make arrangements for our new stay…”
The girl's eyes gleamed, hugging the woman tightly. “Are you serious? Thanks, Syeda!”
“Hey, knock off all the hugging, Nadine. Its hot enough already and my climate controlled gear is being repaired,” she said, scooting closer to the window.
“Its Summer vacation, it’s only natural that restaurants like this one are full of people, hoping to get a glimps of their favorite celebrity,” she said trying to get a peek at what her friend Network Sleeve.
“That’s true, especially since Boro Clash is coming up in three weeks and stop that, Sade. I’m busy putting in a repair inquiry for my equipment for the next gig. Speaking of gig, what happened to that guy and his gang?” the girl said softly, showing Sade a row of equipment on her Network Sleeve.
"Well Kim, word around the underside is he capitulated, he dissolved his organization after four of his top officers defected, two changed teams and the other two surrendering over to the feds. The news of this sent ripples through the Underworld, shaking up the other organizations. A few days later he vanished without a trace," Syeda replied.
"Assassination?"
Syeda nodded her head, "No, with every organization in the Underworld watching him closely they couldn’t move against him because the eyes and ears of Big Brother joined in on the exposed mess he caused since five of their own officials came up in two of the defectors reports mentioning illegal arm deals in Africa and the Middle East, no one from the underside want conflict with topside. Too big of a risk. Giving him ample time to flee while they were focused on each other tring to influence eachother for benefits."
"So many major players, it's best that we stay clear of the underside for a bit," Kim said.
*******
Two days went by since Kuniva was admitted to the hospital. He sat in the chair putting his sneakers on. “I’m home free. Now I can ask doctor eyepatch a few questions, then after that I can go home.”
A nurse hands him the clipboard with the release from. After signing the forms and gathering his belongings off the chair, Kuniva heads up to the fourth floor.
He knocks on the door peeking his head in the room.
“Ollie-ollie-oxen-free?”
“Ah, Kuniva. Come in. What brings you up here? I thought you would be going home?” The doctor offers Kuniva a seat but Kuniva declines the kind doctor's hospitality.
“I’m not going to stay long. I came because I have a few questions.”
“Is it related to artificial intelligence?” the doctor asked.
“How—”
The doctor chuckled. “I have my connections. The AI that you terminated was a military grade type-1 offensive-class AI that evolves in combat through simulations.”
“Then is it possible that it can evolve to gain the concept of emotions through other people's emotions and simulations?”
“This city is built on science and technology with the brightest minds working in tandem. To show the world such brilliance advancement in technology the Library of Alexandria was created. The first artificial superintelligence. Anything is possible in this new era,” the doctor said.
“Can they feel…death?” Kuniva asked.
The doctor ponders squinting his eye. “I can’t say. Research on such a phenomenon hasn’t been conducted yet. Why? Do you know something?” he questioned sternly.
An unsettling feeling hung heavy on his heart. Kuniva looked up at the clock, it was half past four and sighed, taking a seat. “May I have some water?”
The doctor smiled, walking over to the refrigerator. “Tell me what happened?”
The hands on the clock ticked with every word said. Their conversation lasted for until the moon rose high into the night sky.
“When it died, I felt the connection between us turn cold. For a split second it felt as if I died along with it.” Kuniva inhales and exhaled. His right hand begins to shake a little.
The doctor glances at Kuniva noticing the distress in him then looks up at the clock.
“How about you go home and get some rest. You were just released today. I have another meeting in a few hours.”
“Uh, Yeah. Enjoy the rest of your evening, Doctor patch,” Kuniva grabbed his bag and exited the office.
The doctor glances at the picture of him in a group with his colleagues. “What a mess we created, to involve children in our game of technological conquest. I feel a great calamity coming involving these kids. Don't you agree, old friend?"
He turns to a black robe figure standing in the middle of his off.
*******
Stepping out of the hospital, Kuniva takes a deep inhale. He shifts his crutch. “I know it’s been two days, but do I love the smell of openness—ouch!” he grips his side, recalling that he was still recovering.
Under that pain was a sound for nurturement. “Guess I’ll be eating take out tonight.”
*******
After getting cleaned up and reorganized her computer desk. Jasmine lies down sprawled out across her bed surfing through the internet. “I still can't find any solid facts about Origin Fields. Could it be another one of those urban folktales? I’ll ask Marquise.”
Heading to her brother’s room, bursting through the bedroom then knocked. "Knock knock~."
Marquise wasn’t bothered by his sister barging in.
Jasmine lays down next to her brother tossing a plushy football in the air sharing her findings with him.
“Origin fields? You mean the unknown phenomenon when biotics use their abilities? Yes, I have but the research on the subject slowly died back during the First Corporate War. You should know this.” Marquise said, as he mashed his phone screen.
“Yeah well, While investigating Ms. Wingate, I found a research document on these origin fields and when I went back everything about the thesis was gone without a trace! Can you help me?~” Jasmine rocks her brother by the shoulder.
With his broken focus Marquise met a swift defeat ending his match. He hands his game pad to his sister and heads to his computer. “Let me see what I can dig up. I’ll call Shantae to see what she knows.”
“Thanks, bro. Speaking of your girlfriend~ how is she?” Jasmine said, teasingly as she watches her brother tense up and tripping over his words.
“Geez sis! Just be quiet for a few minutes!”
“Aww~.”
Marquise calls up Shantae asking her a barrage of questions at the same time screening his monitor.
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Thanks, I’ll see you later.” Marquise hangs up and turns around in his swivel chair.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
“Well, from what Shantae told me there’s an urban legend about Origin Field experiment and a ghost woman appearing 50 od years ago.”
“Go on.”
“Legend has it that in this city researchers stumbled upon an unknown occurrence when a young girl created a new form of material that would revolutionize the country's energy grid. When word circulated among scientific community and the DARPA, it wasn’t long until the top echelon got involved. This was before the ghost woman appeared.”
“What did they do to the researcher?”
“That’s obvious, they weaponized her research which was their downfall resulting in the Lunar Calamity. In this other story, a girl from upstate New York said on her way home from work she saw a glowing woman dressed in a white hospital gown walking around near a pharmaceutical building.”
“What a bad story,” Jasmine choulted, pausing the game.
“You asked for answers and I’m giving them to you. I ran the same story on urban legend websites and got similar results. In another event, a group of college guys were on their way to their dorm when one of the students from the group went missing out of the blue in broad day.”
“A kidnapping?”
“Not during the day with hundreds of students walking around, upstate institutions and research facilities are monitored and well-guarded 365 days 24/7. There were no signs of a struggle.” Marquise turns back to his computer.
“Did they ever find him?” Jasmine asked.
“Yeah they found him alright…two hundred miles west on the other side of the state.”
“How?”
“No one knows, not even the guy had any idea what was going on, when asked to remember something before disappearing. All he could remember was a young woman in her early twenties with brown skin, shoulder length locks detailed, and a glowing white outer worldly dress. He said after she took his hand everything blacked out, he said it was like he took a plunge into an abyss. Cold and empty.”
Jasmine sat up against the wall drumming on her knees. “How does all of this connect to one another?”
“West of that city is the state capital.”
“Ok what does the capital have to do with the ghost woman?”
“After the Lunar Calamity and the overhaul of four of the super states infrastructure. A large city composed of only skyscrapers and in that city was the first state of the art lab in the world. Months into its operations, reports of a glowing woman were spotted outside the building on several occasions and several people went missing around the same time of the sightings. The state started an independent investigation for an answer but turned up empty handed. A few days later the company relocated 200 miles east. Days later the same incident happened again, this time more people went missing without a trace."
“Something connecting the labs and origin fields is at the center. Experiment gone wrong?” Jasmine said.
“That possibility is high. After a while the reports stopped coming in and the company closed down and moved overseas. But it’s all nothing but a made-up story.”
“Seems real to me. Anyway, want order something to eat? Dont feel like cooking.”
"You're paying this time, right?" Marquis asked his sister.
"..."
"You are paying, right?"
Jasmine stares at her brother vanishing from the room.
*******
Neo Cairo, Egypt
Five days ago
“Here’s the file that you wanted, professor,” the woman said, handing over the document.
“Why is this happening?”
“I’m not sure, accidents are bound to happen in Neo New York City.” The woman turned around in her chair facing her appearance handing the file back.
“But professor, the existence of that project is in the hands of innocent people—” the woman froze mid-sentence.
The woman's eyes had a cold glare, even the air in the room came to a chill instantly, her pupils similar to a viper. “I thought I taught you better than that.” Her cold glare fades as she turns to her monitor.
“P-pardon?” the girl replies hesitantly.
“We can use this mess as a way of getting rid of our major issues. The institution has been meaning to get rid of those System Errors, the Council has been meaning to do some 'spring cleaning'.” The woman turns facing the city skyline, pointing at the tallest building at the center of the city.
The assistant was too shocked to reply to her professor's comment. She just stares blankly at the pyramid structure before vacating the room with the file.
"You disappointed me, Vanessa. It's really a setback when a rising star with so much prominence to show is wasted on remnant feelings from the past," the silver haired woman said, scowling, tossing the file across her desk. She eyes the second file on her left. After many years of research, money, resources poured into my life's long project. I'll be damned to let anyone ruin what I created.
Her Network Sleeve rings.
"What is it?"
"You have a private call."
"I'll take it from here, Hello, did you find how she got the information?" The professor grinds her teeth.
"And her death? Foul play... Understand, I'll double the payment, I'll get in contact with you when I need you."
After hanging up, she strikes the desk denting the woodend surface. She takes a deep breath leaning back in her chair rocking back and forth. "What are you up to, you old bastard? using my own student against me? you have some real nerve, Takahashi!"
She turned a sharp glare towards her ringing office phone. She takes a moment before answering the call.
"The only time you call is when I fail, not when I succeed…" She remained quiet, biting down on her lower lip until blood trickled from the tip of her chin. The phone began to arc along with the lights in her office.
She looked at her damaged phone one last time before dropping it from her hand.
Blood drips over the white sheets of papers with Venessa’s face on it. "How dare you do this to me, you old hag! Your only accomplishment is Alexandria and that's not enough for you to keep your spot on the council. Your influence is waning after 600 years in power."
She reached into her pocket taking out a handkerchief wiping the blood from her chin. She turns around looking out the window in the direction of the skyscrapers reaching a kilometer into the sky towering over its sister buildings. "A power vacuum is coming, the older generational council leaders' control is slipping from them day by day. My greatest achievements will surpass the other Administrators ambitious goals."
The room darkens as the window's transparency slowly blocks out the light, to her left was a small dot of light. She waved her finger, the small spec of light expanded filling her room with a blue artificial light. In the center of the room are three files named Gold, Platinum, and silver.
The silver file opens and more documents spew from the file until nothing else comes out. "In order for me to strip her of her power and position, I have to accelerate my plans--"
She rapidly steps to the center of the room, she grabs the holofile of a girl with black and platinum colored hair. "Again you can't keep your nose out of my business, Takahashi."
Under the girl's picture were the words active flashing slowly. "Takahashi knows of her existence now and has a firm grasp on her, so I'll let him keep her… for now. But not him, not yet at least and he's getting close to exposing him. With her active, they'll surely meet." She turned her focus toward the dim Platinum file. As long as he remains inactive I still have the upper hand on the others however…
The professor's office was doused by the sun.
Playing a passive role will surely lead to the worst. She snaps her fingers and the hologram deactivates.
"Naomi."
The door to her office opens, a young woman in her early twenties enters the room dressed in a black suit. "Yes, Madame?"
"I'm preparing a flight to Neo New York City and I need you to come with me--"
Naomi cleared her throat, interrupting the professor. "Excuse me Madame Aisha, but you know you can't return to the U.S.A after what happened a few years back and how malignant your illness has become. They'll arrest you the second you land and you might not return back home."
Aisha didn't respond back she sat in silence, Naomi read the expression on her professor's face. It was her final decision.
"Madame Aisha, please reconsider!"
Aisha sat down leaning forward looking at the ground.
"And I'll die before I can see my creation awaken. I will not. Prepare for departure, we leave in three days."
Naomi sighed regretting that wasn’t able to deter her professor from leaving Neo Cairo. "As you wish, Madame."
*******
Two days ago.
"Breaking News! Later this evening former Professor Venessa Wingate from Elli Edmonton Institution was found deceased in her home around 7:45pm this evening from a Self-inflicted gun shot wound. An independent investigation has been issued to find the suspect, members from the International Science Community suspect foul play by the C.I.A. The C.I.A denies all allegations imposed."
Kuniva and Jasmine's eyes were glued to the TV; they looked in disbelief as they absorbed the information. Kuniva plops down on the sofa lost for words. Jasmine calls her brother about Venessa’s death, however he was watching the news as well from his desk.
"She wanted to start over and decided to do… this?!" Kuniva said in a low voice.
Jasmine pats him on the shoulder with a frown and leaves Kunivas' apartment. "This is bigger than I thought. Major powerhouses are getting involved."
He closed his eyes and lied down on the sofa. This doesn't feel right. What the hell is going on in this city?
*******
Current day
Brooklyn, East New York, prime time
"I paid a few old friends a visit. The things that they're saying about the situation in the city is far worse compared to a few years back," the woman in the black robe said to her partner.
Evelyn looks down at the cars as they pass underneath them. "I know, I feel it. So much wrong, not enough correction. I felt the soul of a girl who was trapped in the living world for decades. This was her third time dieing by the hands of her own kind... humanity."
"And yet, you still want to protect them?" The woman said, stating the obvious to her partner.
"What kind of human would I be if I didn't want too?" Evelyn replied with a soft smile.
Evelyn watched as the cars headlights disappeared under the overpass only to emerge on the other side. "Fye, For a person to have hate for humans and not see themselves as one is shallow. To truly hate another human being one must discard all that is human about them. You see what came of Azi Dakaha... what am I saying.You wouldn't understand."
"Because of your affection for other mortals, your ridiculous stunt back there almost compromised us!"
"I refuse to do nothing while people need help..."
"You've been a bit chatty with an enemy of the old council... If I recall you have a prior relationship with him in your other..."
"Choose your next words wisely Fye for it will be your last!" Evelyn bluntly expressed to the woman.
"You're not a human, you're a fallen star you wouldn't understand human nature. Plus, I no longer work for the old council, I'm free to do as I please."
Fye stood in silence watching the cars pass under them and sighed. "Your right. We should get going, Orthodox Magic is stronger now compared to a few weeks ago."
*******