Chapter 21: Promotion

Excerpt from Episode [The Life and Death of Lieutenant Jacob Grazhe] of the Net-Cast, Western Frontiers, by AbyssNet host: Abraham Parez

I remember when I was a boy and still thought that man was ancient! Now that he’s gone, it feels like a chapter has closed on Westcrook, and the new doors opening all have iron sights sticking out of them.

Now, for many of my humble listeners, it may come as a surprise that the well-articulated host you’ve all come to love was born in a place like… well, like that. But it’s the truth, so understand my words when speaking about matters like this.

Westcrook is fucked.

You want to know why the man was never promoted to Police Captain over the whole district? Because he was so good at keeping the peace that the second he gained access to an ounce of more resources including that confirmed promotion to Gold, all ninety-four million citizens of the District would practically jump off a cliff if he slipped his tongue.

He was too good to be given more power. That speaks to the kind of man that he was. When he was inducted into the City State Police more than sixty years ago, he was integral in turning a place ravaged by earthquakes and criminal war into a somewhat hospitable place to live. Hell, I’d wager half the gangs running mainstream within the district were set up by him, proxy soldiers he could use to fight wars the police weren’t willing to get involved with.

By the time he was a Special Investigator, they’d given him the nickname Blacktongue… and not because he was good at getting the women all loud and steamy. A word from him could shatter your mind, you’d think a guy like him could climb up endlessly. And he did at first, the youngest corporal in the city’s history at the age of 24 before becoming a Sergeant half a decade later and a Staff Sergeant of the Strike Division within another half.

At the age of 39, he was the third-youngest Lieutenant in the three-century-spanning history of our city. The Lieutenant of the First Precinct of Westcrook, I’d wager that even dead, he continues to have more influence over the District than the Captain and the predecessors before him. Yet, never once in his career did they even breathe the thought that a man like him should get the rank of Captain. It was always someone else, someone like Ishram Krivash who the Majors and Generals could control under their thumb while Lieutenant Grazhe played the part of a good dog for the last 50 years.

He’d been as solid in the history of the district as the concrete beneath our feet. And now he’s dead, slaughtered in seconds by a MAL. I’ve heard reports, gang violence is nearly at an all-time high just one week after his death… the wheels are spinning now, and they’re not going to stop until they crash. And even then, the skeletons will wage their wars against each other, an endless pursuit of power and territory.

So, long story short. If anyone wants to become a legend of Westcrook, then now is the time.

11:31 AM

June 9th

Diana

“May we once again stand in salute to the newly inaugurated Third Investigators!” The Lieutenant’s voice, a different lieutenant than the one of my own precinct… the Third Precinct, a chubby man that concealed his old days of battle-torn scars with a decade of self-indulgence, raised his voice into the microphone.

A chorus of clapping echoed through the hall, a thunderstorm of applause that could have rattled through me if I wasn’t so solidly trapped within my own mind. I was wearing my dress uniform, a sleek fitting outfit of several layers that alternated between blue, black and white from the outside in. On my arm was a band with three small diamonds in place, signifying my new status as an Investigator — a police personel allowed to handle an Implant.

It was said anyone who didn’t die in the police would get here eventually at the age of 26… I was four years early.

I held my hand in salutation, my fingers nervously adjusting to brush a free strand of hair as the lights focused on the six of us. Normally, such events would be held every fall and spring semi-annually, but the death of the Lieutenant led to a ceremony that introduced additional changes in the official structure of the First Precinct alongside whole hours of open-talking delegating how the other Precincts should manage themselves with the shifting behaviors of criminals.

The Snake Fangs — while relatively small — left a hole, what used to be their old territory was now in risk of falling into chaos as two powerful groups collided, maybe in hopes of finding even a speck of Gold there.

Los Diablos were making moves on Little Requiem after their data breach a few years ago left them vulnerable. Metal Heavens began openly terrorizing neighborhoods all across the city, fronting more confidence than they ever had before this chaos. A turf war between the Crimson Souls and Muramasa Dynasty was all but openly declared, each trying to claim stake over Snake Fangs’ leftovers.

I wouldn’t be dealing with any of that directly, not yet anyhow. As a Third Investigator, I was currently a glorified grunt in the police, just with an Implant in comparison to Officers. Second and First-rate Investigators would slowly be held to higher leadership roles and Special Investigators were close enough in rank to Corporals to keep command over a squad.

My goals were simple yet grand, this police station was just the first step in my climb. It wouldn’t be easy, but if I pushed my skills in the right direction then I could get there… all the way to-

“Diana?! Are you listening?!” I hadn’t even taken a full grasp over the fact that I was back seated on my table. Yvette was laughing, holding me with a gentle yet firm grasp that was accompanied by her sniding. “The promotion got to your head already, Diana, that you don’t even bother hearing out the thoughts of your lessers? And here I thought you were going to take a seat by the people equal to your rank now.”

I smoothed out my clothes, realizing that a whole lot of the staff from my station were staring at me. Then with a stern look, I raised a sharp and succinct bite at Yvette. “Officer Ingrid, I believe you’re supposed to refer to me as Investigator Jones.”

Then I let out a laugh, I couldn’t help it when I saw the wash of fear drain color out of Yvette’s face. She smacked me, but this time I barely… almost didn’t feel it, actually. “You ass!”

My stern tone shattered amidst laughs and giggles. “Is that anyway to talk to your senior?”

“Okay Investigator Jones…” She said while exaggerating her face twisting into disgust. “God, I hope you don’t climb any higher, can’t imagine calling you Corporal or Sergeant. But tell me, is it true you’re being paid four Bronze Shards a month?”

“What if I said I can’t disclose that?” A small but teasing smile played over my face.

“You’re letting your ego get to your head.” She glanced a warning look at me, then broke it with a teeth-embraced grin. “But seriously, congratulations Investigator. You deserve it more than anyone I know. And also, I wasn’t really joking when I said that you should sit with the Investigators… I think some of the ones in the Intelligence department are seated over there — they’ve been eying you real bad. And not just because you’re hot as fuck.”

I slapped her arm again, trying to conceal my embarrassment as I looked over to where she pointed. A table in the back with some faces that I’d studied over the last few days in preparation for my transfer.

“Promise me you’ll remember where you came from.” Yvette held me as I stood up. “I don’t want none of that egotistic nonsense spilling out of your mouth!”

“She better!” Officer Holmes laughed beside me.

“We’re rooting for you.” Another voice, an Officer Ishmael, joked.

Others were silent, the undeniable shifts of envy digging into my back. I stood strong and tall through it all, I’d felt it all during my promotion to First-Rank Officer… hell, I’d felt envious at those who got to Investigator before. A strong salute from my hands shot at Yvette. “I promise. You’re my friend first. Officer Yvette Ingrid.”

“Of course. Investigator Jones.” She saluted back before clapping my back and ushering me away. “Now shoo, I can only handle protocol for so long with your ass!”

In a few seconds, I treaded my way to the table noticing the shifts of gazes at me from all over. They were the only ones with an empty seat and those sitting there honed in on me like hawks to a rat.

I held up high a salute, pulling together my worries and anxiety into a stream of composure. “Officer- I mean, Investigator Jones reporting, I’m transferring to the Intelligence-“

Snickers and laughters cracked at my words, a few of the patrons on the table visibly choking their laughs back with their sleeves. A tall, well built man with a balding head didn’t do me much courtesy with his chuckling. “Y-you always hold up to conduct, Jones? Relax, you ain’t an officer so we won’t be beatin’ you up anymore. Grab a seat. I’m Tluste Choirmen, Second Investigator. And no, despite my name I don’t sing. Not unless I’m drunk — which I am.”

I chuckled, the large dark-skinned man certainly had a friendly enough appearance as he grabbed a free chair for me. The others all slithered their focus upon me, looking at me with a mix of genuine interest and caution. One woman, who couldn’t be that much older than me, had green hair and mechanical eyes that resembled a snake’s — a mask clung to her lower face, completely metallic that seemed to dig into her jaw. Her voice came out with a slight robotic undertone, but was fairly pleasant. “Diana… Tell me how we’re supposed to investigate criminals when you’re turning the heads of every bad guy in your direction.”

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Indra!” A man, whose shirt seemed strained with the bulging muscles beneath them despite his small frame, spoke. “Introduce yourself first, you viper! I’m sorry Diana, this is Indra Harmony, a Second Investigator like Choirmen. She’s drunk, so excuse her slip of professionalism for lack of a better word. I’m Kendrick Rorsche, First Investigator and the deputy-leader of our group, you’ll normally come to me when Data needs cracking.”

“You’re a DataDelver?” I couldn’t help but blurt. The man looked every bit ready to smash two heads into the ground, and it seemed like Tluste Choirmen agreed with that sentiment.

“See! You should come on the field more regularly!”

“We’re not talking about this. We’re talking about Diana.” Kendrick Rorshce spoke in a sharp hush.

Indra Harmony quickly took advantage of the silence to probe me with a question I knew the rest of the police force were curious about whenever a new Investigator was sworn in. “So what Grade you got? Heard Anabelle’s got a favorite in you, considering she transferred you into your favored department.”

“You knew?”

“It’s our job to know, honey.” Indra’s eyes smiled where her mask couldn’t. “Now what’s your grade, what’d she give you?”

Fuck… I knew it had to come out sooner than later. With a confident yet quick voice I hoped would go ignored, I spoke the false grade I’d accepted. “Silver.”

Every table for several meters went silent, and the regret swallowing me was instant. Shock was the last thing in their eyes, if anything the five around me looked at me with hunger.

But it was a different voice that spoke to me, the last person sitting on this table. A younger man with messy gray hair and slate gray eyes that I’d only seen on two other people. He spoke in a harsh whisper that stemmed most definitely from anger and a sprinkle of hurting. “My aunt gave you Silver?!”

“A-aunt? You’re the former Lieutenant’s grandson?” I felt my body tighten, this was… fuck, how didn’t I recognize him immediately? I’d seen his face during my crawl on the Net for who to look out for. He was Anthony Grazhe.

His picture depicted a solidly built man with assurance and certainty, but the man before me was a spluttering mess, gripping an open booze bottle and slurring every other word. “You- you took something like that- from… ! From us?! Who are you- you- you were there!”

“Tony.” Investigator Rorsche spoke quietly from my side. “Have some restraint or-“

Anthony yelled his words aside the warning. “He died because of you!”

The words struck me like a spear. Like the one that had snapped through Enforcer Archangel’s back. And that thought drew a curtain over my breathing, a rag holding me from taking a clear breath.

Stop, clear it out. Breathe, breathe, breathe-

“Investigator Grazhe!” A voice like a battle-ax tore through my shattered thoughts, a shorter woman slammed her hand on the table. “Hold it together or it’s another week of suspension!”

Now, this was an important person to know. I didn’t know which squad I would be assigned to in the Intelligence Department but each of them was held under the control of a Special Investigator and Corporal. This was S.I Risa Wickett, a Bronze-Grade in the Second Tier. Otherwise known under the codename: ‘Wicked’.

She hardly looked like a police officer, truth be told, her hair alternating between shades of pink and blue and was both short and more on the heavier side. Although that was out of pure muscle mass- or metal mass if the steel hand imprinting into the table was any indication.

Every word out of her was spewed like poison towards the current Lieutenant’s nephew. “Investigator Grazhe! Need I remind you that you are already on thin ice that not even your aunt can save you from. Behave well, or else you’ll be receiving three months of a pay cut as well.”

He opened his mouth as though to say something back, but the tightening grip of Rorsche seemed to hold him back. Still holding a defiant glare, he stood up and walked away. I relaxed a little, already hating the fact that I’d set myself up to have an enemy so soon into my transfer. The S.I scanned the table for a second, halting on me for a second.

“Third Investigator Jones… go clean up, your eyes are… shining.” She said with toughness, but the constrained tone in her last word made me notice that it was a cautionary warning. I hurried up, walking briskly to the nearest washroom.

Throwing the door open, it was moments before I stuffed my mouth with a splash of water and a set of three pills. The cooling took a few minutes, the biting strands of energy in my eyes fading slowly.

I had grown too quickly and too strong. I didn’t understand it, frankly. I’d been practicing my control daily, slowly amping up the voltage I could take but… surely this was beyond the ordinary?

Gene Overview:-

Implant Tier: Convergence [34%]

Tier 0:

* [G] Electrical Conduction [53%]: Allows your skin to conduct electricity under the influence of Warp Energy. [Meta-Mutations: 1]

* [G] Pacemaker [64%]: Electricity can be directed to specific parts of your body, stimulating them. [Meta-Mutations: 2]

* [G] Unstable Biology [76%]: Increases the rate of Mutagenic alteration and adaptation, as well as the probability of Meta-Mutations [Meta-Mutations: 1]

* [G] Electromagnetic Sense [59%]: Increases your skin’s sensitivity to electromagnetic fields and radiation. [Meta-Mutations: 1]

I’d destroyed that combat bot by now. Hell, I’d destroyed half of my apartment with how addicted I had become to the feeling of drawing electricity into myself. I held my hand up in front of my face. Just a few days ago I’d fractured the knuckles, my Med-Scanner told me.

But Pacemaker gained another Meta-Mutation to counter that. I think I understood them now, where Features derived links into Shardware and their own specialized protocols… Meta-Mutations were split from currently developing mutations that often derived from other possible paths that copied a mechanism to support the Main Mutation.

That data was only gained in the form of a footnote of the SIM preparation guide I’d gotten uploaded to my profile a day after I received the Silver from the Lieutenant. All but confirming my thoughts. Except one… they were insanely rare barely anyone even decided to discuss them. The chance of a tier 0 Gene developing a Meta-Mutation was around 5% for an Iron… going up to 40% with Gold over a Mutation’s development to it’s completion.

I've received one for each so far, and two for Pacemaker. My calculations for probability had never been a strong suit, but with multiple guaranteed Meta-Mutation, my powers would be far more stronger than others at the same Tier as me.

Pacemaker could now increase the rate at which my body healed itself as well as heighten my adrenaline release, and its further gene development granted me greater control over the level of strength I could unleash.

And it was Unstable Biology’s Meta-Mutation that was fucking me over right now. I’d gained it in the middle of today’s event, a response to the three pills I’d already swallowed prior to my standing on the stage.

It could now counter the pills. Specifically, it was worded in such a way that said I would develop my genes faster when my mutations were suppressed. Mutation-suppressing medicine was expensive, and used to contain criminals… having a Meta-Mutation that could counter them was dangerous not just to me but to the police force in general.

But only if I was killed.

My other two Meta-Mutations could prevent that. Electrical Conduction’s Meta-Mutation was the development of a small electric organ on my fingertips to store and focus electricity. Whereas, Electromagnetic Sense gave me the innate sense to differentiate between sources of radiation based on current strength and direction.

For example, I could tell the difference between a Hologram projector or computer just after associating their specific circuitry with the sensation I’d been able to feel of them. To me, it felt like the difference in shades of color. Right now, I could clearly feel a Neuroframe peering at me from behind the corner of the doorframe.

It was especially troubling to me that I could now identify Neuroframes. It let me know just how many people looked at me.

And those at the table had almost definitely seen my eyes, the only physical appearance of my mutations visible aside from my electricity.

I’d been followed. “That you, Indra Harmony, right?”

Her snake-like gaze followed through, raising her arms up in surrender. “Guilty as charged. Just came over to make sure you’re okay, you looked stressed when you left… take it the sparkles are something you don’t want others to know about?”

“Sparkles?” I laughed, so they had seen something. “Ah yeah, about that. My Silver’s a bit… yeah, it does that.”

“Sheesh. Elemental Manipulation… that shit doesn’t come up until like Tier One at the earliest from what I know. An Esper, then?” She snuck up next to me too quickly. “Damn, Silver and electrical powers? Remind me not to piss you off. Worked an Iron for the last two-and-a-half years, close to getting it to Bronze now but girl… shit’s tough.”

“You coming here with words of congratulations or…”

“A warning.” Her voice slithered. “Not from me. As impulsive as I can be, I’m not going to crawl my hands into your body and pluck it out… but you know that grades are publicized thanks to the mayor. Won’t be long till every gang in Westcrook hears of a rookie Investigator with Silver. Makes sense why you took the Intelligence Department then, less on field activity… fewer patrols and whatnot.”

“I’m going on the field.” Was my calm response, and I knew that made me sound like an idiot just from the way her face froze up in astonishment.

“Shit, Jones. You got balls. Might be more fucked in the head than me!” She laughed, a noticeably steely tone of metallic vocal chords slipping through. Now that I took her in, Indra Harmony was hiding a lot of steel under those clothes… the amount that makes someone a bit woozy in the head. On closer inspection, that mask… seemed to be her jaw.

“Well…” She said with a hint of glee as she turned to leave. “I guess I’ll be seeing you on the field.”

“What do you mean?” I questioned, but she had already left. Then it hit me, I mentally clicked to open my netscroller as a browser opened up in my lens’ vision. A quick hop onto the police database and further filtration into the Detective Department squads led me to scrolling around names.

And there it was…

Squad 13

* Cpl. Reiner Krauss [Bronze SIM]

* S.I Risa Wickett [Bronze BUG]

* 1st Investigator Kendrick Rorsche [Bronze BUG]

* 1st Investigator Henrietta Elond [Bronze BUG]

* 2nd Investigator Mohammed Ramish [Iron BUG]

* 2nd Investigator Kizumi Nora [Bronze SIM]

* 2nd Investigator Jin Kahn [Iron BUG]

* 2nd Investigator Tluste Choirmen [Bronze SIM]

* 3rd Investigator Holt Growick [Iron BUG]

* 3rd Investigator Anthony Grazhe [Bronze SIM]

* 3rd Investigator Osria Yang [Iron BUG]

* 3rd Investigator Indra Harmony [Iron BUG]

* 3rd Investigator Fiuren Jandricka [Iron BUG]

* 3rd Investigator Diana Jones [Silver SIM]

* Display list of (18) officers

Looks like I’d just met my new coworkers.