Deimos
Chapter 0: Prologue
The story you’re about to read may be sad at times, dear reader, but remember, “Sadness is temporary and will fly away on the wings of time….”
United Nations of America
City of Deimos, December 24th, 2145
“Ah… Christmas again, huh? Guess some folks just can’t let the old traditions die,” he muttered, staring at a rare specimen of a plant called a “tree.” It stood tall in the city’s artificial garden, its green leaves swaying slightly in the cool air. He could hear the faint sound of nothing. An incredibly rare thing in the city of Deimos.
“Better get moving before it gets too dark…” he thought, brushing a hand through his messy hair. I hope Mom’s okay… Her implants are ancient tech, barely functioning.... How long does she have left..? He dug his hands into his pockets. “H-huh…? Only seven hundred credits…?” he whispered, his stomach sinking. I swear I had twelve hundred… Guess I’ll have to hit up More’s again tomorrow.
With a sigh, the boy—Anthony—stood up, his face clouded with a quiet but very visible frustration, but he reluctantly started to head down to the main street of West Deimos. known locally as “Rachen.” Also known as “Rachen”, the second most violent part of four in the city. He suddenly heard violent manic laughter coming from at least a 100 meters away from him. A shop was being robbed.
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Instinctively, Anthony ducked behind a glowing holo-poster, his breath shallow as he peeked around the edge. He caught a glimpse of the scene—blurred figures, and the shopkeeper’s desperate attempts at begging for his life.
“H-HELP ME!!! SOMEONE HELP!” the shopkeeper screamed, but it was already too late. Anthony watched in horror as a thug blew a fist-sized hole through the man’s skull, the lifeless body collapsing into the fresh snow, staining it red.
After finishing stealing the remaining credits from the shopkeeper’s data shard. The thug just ran away in a nearby alleyway, fleeing the scene.
F-fuck… h-he… he just killed him! Anthony’s whole body trembled, his heart pounding so loudly it nearly drowned out the distant footfalls of the fleeing criminal. Even minutes after the thug had disappeared, Anthony couldn’t stop shaking. Calm down… he told himself. He didn’t see you. Breathe. In… out. You’re gonna live another day.
Once he managed to steady his breath, Anthony lifted himself off the cold ground and resumed his journey toward the subway station. Every step felt heavier, weighed down by him, praying that he wasn’t going to encounter another psycho like the thug from before.
About twenty minutes later, he finally arrives at his destination and enters the train…
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The subway train departed from the Rachen station, zooming ahead at a staggering 312 mph. The skyline of Deimos appeared before him, It was a sight to behold, skyscrapers towering above the city like they wanted to reach the sky. A city so aesthetically pleasing, almost making you want to forget the horrors happening near you.
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This place has many names. Some people like to call it “Ending Point” or even “The City of Wonders.”
“It all depends on which side of society’s coin you land on.”
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