“Middies fail up, Spacers fall down, but the lower classes are recycled.”
Anonymous graffiti scrawled on a tunnel wall after an Eloi raid.
—-------------
My new old memories have already changed my view of the world I live in. I’ve only felt like I am living in the future for a short time, but I’m already disappointed by the lack of flying cars. Cars in general aren’t a thing in the Hive. Instead traveling involves lots of walking. Olivia seems to take this for granted, at least she hasn’t complained about an amount of walking I find objectionable.
The tunnels feel like a mega mall, at least along this route. Lots of storefronts, with other people walking around on their own business. That low background noise of muted conversations and people moving around. It’s not as crowded as I expect a city called The Hive to be. The advertisements were super intrusive until I turned my augmented reality off. All of the ads are augmented reality, there is nothing in the real. City policy or is this a cost thing? Digital special effects replaced practical effects because of cost long before they replaced them because of quality.
Fully turning my AR off also turned off the map app Doc gave me so I have been playing with my AR interface. There are so many options and customizations. The AR is broken up into individual layers that I can toggle on and off. I have a personal layer, AR features from my core that only I will experience. That is the layer where the map app was working, so I turn my personal AR back on. There is a commercial layer that businesses like A Stitch in Time and the other shops can put up ads on. Off, at least until I can tune the settings better.
Oh, this is interesting. I think it’s a group layer that would let me share AR information with people I invite from my contacts list, although right now it’s the same as my personal layer. I consider inviting Olivia into a group AR to experiment. No, my emotions are clear. Bad idea, for some reason.
There is a layer labeled public access that doesn’t seem to have anything in it. I toggle it on and off a few times looking for changes but it doesn’t do anything. Maybe this is for transit information? There is public transportation listed on my map app, although none between A Stitch in Time and GSC 138. The ?trains?, ?buses? I can’t remember. The public transport is all radial like spokes on a wheel coming out of the core of the hive creating little triangles of city between them. Well, given how long I have been walking, maybe the triangles aren’t that little.
I love this. Everything feels new, even though I instinctively know how to use the different AR layers. It’s the best of both worlds, new tech to play with and it feels intuitive enough that I don’t need to read a manual.
I did find the manual but there was a 5 sol bit charge to download it. That doesn’t feel like a lot of money but I’m not sure. Maybe I should ask Olivia? Oh wow. The currency system is wild. Why would we use the metric system and then use a non decimal currency system? I make a quick table in my AR to help me analyze what I remember.
Bob(s)
Bit(s)
Sol(s) Quarter(s) Annual
60
1
1,500
25
1
136,500
2,275
91
1
546,00
9,100
364
4
1
At least after Aunnals things seem to go back to decimal increments. This almost looks like time units but they don’t quite match up. If bobs are minutes then bits would be hours, but that would mean we have 25 hour days? And 364 days in a year? That could make sense if a year on Aphrodite is shorter than a year on earth? Er wait, less days but more hours in each day. A year on Aphrodite is longer than a year on earth? Why are we using time as currency?
My deep thoughts are interrupted as Olivia grabs my wrist, pulling on my arm to get my attention. I turn to look at her, and she is terrified.
“Olivia, what’s wrong?” I ask, surprised at this sudden change, not just in Oliva but in the people around me. Everyone is suddenly in a hurry to be someplace else. The shops on either side of us have all closed their doors.
If anything her look of terror only increases when I speak. I realize the background noise of conversations is gone. She puts a finger to her lips then I get a message
Contact Olivia Dodger is inviting you to a group chat
Accept
Decline
Block
I accept my early hesitancy ignored.
Olivia: Dave we need to get to safety. Turn on your public access, there are corrupted in the sector, maybe Eloi too.
I don’t remember what corrupted or Eloi are but they both feel scary. I turn the public AR layer back on and the world is bathed in blazing red neon. An eerie cry fills my ears.
!Danger! Corruption Detected !Danger!
Red blinking skull gifs appear in my vision, maybe twenty in total. Closer skulls are larger, distant smaller. They have also been added to my map app. Most are below us but two are between us and GSC 138. Another is between us and A Stitch in Time. Can’t go forward, can’t go back. Up, around or hide.
Olivia: Dave we need to find somewhere we can shelter in place. The corrupted are bad, they will try to kill us.
I walk up to one of the closed shops and pull on the door.
Shelter Fee: 500 sols
Accept
Decline
I mash accept.
Funds Insufficient. Transaction automatically Declined
It takes me a moment to remember how to send a message through group chat. Olivia is hanging on my arm, she doesn’t know which way to go either.
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Flash: Olivia, I don’t have enough money for the shelter fee. Do you have 500 sols
Olivia: No! Dave if we can’t get in we need to move. Try to remember the danger drills. Shelter Safe, Run Fast, Hide Quiet, Fight for Life. They aren’t going to let us shelter in any of these shops so we have to run.
The blinking icon between us and A Stitch in Time has moved away from us but three from below are now blocking that path. The main paths are blocked. In the distance I can hear sounds of violence. Screams, metal on flesh, but nothing that could be gunshots. There are side tunnels, more alleys than streets. That way.
The ground is covered in wrappers, the slick plastic making our footing uncertain. Olivia stumbles, her foot going out from under her as a wrapper with a cartoon banana floats up into the air. She only keeps her feet by pulling on my arm. I half expect to be pulled down with her but my stance is firm. I’ve been shortening my stride while speeding my steps without realizing what I was doing. Thinking about what I’m doing almost causes me to lose my footing. Do or do not, there is no try. No, more like: Don’t think, just do.
One of the red skulls is getting closer but I can see a ladder leading up, away from the danger around us. Maintenance access or something, doesn’t matter. The ladder is pulled up, like a fire escape but I think I can jump up and grab it.
Flash: Olivia, I’m going to grab that ladder and pull it down but I need you to let go of my arm.
She doesn’t complain, letting go almost before I sent the message. She’s been thinking about climbing out of here too. I brush away the wrappers, clearing a spot on the ground for a running jump. I was wrong. My unthinking instincts are not well matched with my body. My fingers brush the edge of the bottom rung. The ladder doesn't budge but my jump is enough. Kinda.
Attempt to use maintenance smart ladder LH20297 detected.
Emergency in progress.
Would you like to use this smart ladder for 1 Sol?
Accept
Decline
I almost scream in frustration as I hit Accept. As the ladder drops down I can hear thumping running feet behind us. I motion Olivia up the ladder as I turn to look. The alley isn’t straight with a turn around 10 meters away that I can’t see past. I can see the burning red skull through the wall, closing fast. As I turn back to follow Olivia up I see that the ladder has pulled itself back up. Olivia is safe but I'm screwed. This time I can’t hold back the rage.
“God damn it! This fucking city!”
Olivia looks down in horror as the monster sprints into view. He used to be a man. Taller than me in green overalls and what used to be a white shirt, now mostly soaked in red. His left hand is mangled, dripping blood but his right hand is clutching a gore covered screwdriver. He has dark purple throbbing veins running up his arms, and up his neck. They are gathered around his eyes as if jagged purple lightning was emanating from them.
The monster charges me, throwing his whole body at me like he's diving into a pool of David. The alley is narrow but there is some room. I let the thoughtless knowledge take control, pivoting and deflecting. I notice in an absent way the screwdriver gashing my right arm as I push the monster away. I know the injury isn’t critical, the pain is distant, a message to whom it may concern not me in particular.
The monster slams into the far wall of the alley almost bonelessly bouncing back at me. The bloody screwdriver leading this attack. I watch my hands move, pushing, twisting, griping. I disarm him, but the screwdriver, slick with blood, is too slippery to hold onto. It goes flying into a knee deep pile of wrappers and trash.
The brief glance at the screwdriver's trajectory took to long and something unseen slams into my head. I taste salty iron. As my body moves with the motion I find myself rolling. My hand slams into the ground, stabilizing my tumble. My body tries to kip up onto its feet but I’m not as athletic as my body expects me to be. I slam my feet into the ground but my butt remains firmly planted as I flop up into a sitting position. I scramble to my feet, regular style, the thoughtless movement gone as quickly as it arrived. Where is the monster?
He’s kneeling a meter away from me, something coming out of the top of his head. A piece of wood? It’s a handle. As I numbly watch him finish toppling over onto his face, I fail to pull back before the handle hits me, jarring the hammer out of the monster's head. I shudder. I feel weak all over. Empty.
Congratulations! Your group has defeated a dangerous corrupted maintenance worker!
Group rewards set to even split.
You gain 50 sols.
Where did the hammer come from? I look up and see Olivia with a yellow glowing wrench clutched in one hand ready to throw. It’s not a big wrench, maybe 3/8ths. I start laughing, but it’s not a happy sound.
Olivia: Idiot, this isn’t funny. We’re not safe yet. I’ll send the ladder down for you. Grab the hammer and get up here.
I'm breathing heavily in between jagged laughs. I feel light headed. In a daze I follow Olivia’s instructions, the laughter coming to an end as I focus on my breathing. The hammer is laying on the ground in front of me. As I pick it up it glows red in my vision. No idea what that’s about. The ladder comes down without effort from me. Once I step onto it, it lifts me up off the street. Oh, is this how Olivia climbed so high so quickly?
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Close
Block
I stare blankly at the popup before choosing close. I don’t have the bandwidth to deal with this right now. Olivia walks up to me, and gently takes the hammer from me. In her hand the hammer shifts from red to yellow. She puts it in a box attached to the wall along with the wrench. The box lets out a happy little jingle then closes. What the fuck.
Flash: Olivia, why was that box happy you put a bloody hammer in it?
Olivia: What? Oh the maintenance tool box. It was thanking me for returning all rented tools in a timely fashion. Dave, your arm! yOU ARE BLEEDING1
I look down and have to agree. I am bleeding. I’m confident it’s not serious but I should get this tended to sooner rather than later.
Flash: Don’t worry it’s not that bad.
I put pressure on the wound with my left hand and after a few seconds the trickle of blood stopped.
Olivia: nOT THAT BAD1 yOUR HANDS ARE COVERED IN BLOOD1
Flash: Most of this isn’t my blood, it’s the monster’s. Your capslock is on.
Olivia: Ya, well, your name tag is still Flash not David.
David: Better? Is there anything in the maintenance box I could use as a bandage or disinfectant to wash the monster blood off of me?
Olivia: No, we’d need to find a medbox or a hygiene station for that. I’ll check my map but I don’t have the side alleys for this part of the city downloaded.
I check my map, it has layers just like the AR systems. One quick search and I find out that I do have the back alleys for this part of the city downloaded. I have a lot of back alley maps for some reason. Useful things to have I guess. There is a medbox one level up and a block away. No flashing red icons in between us and it. I think I can, ya, I share the location with group chat.
David: Found a medbox near here. Path looks clear.
Olivia: Good, I don’t care how much of that blood was from the corrupted it can’t be healthy having a bleeding open wound while covered in someone else’s blood.
As we make our way to the medbox I keep an eye on the flashing red icons. They fade out one by one. When the last one fades out the world loses its neon red coloring, the unpleasant danger sound ends and we get another system message.
Your group has participated in a 'Cleanse Minor Corruption Event' in The Lower Hive!
Your groups contribution was 4%
Calculating additional rewards
Group rewards set to even split.
You gain 20 sols.
We reach the medbox without further problems. Bandages and cleaning up only costs 10 bits. Much cheaper than smart ladders. Maybe because by the time we get there the emergency is over?
David: Was that normal? Have you had to Fight for Life before Olivia? Have I?
Olivia: No David, that was not normal. I’ve never been outside during an incursion before. They never happen this early in the day. I can’t believe things went so well. I thought you were dead when he turned the corner and you were still in the alley. How did you move like that? I’ve seen you fight with the other kids, you were never that good.
David: You know I just had some wetware installed. I know new things, I have memories I didn’t have before. I guess how to fight is one of those. It didn’t really feel like I was the one fighting. I just let my body do what it knew how to do. It was strange, creepy. Like an outside force was moving my body while I just watched. I don’t like how that felt.
Olivia: David, I read the package for the wetware you installed. It wasn’t combat skills. Sending Pic.
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David: … I’m still trying to remember things, but I don’t think any of that is in here.