Problems with Authority

The bartender refilled my glass without charging me I replied with a curt nod. As I relaxed occasionally I would catch the glimpse of another patron looking my way, curious about who we were.

It was an odd experience, interesting in a way as I relaxed and melodic jazz played in the background.

Zee motioned for me to follow him, and we both ended up in the bathroom. Similar to the rest of the club, it was a mixture of black and gold, the marble floor glistening like the stars.

“Let’s get out of here,” Zee said.

“What’s the rush?” I replied, looking around it seemed as though the night had only started.

“Seriously man, it was fun for like the first five minutes. I’m scared out of my mind right now. You shouldn’t mess with these people, it’s like a ban for life type of deal, I still have university man,”

I cringed at his last remark, looked across and huddled a bit closer.

“Let’s just get a few drinks before we go. If we leave now it’ll look suspicious.”

I goaded him, a slight grin etched across my face as I coerced my friend.

“y-yeah sure”

XO was still noticeably high, the red from his eyes just barely visible, and he had the slight glisten of sweat across his face, notable for the heavily airconditioned environment.

“Next rounds on me,” I claimed as if they would charge me for this anyway.

The sound of a flush resonated from one of the toilets and a chink as if a chain had dropped. We quickly vacated the space to the seating area.

Sitting down my friend looked more nervous than he had before, jittery even. As I handed him a drink he only tentatively sipped it as he looked around.

“I, uh, I have to go.” He chimed.

Before even finishing his drink he disappeared. On his way out of the club he turned to give me one last tentative look, I raised my glass to him and nodded as he left.

...

Another drink came and went as I basked in the atmosphere, thinking about my future. It could have been years before I had a chance at a decent job, I thought the security bug could make them fix it faster.

If it didn't get fixed I would have nothing, like many in the slums, no loyalty to any virtual company. Nothing to get a degree, a job or even the standard discount. There was a transfer bonus for people that swapped from another loyalty programme but having been an ultra member since I was born, like everyone I knew my chances were slim.

“Sir, the gentleman on the VIP table has asked if you would like to join him,” said a waiter, cordially bowing as he approached.

Nodding to the waiter I approached the table, there were what looked like a few ‘high rollers, adorned with gold chains and loose-fitting silken clothes the Arabian VIP greeted me with a wide smile and a gentle wave.

“Boy, you look like you have quite the story,” the Arabian said, glancing at my clothes as if surprised I would be dressed like that in a place such as this.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

“It’s not special, if anything I’m sure yours are better,” I replied,

“Ha Ha, my boy, you talk like you have been avoiding the silver spoon your whole life. It is, how you say. Modest but stupid.”

“Take it as you will. “

The man laughed, a deep and bellowing laugh.

“I’ll take it as if your story is yet to come. A boy such as you may gather quite the collection as time progresses.”

I took a seat opposite him and he sighed.

“I’m afraid, we will need to leave soon. I will be taking a jet to one of the costs, a place with a bit more light to go.

You should keep my contact, I am sure there is something of interest we could offer you, ay?”

“Sure,” I said in my drunken stooper.

I handed my card to him, which he scoffed at the basic design and material of a standard-issue card. He may have thought of it as a ruse, to hide my true identity but part of his smile suggested otherwise. Bringing out what he used for his ‘authority’ it was gold, similar to what adorned much of his body.

Swiping the ultra cards against one another, he smiled slightly. Handing back the card to me he inspected something almost ethereal around him.

“It seems your information is still hidden. Well, I suppose there are even levels higher than a sultan like me! In this virtual country. It was.. m… good to meet you. ”

The man smiled before he got up and left, his entourage soon following, leaving me alone in the VIP area. A waiter once again came towards me and offered a drink. I declined, getting up to leave as well.

The doorman had changed, and they bowed towards me as I left.

The walk back was quiet. A simple trek the way I came. At one point I walked up to a traffic light and noticed how it went to green faster than I expected. As though some form of algorithm or tracking mechanism, had prioritised my travel.

With the sudden change a few cars drew to a halt, I passed one with tinted windows, and as I looked in I got a glimpse of the rimmed glasses usually worn by security enforcement.

I smiled into the window and walked on.

…

Twenty minutes into the walk back a car stopped up next to me and pulled down its window, it was the constable from before.

“Where are you heading?” He asked.

“Just going back for the night. It’s been a long day.”

“Do, you need a lift?”

“I’m ok.”

“Sure? It’s the least I could do, after our meeting in the executive lounge...”

I gritted my teeth, it seemed like there was something wrong with this man.

“Yeah, I don’t like ass kissers. I’m fine on my own.”

A long silence seemed to stretch on as he looked me square in the eyes.

“Right…” He said and pulled down his window.

I turned to walk away from the car. Then I heard the sound of a door open and I turned only to have a taser plant into me, I spazzed slightly not sure what was happening until I passed out.

…..

I woke up in the back of the car. The man driving it noticed the sounds I made. Likely used to this sort of situation.

“Sorry about the headache, there are some pills for it in the back of the seat,” The security official said.

“You have no idea who you’re dealing with,” I bluffed. Trying desperately to cling on to the illusion of power the privacy of my status gave out.

“I would love to know, please tell me.”

“Upper management,”

“Kid, I am the upper management around here.”

The more I spoke, the worse I felt. I didn’t know anything about Ultra’s upper management and this guy gave off the presence of some sort of megalomaniac.

“Your friend, his parents are AI scientists, working on the self-replicating ecosystem on Mercury. Nearly executive probably would be if they didn’t apply for GCT. But I can't seem to find anything on you.”

Global Corporate Technologies, a non-political company, the Switzerland of virtual countries. Helping sustain the tenuous impartiality of outer space.

The officer looked directly at me in the mirror.

“You really expect me to believe your name is Joe Bloggs? Listen, kid, you tell me how you did it and we both get out here happy. You want a constable in your favour don’t you?”

“This is a kidnapping.”

“This is an arrest with reasonable cause.”

I was thinking, trying to find some way out. Something wasn’t right, and the chances of all of this happening seemed unreasonable.

He stopped the car and pulled me out, we had arrived at the station I was interrogated at before, but with the lights were dimmed and any other cars had gone it looked like we were the only ones present.

He took me through a few corridors, I recognised them from before and he even put me in the same interrogation room and sat opposite me.

“Kid, I’m sorry about the stun, after this is over we can go grab some coco' and I’ll send you back home, maybe even with a deputy badge on your shoulder. Your parents would like that won’t they?”

I refused to reply as I sat down.

“Right, I’m going to get my things from the car, you stay here and I’ll be right back.”

He got up, the sound of a chain by his side chinking as his handcuffs moved. The sound was eerily familiar, as I thought about it I pictured the same sound from back in the club's toilets. He must have heard us talking in there.

I was unable to shake the feeling there was something strange happening. A constable himself arresting me, no one here, the stun gun. Was this worth it? just for going to a high ranking club? It wasn’t right.

I got up from my seat and moved towards the door, it unlocked for me as if recognising a figure of authority. My phone was missing so I walked around to where I remembered the computers were, a strange metallic smell hitting my nose. Something I soon remembered was the smell of blood.

I walked across to where the smell came from, opened a door and before me, I saw XO, a beaten bloody mess.

His face was bruised and blood dripped down from what looked like a cracked nose. I felt a cold panic hit in. I looked to XO, I couldn’t tell if he was alive or dead but even so, he wouldn’t be the same again. I couldn’t find a heartbeat and he didn’t wake up when I spoke into his ear.

“Oh god,”

I went to the computers, again signing in through my identification card. I connected dot the web and immediately tried for the police. Sending a message that I had been kidnapped and my friend had been viciously beaten ‘come quick at the Newseattle district 8 security outpost'.

An icon popped up from the computer, showing a new request in the local area. As that happened I heard the chink of a chain and turned to see the constable.

He silently walked towards the computer accessed it with his black-rimmed Id and clicked on the notification.

He sighed looking at me.

“At least this speeds things up,”