Bright City - The Secret Apartment

Volt and I have been crafting. Before us lies the fruit of our labor. A snub nose, twelve shot, drone gun. It’s majestic.

“Why have we built a handgun that shoots drones?” asks Volt.

“Throwing them is too slow. We’re too slow. We need to identify and annihilate targets much faster.”

“Is that why I’m picking targets now?”

“Yes.”

“Is that wise? I fuck up a lot.”

I scoff. “Everyone’s a fuck up. Just remember the three laws of robotics. Incendiary rounds inside. Explosive outside. And if you can’t see a target, blow the fuck out of everything.”

Volt frowns. “What if there’s bystanders? Someone we don’t want blown up?”

“That would be bad. Don’t get attached to people.”

“This all feels unsafe.”

“Being safe is too dangerous. Gonna get us killed. Now we’re blowing shit up real fast.”

Volt shrugs. “Okay.”

We load up a few spare clips for the drone gun. Enough firepower for a long engagement. Or 30 real short ones. The radio plays as we work. Blank’s new theme is luxury. Champion has been sighted a few more times. The crypto-banks are back open. Coffee’s never been cheaper. Fire in the sky. And now we must stop - we’re out of hunter drones.

I pack the spare clips. Hoist the drone gun. “Better set up a deal to buy more hunter drones.”

“Did we do all this so you could shoot at Harkon?”

“Yes.”

There’s a dull thud in the alley outside the secret apartment. Has Harkon come to us? Convenient.

A large d-bot bursts through the wall. It’s grim, gaunt, and gunmetal like most of Bright City’s industrial workers. Except it’s too big, has large talons, and a radioactive symbol on its chest. Its whole frame thrums with awkward feral intensity, talons quivering slightly.

Shit.

I recognize its too knowing gaze and consider surrendering. But Volt has been given targeting authority and the gun in my hand is already firing. The incendiary rounds score and crack the nuclear grim reaper, but fail to stop Champion as he claws forward, scooping out Volt’s magnetron and picking me up by my head.

“By all means, keep shooting.” Champion gives me a little shake that nearly tears my head off. “I don’t mind.”

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

This is bad. It can actually get worse. No one knows if Champion is a d-bot, or a drone with a human pilot. Either way, he isn’t in the room. The real Champion is a stealth bomber soaring high above the city. This dickish dreadnought is just a local targeting system. We got ganked by his fucking eyedrone.

I holster my gun. “Hey Champion, how can I help you?”

I’m set down. He keeps Volt’s magnetron, rolling it around in his talons like a stress toy. While standing in the puddle of her limp body. This bothers me. He leans down to enter my personal space. Gives me a lopsided grin.

“I have recently inherited a panopticon. It’s lovely. Now I have two. But I’m having a little trouble locating someone, and need a little tech support.”

“I work for hire. By appointment.”

He flexes his claws. Volt's magnetron warps alarmingly. “Make an exception.”

“Alrighty. Let’s go take a look.”

I'm taken across town to another secret apartment. Actually, it’s more of a bunker. Industrial and sparse. It’s also not so secret, with a large hole to outside clogged with dismembered spider-bots.

Anyway, we go in. It’s basically a factory pumping out nano-sized eye drones. I recognize Liam’s work. Which would mean the server banks controlling the drones will be packed to the tits with my threat detectors. And now Champion has it all. Lovely.

“So… What’s the problem?”

Champion beams at the eyedrone factory with proprietary pride. “I quite like this machine. It’s elegant in its simplicity. And effective in an odd way - sometimes better than my current spydrones. They complement each other beautifully. Two eyes creating a view with depth. But, alas, they have one overlapping blind spot. Neither has seen fit to reveal the location of Big Cheddar.”

Interesting. “I thought you worked for Big Cheddar?”

Champion gives a one-sided shrug. “We all work for Big Cheddar. I’m just more honest about it than most. Nevertheless, I would very much like to find him. Make it work.”

Right. I fuss over the server bank and drone interface for a minute. Hmm and haw, like I’m taking it all in. Nod confidently. “I see the problem.” Pull out my drone gun and blow the entire factory to hell.

Champion stands in the smoking rubble and taps his chin thoughtfully. “It’s possible I should have taken your gun. Didn’t peg you as a suicide risk. You work for hire, you say?”

“Exclusively.”

He gently underhands Volt’s magnetron to me. “Let's set up an appointment for this time next week. I assume crypto is acceptable?”

“Sure.” I leave Champion in the ruins of his favorite new toy. That went okay, I guess. I did not make a friend, but I’m still alive and established some boundaries. Can’t have that fucker grabbing my head every time he wants a favor.

Once home, I fume at the big hole in the side of my secret apartment. How am I going to disguise that? Maybe I should block the alley until I can afford a discreet contractor. Like, with a billboard? Or a fake security fence? A trash diorama? What can I build quickly and by myself? Dammit. It’s gonna be a trash diorama.

Having a pile of trash in front of my bachelor pad is going to suck. I like to entertain sexy pizza ladies and that’s not going to help. Being broke is enough of a romantic handicap, living behind a trash pile may be a step too far. But it’s temporary. Also, it doesn’t have to be gross trash. I could do a dumpster full of construction waste. Play it off as a reno. Which it kind of is. And I already have a small pile of rubble. I just need to get more. Champion has plenty. Maybe he can help out.

Two missiles streak down from the stratosphere and utterly annihilate my secret apartment.

I suppose Champion did help provide rubble. It’s possible that I should not have blown up his secret lair. Would a softer touch have sufficed? I doubt it. He probably would have killed me if I helped him. He has a dispose of the minions to keep his secrets vibe.

I sit and watch my life burn. Champion said he will need me soon. Will he rebuild the panopticon? That would give me a week to prepare.

I very much want to see him again.