“Alright system, can you show me what classes I have available?”
Current Classes Available…
* Thief
* Soldier
* Amateur Netrunner
* Apprentice Swordswoman
* Boxer
* Warrior
* Mage
* …
The list scrolled on and Sophie was completely overwhelmed by the number of choices.
“Alright, stop. Show me classes that fit this world. No magic or anything.”
The number of options dropped sharply however there were still hundreds of available classes. Sophie spent some time narrowing down her options, eventually finding four classes that she was interested in starting with. Thief, Huntress, Apprentice Swordswoman and Amateur Netrunner.
“Hmm, I can't do netrunning yet. I need money for a cyberdeck and some soft’. Apprentice Swordswoman sounds good but is reliant on weapons. I could get a weapon if I ran around the city but…” She looked around her cell. “That’s not happening any time soon. Can you describe the Thief class for me?”
Class: Thief - An individual who specialises in infiltration and obtaining valuables.
“Right…That doesn’t help me at all. What about Huntress?”
Class: Huntress - An individual who specialises in tracking and hunting, whether it’s a person or item.
“Hmm, that’s not too helpful either. Seems like taking a class isn’t going to do much for me, stuck in a cage as I am.” Her eyes lit up as a thought crossed her mind. “I have some L-Coins. Maybe I can get something with that? Bring up the system store.”
Her system panel suddenly expanded, turning into a massive page reminiscent of a shopping website. Sophie quickly realised that the system hadn’t lied to her. There was so much on offer. Skimming her eyes over different options, she spotted dozens of items that intrigued her, each with an absurd price tag.
“God Potion? A potion that would just turn me into a god? Wow, that’s way too many zeros.” Considering her rather small budget, she began to filter things such as magic out. Then she filtered by price.
“Right, this is…not much. Extra Special Ramen? Fancy Toast?” Sadly, her final hope was crushed. Sure she could buy something that would get the cage open, but what good would that do? There was still an unknown amount of scavs in the area. She definitely wouldn’t be able to escape, not with all the other kids.
Sophie let out a resigned sigh. It appeared her current situation was inescapable. The classes would provide her knowledge but considering she’s trapped in a cage, it simply wouldn’t matter and the system store was a complete bust. Thus, she would just have to wait and see if an opportunity presented itself. Her planning was interrupted when the new arrivals began to stir.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Mia and Lyra immediately made their way over to them, helping to calm them.
“Where am I!?” One of them shouted. His words seemed to rouse the others, who all began to properly wake. For a brief moment, the cage was filled with clamouring and shouts.
“Where are we!?”
“Let us out!”
Heavy footsteps silenced the noise as a large, bulky man entered the room. “Shut the fuck up! I swear, I'll kill you all if you’re not quiet!” While he spoke, the man’s eyes honed in on one of the kids. It was the boy who was yelling the loudest. The cage door opened and he entered. Large hands grabbed the boy and dragged him back out of the cage. It slammed shut with a massive clang, leaving Sophie’s ears ringing.
“No! Let me go!” The boy attempted to struggle but it was all in vain. A heavy fist planted itself in the kid’s gut, silencing the cries.
“Nathan! Let him go, you bastard!” The boy that had first woken up shouted, running to the door and desperately trying to tug it open. Mia’s hand landed on his shoulder.
“Stop!” She hissed, “I hate it as much as you do, but if you keep shouting, they might take more of us.” Her words seemed to work as the boy deflated, an air of defeat hanging over his shoulders.
“What…What do I do? I promised to protect him.”
“This doesn’t seem like a normal scav operation. Keeping us alive like this? It’s strange. Maybe there’s a chance your friend will survive.” The older girl’s words seemed to make the boy feel better but it did raise the question: what did the scavs want with them?
-----------------------
Sophie wasn’t sure how long had passed since the boy, Nathan, was taken. The lack of natural lighting and other signs of time made keeping track nearly impossible. Her best guess was a couple of hours. The constant screams coming from the same direction the kid was taken certainly didn’t help. They stopped eventually and at that time, the same heavy footsteps as before appeared.
The bulky man appeared again, Nathan slung over his shoulder. The boy’s clothes were heavily torn, causing Sophie’s eyes to narrow. The scav opened the cage and tossed the kid inside, the dull thud bringing a grimace to everyone’s face.
The other boy, who had introduced himself as Carlo, immediately ran up to his friend's side. With trembling hands, he examined the body. From where Sophie was sitting, she could see exactly what had happened.
Across Nathan’s upper body, thin cuts ran crisscrossed. All of them were bleeding slightly and the bruising that covered the uncut flesh was nasty. Most telling however, was the torn clothes, specifically around the lower body. He’s been fucked. While her thoughts churned and a sickening dread draped itself over her, the injured child began to move. He groaned, even as Carlo helped him into a more comfortable position. Sophie didn’t miss the wince that flitted across his face when he sat down properly. A quick glance at Mia suggested she hadn’t either.
“Nathan! What happened to you!?” A look of fear and disgust appeared on the injured boy’s face.
“They…They did things. To me. Hurt me.” He looked up at Carlo, his visage haunted. “They’re making XBD’s.” Silence descended on the group. XBD’s. An illegal type of braindance, typically involving the most violent and reprehensible deeds possible. Those that appear in them are almost always unwilling. Often taken, just like they had been, from the streets.
“Fuck,” Sophie muttered to herself. “This is not good.”
Carlo tried to get more information from his friend, tried to look after him. But even a simple touch made the traumatised kid start shaking. He’s broken. Everyone else in the cage had begun to panic. Being part of an XBD meant there was really only one end in sight. Death. Sophie could see Mia desperately trying to calm the kids down but the slight shivering gave away her own fear.
Once more, they were interrupted by the entrance of two scavs. Slung over their shoulders were a pair of older teenagers, maybe around 18 or 19. They were thrown into one of the empty cages, revealing the purpose of keeping multiple cells. It was simply to separate the captives based on age. Doesn’t seem like I’m gonna get out of this easily. Sophie glanced at Mia and the others, kids that had been willing to support and protect her. And I can’t just leave them behind.