“Hi, Mom,” said Max quietly.
He stood in a Polar-Tech viewing room, with his mother’s cryopod brought out from storage and rolled to the center of the small, rectangular room. The front of the cylindrical-like pod was made of curved glass. It was meant to be see-through, but the subzero temperature frosted the glass, making it nearly opaque. Max had to lean close just to get a glimpse of his mother, who lay inside. She looked… peaceful, serene.
The journey back to Tiann had been uneventful. He and Anti had made good time atop the ostriches, entering the city’s walls just as the sun set for good. Anti had wanted to decompress over drinks at the Dog, but Max declined. He knew this was more important.
It had been months since he’d last gotten to see her. His long workdays didn’t make it easy, but the real obstacle was Polar-Tech’s policy of charging a fee each time a cryopod was brought out of storage for viewing. Though he wanted to do this much sooner, Max simply hadn’t had the disposable income to cover the fees and still make the payments every month.
Now, however, things were a little different. Compared to other guilds, the Taskers didn't pay much, but it was a hell of a lot more than what he'd earned in Brix.
He pressed his forehead against the glass, feeling the cold blossom onto his skin. He’d been looking forward to this moment for a long while, worked hard for it, but now that it was here he didn’t know what to say. Though Max knew it was silly since she couldn’t hear anything, but he wanted to explain why it’d been so long since he visited. Even though she was stuck in a dreamless sleep and had no sense of passing time, he felt guilty. Like he’d neglected her.
He mouthed a silent apology and closed his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to talk about his work in Starsword, to tell her of his escape from Brix and his recent months training as a Tasker. However, even if she were awake, it would’ve been impossible. The chip in Max’s head—the one that everyone needed to integrate their brain with Dreamdrive technology—prevented it. Starsword Online marketed itself as a complete, separate reality, and the inability to communicate events of the game outside of the game was a chief feature. Anyone who tried would find themselves speaking complete gibberish.
Besides, it was a long story and his time was already running short. The automated voice in the visiting room’s speaker wasn’t shy about reminding him of this fact.
“Your pre-purchased time is ending in one minute,” it said. “Would you like to extend your visit?”
“No, I’ll finish up,” said Max. Though he would’ve liked to spend a little more time, the minutes didn’t come cheap. Just to get to see his mom again, to remember her dark hair and the shape of her face, was enough. He wrapped his arms around the curved glass, hoping that wherever she was drifting, his mom would be able to feel his love.
“I’ll get you out of here as soon as I can,” he whispered. “I promise.”
***
Max took a Hovercab back to the PodHive, but when he got out of the vehicle, he noticed three figures outside the building. From a short distance, he could easily tell that two of them were not residents of the Hive—they had on baggy, dark clothes, and one wasn’t even wearing a filtration mask. That was never a good sign. Those who went maskless on the streets of Gray City were either desperate or crazy, and thus dangerous.
Though he’d planned to keep his head down and mind his own business as he made his way to the Hive’s front doors, once Max had gotten closer he recognized the third figure standing against the wall. It was Lowri, and she had a grave look upon her face. The two men seemed threatening in their stance. Though he couldn’t hear any of what was being said, Max was immediately concerned for her safety. A ominous hovercar idled next to the sidewalk.
In Gray City, it was always safer and simpler to mind your own business—two months ago, Max probably would’ve continued up the stairs, averting his eyes and pretending as if he hadn’t seen a thing… but this time, he felt compelled to intervene. Maybe it was the visit to see his mom, or maybe it was because Lowri had been one of the only people in this world to show him kindness for a long time. Perhaps it was something different all together. Whatever the case, something had changed in him, and before Max knew it he was halfway to the group.
The closer he got, the more his concern grew. The olive green fatigues, the gas mask worn by one of the men confronting Lowri—these were Panzers, whose members romanticized military antiques and styled themselves in Pre-War imitations. The gang claimed territory several blocks around and their sideways Z tag could be found down every alley. Even now, Max noticed their iconography on multiple patches on the two men's clothes.
Max’s training with the Taskers had taught him a few thing, one of which was to always be aware of your surroundings. It was second-nature to him now. Before he reached Lowri and the two Panzers, he’d already spotted other gang members further down the street, hanging around in case anything went sideways.
Silently, Max cursed. If only PodHive invested in round-the-clock security like Polar-Tech. Though there were Disturbo Turrets behind closed metal portholes in the outer walls, they would only activate if the building’s upper residents were threatened. The corp apparently didn’t value its poorer client base nearly as much as the cryosleep company.
“Something going on here?” Max asked. He tried to make his voice sound as confident as possible, but nearly faltered when the taller Panzer turned around. Behind him, Lowri shook her head almost imperceptibly.
Behind the round glass eyeholes of his mask, the thug’s eyes were wild and hard. When he saw Max, he scoffed. “Fuck outta here, kid. This ain’t none of your biz.” The thug didn’t even bother to see if his order would be obeyed. He turned back to Lowri as if Max ceased to exist.
Well, two could play that game.
“Lowri, you okay?” said Max, pretending like he hadn’t heard a thing.
“The fuck? Lowri, d’you know this shitrat?”
The other Panzer came around to confront Max now. He was bald, his crazed smile filled with bent, yellow teeth. The man still wore goggles, for even if he did not value his lungs, eyes could not be exposed to Gray City’s toxic smog without eventually going blind. He hacked up a disgusting glob and spat it at Max’s feet.
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“Max—I’m fine. Just go,” said Lowri. “These are just… friends.”
The Panzers laughed. “That’s right,” said the one with the gas mask, which Max took to be the person in charge. “Real good friends.”
Max hesitated. He wasn’t sure what to do. Lowri, with her back to the wall and arms crossed, didn’t necessarily look scared… but Max’s hackles were raised. The situation was weird—Panzers didn’t usually hang around this close to the PodHive’s doors. And there was the idling hovercar just a few paces away. A worst-case scenario flashed through his head. Kidnappings were all-too-common in the Bottoms of Gray City.
After hearing Lowri’s reassurances, Max’s first instinct was to listen and leave. Before, he probably would have given up and left, but again something stopped him. “Nah, I think I’ll stay,” he said defiantly. “C’mon Lowri, I can help guide you up the steps.”
At this, the Panzer in charge howled. “A seeing-eye dog? You really know how to train’ em Lowri!” He turned towards Max, still guffawing. “You lookin’ for a bone?”
“Just leave her alone.”
“Yeah? What’re you gonna do, bite me?”
“The Hive’s always watching.” Max pointed to the camera spheres along the building’s walls and portico. “All I have to do is signal, and those turrets come out.”
The Panzer snorted. “Ain’t no turrets coming out for two podhiver bottoms.”
“I’m middle-level,” Max bluffed. He was counting on the thugs being too stupid to understand the difference… Even for residents of the Middles, the turrets wouldn’t appear. Max hoped the two Panzers didn’t know that. He puffed out his chest. “Try something. In two hours the street bot will be by, cleaning your guts off the sidewalk. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“No, really Max, please just lea—” Lowri began to say, before the gas masked thug cut her off.
“Whatever. We just came to send a message anyway. You got two weeks, Lowri. Or hey, boss says you could always come back and work for him. Always were his favorite Ghost… Either way, tick-tock.” The two Panzers got back into their car. Just before pulling away, the leader rolled down the window. “Later Sparky,” he said, flipping Max off as he took off.
When Max saw the car disappear around the block, he turned his attention to Lowri. He was about to ask if she was alright, if she needed help—but the serious look on her face had been replaced with anger.
“Why can’t you just mind your own business?” she snapped, her fists balled up to her sides.
The outburst startled Max. It was the last reaction he had expected.
“You don’t even know me! You think that just because we sat at the same table once that means I need your protection or something? You think I’m not capable of handling my business? Well guess what! I don’t!”
Max tried to say something, an apology, but was so shocked he stumbled over his words. All that came out was an intelligible mess. Lowri didn’t wait around for a response anyways, instead easily walking up the stairs like she wasn’t blind at all and stomping into the building. Still standing in stunned silence, Max watched the elevator shoot up the through the building.
He blinked. Was it something I said?
***
Several minutes later, after he’d recovered from the shock of Lowri’s admonishment, Max stepped off the elevator onto floor 103 of the PodHive. He would’ve liked to find Lowri and clear the air—or at least squeak out an apology instead of mumbling like a fool—but he no longer had access to floor 56. Even as a low-level Tasker (and they were all low-levels), the coin Max made with the Taskers Guild proved to be far more than the paltry sum he brought home as a miner. It was enough for him to upgrade from the tiny pod into a tiny studio on one of the higher floors.
At first, Max wasn’t sure if the extra expense was worth it, but every time he took a shower or used the en-suite bathroom he was more convinced he’d made the right decision. The shared washrooms weren’t that bad, but due to their communal nature there were also some awkward encounters that couldn’t be avoided... You can't put a price on privacy.
There were other comparative luxuries as well—namely, the space to walk around. There was also a couch with a television screen set into the wall; a kitchenette with a small refrigerator and table next to the wall; and a thick foam mattress that put the thin sleeping pad in a Pod to shame. The Dreamdrive equipment was set into the wall on a shelf above the bed.
Warm light spilled into the room from a light above the kitchenette. Max pulled out a pouch of lab-grown chicken breast and some vegetables. There was a cafeteria for this floor, too, but Max had been making a point to make use of all the amenities in his new pad. It wasn’t the only reason, however. He’d also pestered his fellow guildmembers for advice and learned that the better physical condition one kept their real body in, the better Dissonance could be kept at bay.
That meant quality food. Protein patties just weren’t going to cut it anymore.
In Starsword, Max didn’t want to have to rely on anyone else ever again, as it wasn’t like there’d be another Entrails around to help if he mismanaged his rest. With his increased income, Max had access to higher quality Juice now too, but he still wanted to do everything in his power to avoid being made vulnerable by Dissonance. Anti had been a good partner so far, but he still didn’t trust her to stick around and risk her life if things went bad.
The new influx of coin was enough to make Max feel a little more comfortable, but it’d still be awhile before he was in a place to afford his mother’s treatment in full. It’d been awhile since he’d felt in control, however, and he no longer had to worry about where the money for the monthly cryosleep bill would come from.
Whenever Max thought about Brix, it made him furious thinking about how little he and the others were paid to mine gems… Entrails had been right about that. It really was slavery. Max didn’t work nearly as hard as a Tasker, usually only doing one big job or a few smaller tasks each day. The rest was time Max took for himself, which he used to train in his newfound skills.
During his training, Max had tried a variety of weapons—his old dagger for one, but also swords and staves, clubs and crossbows. He even tried his hand at magic. As soon as he swung a warpick, however, he knew it was an immediate fit, likely because it most resembled the pickaxe he’d grown so used to swinging mining gems deep below the earth. After some experimenting, Max also decided to carry a shield, though only to keep his off-hand occupied as well as giving a better chance to block attacks.
When he paired with Anti, the shield came in handy, even if Max wasn’t particularly talented at it. He could somewhat tank while the hunter pincushioned their enemies with arrows. They made a good team, never once been in any serious danger. Still, that was the point of Taskers jobs—easy enough to be safe, low-risk. Though there were guildmembers who never left and were more than happy to earn a living doing mundane tasks, for most the guild was a temporary stop to something bigger. Max and Anti were the newest recruits for at least a month. Even though a new batch of Dasein would periodically arrive in Aletheia, most already had outside connections to private guilds and clans. These insular organizations served the same purpose as the Taskers, but was exponentially faster, with long traditions of secret hunting grounds and quests.
Taskers really was for the loners, but for now, it was good enough for Max.
As he laid down in bed, his belly full of lab-chicken and veggies, Max’s mind returned to the scene outside of the Hive. What would the Panzers want with a poor blind girl? And the thug had mentioned something about working for the boss… Whatever it was, it didn’t take a genius to glean that Lowri was in some kind of trouble. In and of itself, that fact didn’t surprise Max that much. Everyone in Gray City had a closet filled with skeletons.
You were lucky if only one or two came out.