“Behold, Purple Lightning,” I said with my best salesman’s voice. “He can zap! He can fry! He can…” I trailed off as I looked at Sothog, who was awkwardly shuffling in place as he stood before us, Zuri having moved next to me to face the door.

“I can also stun people, " he mumbled in his sing-song voice, looking down shyly. “It hurts a lot, but it’s effective. Also, my name is not Purple Lightning; it’s Sothog Lakona,” he said, glaring at me.

Zuri looked at Sothog dubiously. “Is that it? I’m sorry, but I don’t see how that could be particularly helpful. Chargecaster powers are bright and loud. Someone is bound to notice.” She turned to me with a raised eyebrow. “What more is there to him? If you are interested in him, there’s more to him than meets the eye.”

I smiled evilly. “Hey, Sothog, can you show Zuri your lightning?”

He hesitated, but after a moment, dark purple lightning danced across his body. “I can also incapacitate at a single touch. It must be bare skin, but I can deliver a powerful enough shock to knock someone out. Just can’t do it too often, and it runs the risk of permanent brain damage.”

I waved the last point away. “The people we’re facing deserve a little brain damage, to be honest,” I said, smiling cruelly at him. “Also, with your powers being what they are, you could probably deliver a low-power area-of-effect shock to clear out the place if its crowded, right?”

He winced but nodded. “I should be able to… encourage people to leave once things heat up.”

Zuri didn’t seem convinced. “Aside from your lightning being a weird color, I don’t see how you are different from any other Chargecaster. Why should we spend two whole [Ruby Tokens] on you? The only other Chargecaster asking for two tokens says he has lightning powerful enough to break through a holohaptic barrier ten centimeters thick in a single strike.”

Instead of answering her, he turned to me with a pleading look. “You know that I am powerful. I can do this, " he said.

I nodded at him but then shrugged. “You are, but you also accidentally zapped me. How will you make sure there won’t be any collateral?”

Sothog straightened up and looked offended at my words. “That was an accident, one that had not happened in several years. I’m not a novice to cause indiscriminate damage. I have my control license, and I earned it. I can be as accurate as you need me to be.”

I nodded again, acknowledging his words. “Fine, you are guaranteeing no accidental deaths. But Zuri is right. Aside from your lightning’s color and power, why do you feel like you are worth two [Red Tokens]?”

He hesitated before answering, his shoulders drooping. “Because I need it.” I raised my eyebrow and was about to tell him that wasn’t good enough, but he kept talking. “Not for me.” He sighed. “It’s for Lilly and Floros.”

I leaned back and waved at him to continue.

“Those two are my… Siblings. The Ringshaper girl and Fieldsenser boy.” A flash of memory brought back the image of two kids clinging to each other and trembling in the dark, wearing dirty rags. “They just got married, and Lilly is pregnant. I want to gift them the [Ruby Tokens] so they can move Topside. Start a family somewhere safer than this. If their daughter is born here, she won’t have an identity generated for her. If she’s Fluxborn, she’ll have to find another [Ruby Token] just to see the outside world without fearing the Priests will kill her.”

Zuri crossed her arms and scowled. “A touching story. Still, it doesn’t explain why we should pick you and for two whole [Ruby Tokens]. Are you twice as powerful as the best fluxborn we can hire with one token? Because I can guarantee there are some in our list that are.”

I smirked at Sothog's furtive glance at me. “He’s not,” I said, and Sothog’s shoulders drooped. “But he’s hoping that our personal connection will be enough to sway me.” My smirk grew into a smile as the pale man grew even paler for a moment. Zuri looked at me with a curious look.

“Please,” he said, his voice hoarse. “It has to be this. It’s perfect.”

“It’s what?” I asked, sobering up at how upset he sounded.

“It’s a perfect opportunity to prove myself worthy, " he said, snapping his head up to look me in the eyes. “Then they won’t look at me like a freak. I’ll be able to help my sibl-” He cut himself off, “My friends. I’m good. Really good. I promise.”

Zuri turned to me and sighed. “With a Chargecaster, we’ll probably have to take the front entrance.” Sothog’s eyes snapped to Zuri, who pretended not to notice. “If we wanted to use the staff entrance, we’d need a Metalweaver and a Fieldsenser to avoid being seen or detected. Lightning is not conducive to stealth.”

“So, we’d need a Codebreaker,” I said, nodding slowly.

“Oh! Farrah might want to help us then.” Sothog said with a bright smile.

I remembered little Farrah. I had to carry the poor girl out of the Mauler’s compound in my arms. She had been the youngest, smallest, weakest. The way she clung to me had broken my heart and made the bullet I put between the Mauler gang leader’s eyes all the more satisfying.

I cleared my throat, chasing those ghosts away. “How’s she doing?” I asked Sothog eagerly, hoping life had been easy on her.

“Wait,” Zuri said sharply. She looked between Sothog and me with a too-blank expression. “A Breaker named Farrah?”

Sothog blinked in confusion at Zuri’s stilted words. “Yes? Farrah Zahran.”

“I…” Zuri leaned back and rubbed her eyes with a sigh. “Your sister is Farrah Zahran.”

“He just said so, Zuri. What’s up?” I asked, a little weirded out by her behavior.

“What is up is that Farrah Zahran appeared out of nowhere two years ago and instantly became famous- a codebreaker prodigy.” She looked at Sorthog, who beamed with pride.

“Instantly became famous? You’re not one to exaggerate, Zuri. She’s that good?” I asked, surprised at hearing how high Farrah had risen.

Zuri’s eyes unfocused, and she started swiping in the air. A notification appeared in the corner of my vision. “Under disguise, she picked up two contracts from opposing Blackjack gangs to kill the other gang’s leader. They had a long-standing feud and hoped to move in on each other’s territory. Well, she somehow managed to kill them both simultaneously. Since both mission-givers were dead, she automatically collected both bounties. When both were discovered dead, chaos broke out. Chaos and war.”

I clicked open the window Zuri had sent me.

----------------------------------------

[The Otherside of the Street]

Absolute bedlam in 3rd Quadrant’s Whitcriket Square.

Following the loss of both gang leaders, war is officially declared between the vile gangs of Twisted Ingots and the Thorn Salamanders.

Residents are advised to avoid Whitcriket Square until the date of the grand opening of Whitcricket Shopping Square is announced!

Then, come one and all for a truly spectacular event and the opportunity to purchase limited-edition, commemorative Other Side of the Street merch!

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“The Otherside of the Street. Giving you every side of the story.”

----------------------------------------

I looked at Zuri in confusion. “What in Lost Terra is this?”

Zuri grimaced as if she had eaten something sour. “This news station is owned by the Gatleaf Trading Company. Who, it turns out, also hired Farrah to spark war and then eliminate both gangs as a publicity stunt. You just read why.”

I whistled in surprise. “Sparked a war between two clans so they would eliminate each other. Clever.”

“Well, they didn’t eliminate each other,” Zuri said with a snort. “As soon as the war was officially declared and each gang’s territory became claimable, she turned on their own security measures and eliminated them. And this was just her first mission.”

I looked at Sothog in surprise. “Little Farrah did all that?” I said, and he nodded. “I mean, they were Blackjacks, so they got what they deserved, but… Damn.”

Sothog let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, whatever the Maulers did to us left us changed. Different. Some, like Farrah and Rota, became far more powerful than most. Some others, like Lilly, had their powers twisted. Lilly can’t control her powers, so she can’t touch metal, or it instantly grows sharp spikes at the point of contact. I’m lucky in that regard. I got some of the latter but also some of the former.” His expression hardened. “But something we all got equally is a burning hatred for Blackjacks.”

Zuri sighed in resignation. “Well, if you’re offering to bring along Farrah ‘The Ghost Cipher’ Zahran, who am I to refuse.” Her face broke into a wide smile. “Welcome to the team, Sothog.”

“Glad I don’t have a say in this,” I said with a snort. “Not that I would choose otherwise. Welcome to the team, Sothog.”

“Thank you, Lady Hiwara, Razel. I won’t let you down.” Sothog replied formally and gave us both a bow.

Zuri stood up and approached Sothog, placing a hand on his shoulder and smiling softly. “I’m sure you won’t, " she said. His pale face started to smile, but Zuri continued talking. “Speaking of which, let us go meet your sister, hm?”

Sothog looked taken aback. “Now?” he squeaked.

“Now,” Zuri stated in a kind and patient voice.

“Oh, okay.” He replied, a blush creeping up his cheeks as Zuri stared intensely at him. “W-well, follow me.”

I stood up and waved at the door. “Lead the way.”

He stiffly stepped back, away from Zuri’s hand, turned around, and marched out of the opening door. Zuri glanced back at me with a teasing smirk and winked. I rolled my eyes at her, and we followed Sothog out of the VIP section.

Zuri, despite her usual poise, was practically skipping along.

“What has gotten you so excited, Miss Zuri?” Hob asked, and she only stumbled for a single step before resuming with a more measured gait.

“The Ghost Cipher is an individual my clan has been trying very hard to recruit for a year now, but she has refused even our most generous offers. Maybe I can take her measure and figure out what it would take for her to join us.” Zuri sent back.

“I see,” Hob said cheerfully. “Best of luck!”

Zuri stumbled again and gave me a weird look. “Thank you, Hob,” she replied hesitantly.

We made the rest of the climb back to the Dynamo Cog in silence. Sothog led us through the common areas into the hab section. I expected him to stop in front of any of the doors lining either side of the corridors, but instead, he stopped at a crossroads. He held his finger up, and Zuri and I waited patiently as his eyes unfocused, no doubt communicating with Farrah.

After a few silent heartbeats, he nodded to himself and turned right, picking up the pace to the point where he was almost jogging. Zuri and I glanced at each other and shrugged.

“Hey, what's the hurry?” I asked Sothog, who was visibly sweating and panting.

“We must hurry up, or we'll miss our chance.” He huffed. I gave him a quizzical look, but he gave me a mysterious smile. “You'll see.”

As we walked through the cog's interior, our surroundings got increasingly run down. Seems like this place hadn't seen much traffic in a long, long time. The tasteful Dynam-ink wallpapers that lined the Hab Sections showcasing moving black and white scenes of meadows, forests, and patterns gave way to bare steel. The previously carpeted floor was now bare gray tiles, and our footsteps created loud echoes that traveled down darkened side passages.

Sothog kept walking like a man possessed, confidently taking turns that led to corridors that looked identical to where we came from. If not for him humming to himself cheerfully, I'd have thought us utterly lost in this maze.

Eventually, we reached a set of non-descript metal doors, and Sothog gave a satisfied huff, putting his hands on his knees and catching his breath. “Finally, ” he muttered.

“Is this it?” I asked. “A bit out of the way, isn't it?”

Sothog looked back and smirked. “More than you realize, ” he said, throwing the doors open dramatically.

Calling what was behind those doors a wall would not be quite accurate because walls don’t tend to move. It was a hair's width away from the door and constantly moving from the left to the right, like a slow grinder made of concrete.

“This…” Zuri said pensively. “The way this moves… Are we standing inside one of the teeth of the Dynamis Cog? One on the outer side?”

Sothog nodded happily as the wall disappeared. A gust blew through the corridor, and a yawning void replaced the wall. The space behind the Fluxborn guild. As far as I knew, not a single person ventured into it and came out alive, the true purpose of these moving gears remaining as unknowable as the rest of the workings of the Rings.

“Come closer,” Sothog waved at us. “And when I say jump, jump. We have a 10-second window to do so.” Zuri glanced at me with a tinge of anxiety, and I tried to make a reassuring expression.

We approached the door, and the void was replaced with concrete again, but this time, the concrete started moving away from us, becoming the wall of a corridor with a funnel-like entrance.

“Now!” Sothog said, and all 3 of us hopped forward into that corridor, the difference in speed between the cog and the unmoving ground enough to cause me to stumble. Much to my embarrassment, Zuri and Sothog were fine. Behind us, the cog kept spinning, the door disappearing to our left.

I turned to Sothog and looked at him with incredulity. “Who the fuck lives in a place like this?”

“Someone who values their privacy,” A female voice said behind us. I turned and saw a young woman with tan skin and long, curly black hair. “Hey, old man. Been a minute.”

“Farrah,” I said somberly, “It has. How have you been?” I paused for a moment as my brain caught up to my ears. “And what do you mean, old man? I’m only like nine years older than you!”

She cracked a wide grin and waved us to follow her. “Come on, if Sothog brought you all this way here, it's not for a social call. You got a good-paying job for me, Sothie?” she threw over her shoulder.

Sothog nodded. “Two [Ruby Tokens] for each of us. Hostage extraction.”

“Two tokens? I take it you are the one sponsoring this expedition, Lady Hiwara?” Farrah said as she opened a door into a massive room.

“N-no. It is Razel.” Zuri said, hesitating as she looked through the door.

Every single wall, even the floor and the ceiling, was made of flat copper sheets. As soon as Farrah’s bare feet touched the floor, the entire place rippled, and a cozy room appeared. Four expensive-looking armchairs stood in front of a fireplace, three of the chairs facing one.

I blinked at Farrah and whistled. “Fancy. Holohaptic reality chambers are a rare find, even on the Middle Ring. How’d you manage that?”

Farrah walked over to the lone armchair and sat down, sinking into the cushion and dusting her loose gray shirt and sweatpants off before waving us to sit opposite her. “I do some jobs for some Middie corpos on occasion. Got this as a gift.” We walked over and sat as she kept talking. “But we’re not here to talk about me. Where, what, why, and who. In that order and as succinctly as possible, please.”

I crossed my arms and squinted at her. “This is not how it works, Farrah. It’s a classified [Ruby Token] mission. The only thing you should know before you accept it is the numbers and color. Seven, eight, and black. Also, we’ve got two and a half days.”

Farrah snorted derisively. “Yeah, if I was doing it for the tokens, sure. But if I do accept this mission of yours, it will mostly be as a favor to Sothog. So come on, out with it.”

I smirked at her, proud of the assertive woman that little girl trembling in the cold had become. “Neon Gridlock Club.”

Farrah made a face like she smelled something faintly unpleasant yet intriguing. “I know it. Weird choice, but okay.”

“You will infiltrate the club before I arrive.” I continued.

“Doable,” Farrah shrugged, “Not a huge fan of crowded places, but I can deal.”

“We’ll be rescuing a hostage and getting out of there,” I said, and she leaned back with a thoughtful look.

She crossed her arms and huffed. “Extraction of a hostage from a crowded place. Interesting. If I had a week, I could do it alone, but with only two and a half days…” She made a dissatisfied tisk. “Who do you want to rescue?”

I sighed and looked into the fireplace. “A kid. An innocent boy who got tortured because he did a job with me.”

Farrah was silent for a moment and snorted. “Fuck, how can I refuse. You saved us when we were kids. Now, we get to pay it forward. Still, I have to ask: who are these people that warrant you using four [Ruby Tokens] to tackle?”

I sighed, and my shoulders slumped. “That’s the issue. I don’t know. I only know the name of the person who kidnapped the kid. Some Ignatius Toriklas guy.”

The room went dead silent. I turned to look at Farrah, Sothog and Zuri, who looked back at me in alarm.

“That’s impossible,” Zuri snorted. “I killed him.”

Farrah rolled her eyes “Good one, but Rota and I killed the bastard.”

Sothog looked at Farrah, alarmed. “But... he died in an accident, right?”

They all looked at each other in confusion, and then back at me.

“Uh…”