Naga City

Rain pours down on Naga City, one of the few Terran strongholds left on the former Japanese mainland. Centuries ago, her nuclear capitulation helped end the planet’s second global war. Now, her bright lights offer a fading glimmer of hope for those left craving it. Adding insult to injury, repurposed Lorian tech provides life support to an overcrowded city-state on the brink. Yet, these same hypocrites have no qualms executing rimokon “for security reasons.”

A mile from city limits, City Defense Forces herd refugees like cattle into two large processing camps. Her bustling ports offer a lifeline of trade with other communities adapting to this new world order. In her past life, Naga was a stern warning for what could happen. Today, she’s a sad reminder of what could’ve been.

Blending in among the plethora of pedestrians roaming the densely packed streets, Ren Dintaro methodically walks with his head down while carrying a haversack. He slips into an alley between two tall residential buildings, bypassing a row of people sleeping on the ground. Halfway down the alley, Ren stops, turns to his right, and places his palm on a camouflaged sensor embedded in the side of the building. A secret door slides open. He quickly enters and the door slides shut.

Ren walks down a flight of stairs that leads him to an underground safe house. Sofi exercises next to a small towel, Genji naps beside an electronic pad on the sofa, and Shinzo sits at a table cleaning and organizing a variety of weapons and ammo. Ren walks over to the table and places the haversack on an empty chair beside Shinzo, who ecstatically opens it, pulling out various metals and wires. The mechanoid inspects the haversack and turns to Ren with brightened eyes.

“Mr. Dintaro, your resourcefulness continues to impress,” Shinzo says.

“One day, the life you save may work for the Ministry,” Ren responds.

“Arigato,” Shino says.

Sofi grabs her small towel. She walks past an open crate that contains six x-saks, six wetsuits, and six watermasks inside. Sofi closes the crate, placing her two feet on it while doing pushups.

Ren pulls out a stack of dehydrated ramen packs from the haversack, setting aside the ammo on the table to make room. He fist bumps Shinzo.

Ren digs into his pocket and pulls out a small case half the size of his palm.

“Hey, Genji,” Ren calls out.

“He’s sleeping,” Sofi huffs between pushups.

“No, he’s not,” Shinzo replies.

“Catch,” Ren barks.

He tosses the small case to Genji, who quickly opens his eyes in time to catch it with one hand. Genji opens the case, exposing an electronic chip. He grabs the electronic pad beside him and inserts the chip.

“No present for me?” Sofi asks.

Shinzo holds up the empty haversack. Genji types a code that unlocks the chip’s files.

“I’m afraid Ren’s sack is empty,” Shinzo jokes.

“Now, that was a good one,” Genji says.

Ren grabs his crotch and replies, “Not this one.”

Shinzo scans Ren’s lower body.

“Who’s up for some ramen?” Genji asks while reading his e-pad.

“Please,” Sofi responds.

She finishes her pushups, stands, and pats herself with her small towel. Genji sits up.

“All right,” Genji says. “Toll opens tomorrow at twenty-fifteen, sharp.”

“Just in time,” Sofi responds. “We’re out of freshener.”

Sofi helps Shinzo sort ammo while Ren cooks Ramen.

“Let’s hope this Tino guy doesn’t fuck us,” Genji says.

“Since we have so many options to choose from,” Ren replies.

“If we pull this off, we’d have a gateway to the east,” Sofi adds.

“And when’s the last time any of you’ve seen a Freelander do business with an archaic?”

“How do you think we got this job?” Ren says. “My contact spent years cultivating that relationship.”

Ren grabs four bowls from the small cupboard.

“You better be right,” Shinzo says. “Last thing we need is the Freeland Corps on our ass.”

“Trust me,” Ren responds. “He’s-”

“The real deal,” Genji interjects.

“At least I’ve never had a client try to kill me,” Ren counters.

“We still got paid, didn’t we?” Genji asks.

“I’m starving,” Sofi says.

“I’ve already had a recharge,” Shinzo responds.

Ren pours himself a bowl of ramen. He walks down the hall, enters a small room, and slams the door. Shinzo puts away the ammo and cleans off the table. Genji and Sofi pour themselves some ramen and sit at the table with Shinzo. Genji and Sofi take a few sips of ramen before noticing Shinzo silently staring at them.

“Still creepy?” Shinzo asks.

“Yes,” they both reply with full mouths.

Shinzo turns his head away from them as they eat.

Syrric the Guide

Syrric steers her armored golf cart down a dirt path in the forest. Kanzu rides shotgun while Raym sits behind Syrric.

“I have no memory of my mother,” Syrric replies. “She died shortly after giving birth to me.”

“Apologies,” Kanzu responds.

“As far as I’m concerned, she made out better in the transaction.”

“I also lost my procreators,” Kanzu says.

Syrric winks at Kanzu and then looks up at the rear-view mirror.

“How am I lookin’ back there?” Syrric asks Raym.

Raym’s reflection smirks back at Syrric. Smiling, Kanzu looks back at Raym.

“Pay her no mind, sister,” she says.

“Why would I?” Raym replies. “She’s been paid enough already.”

They drive past a large rock with a Lorian painted on it. Kanzu turns to Syrric.

“Whatever happened to your father’s killer?” Kanzu asks Syrric.

“Same thing that happened to my mother,” Syrric replies. “Me.”

“The projection on the dock,” Raym interjects. “She didn’t appear native.”

“She’s not,” Syrric responds.

“Then how did she acquire her position?”

“The little princess and her mommy arrived on a nice, big boat with lots of men and plenty of guns while her father fought your masters.

“They are no longer our masters,” Raym responds.

“Anyway, the last time they made contact, he was stranded on the other side of the planet.”

“How sad,” Kanzu says.

“A real tear jerker,” Syrric replies. “But that was before she became a spoiled brat.”

Kanzu turns, stares out at the water, and spots a light flickering on the horizon.

“What’s that,” Kanzu asks, pointing toward the flickering.

“That is Crystal City,” Syrric answers. “Frozen in time.”

Stolen novel; please report.

“Frozen?” Raym asks.

“Years ago, a strange Xeno ship appeared above the city. A ship our eyes had never seen before or since. Survivors say as soon as it appeared, lightning struck it, yet did no damage. It’s underbelly opened, and a clear liquid covered a quarter of the city.”

“Water?” Raym asks.

“That was the initial assumption. However, hundreds of thousands doused with this liquid were instantly immobilized as the liquid hardened. Nothing could penetrate it. The lucky ones died instantly. The rest vanished with ship vanished, and nearly a quarter of the city.”

“Why does it still sparkle?” Kanzu asks.

“They say if you can get past the hunter cannibals, you can see hundreds of impenetrable, lifelike statues in pristine condition staring back at you.”

Kanzu and Raym stare at the flickering light on the horizon.

“Doesn’t sound too appealing,” Raym says.

“Agreed,” Kanzu responds.

“That makes three of us,” Syrric says.

Moments later, the armored golf cart turns onto a short driveway and into a clearing in front of a lone metal cabin surrounded by trees. The trio exit it and walk up to the cabin door. Syrric points to the sensor panel beside the door, then steps aside.

“Choose at least four symbols for your personal access code,” Syrric instructs.

“Only four?” Raym asks.

“Plan on staying forever?” Syrric replies.

“No,” Raym says.

“You’re both smart. Pick something you can easily both remember, then press this symbol to confirm.”

Raym steps up to the panel as Japanese numbers appear on a three-by-three grid. Kanzu and Raym whisper to each other while Syrric crosses her arms and rolls her eyes.

“Okay,” Kanzu says, then presses four symbols, the confirms.

“Grats,” Syrric says as she opens the door.

They enter the two-bedroom, one-bathroom metal cabin with a cookpad beside the kitchenette sink. Above the cookpad sits a cabinet. If it weren’t for the location, these amenities would pale in comparison to the Zanta Golo.

“All your clients stay here?” Raym asks.

“Only the special ones,” Syrric replies.

She walks over to the kitchenette and opens the cabinet. Syrric retrieves a couple of tiny water canteens and places them on the counter near the sink.

“Were you and Tino…mates?” Kanzu asks.

Syrric laughs.

“Sounds like she disagrees,” Raym says.

She walks over to a wall and taps on the metal. The sound indicates a thinner material than it looks.

“Very good man,” Syrric says. “But not my type.”

“What is your type?” Kanzu asks.

“I’ll know when I see it,” Syrric responds. “In the meantime, food in the cabinet, water in the sink, bathroom, and bedrooms. Enjoy.”

Syrric heads for the door.

“You’re not staying?” Raym asks.

“Girl’s gotta pay the bills,” Syrric replies. “But, fear not, each room has a panic button under the windowsill.”

“Panic?” Kanzu asks.

“If you’re in real danger, press it and I’ll come running with guns blazing. Anything else?”

Kanzu and Raym shake their heads.

“Grats,” Kanzu says.

“I’ll be back in two days-rotations with your transport.”

“In the light,” Raym says.

“In the light,” Kanzu says.

“I don’t have the exact time,” Syrric replies. “It could be day or night.”

Kanzu smiles and says, “’In the light’ means-”

“Pay her no mind, sister,” Raym interjects with a smile.

Kanzu looks at Raym, then back at Syrric, smiling at her.

“And don’t disturb the neighbors,” Syrric says before leaving the cabin.

Raym walks over to the door and locks it as Syrric drives off. Raym then inspects the bedrooms. Each comes with two double beds, one near the door and the second under the windowsill.

“I miss the Zanta Golo already,” Raym pouts.

Kanzu takes one of the rooms and tosses her backpack on the bed by the window. She walks over to the window and looks out to see various sporting equipment scattered across the back yard, including a partially-deflated soccer ball resting under a rusted goalpost.

Minnie

The next evening, Shinzo enters the underground safe house. The mechanoid hears the bathroom toilet flush. He spots a tattered photo sitting atop a haversack on the floor beside the bathroom. Shinzo zooms in on the photo of a younger Genji, a pregnant Yumi, and Shinzo Tedeshi smiling at him when Genji opens the bathroom door. Genji tosses his used hand wipe in the trash and exits the bathroom.

“Hey,” Genji says.

Shinzo looks up at Genji.

“Hey,” he replies.

“I’m ready,” Genji says.

“I’m waiting,” Shinzo replies.

Genji reaches down, grabs the photo, places it in his jacket pocket, and picks up his haversack.

“Then let’s go,” he says.

Genji taps Shinzo on the shoulder and the two exit the safe house. They navigate the homeless sleeping in the alley and weave their way through crowded streets as drones buzz overhead. Genji keenly observes everyone carrying some type of weapon for protection, even children.

“It’s like everyone’s waiting for a giant shoe to drop,” Genji says.

“You blame them?” Shinzo asks.

They arrive at a sewer tunnel entry point. Two armed guards spot them and aim their weapons. Shinzo’s eyes flicker at the guards, who lower their weapons and grant them entry. Genji and Shinzo walks past the armed guards as and enter the sewer tunnel. They hike nearly a quarter mile before stopping at their designated location. Shinzo turns and gently removes a carefully pre-cut concrete door from a portion of the sewer wall. Genji enters the man-made portal, followed by Shinzo who places the concrete door back into position. They exit at a small forest clearing by the shore. Genji drops his haversack on the ground and opens it. He removes his clothes, revealing a wetsuit underneath. He retrieves the watermask from his haversack and replaces it with his clothes. He secures the haversack and follows Shinzo as they descend twenty feet of hillside to the rocky shoreline. The mechanoid activates a silent beacon and silently scans the dark water. Shinzo’s scanners detect and object a few feet away and enters the water. He reaches down and grabs a metallic spear lodged in a rock underwater. He removes the spear and holds it up. It’s attached to a tow cable that runs into the sea. Shinzo attaches the spear to himself, then grabs Genji.

“Ready?” Shinzo asks.

“Waiting,” Genji replies.

Shinzo’s eyes flicker. The tow cable yanks Genji and Shinzo through the dark sea and into the mechanoid’s waiting minisub two hundred yards from the shoreline. Genji’s watermask display tracks nearby fish, underwater cruising speed, and oxygen levels.

In Shinzo’s minisub, Sofi stands beside a medium-sized case with a handle on top and labeled “MOTORAFT” on its side. Ren drains the airlock so Genji can remove his helmet.

Shinzo exits the airlock, walks past the container, and makes his way through the cargo bay and into the control room in the minisub’s bow. The mechanoid stands between the two empty chairs as he runs a manual diagnostic check on the control room console. Four control room displays offer underwater visibility at incredible depths, and tracks their current location and status. Minnie, the smiling digital face representing the minisub’s artificial intelligence, appears on one of the displays.

“Nothing’s changed since your last two checks,” Minnie says in a sultry voice.

“You like it when I press your buttons,” Shinzo replies.

“But I prefer a more direct interface.”

Sofi joins them up front.

“Hope I’m not interrupting,” she says.

“Impeccable timing as always,” Minnie replies in a frustrated tone.

“She’s good go,” Shinzo says.

“And you?” Sofi asks.

“Peak efficiency,” Shinzo answers.

“Good. The boys need a hand in back.”

“What else is new?”

“Let me know if you need a hand,” Minnie jokes.

Shinzo exits the control room while Sofi switches feeds on the control displays. She assigns the two outer control displays to a brightened, virtual rendering of the minisub’s rear.

“Ready for another adventure?” Sofi asks.

“Who doesn’t love underwater dogfights, being swallowed by giant fish, or evading pirates dropping depth charges on your head?”

Sofi smiles and replies, “That’s my girl.”

Genji, Shinzo, and Ren finish loading supplies into secure crates affixed to the cargo bay’s floors and walls.

“All aboard!” Shinzo barks.

“Engines online,” Minnie purrs.

Genji and Shinzo walk back to the control console and take their seats. A navigational grid appears across the window displays. The occasional strange fish swimming around the dark waters keep the control displays from looking pitch black. Baby blue, infrared lighting activates, creating a crystal clear, underwater image in front of the bow. The control displays can magnify their forward view within a five-mile radius. The lighting changes to a dim, pink hue as the engines purr gently, causing the surrounding fish to scatter.

In back, Sofi and Ren secure themselves in cargo bay seats. Sofi sniffs toward Ren and turns her head in disgust.

“Ren, I swear one more jerky, and you’re going in the airlock,” she snaps. “Minnie, a little circulation back here.”

“Sorry, but I’m currently unable to divert power for non-essential functions,” Minnie replies.

“Says the ship with no sense of smell,” Sofi murmurs.

Up front, Genji watches Shinzo type into the console.

“Okie dokie,” Shinzo says. “Here we come.”

A digital rendering of their itinerary covers both center control displays. A red line marks their projected journey from the Naga City coast to the Okinawan Republic, avoiding obstacles of various colors and symbols along their path.

“Coordinates set,” Minnie responds. “Initiating propulsion in five, four, three, two, one.”

Shinzo’s minisub propels south through the water.

“Sonar distortion activated,” Minnie confirms. “ETA: seven hours, thirty-six minutes.”

Shinzo leans back in his chair.

“Let’s hope those dock codes work,” Genji says.

“We can always swim to shore,” Shinzo responds.

“Says the man with iron lungs,” Genji says.

Shinzo turns to Genji and replies, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Shaking his head, Genji turns to the control displays, which show a relatively calm journey ahead.

“Were you able to dig anything up on Ren’s cyber-chick?” Genji asks.

“A former assassin for hire, she now spends most of her time facilitating transactions between Freeland and Okie.”

“In other words, she’s not your type,” Minnie says.

“Minnie, you read me like a manual,” Shinzo replies.

Genji leans back in his chair and closes his eyes.

“Just wake me up when it’s over,” he says.

Small World

Heat from the sunlight gently wakes Raym’s from her peaceful slumber by the window. She rolls on her large bed, having combined both doubles by the window, and stares at the tiny, camouflaged panic button placed just under the windowsill’s overhang. Raym sits up and grabs the small canteen sitting on the windowsill. Sipping her water, she looks outside and surveys the sporting equipment scattered around the backyard. Raym spots an old ping pong table a few feet from the soccer goalpost, and the forest nearly a dozen yards away. She rises from the bed, stretches, and exits the bedroom with her empty canteen.

Raym walks over to Kanzu’s room to see the door open. She peeks inside, but Kanzu’s gone, along with her pillows and blanket. She walks past the vacant bathroom and enters the kitchenette, where she spots an unopened protein bar sitting beside an empty wrapper on the counter. Raym grabs the protein bar, walks over to the sink, and fills her empty canteen with dripping water. Chewing her protein bar, she walks over to the front door and exits the cabin to see Kanzu lying on her blanket and pillow in the front yard. Raym joins her, and they both look up at the hazy orange sky.

“You prefer a harder surface?” Raym asks.

“I prefer this view,” Kanzu replies.

“I miss my room,” Raym says.

“I miss Brazin,” Kanzu replies.

“I’m sure Forg has found someone more deserving of his time.”

Kanzu turns to Raym, who continues admiring the sky.

“Our presence here is surreal,” Kanzu says.

“Agreed.”

Kanzu turns on her back and looks up again.

“Sometimes, I dream of floating through the stars like our procreators,” Kanzu says.

“Most procreators I’ve met prefer their feet on this ground,” Raym responds.

A noise behind the house snatches their undivided attention. They quietly rise and quickly tiptoe toward the front steps. Raym makes her way toward the left side when Kanzu hears a sound coming from the right. Kanzu signals to Raym then turns and heads toward the right side of the cabin. They prepare to ambush the intruders when two of the card-playing, Zanta Golo hominoid staffers, quietly descend from the cabin’s roof and knock them both out.

The third hominoid staffer appears from the right side of the cabin. Sporting a bruised eye and scar across his face, the baby-faced hominoid appears from the left side and stands over Kanzu as she blacks out.

“As the archaics would say,” the baby-faced hominoid gleefully taunts. “Small world.”

The baby-faced hominoid helps one of his minions carry Kanzu inside the cabin while the other two carry Raym right behind them. Moments later, two of the hominoids exit the cabin and take up respective posts in front and in the rear.