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1800boocat · 14 days ago

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Red-Listed | Two

40 years ago, there was a great war. World War III, to be exact. This war was far more devastating and life-altering than any other in history.

New China (which was formerly known as China) and Russia decided the massive spaces of land they already had weren’t enough, so they set out together to conquer nearby countries. The rest of the world opposed this, of course, and war was declared. All of the larger nations possessed powerful nuclear arms that wiped out entire provinces, entire nations. Technology also progressed to increase the amount of carnage.

In the midst of all of this, the citizens of certain countries that didn’t like their governments decided this was the perfect opportunity to revolt. With an international war and numerous unyielding civil rebellions, the entire world was thrown into chaos for 10 long years.

In the end, when the peace treaties were signed and internal tensions suppressed, many countries came together and decided that there was simply too much power given to the citizens – too much leniency. Why else would their own people rebel against the government?

Thus, Neo Chicago, and many other cities like it, rose from the war-torn rubble around the globe. The powerful new technology developed during the war was fully integrated, including the implantation of Red-Listed chips in all citizens. New laws and systems were implemented to make peaceful living and growth attainable. Neo Chi, which I was taught previously had a high crime rate, became the biggest crime crack-down area in all of Americanada.

While civil rebellions were snuffed out by the passage of the Liberation And Welfare Act (more commonly referred to as LAW), it couldn’t completely eradicate the distrust and disfavor of the government. The luxuriously wealthy were only positively affected, while the livelihood of everyone else was turned upside down. The seething remained silent, of course, but there was no wonder why small crime groups began to pop up in the shadows. Themis was one of these.

The word means “law” in Greek, which was ironic given the group’s method of operation. Themis was full of all kinds of Neo Chi’s misfits: mercenaries, ex-cops, hackers, petty criminals, you name it. Everyone here was Red-Listed. Whether or not it was rightfully so was up for debate.

Themis wasn’t the only ring. It was one small puzzle piece in an underground network of criminals and society rejects. The thing that sets them apart from the rest is they were one of the few groups that specifically fought against LAW, dreaming of one day uprooting the unfair legal system established so long ago with the creation of Neo Chicago. They tried to avoid any illegal dealing that specifically hurt people or broke the law just for the sake of doing it. Of course, this didn’t mean they didn’t associate with criminals who did. The Themis members weren’t really big threats, but did what they had to to survive as criminals.

All of this was explained to me by Yuto as his assistant, who was a quiet girl by the name of Minako, did my routine vital check. It had only been a couple of days since the day I awoke in the clinic. I hadn’t seen anyone new other than Minako, who would come in to help me use the restroom and change my dressings. Occasionally, Yuto would come in to do checks. Besides them, I mainly stayed alone in the room, sleeping, eating, and bored out of my mind.

“So do you guys like…kill people?” I really had to ask.

“Hmm…Sometimes, I suppose. Only when it’s warranted really,” Yuto replied. “Sometimes we get in fights with mercenaries sent after us, some missions get attention from the LAW and we have to defend ourselves. Of course, I don’t see a lot of action. I mostly stay here.”

Huh. Well, I could get behind that, I guess. They had some morals at the very least.

“So…How much longer am I going to be locked up in here? Am I being quarantined or something?”

“Patience, sweetheart,” Yuto smirked, to which I scowled a little. “You were pretty badly damaged when you came in here. You had to get fixed up, but actually, I think a little walk around the facility might be good for you.”

I perked up at this. Noticeably so, as Minako smiled a little at me.

Aeris then fizzled into the room, taking all of us by surprise. She greeted me politely, then turned to Yuto and said “Eric wishes to speak with you. He’s waiting for you in the meeting room.”

“Ah. Thank you, Aeris. Tell him I’m on my way.” The AI bowed, then disappeared as suddenly as she arrived.

“I better go. He gets impatient.” Yuto then made his way toward the door, mentioning something about how Minako would do a few final checks and that I should call for Aeris when I was ready for a tour.

It was now just Minako and I alone. She was preoccupied with her tablet, rapidly typing away. I assumed she was taking note of any medical updates. The room was quiet for a moment.

I was used to the silence with her, as the girl was never particularly talkative when she had come in to care for me. Not that she ever really stayed long enough for small talk. She only appeared for short periods, just long enough to help me undress or help me use the restroom (which was a little embarrassing). After her few small tasks, she would leave the room abruptly with only a mere nod.

She didn’t come off as cold to me, just someone who didn’t feel the need to say much. Maybe she was just shy. I wanted to talk to her a little. Perhaps she could be a friend if I stayed here.

“So, uhm…How long have you been here? In…Themis?” Minako glanced at me briefly, before returning to typing on her tablet.

“I came with Yuto. It’s been at least a couple of years, I’d say.” Her voice was cool and smooth.

“Oh! So you’ve known Yuto for a while, then?” The girl nodded, then rose from the stool and pocketed her tablet.

I watched Minako carefully as she removed the IV needle from my hand and cleaned up the area. Her straight, jet-black hair hung in her face as she worked, standing out against her soft, pale features. I was reminded slightly of a pre-war horror movie I once saw but waved the thought away with guilt. Minako wasn't scary at all. Just…silent. It made for a slightly awkward atmosphere while I waited for her to elaborate. When she didn’t, I pressed a little.

“Were you two friends? Colleagues?”

“Yuto was a surgeon in the upper east district. The best one. He was a genius, even graduated high school and college early. He had a lot of wealthy clients, he was very popular. He hired me to shadow him as part of my requirements for medical school residency. I learned a lot from him, and I was his only student since he typically didn’t like taking on student residents.” There was a small sparkle in her eyes as she spoke about Yuto. A little admiration, but also, a little of something else…

I wanted to know how she and Yuto ended up in Themis. The question scratched at my brain, but I was unsure if it was rude to ask. They both seemed like pleasant people, even though Yuto was slightly annoying with his smirks and flirtiness.

I decided to just go for it. “Can I ask what made you and Yuto join? Like…” The real question lingered on my tongue. She watched me for a moment, her expression unreadable.

“I think…That’s a story for another time. One you should ask Yuto about.”

Minako let me know I was good to get down from the bed. She offered her hand out to help me, but I waved her off, insisting I could do it myself. She still hovered her hands near me in case I needed aid. However, I managed to make it down on my own with barely a stumble, and I shot her a small prideful smile.

I thought about that look in her eyes again when she was speaking of her bold colleague, and asked, “Yuto. Do you like him?”

Minako stumbled suddenly, her eyes blinking at me owlishly. “W-What? Why would you think that?” She stuttered, and I could see traces of a blush beginning to dust her cheeks and ears. I smiled and shrugged.

Before I could question her a little more, Aeris appeared in the room. The AI held a neatly folded stack of gray fabric. “Miss Mason, hello again. Are you ready to begin your tour of the Themis facility?”

I cringed a little. “Just ‘Lucia’ is fine.” But, oh! I could finally see something other than this sad, sterile room.

I paused when I suddenly remembered: I was practically in underwear. Granted, the clothes I wore covered me decently. However, the thought of meeting more people this way made me feel exposed. I looked down at myself before moving my sheepish gaze to Minako.

“Is there…anything else I can wear?” Aeris spoke up instead. “I have brought you a temporary change of clothes,” she held the stack of fabric out to me, which I graciously took. “I hope these will suffice.”

I gently unfolded the simple, gray set, nodding before heading behind the privacy curtain at the other end of the room. “Yeah, these will, uh…‘suffice’. Thank you, Aeris.”

There was a small mirror on the wall that I noticed almost immediately. It had been a little while since I had been able to see a clear reflection of myself. I took in my horrifically gaunt features: sunken cheeks from lack of consistent meals the past few months, though the fullness had slowly begun to return. My light skin was paler than usual, and my amber-colored eyes, usually bright with energy, were now dull and lifeless. The dark brown rat nest of hair atop my head made me cringe. I had taken pride in caring for my hair before everything. I always made sure to keep it tangle-free and the long tresses always pulled in some pretty style my sister would weave. After too many times having my hair grabbed by petty criminals, I took a rusty knife and chopped it to the extremely short, uneven length it was now.

My midsection was wrapped tightly in clean bandages, courtesy of Minako. Yuto had told me a laser bullet had pierced me just below my ribcage. Luckily, vital organs were missed, but running with the injury as long as I did had resulted in severe blood loss. Hence why I passed out in Eric’s arms.

I managed to pull my attention away from my reflection and focused on the garments in my arms. Both were a charcoal grey, and the fabric was decently thick and soft to the touch. The top was sleeveless with a neckline that reached to the middle of my neck, and the bottoms were shorts that ended at about mid-thigh.

My eyes fell to the large scar on my outer thigh and I gently ran my fingers over the raised skin. It was fully healed by this point, but the white textured line remained as a reminder of the night everything began.

“Lucia?” Minako’s soft voice called out and jolted me back to reality.

“Y-yeah! I’m coming out.”

While in the clinic, I had the assumption that I was somewhere underground. I was correct, but I was a little surprised to find myself in something that looked like it came out of a history documentary.

Immediately upon exiting the clinic, Minako, Aeris, and I were in a stone hallway lined on either side with old, heavy steel doors. Some were open, all were painted green with large bald patches, revealing years of rust buildup. Thick wires ran above me to who knows where, and old bulbs hung every couple of feet. It was oddly quiet, save for the quiet hum of the lights.

Aeris’ voice and our footsteps echoed as we walked. “The Themis facility was previously an underground military base and prison for suspected enemy infiltrators. It was built during the war as one of many across the nation in secret, then abandoned and sealed off once it no longer served a purpose. We’re currently in the medical wing.”

I was surprised by her short speil, as I'd only heard rumors about places like this existing during the war. The government and military had vehemently denied any existence, but I never believed them. I don't think anyone really did, but what could simple, Americanadians do? Seeing this place now (if this was an old war bunker), I wondered what prisoners went through here. I shuddered at the thought.

We eventually reached a door at the end of the stretch, similar to the others but this one had a small window. “So how did-” I began to ask a question, but was interrupted by Minako.

“This is where we part. Aeris will take care of you until you return.”

I made a sound of confusion and attempted to protest. How was a Holo AI supposed to do anything helpful for me? Minako simply gave me an apologetic look, bowed, then set off back where we had come from.

“Miss Minako has other patients to attend to. She doesn’t have time to accompany us,” Aeris explained.

I was surprised by this information, as I didn’t think anyone besides us was around. I eyed Aeris with hesitance as the AI opened the door.

We were in what looked like a college dorm common room. The sound of low chatter filled my ears. Couches, tables, and chairs were scattered about, and occupying them were some of the first new people I had seen in days.

There was a decent amount of men and women, some around my age or older, all with varying looks. A few intimidating-looking young women and men sat on couches, some talking happily and two reading book tablets. A few older men sat around a table and were playing from what I could guess was holo-poker or something of the like.

It seemed there were more people apart from Themis than I had originally imagined.

“This is the common area. It’s free for anyone to visit at any time,” Aeris says as I take in the new environment.

By now, a few people had noticed our entrance and were staring. Two women in clothing similar to mine (with the addition of shoes) whispered to each other in a far corner as their curious gazes lingered on us. I slightly tugged on the hem of my clothing, suddenly feeling underdressed.

A burst of laughter was heard from the group on the couches. A girl with icy, light-blue hair contrasting dark skin had her face screwed up in laughter, seemingly by something the hot-pink-haired man next to her had said. I thought back to what Yuto said—that everyone in Themis had a history of crime or wrongful accusations. I wondered how these people, who were labeled rejected by society, could be so comfortable and full of happiness.

Aeris suddenly spoke and began walking away. “Please follow me. I will bring you to the technology research room.” I was filled with a little giddiness at this and rushed to follow her.

When I was still a college student at Neo Chicago Institute of Technology, I was pursuing my bachelor’s in technological development. All my life I have been fascinated with technology, even squirming excitedly at my desk when learning about the Neo Technological Revolution in high school. I had a natural gift in my field, or so my professors had frequently remarked. Before I was Red-Listed, I was working on my thesis: a pitch for a new invention that would further benefit neurologists with studying how the brain processes and stores memories.

Aeris placed her hand on a panel to the side of the doors, which almost immediately flashed from red to green. A loud buzzing sound was heard, followed by a click, and then both doors quickly slid apart. A rush of cool air blew a few wispy hairs against my face.

My eyes widened as I took in the high-tech room: walls were lined with enormous computer towers flashing different colors, thousands of wires along the floor provided tripping hazards and ran all different directions, and digital beeping sounds came from all sides and filled my ears. In the corner to my right was a large, L-shaped desk that held a couple of large monitors, which all displayed varying lines of colorful codes and symbols. Nearby, a tall, cylindrical device that resembled a body scanner emitted a white glow.

In the center of the room was a large steel and glass counter that projected a soft blue hologram of unknown information. Carefully studying it were two tall men clad in white tech coats. They were so immersed in their work that they must not have heard us come in.

The man (or I should say boy) on the right appeared to be of high school age. He had short, cinnamon-brown locks with a soft wave to them and acne-free, peachy skin. His warm, brown eyes had a gentle, but sprightly appearance and were framed by long lashes.

The other man on the left was slightly taller and had a completely different energy from the other. Where the boy had a warm, approachable appearance, this man seemed a little more serious and thoughtful. If I had to be frank, this was probably the prettiest man I had ever seen. It was almost hard to believe he was a real person and not a Holo AI.

While he appeared to be in his early 30s, my gut tells me he was probably around my age or slightly older. He had a slight undercut, with the rest of his tousled, white hair reaching the middle of his ears. His skin was pale and poreless and his cheekbones lifted. Round metal frames were perched on a sharp nose and accentuated his dark and slender, fox-like eyes. All of this together radiated ethereal beauty.

“Ricky. Kellen. I am giving Miss Lucia a tour of the facility,” Aeris spoke cooly, and both men’s eyes snapped toward us. It was at this point I realized I had embarrassingly been staring, slack-jawed.

The hologram the men had been studying quickly disappeared, and before I could even blink, the boy was in front of me, bouncing a little on the balls of his feet.

“Nice to meet you, Lucia! I’m Kellen,” he said eagerly, both of his hands clasping one of my own and giving it a few shakes. “I heard you were an NCIT student. A tech major, too! That was my dream school.”

I was a little overwhelmed by Kellen’s enthusiasm but was still endeared. He seemed genuinely kind, and it was a little refreshing after the past few monotonous days I suffered. The boy had one of those infectious grins that filled you with warmth, so it was admittedly difficult to be put off by the extra energy.

The older man had leisurely strolled over by this time, joining us with a soft, closed-lipped smile. He stuck his hand out, and then spoke with a gentle, deep timbre. “My name is Ricky. Ricky Zhao. It’s nice to finally meet you in person, Lucia.”

I felt my cheeks warm slightly as I went to give Ricky a firm handshake. “Likewise. Both of you. I’m sorry, but this is my first time hearing about either of you.”

Kellen waved a hand dismissively and Ricky’s smile grew a little. “No worries. You’ve been recovering and getting accustomed to the facility.” Then he frowned, moth opening and closing as if he was debating what he wanted to say next. “I’m…sorry about your sister. It must've been hard these past few months.”

I felt my heart stutter a little but quickly suppressed any reaction on my face. I shook my head a little and gave him a tight-lipped smile.

Before I could reply, Kellen suddenly quipped, “I lost my older sister, too. Granted, it was a longer time ago, but… I understand how you feel.” He then sent me a gentle, reassuring smile.

I averted my eyes. “Ah…Thank you both. All of this, I’m…Still getting used to.”

I really hated it when people pitied me. Of course, any normal person would, given my situation. It didn’t make it any less embarrassing, didn’t make me feel any less weak.

“Of course. If you ever need anything, feel free to pay us a visit,” Ricky replied, and Kellen nodded in agreement.

There was a brief moment where none of us spoke and only the soft beeping and hum of machines could be heard. Not wanting the awkward silence to linger any longer, I quickly changed the subject. “Wow, it's been a while since I was in a lab like this. The one at the college wasn't nearly as fancy as this,” I gestured around the room, “But anyways, what kind of work do you guys do?”

Ricky grinned. “Kellen and I are mainly in charge of anything Themis needs advanced tech-wise.” He headed to the table he had previously occupied and the rest of us followed.

“Taking care of devices for missions, hacking into any databases, background monitoring, etcetera, etcetera. We also maintain the power supply for the entire facility.” He chuckles a little, then adds, “Though, sometimes Kellen gets a little excited with his experiments and blows a fuse.”

The boy in question smiles sheepishly, though I could tell Ricky was merely teasing him.

“That was only once! No…Twice. But- also, I'm not that great. Ricky is amazing! There’s nothing he can’t do. Did you know he created Aeris all by himself?” Kellen shared, eyes sparkling in admiration. I had almost forgotten the Holo-AI was even here – she had been so quiet this whole time. I briefly sent her a glance, but her expression remained neutral, as per usual.

Ricky seemed unfazed and simply huffed out a small laugh and ruffled Kellen's hair. “So are you, kid,” he turns to me, “Kellen just recently created a new communication device for a mission solely out of scrap parts we had lying around. The kid has started inventing earlier than I ever did.”

At this, Kellen puffed out his chest with pride. “Do you want to see it,” he asked eagerly, already running over to the L-desk in the corner, while Ricky looked on with fondness.

I could tell the two were very close. After all, I’m sure they spent hours upon hours together in this room. My heart ached a little in longing. I had a decent group of friends at my college. All of them were in my major, and we would frequently spend time in the campus tech lab in the off hours – tinkering with outdated tech, bouncing ideas for projects off each other, talking and laughing about our personal goings-on. It was something that kept me going, other than surprise days my sister would come home from work and take me out to dinner. I missed it all.

Kellen returns with a round, metal device roughly the size of my pinky nail. It was unassuming, with no visible detailing, and slightly darker than my own skin tone.

“It sticks just behind the ear using nanocircuitry and uses vibrations to externally tap into the wearer's hearing so only they can hear the sound on the device. It also has tiny receivers so that we can even hear everything the wearer hears. Plus, I added interference blockers. They’re so strong that only someone with special clearance, like Ricky or I, can project from it.”

The boy rambles this quickly, a wide grin plastered to his face. His eyes twinkle in a way that makes me feel as if I’m looking at a past version of myself. “I made it for Eric, and he used it on a mission recently. Do you want to try?”

I couldn't help smiling. Kellen’s high energy was truly infectious.

Before I could respond, Ricky’s hand fell on Kellen’s shoulder. “Maybe another time, Kel. Let's let Lucia finish her tour of the facility.” The boy deflated, almost a little too dramatically. He looked like a sad puppy, and I rushed to reassure him.

“I can absolutely come back later! I’d actually love to hear more about your device, even other things you guys have created.” Kellen perked back up at this and nodded eagerly.

“Sure! I’m almost always here,” he chuckled. “Maybe I can make something for you by the time you come back.” I briefly wondered how that would even be possible. Then again, it shouldn’t surprise me given what I’ve seen of the boy’s abilities so far.

“I will continue Miss Lucia’s tour, then,” Aeris remarked.

Then, she bowed respectfully before turning on her heel and walking away. I quickly thanked the two men before rushing to follow her out the door. When I looked back, Kellen was waving, and Ricky had his hands jammed in the pocket of his lab coat, the soft smile still on his face. I noticed his eyes followed Aeris’ form, holding something akin to what was…sadness? My brow furrowed a little as I turned around, and my thoughts lingered on Ricky’s expression as we walked down the hall to our next destination.

“So, Aeris. Where to,” I ask. A strand of hair fell in my face, and I blew a puff of air to move it.

“Next is the physical training room. Afterward, I will take you to the canteen for lunch.” At the mention of food, my stomach growled. Minako and Yuto had fed me well in the clinic, which I was extremely grateful for. It was the most full I had felt in a long time. Still, I was beginning to grow tired of cream-of-chicken soup.

When we reached the physical training room, shouting and loud thuds could be heard from the other side of the double steel doors. Unlike the tech room doors, there was no electronic lock, and the doors simply slid apart when we came close.

The room was spacious, with only a back wall lined with weapons (both the training kind, as well as real knives and batons) and a large padded mat in the center. On the mat, a dark-skinned, red-haired woman had a slightly built, tanned man in a chokehold with her legs.

“Tap out! I’m not letting you win this one,” the woman growled, but the man just chuckled in response. “I already won, Noa. I’m having my head squeezed between your thighs. Besides,” he tilts his head back a little and smiles. “I have a pretty good view, here.”

“Ew, Marcos!” Noa’s hold loosened just a little, but enough for the man, Marcos, to slip free and have her flipped and pinned to the mat in seconds. Panting filled the room and Marcos smirked. “I win.”

“Marcos and Noa, I apologize for interrupting your sparring session, but I have Miss Lucia with me. I am showing her around the Themis facility.”

Two heads turned to look at us, and the man’s face split into a grin. “Ah! It’s the new girl Eric brought in!”

Noa managed to free her arms and punched Marcos square in the chest. “Get off of me.” He yelped in pain and fell onto his butt. The red-headed girl rose to her feet and stepped over him, brushing herself off, and approached.

I finally got a good look at her face just as she extended her hand towards me, and I felt my blood run cold.

“Hi, I’m Noa! I’m happy to have another girl join the team,” she greeted with a soft tone, much softer than she was using with Marcos.

I just stared, and my stomach flipped hard, like I'd had the wind suddenly knocked out of me. I could hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears like a drum. I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. I was consumed by fear, because I’d seen Noa before.

She was there the night my sister was murdered.

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