Into Neon

by Matthew A Goodwin

  They all ran the plotted course, Patchwork opening electronic doors before they reached them. Seti was counting down from 1:23 in their minds and time seemed to be passing too quickly. The night vision from the goggles made it possible to see but they still had to be careful, moving through a building they only knew from schematics. Long hallways stretched out leading to more offices, conference rooms and workspaces as they made their way to the interior.

  One minute, Seti informed them as she continued to count down. They kept moving in silence. Gibbs wheezed from the exertion behind Moss whose new legs carried him easy.

  Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight, the countdown was terrifying. Moss couldn’t tell how much further they had. A cold sweat coated his body. As they rounded a corner, a gun turret with small green light was mounted on the ceiling and Moss waited to see if it would open fire. The suits worked. He had been right about one thing and the presence of the security meant they were close.

  Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, Moss’s nerves were getting to him. He no longer felt the tips of his fingers. Stan held up a fist and they all stopped, pressing themselves against the wall. The large man peeked around a corner and nodded to Judy and Patchwork.

  Ten, nine and Stan and Judy disappeared around the corner followed by two thuds and Patchwork ran. Moss rounded the corner to see an open door flanked by two BurbSec bodies on the ground. The lights flickered to life as Moss entered the control room. Stan stood over another body and Patchwork swiveled in a chair before the bank of waking monitors. His fingers danced as he worked the rebooting system.

  “We got it,” he announced, and a collective sigh was released. “Lucky I’m smart: started hacking this door from outside, could ’a been caught standing in this hallway with our pants down if I hadn’t thought of it.”

  Moss snorted. They had gotten lucky again, and all thanks to Patchwork. The youngest among them was proving to be the most valuable.

  “That was quick,” Judy noted.

  “When you think you own the world, you don’t plan for this,” Patchwork said before adding, “I did a lot of work on the front end to be ready. Wasn’t like it was child’s play.”

  “Bring up some feeds. Let’s see what we’re up against,” Burn demanded, and Patchwork isolated several images from around the facility. BurbSec officers paced and chatted by all the points of interest.

  “How come they can walk free?” Chicken Thumbs asked, pointing to the guards.

  “Their armor works the same as the skyns,” Judy said.

  “Shit!” Patchwork gestured to a monitor in the corner, and all eyes turned. In the server room, large drudges with guns for arms moved mechanically through the banks.

  “Shit,” Burn agreed. He sounded tired and annoyed.

  “What?” Gibbs asked nervously.

  “Human guards can be taken down, but we can’t do the same with machines,” Burn said.

  “Hack’em,” Chicken Thumbs suggested as though it was the simplest of solutions.

  “Oh, I hadn’t thought of that,” Patchwork said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “I’m trying already but they are on a different system and breaking in may raise the alarm.”

  “You keep working at it until we get there,” Burn said, patting Patchwork on the shoulder.

  “Where’s Issy?” Moss had held his tongue as long as he could. Patchwork brought up the feeds. The corporate investigation rooms were empty, metal chairs facing each other across a metal table. In the security office, there were a few officers sitting around playing cards. Behind them was a row of windowless numbered doors. “Where do those lead?”

  “Almost the worst part, that is,” Chicken Thumbs said in nearly a whisper, his voice weak and tremulous with the memory.

  “What?” Moss asked more aggressively than he had meant to.

  “Those doors lead nearly nowhere, just an upright coffin. You stand, stripped, as long as you can or until they come to get you. It’s the most isolating and terrifying experience you could imagine,” CT explained, his voice cracking at the memory of it. Moss turned, not saying a word and Ynna put a hand on his chest.

  “We will go, but you need to be ready, alert,” she said and turned to Gibbs, “you, too.”

  The two young men nodded and followed Ynna out the door. “New kid, I think I know the way but let me know if we miss something.”

  “I got you,” Patchwork said, and they left the crew to do their work. Ynna was out in front as they moved through the hall quickly and once again Gibbs nudged Moss, pointing to Ynna’s backside.

  “Will you look at that,” he whispered, and Moss wanted to put him through the wall himself, unable to believe his friend at that moment. He knew Gibbs was trying to distract himself from the terror, but he did not care and Ynna wheeled around to face them.

  “A woman doesn’t need to be modest to be respected!” she said, boring a hole in Gibbs with her eyes.

  “Y—Yes, ma’am,” he stuttered. She let the moment hold before laughing, “You fucking bubs are so easy to scare. But seriously, stop staring at my ass.”

  Gibbs nodded furiously and Moss just looked in confusion at the pair.

  “Can we just save our friend,” Moss hissed and strode forward, having memorized the path. His legs carried him easily to the stairwell where they descended level by level. As they reached their floor, Patchwork alerted them to guards walking the halls outside the door.

  “Wait here,” Ynna said as she pushed the bar slowly to look. She winked at them and exited, the door shutting quietly behind her.

  “You have to get your shit together,” Moss said, cold seriousness in his words. His friend’s eyes were wide with fear.

  “I’m scared,” Gibbs whimpered.

  “I know, but you need to stuff it. We are all counting on you and Issy is going to need a friend. I wish it could be me, but I have things to do,” Moss said, and his friend registered the words, his eyes hardening with resolve.

  “I can do it,” Gibbs said.

  “I know you can. You got me here, remember?” Moss said.

  “Right,” Gibbs agreed with a smile. They heard the door. Ynna had made short work of the guards.

  Moss! Patchwork yelled in his mind and Moss turned to see a guard at the door. Moss had no time to think, grabbing the guard by the collar of his armor and pressing his leg against the wall. The machinery in his leg worked at his command, rocketing his body toward the concrete stairs, releasing his grip on the armor as grabbed for the railing. The guard flew down the stairs before landing on his head, his neck cracking into a right angle. The body slid a few stairs and Gibbs winced.

  “How did you do that?” he asked in disbelief.

  “I guess adrenaline hits me differently,” Moss said, panting as he hoisted himself to his feet.

  “I’ll say,” Gibbs agreed. he looked at his friend in a way Moss had never seen before.

  “What?” Moss asked but he suspected the answer.

  “I mean, I guess I’ve known what you were capable of. Fresh from the burb, you tased a biker. But this was something different,” Gibbs said, looking at the body. “The kid I brought to the city is gone.”

  Moss knew he was right.

  They both turned as the door opened once more, and they were relieved as Ynna entered. She looked at the body, her own hands dripping crimson.

  “Wow, nice job Gibbs,” she said in affected seriousness, placing a hand on his shoulder.

  “I didn’t,” he said, missing the joke.

  “Yeah, no shit.” She slapped him gently on the cheek. “Let’s go.”

  Red splashes covered the white walls and seeped into the blue carpet as they walked the fluorescent hallway to the security office. Signs guided their way now.

  Thermal offline, Patchwork informed them, and they all pulled their masks from their faces, sweat spraying into the air. Ynna yanked a zipper at her throat and pulled down to just below her navel, revealing cleavage and toned muscle. She looked at Gibbs.


  “Something gross to say?” she asked with a wicked smile.

  “No, ma’am.” Gibbs stayed and made a show of averting his eyes.

  “I’ll go in first,” Moss stated, pulling his Kingfisher.

  “Your fight,” Ynna said, sweeping her arm before her for Moss to take the lead. He moved forward and saw the door with SECURITY Zero-Zero-One written above. Patchwork had already done his job and the lock panel displayed green with the word OPEN. He raised his weapon as he pressed the button, the door hissing open, followed instantly by blazing blue and flying cards. Two guards vibrated and shook, collapsing to the floor. The man remaining lifted his hands, the insignia of a supervisor on his chest plate.

  “I’m just doing my job,” he pleaded.

  “Me too,” Moss snarled as he flicked his thumb and pulled the trigger. The electric shot struck his face, sparking hair, sizzling flesh. Red bone with white eyes still in shock were all that remained as the body slumped to the ground.

  “Not evil if you’re just following orders,” Ynna scoffed but Moss wasn’t listening. He pulled his trench coat from his body and darted for the doors, opening one by one. On the third, as the door opened, Issy puddled into his arms. He wrapped the coat over her back, and she looked up at him, blinking with fear, joy, sadness, and anger all at once.

  “I’m sorry, Moss!” she wailed, and began to weep.

  “No, Issy. I’m sorry,” he said, clutching her so tight he never wanted to let go.

  “She’s in shock,” Ynna informed him. She looked around the room cautiously.

  “Did they hurt you?” Moss asked but Issy seemed to be looking behind him. Her eyes were wide and vacant. He wanted to pick her up and leave, get her as far from this place as he could, but he knew there was still more to do.

  “Just questions and threats,” she answered, but even in his arms, she seemed far away. “That room. Moss, that room.”

  “I know, I know,” he said. His heart was heavy.

  “We are going to take you home,” Gibbs said, pale at the sight of his friend in such a state.

  “Wha—where?” she asked. She was shaking.

  “To your dad, he’s safe and far away,” Moss soothed.

  “Oh, Moss,” she said, looking into his eyes again. “I didn’t—” she began.

  “I know. I’m so sorry Is—” Moss said, tears streaming down his face.

  “And you should be,” Ynna interrupted. “But we have to keep moving and need to get her to Grimy.”

  “What’s grimy?” Issy asked, seeming to fade away again.

  “A friend,” Moss said. “Think you can walk?” He helped her to her feet and tightened the coat around her.

  “Yeah,” she said. Standing and free of the room, she was regaining herself. “I was always the toughest one.”

  “You are,” Moss said as she held his hand to stay upright. “Gibbs is going to get you out of here.”

  “Not you?” she asked, desperation written on her face as she wrinkled her nose.

  “None taken,” Gibbs said and Ynna punched his shoulder.

  “I have something more to do here,” Moss said softly.

  “Right,” Issy responded with recognition.

  “I’ll come to you as soon as it’s done,” he assured her. He had never meant anything he had said more than he meant those words.

  “You’d better,” she said with a weak smile.

  “I love you, Is,” Moss couldn’t help but tell her.

  “Me, too,” Gibbs added.

  “I love both you guys, though I have no idea how you lasted this long without me,” she joked. She was back to herself. Moss was relieved to see her this way and felt as though he could breathe for the first time in a long time.

  “I took care of them,” Ynna said and Issy seemed to notice her for the first time, blinking quickly and turning to look.

  “Thanks, then,” Issy said, extending a hand and looking the woman over.

  “Ynna,” she said and seeing Issy’s eyes move, “you like the outfit?”

  “Yeah,” Issy said with a half snort laugh. “Really subtle.”

  “Right?” Ynna laughed as she posed a few times for Issy.

  “I think this is where Burn tells us we need to get going,” Gibbs said after clearing his throat.

  “Burn, that’s your dad’s friend?” Issy asked with recognition.

  “Yeah. But Gibbs is right. We need to get you out of here and I need to go finish this,” Moss said, embracing Issy again. “You good?” Moss asked Gibbs.

  “Yeah,” he said, pulling a gun with an unsteady hand.

  “Give me that,” Issy said as she snatched the weapon. She smirked. “Come on, Gibby.”

  “All right,” Gibbs said and extended a hand which Moss took. “Make your father proud.”

  “I will,” Moss said, and the pairs left the room in different directions.

  Out of earshot, Ynna said, “she’s cooler than you deserve.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Moss agreed.

  “I was only kidding,” she clarified, but he had always felt that way.

  “What’s with you and Gibbs?” he asked, trying to turn the tables.

  “Ha, nothing, he’s just easy to fuck with,” she protested.

  “All right,” Moss said with a laugh.

  Charges in the lab are set. Moving to the servers, Judy informed them.

  We are too, Moss thought to them as they moved to the restricted access elevators.

  Chapter 19

  Burn, Judy, and Stan were waiting for them as the elevator door slid open.

  “The kid couldn’t get the drudges offline,” Burn said with a sorrowful look. Though he still had the skyn on under his clothes, he had removed the mask and was just wearing his old, beat up hat on his head.

  “So, we better be ready for a fight?” Moss clarified.

  “Oh, yes,” Stan said, grinning maniacally as he loaded a weapon.

  “How many?” Ynna asked. She did not seem nervous to Moss, just hard and determined. He admired that in her and vowed that he would try to learn to be more like that if they made it out of the room alive.

  “Counted twenty,” Burn said darkly.

  “Against five?” Moss asked, fear setting in.

  “It gets better,” Burn said, flipping his pistol in his hand and checking the battery life.

  “Right,” Ynna said, realizing what Moss didn’t.

  “What?” Moss asked.

  “Once we start a firefight down here—” Ynna began.

  “The world will come crashing down,” Burn finished. “May just be a one-way trip.”

  “But Patchwork can guide us. Maybe we can take them out quickly and leave as they are scrambling defenses?” Moss said. He wanted desperately to believe his own words, but Burn’s face left little doubt.

  “We are deep underground now,” Judy explained. “Patchwork and Seti can watch but won’t be able to do anything or communicate with us. We told the new kid and CT to run at the first sign of trouble.”

  “Then we will save a lot of lives,” Moss announced, though, at that moment, he knew he had already saved the one which mattered most to him.

  “Yes, we will.” Burn looked on Moss with pride. “It was an absolute pleasure working with you all. I’ve seen every one of you grow into the people who stand before me. Heroes who are about to change the world yet will never see its gratitude. Each and every one of you has my eternal respect,” Burn said, his eye turning to each one of them individually.

  “Thanks, boss,” Ynna spoke for all.

  “Now gear up,” Burn told them, pulling Moss aside. “I know we’ve only just met, but I want you to know how impressed I’ve been by you. You have your parents smarts and your grandma’s grit. They’d have loved to see the man you are and what you mean to do to honor their efforts. They, and I, are proud of you,” he said. Moss was also proud. He was pleased with the man he had become and was willing to sacrifice himself now.

  “Thank y
ou, Burn,” he said. “In this short time, I’ve learned more from you than I can ever tell you and it will be an honor to die by your side.”

  Burn grinned. “Shit, son. Don’t count your chickens just yet. We’re going to at least try to make it out with our hides. Now, get ready.”

  Moss walked over to Stan and Judy as Burn went to speak with Ynna. Moss was awkward as he approached, the two had their heads pressed together and were speaking in hushed tones. Judy looked up at him, those hard eyes now soft and wet.

  “We’ll have your back while the program uploads,” they said.

  “Thank you,” Moss said. Seeing the two of them together made him wish he had spent just a few more moments with Issy. He took solace in the fact that by now she should be returning to safety.

  “When all is said and done, I’ll take you for falafels. Continue your culinary education,” Stan said with a smile. Even he looked worried, though he was trying to cover it with confidence.

  “Sounds good,” Moss said, not believing he would ever know its taste.

  “Ready?” Burn asked as he strode over.

  “As we’ll ever be,” Ynna said, sliding a clip into her autorifle for dramatic effect.

  “Let’s ride,” Burn said and walked over to the door. He stopped for just a moment and pulled his hat from his head and pressed its base against the door as he ran his other hand over the greasy gray hair on his head. He returned the hat and sighed deeply.

  All the moments which lead Moss to this flashed before him as the large doors began to slowly open.

  They stepped into the dark, massive room lit solely by blue LED lights on the server towers. The room seemed to stretch on forever, precision air conditioning keeping the rows upon rows of towers at an exact temperature. It was ominously quiet, silent but for the electric buzz. Burn led them quietly through the towers, every one of them waiting for the moment they were spotted.

  The drudges did not disappoint. As Judy knelt to place the first charge, one rounded the corner and began beeping wildly, the targeting system coming to life in an instant. Stan wasted no time, blasting the machine with a heavy laser rifle. Sensors picked up on the gunshots and sheets of metal unfurled to cover the towers before fans turned on to suck any smoke. The world became a torrent of movement and noise.