by R. D. Hale
Skye City:
Sister of a Rebel Soldier
Part One
Written by R. D. Hale
ASIN: B00N5YWALK
Copyright © 2010, 2016 by R. D. Hale
Laniakea Publishing
Edited by B. Chengeta
Cover design © by J. Jackson
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under international laws and treaties. Any unauthorised reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author.
Note to all readers:
Thank you so much for purchasing. I would be very grateful if you could leave a review on Amazon and tell your friends about the book.
Foreword
So, R. D. Hale, or 'idiot' to the people who know him, has decided to write another Skye City book – this one a spin-off absolutely no-one was asking for. As if Hale's previous efforts were not enough, he thought he would inflict more of this 'biopunk' nonsense onto the world. The voices must really be taking hold, because he has not only convinced himself he inhabits an imaginary planet called Eryx, but he now thinks he is female – the sister of Arturo Basilides, no less. I mean, talk about identity crisis.
Since Hale's last effort, things had appeared to be looking up for him. He had another (human) child, his personal hygiene was improving, he was talking to himself in a politer manner, showing glimpses of mental stability, and now this…
To be honest, I am not sure why I am even bothering. If you are one of the three people who have read this far, then you already know what lies in store. And you are probably looking forward to it. Yes, you are that weird.
So, without further ado, read on, 'enjoy' this mess entitled Sister of a Rebel Soldier, and do not say I never warned you…
Glossary
Compuscreen (CUS) – a computer composed of two perpendicular touchscreens.
Holoscreen – a flat-screen computer which creates a pseudo-three dimensional image.
Projector – a computer which projects photorealistic holograms of any size.
Holowatch – a mini-projector which wraps around the wrist.
Citicard – the identification card used by Citizens which acts as a debit card and access pass.
Phaser – a generic term for small weapons which fire plasma pulses or energy beams.
Rail Gun – high-powered rifles which fire bullets via an electro-magnetic charge.
Rubbish Deposit System (RDS) – transports rubbish to landfill via conduits which provide useful escape routes for those fleeing the law.
Delos Pod – a two-person pod capable of flying at only ten miles an hour.
Maglev Car – a vehicle which uses magnetic hovering technology on maglev highways, but reverts to wheels when offroad.
Samarianism – the dominant religion of Anatolia.
Samaris – the saviour of the Samarian religion.
Goddess Katona – the deity worshipped by Samarians.
The Underlord – an alternative name for the Devil in Samarianism.
The Elites – a name for the political leaders and clergy of Anatolia.
San Teria – the theocratic ruling party of Anatolia.
San Terian Guard – the police force of Anatolia and an extension of the military.
Elite Guard – Anatolia's equivalent of a special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team.
Medio – the capital city of Anatolia with a population of over thirty million.
Underworld – a town below Medio which was once an underground train system and mall, but is now home to criminals. (Named after the Samarian version of Hell.)
Old town – the name given to derelict areas of Medio which have since been overtaken by criminals and bottom-levellers.
Inner-hub – an area of Medio reserved for Level One and Two Citizens which cannot be accessed without a Citicard.
Outer-hub – an area of Medio mainly reserved for Citizens. Most buildings cannot be accessed without a Citicard.
The Hanging Gardens – a number of islands floating above Medio which can only be accessed with a Level One Citicard.
Mukat – a historical town of religious importance.
Skye City – three towers with three adjoining plateaus at the heart of Medio, standing over two miles tall.
Skye Elevator – joins the central tower of Skye City to Orbital City.
Orbital City – a space station which is the control centre of the Planet Eryx.
Anatolia – the last remaining superpower on planet Eryx.
Nyberu – the other super-power on Eryx which was left in ruins after The Great War.
Verdaja - Another nation ruined by the Great War.
Lamantia – A continent which contains the ruined nations of Nyberu and Verdaja among others.
Arleoch – A nation inhabited by tribespeople and currently occupied by Anatolia who it shares a border with.
Hersperia – A continent which contains the nations of Anatolia and Arleoch, among others.
Planet Eryx – the third of a nine planet system orbiting a red dwarf.
Taranath – the largest of Anatolia's two moons.
Mani – the smallest of Anatolia's two moons.
Level One Citizens – the wealthiest members of Anatolian society who live a lifestyle most can only dream about. Many have taken advantage of cybernetic and genetic modifications to upgrade their bodies.
Level Two Citizens – these people are able to live comfortably, but denied the great luxury of Level One Citizenship.
Level Three Citizens – these people live impoverished lives and work long hours in poor conditions.
Bottom-levellers – outcasts who have refused to accept Level Three Citizenship and have few legal rights.
The Rebellion – a group of outlaws who have joined forces with foreign armies to overthrow San Teria.
Mutants – a generic term to describe creatures created through genetic engineering or radioactive mutation.
Telepaths – genetically-engineered humans with various paranormal abilities.
Hoverbots – small hovering robots, some of which fire webs of glue to ensnare criminals.
Mechanoids – large, powerful robots used in industry and combat.
Androids – human-like robots used as servants, especially in retail and other service industries.
Droids – a generic term to describe any type of robot.
Skye City:
Sister of a Rebel Soldier
Part One
'They thought that the bullet would silence us
But they failed…
Weakness, fear and hopelessness died.
Strength, power, and courage was born.'
Malala Yousafzai
And When I Thought Things Could Not Get Any Worse…
Someone is banging on the double-doors of our squat which have been near-permanently locked since the day the plague began to spread. The gang do not seem interested in responding to our possibly-infected visitor as we slouch on our tattered couches. We have all been subdued since Lel… Well, since she died. As the banging gets heavier, I drag myself from my seat to find out what is so damn urgent.
'Hurry up,' a familiar voice yells.
'I'm coming,' I yell back, plodding into the L-shaped room where flies are buzzing around junk – and a sleeping mechanoid called Ivor. He is supposedly a deadly killing machine, but I have never witnessed that side of him. I have
barely seen him active because when we retrieved him from a scrapyard, he was broken down. But then he was upgraded with a nanite repair system we found in an Ankan ruin (long story), and now he acts as our bodyguard.
Kicking a ball to the side, I detour around a few boxes and head into what my weird brother refers to as 'the vestibule' which is basically the entrance area where we park our rusty van.
My brother Arturo left with Smig and Myla a while ago to meet his mysterious boss Jardine, and I assume they have returned. I grab the key from the shelf to unlock the padlock, then release the bolts, and slide the door open to see the scarred face of Smig looking rather pale.
'Shit, Emmi, we're in trouble. The STG chased us and started shooting. I lost Arturo and Myla. I d… Ah crap, run!'
'What do you mean – run?' I say, then I spot a jet-black transport zooming down the road, and Smig runs into the squat without answering my question. Freezing, I stare into the transport's glaring windscreen and glimpse a girl, who could be Myla, sitting between masked men.
'Ivor, wake up. We need your help!' I yell, running back into the junk room and hurdling a bicycle wheel.
'Guys! Guys!' Smig yells. 'Follow me. The STG are coming!'
With no time to waste, Smig tears off the planks of wood that we nailed over the fire escape, and the gang, who are suddenly not so sleepy, scramble into the junk room to help. Oscar places his foot against the wall and tears off the final plank, then Smig kicks open the fire escape. In my panic I trip over something, slamming face-down on the concrete.
'InterVentional Optimised Robotics activated. How can I help?' Ivor says as I hear hurried footsteps outside the building.
'Kill those bastards as they come through the door,' I shriek, scrambling to my feet, winded. No sooner than the words have left my mouth, the hunk of metal unloads his machine-gun-arm. The deafening roar stops me in my tracks as emerging men are torn to pieces by a hail of lead. Chunks of flesh and severed limbs litter the entrance area.
A grenade clanks on the bloody floor, among the dead bodies, but it does not explode. Instead, sparks of electricity engulf Ivor, causing our mechanical bodyguard to freeze, and leaving me defenceless. A man emerges and he definitely looks like one of the San Terian Guard, judging by the body armour which covers him from head to toe. The intruder points a rifle straight at my face. I shake uncontrollably as I consider whether I could swerve through the obstacles and reach the fire escape before he blows my brains out.
'Don't move!' he roars, rushing over and wrapping his arm around my neck. Clearly, he wants to arrest me, but some say arrest is worse than a quick and painless death.
Tears flood my eyes, and with blurry vision, I see dark figures storming past us. The San Terian Guard drags me towards the sparking mechanoid and the body parts, and I so badly want to fight back, but I fear this bastard will shoot so I do not resist. Arrest might not be as bad as they say… Actually, who am I kidding?
As I am dragged through gore, there is a clattering noise coming from the direction of the fire escape. Moments later, I hear a bang, maybe a gunshot, and the target can only be one of my friends. I hear another sickening bang. 'Noooo,' I sob, trying not to imagine who the victim will be.
An image of a friend, Bex, flashes in my mind. She is crumpled on the ground with blood streaming from a hole in her head, but this is just my imagination. She is alive until proven otherwise.
'Emmi! Emmi!' a voice yells and it sounds like my older brother. Why is he not running?
'Arturo!' I yell back, realising that by attracting his attention, I could be taking him down with me. Fuck.
My brother emerges into view, breathing heavily as he points a handgun at the San Terian Guard who is using my body as a shield. I feel the tip of his rifle press against my temple. And I know the slightest twitch could make my head explode.
'Let her go! Let her go, now!' Arturo roars.
'What do you think you can do? I'm a trained soldier,' the San Terian Guard yells.
'Just ask your friends who are lying in a pool of blood,' Arturo yells back; his gun-holding hand trembling with rage. With pretty much nothing to lose, I stamp on the guard's foot and shift my head to the side. BANG!
Blood and shards of plastic spray onto the side of my face, and I gasp for breath as the guard's grip releases. Arturo runs over and kicks the guard against the wall, then he rips his helmet off to reveal a forehead with a bullet hole above the eyebrow.
'Where is she?' Arturo yells, punching the bloodied guard in the face without reply.
'Arturo, I saw Myla in the transport outside,' I say.
'Myla, she's here?' Arturo shrieks, letting go of the guard, and without hesitation, he runs through the sliding doors – straight into the line of fire.
Gunshots are followed by a horrible silence, and I cannot bear to move, or even call my brother's name, but I pluck up the courage to peer out of the doorway. The armoured transport disappears down the road, and I run outside to see the only family I have left, sitting against the wall – his upper-body full of holes and his shirt shredded by bullets.
Leaning over Arturo, I grab his shirt and just sob, because there is nothing I can do, and no ambulance I can call. My brother coughs blood which dribbles down his chin as I stare into his helpless eyes. Every cough is progressively weaker until soon he is not coughing at all, and his eyes roll into the back of his head.
'Nooooo!' I scream at the top of my lungs, shaking Arturo's limp body without response. 'Help! Help! Pl-ea-sss-ee!'
The Retrieval of the Body
My dead brother's blood soaks my clothes as I hold his limp body in my arms. The sights and sounds of the slums fade as I sit, motionless, on the cold concrete. I have already lost my best friend, now my big brother. Two more are missing, and if they are not dead yet, the chances are they will be soon.
What is the point? The purpose? Slum life is too bleak. Ruthless. We exist as permanent outsiders, criminals by default, dealing with hunger, lack of medicine, opportunity, hope. Forever haunted by unanswered questions like who was my father? And what happened to our mother?
And it was never meant to be this way. We stayed in denial but faced the world, aiming to better ourselves, somehow finding joy, even if it was in drug form. Stupid but determined kids. We were supposed to get out of this place, not die like the rats they think we are.
I notice my red, sticky hands are trembling, and I squeeze my eyelids as tight as I can, but I am disturbed by a roaring voice: 'Oh my Goddess, Emmi, out the way!'
A hand grabs my shoulder and flings me to the side as Arturo is plucked from my lap. Landing heavily on my elbow, I scrape my skin but get up without flinching. I look over my shoulder to see Smig shaking Arturo, slapping his gaunt face, and I sit back against the wall of the old warehouse. There is no point in trying to help. Smig taps his holowatch with a bloody finger and screams the words: 'ASTR emergency!'
A moment later, there is a reply: 'Turbo speaking. Smig, how can I–'
'Turbo, get to Arturo's place, quick. He's been shot,' Smig shrieks, panting.
'Try to stop the bleeding. I'll be there as quick as I can,' Turbo says.
Smig rips off his shirt and presses it over some of Arturo's bullet wounds, like it will make a difference. The blood loss is too much. I doubt there is a single drop left in my brother's veins.
'Emmi, help me,' Smig demands and I sit forwards to humour him, pressing my hands on Arturo's dead body. The action makes me burst into tears again – this cannot be happening.
We sit, pressing on the wounds for so long my palms ache, and I resist the urge to vomit. Glancing up, I see a transport zooming through the derelict industrial estate, and I do not care whether it contains friend or foe.
Moments later, a grey hunk of metal parks beside the growing puddle of blood. The lanky ex-soldier Turbo jumps out of a sliding door with another man.
Turbo runs over and injects a needle into Arturo, then the pair grab his arms and legs and hurry into the vehi
cle. Smig follows them inside and stares at me from the sliding door, clutching his bloody shirt. I walk around the puddle of blood and the discarded syringe to join them in the back. Arturo is lying across a two-seater chair with his legs dangling.
There are many seats in the vehicle and I want to choose the one at the back, farthest from the view of my brother, but that would be abandoning him so I sit close by. Turbo slides the door shut as the other man sits in the driver's seat, and the hover vehicle races away on its wheels for extra speed.
Turbo opens a large case to reveal medical equipment, then he removes a pair of scissors, and cuts through Arturo's shirt. The full extent of my brother's injuries become clear – his stomach and chest have been torn to shreds by the bullets.
Turbo takes a handheld device from the case and squeezes the trigger, firing a beam of energy into one of Arturo's wounds. The smell is horrific as his flesh sizzles and turns from red to black.
'What are you doing?' I grimace intensely.
'Cauterising the wounds,' Turbo says.
Once Turbo has cauterised every visible wound, he opens a flask and carefully pours a liquid over them which quickly sets, forming rubbery seals. He activates the largest device in the case and applies two metal appendages to my brother's torso which jerks, and I gasp in response.
'Oh my Goddess, he's ali… no,' I say as Arturo slumps and remains motionless. Turbo repeats this action many times to no success, and I stare out the window because the process is too painful to watch.
We have travelled from the Medio slums to the outer-hub where people with money live. Citizens with a capital C. The streets are deserted, thanks to the plague, and the pretty wooden houses are just a blur.
'His heart has stopped, but the injection should slow down the cell decay. If we can get him to the base fast, it may not be too late,' Turbo says.
'You mean he might live?' I shriek, not quite believing the possibility of Turbo being correct, but forced to clutch at this single shred of hope.