Neon Blood (Neon Helix Universe Book 3)

by Nik Whittaker

  “In progress, but someone is asking for you,” Keller replied.

  “Asking for me? Who?”

  “It’s Prime, but he’s saying his name’s Peter. I thought I’d let you know.”

  Persephone broke out into a wide smile. Of course, it could be a trick by Prime to try and escape, but the chance that Peter had finally broken through and taken over was an opportunity she didn’t want to miss.

  “Bring him with you when you leave Blackwater. Make sure he reaches me.”

  “Understood.”

  “Watch him closely, though. We’ll be commencing any minute now, be ready, Mr Keller.”

  “We will be. I look forward to finally meeting you in person,” Keller said before closing the call.

  The door to the Nucleus opened, and a man with a cape wrapped around him stepped through the doorway. The black velvet suit he wore looked almost in place with the costumes of those celebrating below, though Persephone knew it was Faust’s usual flamboyant style.

  “Good evening, my lady,” he smiled, “Doctor, Manny”, he nodded, acknowledging Koenig and Manifold.

  “Welcome back,” Persephone poured Faust a glass of wine from a cabinet. She knew keeping the group on her side was vital, and understanding their desires was key to their allegiance. The doctor wanted projects to show off his intellect, and Manifold simply desired access to parts and equipment for upgrading his body. Faust, however, despite being a highly skilled software wizard, simply enjoyed living a life of extravagance, and the wine tickled that nerve of his. She had to admit she was even beginning to enjoy the company of the three of them.

  “Are we all set for the festivities?” Faust asked, looking out at the crowds below.

  “We are,” Persephone said, looking over at Koenig, who was using a hand welder to attach a casing over Manifold’s hand, “if you would be so kind, Doctor.”

  Koenig nodded, passing the welder to Mainfold’s other hand, and walked over to the computers.

  “One moment, yes.” Koenig tapped on several buttons before looking up. “Activating in five, four, three…”

  The computers began to power up. Faust and Manifold joined Persephone looking out into the crowds below them. She could almost hear the sounds of the festivities seeping up to the Nucleus.

  “Two…” Koenig announced.

  A crackle of electricity bolted through the terminals as they came alive.

  “One…”

  A shrill sound wave emitted through the room, the audible and physical vibration shaking everything around them, followed by a moment of silence. Everywhere, everything stopped. The crowds below seemed to have become motionless as if the entire Boulevard had frozen in time.

  Then came the chaos.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Ally

  Ally had tried to contact Xander but had received no response. She hoped he was okay, but there wasn’t anything they could do right now.

  “Mollie managed to contact Vladamir,” Quartzig reported, “they’re on their way to the Boulevard now.”

  “Great, hopefully, they can help whatever happens,” Salem replied.

  The group had made their way towards the Nucleus and were now stood on the Boulevard. Looking up, they could see its large sphere suspended high above the centre of the crossroads, the four support arms spreading out to the surrounding buildings. A light was beginning to glow from inside the sphere, increasing in strength every second. Ally glanced around the street where festival crowds were celebrating, oblivious to the threat that was looming above them.

  “How do we even get up?” Bella asked, her eyes locked on the Nucleus.

  “The four buildings that attach to the Nucleus, they each have an access point, however many are blocked off due to the-” Quartzig was interrupted by an explosion of blue light that erupted from the Nucleus, cascading out in all directions.

  “Oh shit!” Salem whispered as the entire Boulevard went silent. The pulse had knocked out electricity across the city, plunging everything into darkness. The quiet that followed was like nothing anyone had experienced in living memory, the constant hum of power and electronics that ran the city had been suffocated. A second later, the sound of powering up kicked in as the city's lights began to blink back into existence. The background noises of the city returned, but the sounds of celebrating was replaced by the screams of the people around them.

  “What’s going on?” Bella asked as she was spun around by someone pushing past her, their face twisted in anger.

  Ally turned to look at the crowds. Half of the people seemed to be panicking, screaming as they looked at the people beside them, their friends, lovers and colleagues. The other half were smiling, flexing their muscles, stretching as though waking from a deep sleep while looking at their bodies like they were seeing them for the first time. The newly awoken people started to attack the others, some frozen, stunned by the aggression from someone they thought they knew, while others ran to escape the attackers.

  “Is it some kind of virus?” Quartzig asked, trying to analyse the situation.

  “I don’t think so,” Salem said, “if I had to guess, I think Persephone has found a way to use the A.R.C.H. technology en-mass.”

  “Meaning?” Bella asked.

  “Meaning that all these people are prisoners from Blackwater, inhabiting the bodies of innocent residents of the city,” Salem sighed, “we’re too late.”

  “Oh, very good, Salem” Ally was clapping, smiling at the others. “If only you’d been a little quicker, perhaps you could have stopped me a second time.”

  “Ally?” Quartzig turned to Ally.

  “Ally isn’t home anymore,” she replied, her voice slower, deeper than usual.

  “No...” Quartzig paused.

  “Not Ally, Keller. It’s nice to see you all again,” Keller nodded to Bella and Salem.

  “Get out of her body!” Bella shouted, lunging towards him.

  “Ah, ah!” Keller evaded with a sidestepped, “You wouldn’t want to damage this poor girl’s body, now would you?” Keller laughed.

  “What’s the plan here?” Salem shouted, waving a hand at the carnage around them, “What does this accomplish?”

  “Oh, it’s simple. First, we use these bodies to stage a breakout of Blackwater. After that, we’re taking over the city. There’s a new Queen of the Boulevard,” he pointed up to the Nucleus. Keller smiled at the others. “I’ll see you around. I have a breakout to organise,” he turned and ran into the chaos around them, blending into the crowd.

  “What the hell are we supposed to do now?” Bella whispered.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Mollie

  “What’s happening?” Mollie asked. She was stood looking out from the large balcony terrace Vladamir had decided gave the best view of the Boulevard.

  The balcony was usually an outdoor area for a bar that overlooked part of the Boulevard, the crowds were six stories below them, and the sounds of chaos flooded up as the attacks began.

  “It’s like a riot. The people just…changed,” Ava said.

  Vladamir was silent. Mollie knew that he could communicate with his comrades below through his connections via the symbiotic blood.

  “They appeared to have become possessed as if someone else has taken over their bodies,” Vladamir said, his head turning, seeing things they couldn’t as he looked through the eyes of someone else.

  “Possessed? By what?” Mollie said, leaning over the balcony to try and get a better view.

  “I fear this is Persephone’s plan, something more direct than simply controlling the gangs,” Jacob said, pulling a small palm-sized cube from his pocket.

  An explosion below interrupted them. The heat from a fireball rose and forced Mollie to pull away from the edge.

  “Oh my god,” she wiped away the sweat that had formed on her skin. “Where are the MPD?”

  “It’s only just started. They are on their way but, statistically, containing this number of people succes
sfully will be unlikely, without any losses,” Ava replied.

  Below the flames from a shop that had been looted and set ablaze began to spread. A second later, an extinguisher system activated and put the flames out before it caused more damage.

  “Any news from the others?” Mollie asked Ava.

  “I’ve been trying to get in contact with Xander, but nothing so far. I’ll try Quartzig,” she replied.

  “Any ideas on what we can do?” Mollie turned to Jacob, who was fidgeting with the device he’d retrieved.

  “Not currently. We need to work out how this chaos is being controlled and from where,” he replied.

  Vladamir had walked up to the edge of the balcony as he gazed at the crowds, his eyes scanning the people below.

  “Vlad?” Mollie approached, standing alongside him on the ledge.

  “Such chaos, Mollie,” his voice was low as he examined the scene below him. “My comrades are observing. There’s too many, though. They can’t control the sheer number of people. I’d need more to be able to assist here…” his voice trailed off.

  Mollie could only watch in horror at the chaos unfolding below. The crowds seemed to be moving, pushing in one direction and leaving a wake of destruction behind them. The shops on the Neon Boulevard had a certain amount of inbuilt security, which was trying to resist the attacks, but they weren't developed for the sheer numbers. Metal shutters dropped across the budget shop fronts, while electric beams flashed across the high-end stores. Automated advertising boards shut down, the holograms fading from view, and display panels disappeared into the ground and walls for the first time in decades. The people weren't as lucky. Blood was spilling on the streets as fights broke out within the crowds, friends were seemingly attacking friends. The sound of metal striking metal and flesh filled the air as augmentations collided in attacks of rage.

  “What are you thinking, Vlad?” Mollie asked with suspicion.

  "I could contain this. I would just need to attain more brothers, more bodies I could direct," Vladamir closed his eyes, connecting with his comrades below.

  “Vlad! You can’t!” Mollie shouted, reaching for him. He put a hand up, and a feeling like a bolt of lightning shot through her head like a needle was slicing its way into her skull. She fell to the floor, screaming.

  “I’m sorry, Mollie, but I must do this. It’s the only way I can save these people,” Vladamir turned back to the crowds.

  Ava had rushed to Mollie’s side, kneeling beside her.

  “What’s he doing?” she asked, helping Mollie into a sitting position.

  “He’s…going to create more Krovoz, put more people under his control,” Mollie said through clenched teeth.

  Ava looked over at Vladamir, who was still looking over the city. Below his comrades had begun infecting the crowds, passing the symbiotic blood to more people.

  “You need to stop, Vladamir,” Ava said as she stood and began walking towards him, “I will stop you if I have to.”

  “No, I don’t think you will, Ava,” Vladamir said without turning around.

  “I will. I won’t let you stop Persephone’s plans,” Ava replied.

  “Persephone’s plans?” Mollie shouted. “What are you talking about, Ava?”

  “I suspected something was amiss earlier,” Jacob whispered as he put a hand on Mollie’s shoulder. “I fear somewhere, Ava’s systems have been infiltrated by Persephone.”

  Ava lurched forward, but Vladamir stepped aside at the last moment, his speed allowing him to avoid the impact. Ava’s own instincts stopped her from tumbling over the edge of the balcony, but she was up against the railing.

  “The more people I have under my control, the more lives I can save,” Vladamir turned back to the crowds.

  “Ava!” Screamed Mollie, “What’s going on?”

  “I’m sorry, Mollie, I need to protect Persephone’s plans. It’s in my programming,” Ava replied, her voice cold.

  Jacob stood, pressing a button on the cube, blue light emitted from its centre.

  “I’m afraid you both need to stand down,” he said.

  The cube flashed again, then began to hover in the air. A hologram began to form from the light until a figure stood on the balcony, the cube at its centre. Smoke from the fires below drifted into the beams of light, giving the hologramatic figure a hazed outline.

  “Hello, everyone, did you miss me?” Yuri spoke, the hologram waving a hand. As he waved, Ava froze, her body jerking violently as something affected her programming. Vladamir turned as he heard the voice, turning to face Yuri.

  “No,” Mollie whispered, crawling backwards across the balcony. Her mind was spinning. How was Yuri back, the man who had destroyed her arm and nearly killed her?

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Persephone

  Persephone was taking in the chaos below her, watching as the crowds began to separate and flow. The patterns fascinated her, the people that had turned moving like rivers through the ones who had not carving a path like a river through the city. People who stood in the way were either pushed aside or attacked by the Sliders. At first, she was frustrated that the Sliders weren’t focused on heading directly towards the bridge and to Blackwater. The sooner the prisoners were free, the sooner the next stage of her plans could be set in motion. The more she watched, however, the more she understood their anger and need for release. They had been locked away in the prison and were finally enjoying the freedom they had sorely missed.

  She recalled her own past, back at the Grand Falls Hotel and how she had been unaware of how trapped she and all of the other clones had been. Then, following that, she was under the control of Peter as he waged his war on Yuri, making her one of his bodyguards in their final fight, before finally using her mind as a place to store his consciousness just before he died. She remembered it all, how he had moved his entire mind into her body to remain alive. This was how she knew there was a trace of him still inside Prime too. Peter had duplicated himself as much as possible to maximise his chance of survival in one form or another. Prime had been too strong and had managed to suppress Peter, though the news from Keller made her curious. Had he finally managed to surface due to her constant barrage at Prime’s emotions. As for herself, the Peter within her had shot Owens, taking his last act of revenge on the man who had been like a father to him, then the building had collapsed. Her body was broken, her mind doubly so, and Koenig had removed the last remnants of Peter from her mind when he had repaired her.

  “Persephone,” Faust walked up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She turned, causing the hand to drop aside. “We are receiving communication from the corporations, just as you expected.”

  Persephone smiled. The city was controlled predominantly by the four major corporations. They had associations with all of the key services that ran the city, from the MPD and medical through to the food and beverage sectors. She knew that once she began her take over of the city, they would push back. They were mostly suits, however, who sat in their offices high above the rest of the city and directed its flow with paperwork and meetings. Once the prisoners were freed, she would be able to storm the corporations and rip control from their shaking hands if they tried to stop her.

  “Let them wait,” she replied, “they’ll just be locked away in their towers, hoping things will sort themselves out. I’ll speak to them once we have control of the Boulevard.”

  “Understood,” Faust said, turning back to the control panels.

  A beeping from her communication device, glancing down, she read the encrypted message from Ava.

  ‘Yuri’

  A cold feeling washed over her. What did it mean? She was sure Yuri had died. She’d seen the body in the wreckage of the CyBio building. But there was no chance Ava was mistaken. She had interacted with Yuri the most after hacking into his systems. If he was back, somehow, then she needed to fix the problem immediately, Yuri was a dangerous entity, and Persephone couldn’t risk leaving things to chance.

>   “Faust!” she called out, loud enough to get everyone’s attention.

  “Yes, my lady?” Faust returned to her side.

  “It appears that we have an additional problem. A rogue AI has reappeared,” she explained.

  “What AI?” Koenig looked up. His interest peaked.

  “Yuri.”

  “I see,” Koenig’s face went pale as he whispered the words.

  “Should I know who that is?” Faust asked, looking between the two.

  “He caused the fall of CyBio, a mastermind-level intelligence who was trying to control the Boulevard through nanotechnology. I thought he had died in the disaster, but Ava has informed me he has resurfaced. He is a highly intelligent and dangerous program that we need to neutralise immediately. I trust you have tools at your disposal.”

  “I have plenty of anti-software to destroy AI coding, any idea where he may be?”

  “Track Ava’s location. She’ll be able to help if she’s not with him currently. Do not underestimate Yuri. We don’t know what his plans are. Report back regularly,” Persephone added. “Understood,” Faust replied, as he began to track Ava’s location, “I’ll collect a few things and be on my way.”

  Persephone looked back over the city. The flow of the people was clearer now. The crowds were moving en mass towards the Blackwater Bridge. She knew Keller would be among them. Hopefully, he had resolved the Xander problem before he transferred.

  “Koenig,” she called out, “you have worked with Yuri in the past. Any suggestions on a backup plan?”

  “He was a simple user interface when I was working at CyBio. We only used him for automated tasks. What he has since become was long after I was let go from the company,” he explained, “however, there was one who has involved with his emotional and communication development we might want to speak to.”

  “Who might that be?” Persephone asked, her curiosity peaked.

  “A man in the underpass, Razz, he was part of the project that enhanced Yuri’s programming from simple tasks following to full independent thinking. He was a communications expert in his day. Now he runs a small radio outfit in the Underpass.”