by N. K. Quinn
“I don’t think you can pick your way past that lock,” Izzy said.
“Oh, ye of little faith,” Damian said. He scrabbled around in the dark until he found what he was looking for.
“Be right back,” he said and gave her a kiss on the cheek before vanishing.
Izzy waited in the pitch blackness and tried to stay calm even as her senses played tricks on her. A crawling feeling on her leg made her jump back and let out a tiny squeal, scaring away whatever creature had thought to investigate. A crash of glass shattering made her spin around and a moment later the doors opened with a groan. The smell hit her first, earthy thick with a mustiness that made her cough. The dust scratched at her eyes and Izzy blinked away tears as she took in her surroundings. In front of her there was a long mahogany desk with an old style computer console sitting in its centre. Damian sat with his feet up and a self-satisfied smile on his face. Izzy walked straight past him and further into the room beyond and came to a stop. There was a flicker behind her and she saw Damian follow her with an oversized candle. The light danced across the room, creeping up the side of the walls with a life of their own. Izzy stifled a gasp as she realised what the building was and snatched the candle from Damian. She went deeper into the room and Izzy found herself in a maze of shelves. Forgetting the smell, the itchiness in her eyes and the tickle in her throat she sat cross-legged and set the candle in front of her. The shelves were bursting with books, real, paper, books. Izzy grabbed the first one she saw and opened it. Coughing again despite herself she ran her fingers across the pages, feeling the texture of the paper.
“Happy anniversary,” Damian said, joining her on the floor. Izzy pulled herself away from the book and kissed him. As they came apart, she gave Damian a sheepish look.
“What?” he said.
"You brought me here to this amazing place. I mean it’s full! Full of books! I could live a lifetime here and not finish everything. And I just got you..." Izzy's voice trailed off, and she unhooked herself from her backpack. She dug around in it and came out with something she hid in her fist.
“In my defence it’s not our anniversary for another three weeks, and I didn’t have time to finish it,” she said.
“I’m sure I’ll love it,” Damian said. He reached his hand out and she placed a small cube in the centre of his palm. He felt the weight of it and turned it around in his fingers examining it.
“Izzy…” he said, “Remember I’m an NC. I don’t know how any of your fancy Sentech gear works.”
Izzy gave the cube a twist and set it back on his hand. She bit down on her lip and looked away as the cube lit up and started to hum. It projected a cone of neon light and it coalesced to form a three-dimensional image of Izzy.
“Damian, you lugnut. Happy anniversary,” the device said in Izzy’s voice. Damian leant in to kiss her again, but then paused as the voice cleared its throat and carried on speaking.
“I love you,” it said.
Izzy looked up to meet Damian’s gaze, and he looked back at her in stunned silence.
“You… you love me?” Damian stammered.
“Of course I do, you moron,” Izzy said looking up at his earnest eyes. “If I didn’t would I run away with you?”
Damian scratched his head and heat coloured his cheeks.
“You know I… well you know I…”
Damian stumbled over the words and Izzy let him flounder, the mischief sparking in her eyes. She looked at the place he had brought her and thought about how completely he seemed to understand what made her tick.
“I know.” She said resting a hand on his cheek. Then she gave it a gentle slap and gave him a wink.
“Now why don’t you make yourself useful and get me something hot to drink while I dig through these?” Izzy said as she gestured at the wall of books in front of them.
* * *
Hours later Izzy had surrounded herself with a fortress made entirely of paper. She had struggled but had made space for ten or so tomes for later consumption. A steaming mug of something appeared in front of her and then Damian’s grinning face came into focus.
“Real coffee?” she asked inhaling deeply.
“Yup,” he said his grin widening even further. “Only took me three months of scrounging and bartering, but it was worth it to see the look on your face.”
They sat together feeling each other’s warmth and Izzy lay her head on Damian’s shoulder.
“You said the streets are getting more dangerous,” she said. “It’s because of the Scorps?”
“The Augs they’re dealing, they’re making people into addicts. I’ve seen parents give up their kids just for a few more hits,” Damian said.
“I’ve seen people who’ve used Augs,” Izzy said. “Doesn’t it just enhance one of their senses?”
"That’s the stuff that the Scorps sell to the posh Sentech corporation types. The people on the street, my people, the stuff they get messes with their heads. Drives them crazy," Damian said. "The whispers say we're being experimented on. That people are using NCs as guinea pigs."
Damian’s jaw tensed and Izzy saw the anger shudder through his body. Squeezing his shoulders she tried to pull him out of his funk, but he was well and truly lost in his own thoughts.
“Well, they won’t be spreading any further into the city, I heard Sentech are sending out crews especially to take down Aug dealers.”
“Enforcers turn a blind eye. The only one who's stopping these guys is the...” Damian trailed off.
"I don't get why you're such a fan of this vigilante!" Izzy snapped, shifting away from him and turning so they were face to face. The sudden movement sent the candle wobbling on its end and Damian had to snatch out a hand to steady it.
"I don't get why you're not!" Damian answered. "He's clearing the streets, and he's not letting anyone stop him. He's taking out Scorps and corrupt Enforcers."
Damian tried to bite back the last word, and Izzy knew he regretted what he had said almost immediately. She glared at him and got to her feet before turning to storm off.
“Izzy…” Damian called after her. “That’s not what I meant.
"It’s not that I think all Enforcers are bad guys, it’s just that all most of them seem to care about is the Corporation’s bottom line. This new guy, the Steel Falcon, he’s taking Scorps off the streets, before they can force other NCs to join their rebellion. That’s got to count for something?”
Izzy closed her eyes, she could hear her father’s screams of pain in her head. They morphed into shouts of anger and frustration and culminated with the sound of their front door slamming as her mother left their home for the last time. She shook herself free of the memory and looked up at Damian, hot tears streaming down her face.
"Talk to me Izzy," Damian said. "What is it you're not saying?"
He pulled her close and held her tight, stroking her hair as she quivered and sobbed. After a time she pulled away, just enough so that she could look into his eyes.
"It's all his fault." she whispered. "He's the one who started it all. It was the Steel Falcon who attacked the facility my father was protecting."
Damian stammered for a moment and then forced his mouth to wait for his brain to catch up. Izzy had explained her father’s brutal injury in vivid detail to him before, but it seemed vicious and completely out of keeping with what Damian had heard about the vigilante.
“I’m sorry, Izzy, I didn’t know,” Damian said. “I won’t mention him again.”
* * *
By morning she had forgiven him, well mostly. The second cup of coffee had helped his case tremendously.
“Are you okay?” he said holding out the mug. Izzy took it without comment and sat sipping it before regarding him over the top. She tried to keep her face grave, but his easy smile made her facade crack. He tossed her a packet of rations which she tore open. The NC fortified bread was soft and set her tongue tingling with pleasure. She went in for a second bite but paused and looked back up at Damian.<
br />
“You can’t just feed me anytime you do something wrong or I'm upset. You know that right?”
Damian laughed, a rich, hearty sound, and then pulled out a second ration pack.
He was about to throw it to her when he stiffened. His head tilted to one side and a look of concentration painted his features.
“Damian what’s—”
He silenced her with a hand, and Izzy made a face.
“Get your things,” he said with an urgency that spurred Izzy into motion. Damian extinguished the candle and disappeared from the room. With a sweeping movement, Izzy gathered her things and stuffed them into her pack, squeezing in a few of the books too. Damian was next to her now, his hand finding hers in the dark. He paused near the door breach and chanced a look out into the house.
"Someone knows we're here," he said.
Izzy could hear it now too, the sound of measured footfalls betrayed by old floorboards. It was as if the building was trying to send them a warning. Damian tugged her in the opposite direction and they navigated their way into a side room. He pulled up her sleeve and looked at the screen of her TRIST.
“It’s still hacked right?” he whispered. “As far as Sentech think, you’re still at home in bed? And your Dad’s not back until tomorrow?”
Izzy looked down at the green glow from the screen and gave it a tap. There was no change, and she gave Damian a confident nod. Another creak, louder this time signalled movement on the staircase. Izzy pulled Damian to a window and pointed at the metal fire escape attached to the side of the building outside. Damian pushed his fingers under the edge of the frame and tried to slide the window up, but decay and mould jammed it in place. With a sharp snap, Izzy’s once fancy shoes slammed into the corner and a cloud of dust broke free. The window gave under Damian’s effort and it slid up.
“Go! I’m right behind you,“ Damian said, pushing Izzy to the open window. Izzy slammed her hands onto the frame and pushed back.
“I’m not your damsel in distress, “she snapped at him. "I'm not going without you."
“I get that, Izzy, “Damian said, his patience almost spent. “I really do, but now we have to go! And I'm right behind you“
Heavy boots stomped up the stairs as all pretense of subtlety evaporated. Damian pulled her hand away from the window frame ducked his head out.
“All clear,” he said and with more determination guided her through. Izzy didn’t fight this time and went onto metal lattice platform outside the window just as the door to the room exploded in a shower of splinters.
3
Clinical Shades Of Grey
Damian followed Izzy out of the window. He slammed it shut and whirled back around, a small knife in his hand. Grunting, he drove it into the jamb, pushing until the entire blade disappeared into the wood. An Enforcer appeared on the other side of the glass, his featureless mask and mirrored lenses regarding the two runaways dispassionately. He produced a nightstick, and it sparked with azure static as he hammered at the glass. A spiderweb of a crack spread across the window and the Enforcer lashed out again and again. Damian half pushed Izzy to get her moving and the fire escape clanged like a steel drum as they hurried down to the street. There was a crash and glass shards showered them.
“Don’t look back!” Damian urged. “Just keep going!”
Izzy’s natural tendency to do the polar opposite of whatever she was told to do kicked in, and she did both. She saw two Enforcers emerge onto the fire escape and she wondered idly if she knew the men behind the masks. A familiar voice reeled off a series of commands to them through their TRISTs and the sound carried down to them in the early morning air. She watched, unable to move as the Enforcers raised their rifles as one.
“Izzy!” Damian shouted and threw his body in front of her as the rifle report sounded. Something hit Damian and threw him forward, landing him on top of Izzy.
“Damian!” she screamed.
Damian groaned and got to his feet. Izzy could see the gaping hole in his backpack but otherwise he seemed unharmed. Another shot rang out and this time Izzy pulled Damian out of the way and they scrambled for cover.
“You okay?” she asked breathlessly.
Damian managed a nod, clearly winded by the impact of the shot. They heard the Enforcers on the stairwell and took off as fast as they could. The sun was still hanging low in the sky, its light casting an orange haze over the waking city. Izzy lost all sense of time, but she kept pace with Damian until she could no longer ignore the fire in her chest.
“Damian,” she gasped. “Wait… I need to rest.”
Damian looked around at the people spilling out onto the streets. Most of them wore suits or overalls with the Sentech insignia emblazoned on it. He lead her down a side street and they found a place to stop. There were multiple exit routes and crucially, cover above, which meant that they could hide from any drones that the Enforcers sent in pursuit. Damian took his backpack off and examined the crater like hole in the back.
“Just like Enforcers,” he spat. “Shoot first, ask questions later.”
He gave Izzy a look, but she was too busy trying to catch her breath to come back with a response to his Corporation bashing.
“How am I still alive?” he said out loud, poking a finger through the hole. Emptying the bag he saw that the bullet had ripped through the bundles of clothes he’d stuffed in there. The tin of coffee he’d scraped enough credits to buy must have slowed the bullet some, but it was warped and now almost empty. He made a face and tossed it aside. Then he pulled out a book and saw that the bullet buried deep within the thick tome. Flipping the unfamiliar book around, he read the title out loud.
“The Definitive Guide To Women: How to know what your partner is thinking.” He read, giving Izzy a quizzical look.
“I thought you could use some pointers, so I put it in your bag,” she said with a wink and a shrug.
With a laugh Damian threw his arms around her and lifted her off the ground, spinning until they were both dizzy. When they came apart a grave expression settled over Izzy’s face.
“What now?” she asked. “You said we’d be able to go to the NC camp, that we’d be safe there.”
“I know I did,” Damian said. “It’s not that simple though. It moves around the whole time, but I know a guy who can help.
* * *
They stayed on the dingy side street until they thought the morning crush of people would have passed. Izzy followed Damian’s lead. Though she had lived in the city most of her life, she’d never ventured this far away from the main Sentech sites. She’d heard rumours about the various NC encampments scattered around, but had never even seen one. She’d thought that they were an urban legend, but seeing how much of the city was ignored by the Corporation she could easily believe that a whole other world could be hidden under their noses.
“So why do they keep moving the NC camps around?” Izzy asked.
“It’s just this one,” Damian said. “It’s called Haven. It moves so that the Corporation can’t track it down. Not everyone wants to be found, you know.”
Izzy could feel the tension in Damian’s voice, in the way he carried himself. She fell quiet and watched as their surroundings gradually morphed the further they got from the city. It was subtle at first, the odd splash of colour bursting out through the cold clinical shades of grey of the man-made concrete world. Nature’s grip became stronger the farther they strayed with trees punching holes through buildings and vines strangling street lights. The sounds of life also started to return, the chirping of crickets and the cawing of crows becoming the soundtrack to their journey.
“Okay,” said Damian after a time. “We’re here.”
The mess of smashed windows, scorched masonry, and mangled steel in front of them looked like a breeze might knock it down. The building was long and looked like it was at least ten storeys high. On one wall Izzy could make out a red faded cross and part of a name, but most of it was obscured by thick vegetation that was creep
ing up the building's side. It extended up from the earth like the maw of a hungry beast, trying to devour the structure whole.
“We’re going in there?” Izzy asked.
Damian was already heading towards a set of wide glass doors, ripping through tendrils of overgrown grass that tried to grab hold and slow his approach. He slid his fingers between the doors and with a moan they shuddered open.
“You don’t need to come in with me,” Damian said, turning back to Izzy. “I can speak to him and then come and get you.”
Izzy looked past the doors and into the black abyss beyond. Sounds echoed through the halls, not obviously beast nor machine and Izzy swallowed back her fear.
“I’m not leaving you,” Izzy said.
“Okay,” Damian said as they stepped inside. “I’m glad because in all honesty I’m terrified.
The corridors were endless and identical, a perfect maze for them to get lost in. Izzy could see evidence that others had come before them. Store cupboards had been ransacked and supplies picked clean. There were parts of chairs and beds everywhere, the metal and cushions cannibalised for one purpose or another. They’d been walking for nearly an hour and Izzy’s eyes had adjusted to the dull light from her TRIST and Damian’s dying torch and so she was the first to catch sight of the man shadowing them.
“Hey!” she called and pointed at him.
The lean tall figure took a step back and was enveloped by shadow. They rushed to where he’d been but, it was a dead end and he was nowhere to be seen.
“Was that him?” Izzy asked.
Damian gave a nod and gestured that she should stay behind him. Izzy suppressed the urge to kick him between the legs and settled for just scowling.