From the Ruins

by Keith Silvas

  “Because you ask too many, and you don’t know nothin’.”

  “I’m sorry you feel that way. I learn quickly. Now I think it is important that you tell me where we are going, so that I am better prepared to help you, should the need arise.”

  “Destiny’s a nightclub. It’s right down there. Now shut up.”

  They landed, and met up with Ruda, a lanky fellow with a blue trihawk and spiked eyebrow piercings. His black jacket was impeccably spotless and starched, without as much as one wrinkle in the fabric. Raymond instantly felt a camaraderie with Ruda, as Mullet began to berate the blue-haired man in the street.

  “You’re such a damn child Ruda, callin’ the Boss over every little thing. Well you got your wish now! Someone’s here to do the job for you, like always. You two idiots stay out of my way and let me handle this.” With that, Mullet stormed toward Destiny, flinging the doors open, and plunging into the smoke and dim light within. Raymond and Ruda followed after him.

  The atmosphere inside was more relaxed than Raymond had expected. Destiny was not a thumping dance club. The lighting was dim and blue, and there was a pretty blue-haired girl on stage in a sparkling evening gown. As they walked past the tables, patrons began to shift uncomfortably in their seats and words like “Blackcoats” and “Boss’s Men” could be heard over the music.

  There was no trace of Mullet, and Raymond and Ruda looked around unsure of what they should do. Just then the music changed and the girl on stage stepped up to the microphone. Raymond studied her closely as she swayed to the beat. Like her hair, her eyes were blue, although there was something artificial about them: an unnatural lambency that made them strangely captivating. He noticed the word “Sappha” lit up in holographic blue above the stage now. The patrons seemed to relax and forget their fears of the Boss’s Men as she began to sing.

  Hey, I know it’s been a long time

  Since you got me singing dumb rhymes

  And you know, between the bread, the cheese and the wine

  The simple life would have done you right…

  Just then Mullet came into view, leading an orange haired old man by the ear. With a sweep of his boot, Mullet kicked the old man’s feet out from under him and sent him face-planting onto the floor. The music stopped and gasps were heard around the room. Sappha and the band scattered off the stage as Mullet sent steel-toed kicks into the old man’s ribs.

  Ruda unfolded a metal baton and ran towards Mullet. Raymond was wondering why he had done this, when he saw the twins. The bruisers Ruda had mentioned earlier were rushing Mullet in an effort to protect their employer. They were huge men, definitely brothers and possibly even clones of one another, if human cloning was practiced in Zero System. Both stood two heads taller than even Ruda, and were heavily muscled. Their platinum hair was short and spiked, their jawlines as square and pronounced as bricks. In addition to the unnatural muscle mass, the twins had what appeared to be cybernetic enhancements on their wrists, elbows, shoulders and necks. More than likely all the joints in their bodies were enhanced, but only these were visible because of the skin-tight tank tops they wore.

  Ruda engaged one brother, and Raymond caught the fist of the second, just before it connected with the back of Mullet’s head. The big man threw another punch that Raymond also caught, but this time he kept hold and yanked the other into a shoulder throw. He had seen the move in one of the countless martial arts movies he’d watched with Rob long ago. Although he had never practiced it, he found it wasn’t hard to perform, especially with his newfound quickness.

  The big man hit the ground with a thud and a strange cry as the wind was knocked out of him. With all of his mass the fall had been hard. With one twin writhing on the ground, Raymond turned to survey the rest of the brawl. Mullet had not lifted a finger to help Ruda and was still abusing the poor club owner. Ruda, on the other hand, was not doing well. The other twin had evidently knocked him to the ground, and now had him pinned on his back, raining blows down on his face. Raymond knocked the big man off Ruda and, with a kick to his jaw, rendered him unconscious.

  “You gonna pay Cen Vultz now, or do we have to come back?” Mullet shouted at the club owner. “This is what happens when you try to skimp on protection pay.” He stretched out his arm, indicating the people fleeing the rapidly emptying club. “It’s bad for business Brunus. Even a greedy scab like you can see that.”

  ∆∆∆

  “The android handled business,” Ruda said, pressing a cold pack over half his face. “We wouldn’t have been able to do it without him. Those twins were mean.” The three of them stood before Nexus, reporting on what had happened.

  “He was alright,” Mullet said. “He should have used the blades though. I wanted to see ‘em in action.”

  “It seems you have a knack for this business Raymond. Well done,” Nexus congratulated.

  Raymond felt himself swelling with pride. Approval at long last, especially from the likes of Mullet, was a very welcome change.

  In the days that followed, Raymond went on many more calls. The business was always a mixture of keeping order and spreading fear. Word of his exploits at Destiny had spread quickly across Omega Seki, and everyone knew about the metal man who had beaten the twins, Zvor and Üngar. Raymond was relieved to find that he hadn’t needed to use force since then. The simple act of his showing up was enough to strike fear into people. He wasn’t happy about the fear part, but if such was to be his job, he could at least be thankful that he didn’t have to hurt anyone while doing it.

  Still, he wished desperately that he could get the people’s respect somehow, without their fear. Unfortunately, such a solution had eluded him. In fact, the opposite was occurring: his infamy continued to build as time went on.

  He had been given his own communicator as he had started to go out alone. It was his link to the Boss. He was now as much of a Blackcoat as any of them, except Nexus had said it was better if he didn’t wear any clothing, since his body was more terrifying to the plebs.

  One day, as Raymond sat on the walls of the Complex gazing out at the dim golden barrier that blocked off the sky, he witnessed the first hint of uneasiness the Complex had seen since his arrival. Candy Apple emerged from the main doorway roaring at everyone in the courtyard. “Get up, you lazy slobs!” He bellowed. “There’s a riot in Sector Six. Those Sons of Freedom bastards are at it again. Get some of the guns boys; this one’s gonna be a—” He suddenly noticed Raymond up on the wall. “Hey Bolt Head, get down here! We’re gonna need you.” The Blackcoats rushed to make ready and although they tried to hide it, everyone, including Candy Apple, was on pins and needles. There was an undeniable sense of fear among men at the mention of these rioters.

  Within thirty minutes, Raymond and a company of twenty-six Boss’s Men were on the ground in Sector Six, and headed for the offenders. They reached the square, where over a thousand protesters were pumping their fists in the air and chanting, “Open your eyes. They’re stealing our lives!” in repetition.

  A man in a white jacket was shouting into a megaphone, haranguing the crowd about the corruption of the Boss and his men. “Don’t take the dreams they offer. Don’t let them have you or your families! Resist the bait. These are not gods offering heaven. It’s a trick from this Boss of the city killing us one by one. He and his Blackcoats are leeches and they’ll suck us dry if we let them! Reject their Euphoria. It’s a lie!”

  Raymond was confused by the scene and what the man was saying. He didn’t understand, but his curiosity was piqued. What was this Euphoria they were talking about?

  As the Boss’s Men moved closer to the protestors, fear took hold of Raymond, not for himself or the Blackcoats, but for this group of seemingly innocent people who were now in grave danger. Candy Apple had used the word “riot”, but that was a gross exaggeration; what these people were doing was not violent at all. They were only expressing opinions. In the old days, what they were doing would have been considered a peaceful protest, but thing
s were different in Omega Seki. Certainly, Nexus would not allow such open defiance shouted in the streets.

  He gritted his teeth, wishing he could will the crowd to run away before the violence struck. He knew the Blackcoats were armed with guns. Many lives were about to be lost, and many more forever changed. He wanted to call out to the people, to warn them, but the act would beyond a doubt be seen as treason by the other Boss’s Men. The weight he felt was nearly unbearable, but he forced himself to remain silent: to serve—but to serve who, society? Was this what serving society truly looked like? He didn’t know anymore. The only thing he knew now was that he was serving Nexus.

  The gunshots crackled; hundreds of rounds piercing the crowd. The chanting turned to screams as people fell to the ground and fled in panic. They ran for their lives, and within a minute, the square was empty except for half a hundred bodies and the man in the white jacket, who had caught a bullet to the leg. He still clutched his megaphone and shouted wildly, as much anti-Boss propaganda as he could get out, before Candy Apple kicked the megaphone out of his hands and struck him across the face with his nightstick.

  Candy Apple grabbed the man by his collar and dragged him into the group of Blackcoats. He stopped at Raymond and looked into his eyes. “Alright Bolts, you’re up. Kill him. You’ve gotta earn your place with us, and this is how. You might fool Nexus, but not me. I know you’re soft. Time to toughen up.”

  Raymond looked down at the man, kneeling in front of him in a growing pool of blood. There was a quiet dignity in his eyes as he met Raymond’s gaze. He was not afraid, or if he was, he believed in what he stood for enough to die for it. Raymond admired his courage. The thought of killing this man broke his heart. Suddenly he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was on the wrong team. He didn’t know exactly what this man had been protesting, but somehow he knew it was the truth, it was good, and the Blackcoats and Nexus were not.

  “Do it, you dumb machine!” Candy Apple’s boot made Raymond’s thigh ring as he kicked him. “Do it!”

  Chapter 5: The Decision

  The seconds passed uncomfortably. Every eye was fixed on Raymond. How could he disobey the order? Candy Apple was the head Boss’s Man. Nexus would undoubtedly question Raymond’s motives for not obeying him. But how could he do such a thing?

  He looked into the kneeling man’s face. The other saw his hesitation and spoke: “It’s alright,” he said quietly. “I knew I was dead when I took my stand. They’ll kill me no matter what you do, so follow your orders. Just remember why I died and what we stand for.”

  “Kill him already!” Candy Apple snapped impatiently.

  Raymond shut his eyes, unfolded his blades, and did nothing. “I cannot kill him,” he said finally.

  “You had better, or else you won’t like what’s coming,” Candy Apple fumed.

  “You misunderstand. It is not that I am refusing you. I cannot. My programming will not allow it.”

  Candy Apple shot an inquisitive look at Mullet, the silent question of “Is that true?” written on his face.

  Mullet shrugged. “‘S possible I guess. We never checked that.”

  Candy Apple let out an inarticulate roar of frustration, drew a knife from his belt, yanked the man’s head back by his hair, and slit his throat. He glared at Raymond as he wiped the blade on his pants, sheathed it, then turned away. “We’re done here. Move out.”

  As they piled into the hover cars and rose into the air, Raymond cast a sorrowful glance at the lifeless bodies in the square. His gaze lingered on the one with the bloodstained white jacket.

  ∆∆∆

  “He couldn’t kill?” Nexus repeated the words to be sure.

  “That’s what he said at least,” Candy Apple confirmed.

  “It’s not out of the question,” Nexus said. “In any case, it’s a small matter. Attach that data receiver to his cranial port, then leave us.”

  Candy Apple obeyed, taking the small, wireless device and pushing Raymond’s hair aside to find the port before plugging it in. With that, he turned on his heel and walked out.

  “Raymond were you being truthful earlier when you said you could not kill?” The orange hologram moved closer, looming over him.

  “Yes,” Raymond replied. Although the angel was only a hologram, its proximity made him uncomfortable.

  The angel stood silent and motionless, face eerily void of expression, eyes gazing sightlessly on like a doll. Whoever manned the puppet that was Nexus had paused, perhaps considering whether to believe him, perhaps for some other reason entirely. Either way, the silence was unsettling. It dragged on, sixty seconds… ninety seconds...

  Raymond’s thoughts raced. With the device Candy Apple had just plugged into him, could Nexus see his thoughts, or perhaps even his memories? It was terrifying to imagine it all laid bare.

  Finally, the inhuman voice said, “Some of you older models are troublesome.”

  Raymond searched for a response, but before he could answer, Nexus continued.

  “The ability to kill on command is an automatic adaptation for the newer models when transitioned to martial service. In the case of older models, it is usually a matter of a simple override in programming. Still, it may be a struggle with the primitive technology used during your manufacture. We will download an older override for you and see if it is compatible with your system.”

  Although he didn’t particularly care for what Nexus was telling him, and didn’t like the idea of having anything downloaded onto his system, Raymond was relieved that Nexus didn’t seem to be able to access his thoughts and memories.

  Suddenly he felt the download begin: information flooding in, a powerful external source communicating with his system, new pathways replacing old, upgrades, fixes, changes. He was afraid for an instant that the upgrade might overwrite his personality, his memories: him! Just as quickly, though, came the realization of how irrational that fear was. Nexus had mentioned newer models of androids that still served. However much had changed over the centuries, and no matter where these newer androids and their masters lived, he knew human nature: people wouldn’t approve of upgrades that wiped their servile androids’ memories and personalities every time. Even those humans who weren’t friendly with their androids valued their ability to memorize their masters’ preferences in order to provide more personalized service.

  As the download continued, Raymond asked, “You mentioned newer models of androids; where are they now and who do they serve?”

  “I wonder if all the older models were as inquisitive as you, Raymond-tz48,” Nexus responded. “I suppose there is no harm in being open with you, although you are not to repeat any of this to anyone, including my men. Androids are not so rare in the rest of the galaxy, only Zero System, since it is a dead planet.”

  “Are you saying that the rest of the human race is out there somewhere in space?” Raymond asked.

  “Yes, and we are quite happy. The population has multiplied exponentially since the Cataclysm. It’s doubtful the old Earth would have been able to hold us now with the space we have become accustomed to. There are colonies spread across many different systems, and we have even begun extragalacular expeditions to plan for future expansion.”

  “If this is considered a dead planet, then why are there still people living here? Why haven’t the people here been taken to the colonies you mentioned?”

  “Zero system is not a concern of the Union at this stage. It was purchased by private investors as an export planet.”

  “But why must the people live here? Certainly the manufacture of machine parts in the factories could be automated.”

  “Of course it could be automated, but it serves as a means to occupy the plebs, and their presence here serves a greater purpose. The plebs themselves are the commodity. The main export of Zero System is not manufactured goods, but longevity: eternal life for those wealthy enough to afford it.”

  “Eternal life? Have you truly found a solution to the problem of human mortal
ity?”

  “Not universally, but for the aristocracy it is possible. The process is expensive and the extension is by no means miraculous or without cost. Life is siphoned from some and passed to others.”

  “Is this why those people in Sector Six were protesting today?”

  “Yes. They call themselves the Sons of Freedom, but they are nothing more than a bunch of rabble rousers—terrorists really. They strive to overthrow the order here, and have even made attacks on the Complex in the past.”

  “They said their lives were being stolen.”

  “Rhetoric. The transfers are all done voluntarily and the United Alliance has approved our methods as legal and ethical.”

  “How is life transferred?”

  “Inquisitive indeed... I will oblige you. We utilize a technology called Vital Source Aggregation by Genosympathetic Extraction, or V-S.A.G.E. The plebs willingly attach themselves to the system, which drains their lifesource in small increments and delivers it in a form that can be distributed to those looking to preserve youth and augment their lifespan. It has even more recently been utilized to treat major medical issues such as fatal cancer and heart failure, although in those instances, the lifesource requirement is much greater and the pleb donor’s lifesource is used up entirely.”

  “Why would anyone willingly give their life away?”

  “We pay them for it, so to speak, with hope. It is a perfect system truly. While the subject is connected to V-S.A.G.E. they experience a virtual environment we call Euphoria. It is generated by the desires of the subject, so each pleb finds a world that is just to their liking: their personal idea of heaven. Dopamine and serotonin production increases. This is beneficial, as it reduces loss of lifesource inventory by keeping suicide rates down.

  “In earlier stages of testing, we did allow unlimited access to Euphoria, but it was found to have a negative impact, as the subjects became unmotivated to do anything else, which significantly lowered lifespan. By adding the aspect of limited time which must be purchased, the plebs are encouraged to maintain a productive life with small windows of reward that must be worked for.”