by Matt Doyle
“Good. And what is the link, do you think?” Fuerza asks, flashing me a dangerous smile.
“Castleford sent you the copy of the book you had with you when we met during my previous case. The title was printed backwards. He was hinting that the book had the right idea but had it the wrong way around. This wasn’t four people controlling one, it was one controlling four. That was my first thought, anyway. The thing is, you have access to all of those accounts. And no one ever sees the Kings in person. Allen Fuerza does not control the Four Kings of Utah, he is the Four Kings of Utah.”
Sunglasses’ arm rises quicker than I can track, aiming a gun at my head. At the same time, Devin’s arm rises to meet the aim, his own gun pointed square at the only dangerous Paloma I’ve ever known. I choose to keep my eyes on Fuerza as far as possible. I trust Devin to keep me safe. Plus, even if not physically, it’s Fuerza who will pull the trigger.
“Did you figure out the connection between myself and Casille di Franco too?”
“No.”
“Then I will tell you that one as a gesture of goodwill. Casille di Franco was my birth name. If I were to tell you that my father was a successful, if unremarkable, member of the criminal underworld and that I had formulated certain plans prior to writing the book, what would you think?”
My lips twitch. “I’d say that…the book and the aliases were part of something intentional. You wanted to leave a trail people could follow, but only if they were on the inside. To search for potential allies?”
“If that were true, would you still think that the aliases spelling out the name was stupid?”
“Yup. To me, that’s far too risky. I’d have stuck to hand-picking people.”
“I do, mostly. Yes, I have found one or two allies through this method, but the primary purpose is to root out those who are potentially dangerous to my position. The curious ones, the ambitious ones. The ones who can neither give nor receive trust. If they can be cowed as Mr. Castleford has, all the better. If not, they disappear. Which brings me to today’s business. Would you be willing to beg for your life, Miss Tam?”
“No.”
“Good. If you had said yes, it would mean you would be likely to tell my secrets if given the right stimulus. In that case, explain to me why I shouldn’t have you killed right now?”
“Ya can try,” Devin chuckles, and Sunglasses responds to him with a confident nod.
I knew it would come down to this question, and I know what I want to say. I swallow hard and muster as much conviction as I can. “New Hopeland works .”
Fuerza waits patiently for me to continue and, when it becomes clear I’m not going to, he bursts out laughing. “That’s it? Your entire argument is just three words? Do you think yourself so integral to the city that it couldn’t possibly continue without you?”
I shake my head. “New Hopeland will continue to work, with or without me. The system ensures that, even if most people never know the system even exists, much less what it is. Make no mistake. We are not, nor will we ever be, on the same page with this. But the fact is, I don’t want to see this city, my city, fall into the shadows.”
“So. You stand in protest of the Four Kings, but you have no intention of moving against them. And you take this position because you accept New Hopeland for what it is, warts and all,” Fuerza summarises. He sighs deeply and adds, “Good enough.”
And with that, both Sunglasses and Devin lower their guns.
“You are smarter than many I have had eliminated,” Fuerza says. “And you are further from loyal to me than I would normally tolerate. But you care about New Hopeland itself, and you understand the balance in play better than most. You may leave, Detective. But know that we will be watching. The slightest hint at a betrayal of my kindness will be all it takes.”
I nod, turn, and walk away from the scariest man in New Hopeland, with Devin at my back. We get as far as the door before Fuerza adds, “Oh, and feel free to pass your payment details over through whatever means you deem most appropriate. I believe I owe you a sum of money.”
I wave without turning around, and we keep walking. Once we’re out of the building and sitting comfortably in his car, Devin turns to me and comments, “That was risky, darlin’.”
“I know.”
“The thing is, Caz, the people in this city need someone to control them. For most of the Underground, it’s gotta be the Four Kings, ’cause they symbolise an absolute and terrifying power. Without Allen Fuerza, the low-end, idiotic, laughing stock of criminal society, the Kings wouldn’t have the knowledge to rule as effectively as they do. The moment the Kings aren’t there to keep the scum in line, we’re all going to Hell in a handbasket.”
“I know.”
“And you know there’s more to why Fuerza is doing this, don’t you?”
“Yup.”
“Then let me ask you something. I know full well that you meant every word you said in there, and so does Fuerza, or he wouldn’t have let you leave. If you aren’t on his side, but you’re not going against him, where do your loyalties lie?”
I smile. “I stand with the people of New Hopeland. For better or for worse.”
Devin lets out a whispered chuckle and repeats Fuerza’s words. “Good enough, Caz. Good enough. So, where to now? Back to your office?”
“Nah. I’m gonna head over to my girlfriend’s and spend some time relaxing. She got me started down this path to begin with, so if nothing else, she can make me a coffee. I think I need it at this point.”
Devin nods and starts up the Hellcat. “I’ll drop you off.”
Tech Shift Gear Welcome Pack
Thank you for considering Shift Source Ltd for your roleplay needs. As the only producers of the patented Tech Shift Gear system, we take our customers’ safety very seriously. Due to the nature of the system, the safety processes begin the moment you make us aware of your interest in purchasing one of our products. This welcome pack is designed to help you make an informed decision in relation to your potential purchase.
If after reading this pack, you are still interested in acquiring Tech Shift Gear of your own, you will first be put forward to undergo a full psychological evaluation. This is a legal requirement before we can implement the design and manufacturing process. Though simply a formality in the majority of cases, past misuse of the system by a small percentage of users has shown that not only do some individuals wish to use TS Gear for unlawful purposes but the plug insertion operation can potentially cause some emotional trauma for users. The evaluation allows us to weed out those with ill intent, and also offer impartial advice to those at a high risk of damage as a result of using the system.
Please note: No further information will be given regarding the psychological assessment in this pack, as to do so would allow those who seek to misuse the system to prepare strategies to falsely pass the evaluation.
Most importantly, please remember that Tech Shifting is supposed to be fun. This pack has been produced because we at Shift Source Ltd simply wish to ensure that the Tech Shift Gear system is the right choice…for you.
Thank you for your consideration.
Mr. D Hollister,
CEO, Shift Source Ltd
We shall now discuss individual sections of the TS Gear, running in the order that you would put each piece on when suiting up.
THE SPINE AND HEAD
We will begin by discussing the most invasive part of the process: the spine and head; both yours and your future suit’s.
It is well known that to operate TS Gear, you will be required to undergo a medical procedure that will see rubber-tipped plugs inserted in your spine and head. The press has often cited this process as involving nano-technology that allows you to control your suit by sheer thought alone. Though such a step is not being ruled out once the necessary technological advancements have been made, this is not at present true. The actual process is far more mundane and shall be detailed below.
Prior to your operation, you would u
ndergo a series of X-rays, each with you posing in a different position. This is so that several important measurements can be taken:
The full length of your vertebral column
The gap between each spinous process in each position
The thickness of your skull
While the reasoning behind measuring the length of your vertebral column should be obvious, you may not be aware of why we measure gaps between spinous process (if you did not know, the spinous process is a protrusion on the outside of each disk in your vertebral column). This is because drilling holes into individual spinal discs would run a high risk of causing irreparable damage. Instead, the plugs are inserted at points between spinous processes. The X-rays taken mean that we can ascertain areas where there is a natural gap when you stand in different positions.
We are then also able to form an accurate replica of your vertebral column which will allow us to check the effects on your movement and flexibility that placing a plug where there is no gap would yield. These results would then be discussed with you prior to moving ahead. This process is also the reason that different people’s TS Gear will have a different number of pins, and differing gaps between each pin.
But why is this operation necessary? Though TS Gear does not utilize (at time of writing, experimental) nano-technology, it does still utilise several other modern processes. The plug and pin system is designed to allow the TS Gear to be locked in place on your body. While the simple insertion of the pins into the plugs does serve this purpose, the weight of TS Gear means that this alone would not be sufficient to provide optimal safety and freedom of movement. In fact, early testing without this system in place showed that the weight of the suit often led to it slipping to the side when moving forcefully or at speed. As a result, we have built the suits with a small sensor fitted at the base of each pin. This sensor registers micro movements in your body. When it detects movement in an individual section, it activates a small magnet within the relevant pin that will ensure it remains in place.
Ensuring that the spine of the suit remains in place is integral to the smooth operation of the system, as this truly forms the central hub of the TS Gear. Let’s look at the individual parts of the spine and what they do.
DIAGRAM A: THE SPINE (BELOW THE HEAD)
1. The tail. Situated at the base of the spine, this protrusion is built from multiple small sections and is controlled via a wireless touchpad within the hands/front legs of the suit.
DIAGRAM B: INDIVIDUAL PIN AND PLUG SECTION
2. The pin. This will vary in length from suit to suit, depending on the results of the initial X-rays.
3. The spinal plug. Situated at the base of each pin, the material naturally sticks to the plugs running along your spine. This section also contains the small motion sensor and magnetic control mentioned above.
NOTE: In sections where plugs cannot be placed, the TS Gear spine will feature several sections with no pin. The remainder of the section will be identical, bar the lack of a magnetic motion sensor. In these instances, an adhesive can be applied to the rubber plugs to combat the lack of an actual lock.
4. The strap lock. This is used to lock in the tips of the body straps.
5. The body strap. When not in use, each strap rolls itself into a neat tube at the top of the spine. When in use, they roll out and snap around the wearer’s body, forming a skintight layer that locks into the strap lock on the opposite side to which they began unrolling.
DIAGRAM C: OPEN BODY STRAPS
6. The strap tip. This slight indent in the design allows the strip to slot into the strap lock on the relevant pin and plug section. This locks in a similar way to a magnet-enhanced seat belt in a motor vehicle.
7. Top down view of a strap lock.
8. Gap strips. These slide out from the side of the body strap and cover the small gaps between the individual body straps. Their bases maintain a natural level of viscosity that allows them to stick to the straps.
9. The strip casing. This houses the gap strips when not in use. Once a body strap has locked into a strap lock, they push the strips out. Each body strap has a gap strip on each side of its length.
NOTE: Body straps will vary in length, not only from person to person but from body section to body section.
DIAGRAM A: THE HEAD (OPEN)
1. The ear. While ear positions on each head will vary (depending on your chosen species), the core system will remain the same. Each ear will be fitted with microphones that run down through the mask to a small speaker system placed next to your natural ears inside the mask. Volume can be adjusted with a small switch at the top of the speakers.
2. The pin. Naturally shorter than those on the spine, the purpose here is the same. They lock the head in place, and the plug contains a small magnet to assist in this.
3. The chin lock. This locks the front of the head in place when closed.
DIAGRAM B: THE HEAD (CLOSED)
4. The eyes. These will be placed in line with your own eyes. This may result in a slight distortion in the shape or size of your TS Gear head when compared with actual examples of your chosen species, but we will do our best to ensure authenticity without sacrificing sight. To keep this section in place, the inside of each eye hole is lined with small pins. It is not uncommon for this to lead to minor scarification for the wearer.
5. The nose. This will be aligned with your own nose as far as possible, but to ensure the ability to breathe, a lightweight pipe system will also be applied that can be inserted comfortably in your nostrils.
6. The chin. This sits snug to your own chin and is used to operate the mouth. In publicly available suits, the chin and jaw are enforced with a spring and magnet system that allows for a snapping effect on mouth movements.
NOTE: The head is thick but skintight. The pliable material used for TS Gear is designed to be able to move with your own face in order to allow not only free movement but physical expression.
THE BACK LEGS
Much like the spine and head, the back legs on TS Gear will not change, regardless of whether you are wearing an anthropomorphic hybrid or full animal suit. They are designed to mimic the actual legs of the animal you wish to roleplay as, but changes can certainly be made if you have a specific design in mind. For the purposes of this pack, we shall be looking at the digitigrade legs of a large feline.
First, it would be useful to understand the difference between the joints of a plantigrade human and a digitigrade feline. To illustrate this, we have produced a series of diagrams.
Diagram A above shows the digitigrade legs of a large feline. You will note that the heel of the animal is much higher up than that of a plantigrade human (Diagram B above), leading to an elongated foot. The way TS Gear works is to allow the human leg to slot inside the animal leg as per Diagram C above. Let’s take a closer look at this process.
DIAGRAM A: EMPTY LEG
1. Heel pad. This is designed for comfort, but also includes one of the vital control systems of the leg.
DIAGRAM B: HEEL PAD
2. Pressure pad. When pressed by the wearer’s heel, this activates the leg lock and hydraulic system.
DIAGRAM C: STANDING/WALKING LEG
3. Leg lock. When the wearer applies pressure to the pressure pad, this section inflates to ensure that the wearer’s leg is held in place inside the TS Gear leg. When this section is inflated, a hydraulic lock is also engaged in the foot, preventing the TS Gear leg from collapsing. This is to stop the wearer from falling.
DIAGRAM D: NON-LOCKED LEG
When the wearer lifts their heel from the pressure pad, the leg lock will deflate, and the hydraulic lock in the foot will unlock. This allows the wearer to either dismount from the leg, or with some practice, lay down by shifting their leg position. Some wearers have also learned to manipulate this system to allow their TS Gear foot to sway as they walk, adding some personality to their character.
NOTE: The pressure pad is sensitive and only requires minimal pressure to act
ivate.
THE FRONT LEGS
No diagrams have been included in relation to anthropomorphic hybrid suits for this section of the pack. The reason for this is that the front legs for this style of suit resemble human arms. With the exception of slightly elongated nails, the design is identical to that of the wearer and is built to fit exactly with no lengthening of the arms, much like a custom glove. They also require an inflatable no locking system. The only thing to note in this style of TS Gear is that each thumb contains a sensitive touchpad that registers micro movements. This is used to control the tail via a wireless system, with one hand responsible for the movement of the lower half of the tail and the other for the upper half. When it comes to full animal style TS Gear, the front legs are set up a little differently.
You will notice in Diagrams A and B above that the points of articulation in the front legs of a large feline and those of a human are broadly similar. Due to the way that the digitigrade back legs are formed, however, it is impossible to have the front legs of a full animal style suit matching the length of the wearer’s arms without causing a disparity in size between the front and back legs. As such, the wearer’s arms will be inserted as per Diagram C. Let’s take a closer look at this.