The salesman struggled opening the door to Room 2616 of the Apollo Helios hotel. The mahogany door showed its predictable patterns in the wood grains, ones that would never be found naturally. The gold number on the doorway reflected the bright light of the pristine, almost sterile hallway, absent of any dirt or blemishes.
“You’re not thinking twice about showing me this presentation?” Jade said teasingly, breaking the eerie silence of the hotel hallway.
“You’re in for the presentation of your life, Bianca,” the salesman slurred. Sweat beaded on his red face despite the cool air from the HVAC system. His conservatively cropped brown hair looked disheveled. Jade faked a smile as the overwhelming agave scent of tequila on his breath hit her face.
Don’t pass out before getting into your system.
The door opened and the man smiled. Jade turned her head as the salesman’s lips approached her.
Can’t believe I have to to this again. Time for another show.
Jade giggled. “I thought I was here to see your private presentation on the new Aegis Soldier line. Something to give me a few tips.” She smiled, looked into his eyes and traced a finger along his face. “Ambition turns me on.”
He sloppily moved towards her again and she smiled and shook her finger at him before walking into the room first, feeling a slight temperature drop from the hallway outside. The off-white walls and tiles showed no signs of imperfection. The walnut furniture of the room bore the same predictable synthetic markers of door – knots and imperfections in predictable patterns. A black volcanic glass bottle of high-end tequila sat on the bar.
I’d never serve that overpriced crap.
“I see you noticed the Mayahuel,” the salesman said. “Stuff is legit. Heard they make it inside an old Mayan temple. Makes sense considering how expensive it is.” He looked at Jade. “Ready for another drink?”
Ugh.
“Presentation first,” Jade said. “I don’t want to get too wild before seeing how you work your magic in front of a crowd.” She glanced around the room stopping at the laptop on the desk. Its heavy matte-black aesthetic with the Aegis shield etched into it screamed military-grade and tactical.
He has to login – I’ll never crack the system’s encryption or multi factor authentication.
“Well, here’s how I usually warm up the crowd,” the salesman said. “Good evening citizens of -”
“Don’t you have any visuals to go along with your presentation?” Jade interrupted. She removed her business jacket and unbuttoned the top button on her blouse. “You know, I really want to get the true experience.” She moved her fingers to the next button and stopped. “It’ll really make me hot.” She removed her hands without undoing the button.
The salesman rushed to the laptop and opened it. Jade stood up and walked over to him seeing the desktop to the Athena Loom operating system appear on the screen. She placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear. “I’m going to get comfortable and get us a few drinks while you get setup.”
Bingo.
“I’ll be all set in a few minutes,” the salesman said.
Jade walked over to the bar and grabbed the bottle of tequila feeling surprised by its weight. She poured the silver tequila halfway into a rocks glass with a crystal pattern on the outside.
He brags about this overpriced tequila and it’s not even a respado?
Jade filled the rest of the rocks glass before pouring less than half a shot into the second glass. She glanced over at the man seeing his back still turned as she filled the rest of her glass with water. Jade left the two glasses on the bar and walked into the bathroom. Its lights automatically illuminated as she walked in showing its marble tile, bathtub, shower, and sink. The stone showed the same predictable imperfections as the rest of the room.
Jade looked in the mirror seeing Bianca with her golden blonde hair flowing past her shoulders framing her tan face with striking blue eyes. She stepped out of her heels feeling the cool marble hit her bare feet. Jade looked into the mirror.
Let’s get this over with.
She quickly removed her clothing leaving it on the floor. Jade suppressed a shiver as the cool air of the hotel room hit her body. She grabbed the two glasses of tequila and looked over to the salesman as she sat down on the bed. “So is that presentation ready yet?” Jade asked.
“One more minute,” he said before turning around. He quickly stood up with a smile.
“Maybe a drink first,” Jade said as she walked over to him. She gave him a deep kiss on the lips and held the glass out to him. “Bottoms up,” Jade said.
The salesman quickly threw the drink back before moving his fingers to his shirt.
System is mine.
---
Jade looked at the salesman now snoring next to her with disdain. Sunlight from the soft glow of dawn crept through the gap in the curtains. Jade slid her legs out from under the smooth silk sheets. The man’s sweat and stench seemed to cling to her as she stepped softly toward the laptop. She quickly glanced over her shoulder seeing him continuing to sleep.
Fucking disgusting.
Jade removed an external hard drive from a previous operation edged with the Aegis Defense Systems logo. She connected it to the laptop and ran her script that would copy over emails, contacts, chat histories, and documents. White text appeared on a black terminal as it ran. Jade walked to the bathroom and began to dress. She splashed water on her face and dried it off with a soft white hand towel.
I’m washing the rest of this filth off me as soon as I get home.
Jade returned to the laptop and read the “Operation completed successfully” message in the terminal. She removed the hard drive and placed it in her bag. Jade crept toward the door, turning around before opening it. Her target continued to sleep deeply.
Fuck you.
Jade opened the door and exited the room. She squinted at the bright light of the hallway lighting up the light gray tile floor and soft white walls of the hallway. Her heels softly tapped as she quickly walked to the chrome doors of the elevator. They parted in silence.
Everything’s creepy about this place.
Jade stepped into the elevator. Its doors closed with the same smoothness, and it began its soft descent.
“Good morning, miss,” a disembodied voice with a sound of British aristocracy said. “How may I assist you today?”
Jade sighed. Fucking corporate AIs.
“Our restaurant isn’t open for breakfast yet, but I can show you a menu,” the AI said. “Or you can stop by our cafe to-go. That one’s open twenty-four seven.”
Shut up.
“Want to see the menu?” the AI continued. “I can’t seem to find you in our reservations. What room are you staying in?”
God damn it.
“I’m not hungry,” Jade replied. “But I might stop and get a coffee.” She looked at the display of the door seeing the number eight turn to seven. The elevator continued its descent.
“We have regular, decaf, espresso, you name it,” the AI continued with the sales pitch. “Do you need to hear any prices?”
The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Finally. A gentle flow of water filled the space as Jade stepped into the lobby. Meticulously manicured trees atop dark gray stone formed an island in the massive koi pond in the center of the lobby. Jade walked along the black stone tile toward it. The fat fish in an array of oranges, whites, reds, and blacks poked their mouths above water as they gathered near Jade. “I don’t have any food on me,” she said as she continued toward the exit.
The doors parted silently and the climate-controlled air of the hotel gave way to the warm humid air of a Kythean summer morning. The whir of drones and electric motors of cars softly sounded in the air. Jade stepped out onto Helios Boulevard, her eyes immediately drawn to the sunlight reflecting off the mountainous towers of steel and glass to the west. She could make out the slow sky cabs moving between the top floors of the buildings.
Bastards felt the need to literally live above us while keeping their boots on our throats.
Jade turned south down the empty road. Palm trees flanked either side planted equidistant from each other. High end stores specializing in fashion, jewelry, and cybernetics displayed the latest trends of the Olympians. Jade sent a neural command to check how many ads she’d blocked, seeing the number tick past twenty as she approached the intersection.
All this money and no class.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
The light blue and white coffee cup on a cloud logo of Ambrosia Cafe signaled Jade’s first stop. Jade sent a neural command to trigger the virus she planted a couple of weeks ago and walked in the door. The smell of burnt, over-caffeinated coffee struck her as she opened the door. The white tile floor of the coffee shop filled the space, spotted with steel tables and ended with a stainless-steel counter. The barista with brown hair in her blue and white Ambrosia uniform stood with her back turned standing at the glitching board. Jade quickly walked to the bathroom and locked the door behind her.
I have at least ten minutes before their systems reboot.
The astringent smell of cleaning supplies lingered in the bathroom. Jade flipped on the light switch revealing the faux marble tile and sinks affixed with gold faucets. She placed her bag on the ground and removed a light gray tank top, black exercise shorts, sneakers, and a cap. Jade quickly dressed and formed a quick ponytail. She flipped her designer bag inside out, revealing an exercise bag and placed the clothes from the night before inside. Jade flipped off the lights and exited the bathroom.
The barista turned and looked at her with a worried expression. “I’m so sorry, we seem to be having a technical problem,” she said. “Our nearest location is three blocks away over on Nova Avenue. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
I hate acting like an Olympian.
Jade put her cap on and sighed. “I guess I’ll take a run over there. You really need to keep things working here. This is messing up my routine.” She turned and exited the coffee shop.
Jade jogged down Helios Boulevard toward Artemis Grounds. Sweat began to form and her heartbeat faster as she picked up the pace. Jade entered through the marble archway into the sprawling city park. Engineered maple trees with reds, oranges, greens, and yellows flanked the path. The scent of fresh flowers lingered along the path. Jade continued across a stone bridge over a clear lake. The kicks of swans sent ripples along the otherwise still surface. A group of young professionals wearing matching Asclepius Healthcare attire practiced yoga a few dozen meters off the path.
Shills have nothing better to do than give their free time away.
Jade continued down the path toward Hermes Central Station. A man walking a dog stopped as the dog stopped to relieve himself on the path. From the corner of her eye, Jade spotted the white drone buzzing in the dog’s direction. The man continued along the path, followed by the drone cleaning up from the dog seconds later.
This is where our tax dollars go. They don’t even collect garbage in the Underworld.
The glass facade of Hermes Central Station awaited outside of Artemis Grounds. The seven foot midnight blue frames of the robotic Praetorian Enforcers stood like gargoyles on each side of the entrance. Commuters exited fixated on their destinations, treating the robots more as decorations. Jade weaved through the crowd and entered the station.
The cool air blew over Jade providing relief on her sweaty skin. The footsteps of array of conversations from the bustling morning crowd filled the air. White tile flooring and gray grout stretched in the direction of the platforms. Storefronts lined each side – a mix of high-end chains and quick convenience for employees on the way to their offices. The familiar smell of burnt coffee struck Jade as she passed the open door of another Ambrosia Cafe. She continued her brisk pace toward Platform A2 with a train arriving destined for home.
Jade descended the gray stairway down to the underground platform. She felt no change in the climate-controlled air as she reached the bottom. Matte black steel benches spaced at precise intervals spotted the platform with matching matte black guardrails in front of the tracks. Stainless steel trash cans absent from any garbage around them stood at even intervals. The announcement started as chrome train arrived with a whisper on the magnetic rails. “Train arriving for Mercury Market,”
Jade winced. It’s Root Access Market.
Corporate employees mixed with service workers all in conservative styles emerged from the parting train doors. Jade stepped in and softly sat down on the spotless black leather cushioned seat away from the door. Several others walked onto the train each taking spots away from the others. Jade leaned back and checked her messages.
Max: Boss! You missed a crazy night! The Resistors had the place packed! That new cocktail recipe you made, the Transistor, was a hit! If we keep having Thursday nights like this, we'll have to open a new location. Something I wouldn’t mind helping with.
Jade smiled. She has a more accurate finger on the pulse of the district than anyone I’ve ever met. Max might have a point about this new location. Jade composed her reply.
Jade: We'll have to see if they can come around regularly. That’s not the first time you’ve mentioned a second location. You have a good sense of the community - we’ll talk about it. Great job last night! I'll see you later.
An alert appeared on Jade’s HUD deducting the fare from her phantom account as the train began to move.
Kythera Metro: 5cr Current Balance: 175cr
Bright sunlight streamed through the windows as the train emerged from the subways of Olympia and into the open air. Jade looked out the windows and smiled at the sight of her home district. Small buildings constructed from brick and stone between five and ten floors replaced the gargantuan steel and glass towers of Olympia. Graffiti artwork painted the walls instead of corporate logos and advertisements. Colorful lighting, now dim, illuminated the streets at night.
The train whined as it braked along the rails of Root Access’s Terminal Station. Crowds of corporate workers destined for the offices in Olympia gathered on the dirty platform. Garbage cans overflowing with food wrappers and empty cups spotted it. Jade stepped off the train and was struck by the warm humid air of the open platform. She smiled.
I’m home.
Jade weaved through the bustling crowds toward the stairs to bring her down to street level from the elevated platform. The scents of food – some fresh and some rotten filled the platform. A car horn blared and man yelled somewhere on the street. Jade laughed to herself as she descended the staircase and reached street level. A suit bumped into her and muttered something under his breath.
You can’t ruin my return home.
Jade crossed the street entering Terminal Plaza. A variety of food carts, all with different colors, styles, and cuisines along with benches defined the open-air food court. Jade’s mouth salivated as she smelled a mix of crackling pork belly, grilled onions, and marinara sauce being prepared in three different food carts in preparation for the lunch crowds later that morning. She waved at a chef wearing a tech enhanced black apron displaying flickering flames of the Fire and Smoke food cart. He smiled and waved back.
Cap Brew’s logo, shifting, colored lights of a coffee cup on a circuit board, drew Jade’s attention. She moved toward it almost instinctively with her mind filling in the aroma of coffee before the scent even reached her nose. Jade walked through the open door seeing the soft yellow glow of LED lighting from behind the counter. A combination of physical and digital artwork adorned the walls. Jade gazed at the infinite loop animation awash in a blue color palette of a couple enjoying a cup of coffee in cyberspace. As it replayed, she looked over to the graffiti artwork in bright blues, pinks and purples as another rendition of Cap-Brew’s logo.
Jade stood on the line behind three others as she looked around the space. Three young people on laptops – university students by Jade’s guess, sat in the corner. One guy wore his hair in a bright green Mohawk and wore a bright yellow jacket. Another styled his hair in shoulder length green dreadlocks ending at a purple shirt. A woman with bright blue hair in a double bun laughed at something one of the guys said. Jade smiled.
They’re the true soul of Root Access Market.
Her smile faded as she stopped at the second seated group. A man with short brown hair and a suit talked to another with short black hair wearing a button down and slacks. Jade eavesdropped on the conversation.
“I could bang that code out in an hour,” the man boasted, loud enough for the whole coffee shop to hear. He pointed at his eyes. “These Chimera optics combined with my natural skill makes these types of tasks trivial. The team will be able to cut some dead weight that’s been slowing us down.” The man laughed to himself. “Good-bye Kim.”
Jade rolled her eyes. The other coworker replied, “Isn’t her mom sick? I thought she’s taking care of her now.”
“And why should the company care about that?” the first man replied. “We’re a business. Our goal is profit. Why should we let some under-performer eat into that?”
The other man shook his head.
The first man continued. “Listen, I don’t want to live in this shithole my entire life. Olympia, here I come!”
Jade clenched her jaw. The woman with shoulder length straight black hair and a business suit spoke up. “Do you mind keeping it down? I’m trying to get some work done here.”
The first man scoffed at her. “What are you sending messages?” The woman ignored him and looked back down at her tablet.
What a bunch of assholes.
The customer ahead of Jade finished her order and stepped away to wait. The barista with green hair and gold highlights that reminded Jade of a printed circuit board looked at Jade with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Ugh, another one,” she muttered under her breath before Jade reached the counter. “Welcome to Cap-Brew, what would you like?” she said as Jade approached.
I’m not making some Olympian drink order here.
Jade ordered her usual. “A high voltage espresso, overclocked and overvolted with steamed milk. To go.”
Company drones would never order this.
The barista looked at Jade still in the attire of a wealthy fitness junkie with confusion. “Coming right up,” she said.
Jade stood back from the counter while she waited for her coffee, ignoring the continuing conversation from the corporate group. She looked back over at the table of students.
I remember those days.
“High voltage espresso ready,” the barista called. Jade grabbed her drink and headed out of the shop. She turned and headed to the adjacent six story brick building covered in artwork. The smudged double doors automatically opened as Jade stood in front of them. The bustle of Terminal Plaza sounded muffled as she walked into the softly lit lobby. Jade moved directly toward the dark brown door of the elevator and pressed the button next to it. Jade heard a creak and the doors opened.
Jade stepped in and pressed the button to take her to her apartment. The doors creaked closed and the elevator began its ascent to the fourth floor.
Silence. The way an elevator should be.
The doors opened and Jade walked into the hallway. Postings on the digital board showed local community events this weekend. Jade noticed the one for the Circuit from the night before: a night with the Resistors.
I didn’t know Max promoted this as well.
Jade walked toward apartment 404 and opened the door. The soft glow of green lighting from circuit pattern digital artwork hanging on an exposed brick wall greeted her. A large wood desk, handmade and built from reclaimed wood sat underneath it, housing a wide display and paperback-sized computer. Jade’s custom workstation with its neat matte black components stood on a small table beside the desk. The display on the front panel iterated through artwork drawn from light. LEDs on the interior components pulsed a soft amber like someone breathing while asleep. A small workbench sat beside the desk with a soldering iron, precision screwdrivers, and hardware all neatly arranged.
Jade walked into her bathroom and turned on the shower hearing the rumbling of pipes. She walked out, removed the drive from her backpack, and plugged it into the tiny computer on her desk. The display lit up.
Iron Shell OS v21.2.3
login
User: jkuroda
Password:
Welcome to Iron Shell OS!
All software up-to-date!
$ sudo disk-scan /dev/sda
[sudo] password for jkuroda:
Running...
0%
Jade stripped off her disguise leaving it in a pile on the floor. Steam emerged from the bathroom.
I can finally clean this crap off me.
She rubbed her palm on the mirror of the bathroom, removing the condensation and saw Bianca staring back at her. Jade’s skin began to tingle after she sent the neural command. The piercing blue eyes shifted to a dark brown. Her golden blonde hair changed to green from the roots to the tips. The flawless tan skin morphed into an olive tone. Circuit pattern tattoos appeared on her arms, shoulders, and collarbone. The tingling stopped. Jade smiled at her true self in the mirror.
I wonder what’s on that drive.
