((Killpop by Slipknot))
Even though they had agreed on their destination, they were not sure where or when they should get down from this topmost layer of the stratosphere which was both safe and dangerous for them. For some time, their vehicle hovered above The Ground, costing them nearly all gas.
Fortunately, on the map, Blaise found a gas station a dozen kilometers down below. They had to take the risk unless they wanted their vehicle to crash. Haleigh complained that flying in this topmost layer wasted more gas than she had ever imagined.
They took a detour to the gas station that was built on what looked like a circular disc—which was lifted by a sloping pillar that went down to somewhere else below. In their favor, it was empty, with no other customer. They could do nothing about the cameras since they were invisible.
On the screens, various channels were presenting the current manhunt of PCDP. A prime suspect of heinous crimes, a deranged wom
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Subject 0025 Chapter 29: Forgotten [Volume I Ends]
((The Sky Is A Neighborhood by Foo Fighters))When Blaise went into the town, the sun was still up despite it being hidden by clouds. It had been a gloomy day, especially now as the light was receding fast. The looming darkness was all over the broken vehicles lying around in various positions all over the dusty field.The humming sound of police cars above him lasted forever in his mind when it was mere seconds. As they disappeared, he exited the hiding spot to continue his race to the now ghastly structure for the twilight.He was going against the cold wind. The dried grass, dirt, and smashed pieces of unknown materials stuck to his shoes. He wished these sneakers could fly straight into the upper floors of the building, but they did not function that way. These shoes were only to hover in the air whe
Subject 0025 Chapter 30: Enough Space
---23:05, December 28, 3026---“They thought she was the one. Dumb fucks! They think everything is over. Didn’t I tell you? These people are so stupid,” a low baritone voice bellowed. Guffaws and loud agreements followed suit.The room was unlit; the only lights that existed in this dark space were from the moving figures in the air: tiny men and women formally dressed with different backgrounds and sceneries—newsrooms, conference halls, and the offices. Occasionally, bodies lying in different positions replaced the scenes.“Stupid people,” a high-pitched voice agreed, laughing.“They think an old bitch like her would have accomplished all these things,” another pitched in.The dim but colorful lights revealed the silhouettes and glimpses of half a dozen people standing and sitting, all gathering the holographic display in the center. But more people were hidden in the darker parts of the room, as mere shadows.The atmosphere was thick with red and grey smoke, which frequently entered
Subject 0025 Chapter 31: Created In A Lab
The round bumper was totally smashed in. The engine and the accelerator, among other parts, were lying about, leaving what remained of the shiny red hovercar. Dust, cement, and broken pixalates of the walls filled the hall. He breathed in the toxic, dirty air mixed with the smell of the gas as he stood right before the smashed vehicle he had robbed merely hours ago. He could not believe what he was seeing. It was another day in hell.*** Half a day earlier ***It was late in the morning, and the rooftop he had slept on for three nights straight was probably quite far away. Amidst thin clouds, he had been driving aimlessly. A loud honk got him out of his daze as a hovercar flew past. He had opened the roof at some point without him realizing it. His eyes jumped to the holographic map. Still in The Ground as he had been flying in circles. He stepped on the brake, causing the vehicle to stop mid air abruptly. “Mortherfucker!” somebody cursed loudly, and a hovercar flew past. He zoo
Subject 0025 Chapter 32: Have You Seen Jayson?
He had been sitting here since sunrise. Opposite stood a group of towers. Glazed in dark blue, with pointed tops, and replicas of one another, they seemed to be housing corporations and offices. The entire time, ads and programs were playing all over their walls. Through the 3-D function of the VW helmet, he could not only see three-dimensional shapes but also hear the audio clearly if he would channel it.Most ordinary-looking videos and recordings in the city were like this as far as he could see.Abruptly, a sullen face flashed across the walls, taking over a repetitive commercial. Thick eyebrows, dark eyes, and dark straight hair which was combed too neatly; it was a video clip of his face. He narrowed his eyes wondering when this was recorded. ‘A missing teenager. Mentally ill and had been abducted recently. The kidnapper was dead, but he was yet to be found,’ the texts read. ‘Have you seen Jayson?’They were calling him Jayson now. Through the helmet, Blaise continued to stare
Subject 0025 Chapter 33: The Safest Zone
He did think of the possibility that he could be recognized, but he decided he would find out the answer.While the shield was sliding up, he sat up straight from slouching on the road. The stranger stared at him for a few long seconds. “You look familiar,” he remarked, furrowing his brows. Blaise was staring back at him, especially at his eyebrows, one of which was cut in the middle near the edge. It was a small scar, quite faint and inconspicuous. He looked away, appearing to be uncomfortable.Something white and big jumped into his peripheral vision. He almost strangled it until he realized it was a big dog with white short fur--as he did not know dog breeds.Blaise stood up, dusting his pants, and he followed. The dog was sniffing at him. At one point, its nose touched his pants. Nearby, a woman shouted, “Gabe, baby, come back!” “Oh, right!” The guy snapped his fingers. “You look like him, the schizophrenic kid. What was his name? Jonas? Or James? Obviously, you aren’t him. He
Subject 0025 Chapter 34: Such A Busybody
***January 6, 3027***“How long have you been—you know, kidnapped?” a tenor voice asked in a hushed tone. “Dunno, man. More than a week or two?” another voice answered reluctantly.“Woah, so long. I’ve been here for two days.”Two men were talking from their bunk beds that sat side by side and were covered with filthy sheets.“Don’t look at me when you talk. Look somewhere else,” the second man warned.“Why?”“They don’t like us talking to each other.”Both were young and appeared in their early twenties. The first one had short brown hair, and blue eyes, and was clean-shaven. Another looked slightly more mature with a short beard and long dirty-blond hair. “Oh OK,” the first one lowered his eyes to the bedsheet instead. “I’m worried about Teresa.”“Your girlfriend?”“No. My cat.”The silence hung in the air. The other man didn’t respond.“Don’t lose hope. I think the cops are going to find this place soon. Or the media,” he continued on his own.“Tsk. What made you think that?”“Is
Subject 0025 Chapter 35: Spare Credits
“What do you want to do about it, Tate? Rat us out? Sorry, you can’t.” The guffaws spilled out from the sky-alley.Of course, he remembered that name. The fake guy: that was how he recalled him. He was pretending to be someone else he was not. “Sons of bitches! You all owe me at least ten grand.”They were talking over the phone. And yes, that was him. Blaise could recall images and voices in detailed precision. Besides, their conversation was clear and loud. There was nobody else around this corner: not above him, not under him. He took a glance at the street on the ground. It was empty except for a long shape on the dirty asphalt near the trash bin. Probably a person, but he might as well be dead.Blaise wanted to take a peek at the four behind him, but they might catch his movement. They were right around the corner.“Chill. Why you have to be so goddamn serious about everything? I’ve already told you like two fucking minutes ago. We searched for him everywhere. He was so slick.”
Subject 0025 Chapter 36: They Didn't Starve People
The plan went south when Blaise tried breaking his thumb and it didn’t work. By that, he didn’t mean his thumb didn’t break. It did. What didn’t work was he could not get out of these cuffs, which had gone tighter automatically after he had snapped his own finger.Needlessly to say it hurt like…‘what was the word for that?... right… hurt like a bitch. Wait, it didn’t sound right. It didn’t hurt ‘much’ but try breaking your own finger with another hand of yours without a tool, and you might have an idea of what it felt like. As they had secured his one hand to the side of the bed, he had to turn sideways for his other hand to reach it while he was acting as though his hands were itchy.He had been here for eight hours. There was no clock or nothing here to show him what time of the day it was, but he had checked his wristband about ten minutes ago. This place was located in a warehouse station, 15 km above the earth. As he had assumed, still in Paradox City.Here, they didn’t starve p
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