[Location: Server 9 - Executive Control Room]
Malachi stood at his office huge window, staring at Neo Veridia's smog. The glass was reinforced, bullet proof, and blocked the dying sun's radiation. He looked bored as he swirled his synthetic wine, from 2045. With his reflection staring back at him.
Sir, an aide said, rushing in, holding tightly a datapad. We have a Problem. The sub station 4 is offline. The lower levels power grid had been cut.
I know. Malachi said calmly, not turning. The cooler had stopped working, the aide said.
The deep's temperature is rising fast, It's at 40 degrees Celsius. In ten minutes time, the servers will overheat. And the aether simulation will crash.
Malachi sipped his wine. And then, asked. The clients?.
If the simulation crash while they're in? Their minds will die. 90% of the golden tier occupants will have brain death.
Can't happen, Malachi said calmly, putting the glass of wine on his floating desk. These are premium subscribers. Initiate Cold Vent.
The aide went pale. His eyes widen in horror. Sir... Cold Vent opens the external airlocks containment sector. And it flushes hot air out, and also... waste matter.
"Do it", malachi said.
But sir, waste dump goes straight to the Undercity! People dwell there!, the aide said.
Malachi turned. With a cold look.
No one dwell in the Undercity, he said softly, walking to the aide. "just rats". Flush it.
[location: The Undercity Sector 4]
The ground started shaking.
I grabbed a walkway barrier for support, as a loud mechanical grinding sound echoed. It sounded like the earth cracking or experiencing an earth quake.
What's that? I yelled.
Sarah looked up, her face went paled. Venting she said, they're venting. They're opening blast doors to cool the servers.
Good, right? Simulation stays on?
Elias, she said, grabbing my arm. They're discharging above us. Not just air. Coolant tanks are flushed. Failed bio matter, too.
Failed bio matter?
Before she could answer, a siren wailed, a low sound, that vibrated in my chest.
WARNING. VENTING IN PROGRESS. CLEAR SECTOR.
Above us, huge hatches twist open. Intense heat hit us, smelling of rot metal and rot matter.
Then, it started to rain.
Not water. Blue gel Like waste. Gallons of used nutrient gel poured from the vent. It splashed, spattering on the metal.
Run! Sarah yelled.
We ran. The blue waste was coating everything in toxic slime.
THUD.
Something heavy hit the walkway behind us.
I looked back.
And i saw a body.
Naked, thin, and in blue gel. Not moving. Looked like a dried-up shell
THUD. THUD. SPLASH.
More bodies fell. It's rained down, trash. Failed Ascensions, died in pods, or client that their subscriptions were up. The Corporation was flushing them all.
Oh god, I choked, slipping on the slime. They're just dumping them
Don't look! Sarah yelled, pulling me forward. Just keep going!
We climbed up a ladder, trying to get higher. The slime was filling the tunnels below, making a toxic river of junks and dead bodies.
We got out of the hatch and found ourselves on a rooftop in the Slums.
The scene was crazy.
From the big black Server 9 tower hanging over the city, these vents were throwing blue liquid and bodies down into the poor areas. People were screaming and running because the toxic rain was burning their skin.
Is Malachi, his behind this. Sarah said, watching the chaos. He'd trash the whole city just to keep his money coming in.
I grabbed the barrier. My hands were white. I felt this heat rising in my chest, and it wasn't just from my fever. It was total anger.
He's gotta die, I said. No question about it.
He will, Sarah said. But not today. Today, we live.
She pointed north, where a neon sign shaped like a dragon's head was lighting up the smog.
The Red Dragon Casino, she said. The Triad runs that area. The Corporation has no say there.
We're going to the Triad? I asked. They're just gangsters.
They're business people, she said. And I have something they want.
Like what?
She tapped her head. Insider trading codes from 2098. I can make them rich. In return, they give us a safe place to stay.
We started going across the rooftops, jumping from one building to another. My new Level 3 stats were paying off; I felt quicker, lighter. I wasn't getting tired as fast, as before.
We got to the edge of the Triad area. A huge wall made of light marked the border.
WARNING: TRIAD AREA. NO WEAPONS. NO CYBER-WARFARE.
Two guards stood at the bridge. They wore red silk suits and held katanas. they were humming (twinkle twinkle little star) .
Stop, the guard said, raising his hand, as we stepped closer to them. You look like trouble. And you stink like dead people.
We are trouble, I said, walking forward. But we're trouble that can make you money.
The guard laughed. Everyone thinks they can make money. Just turn around, or I'll take your head.
Sarah stood next to me. She looked worn out, but she stood up straight.
Tell your boss, Dragon Head Wu, that the Queen of the Gilded Spire is here, she said. And tell him I know where the 'Golden Key' is hidden.
The guard froze. His smile disappeared. He looked at his partner.
Hold on, he said, tapping his earpiece.
A second later, the holographic wall blinked and vanished.
The Boss will see you, the guard said. But if you're lying... he'll feed you to the cyber tigers.
Sounds fair, I said.
We walked across the bridge, leaving the rain of bodies behind. Ahead was the Red Dragon Casino a place filled with bad habits, lights, and danger.
But as we crossed, my wrist comp buzzed. It was a private message.
FROM: UNKNOWN.
MESSAGE: You made a mess, Caretaker. I'm impressed. Meet me in the VIP Lounge. Come alone.
I looked at Sarah. She didn't get the message.
Someone else was watching me. Someone in the Casino.