Cloud Cent Chronicles: Part 3 Chapter 2

 

A Sunny Day

    The map guided Shadow's way as he traversed the tunnels. There was only one exit in the inner area, so he had to make sure that every turn he made was exact.  One wrong turn and he’d just end up in the middle area. Shadow’s mind wandered as he moved on the path. His thoughts drifted to Yun.

    Yun...I’m so sorry. It’s my fault you got captured. I shouldn’t have left you at The Village. I should have stayed. I could have helped. We could have both gotten away. Then we could have worked together to free the rebellion. I...I don’t even know what I’m doing. I don’t know how to help. How am I going to do this alone?

...

    Shadow had been walking for a few hours when he saw a light. 

    Please be the right exit.

    Then he saw the guards. Five guards lined the exit of the tunnel with more set up behind them. Shadow was still low enough down so that he could see the Sergeants, but they couldn’t see him.

    Yeah, this is the right exit. Alright, part one’s down, now to figure out how to actually get out of here.

    Shadow deactivated the map and switched out mods, putting in the amouraran chip.

    This is the only chance I’ve got. This has to work

    Shadow activated the mod. A moment passed and Shadow was enveloped in the Sergeant uniform. He was identical to every Sergeant he’d ever seen. Shadow started climbing the steps leading to the exit. He had to squint as he approached. He had been in the dark tunnel for so long that the sunlight assaulted his eyes. Shadow stopped for a few seconds, allowing his eyes to adjust to the light. He took a deep breath and quickly released it. He continued forward.

    “Stop! Identify yourself Sergeant!” Three Sergeants blocked the subway exit. The man in the middle shouted orders at Shadow. His order was a test. Shadow had installed enough mods for Sergeants to know that majors could identify lower ranking Sergeants using an eye mod. It’s basically a miniature scanner. Each Sergeant has a unique part in a mod that’s installed when they first join. The ‘scanner’ then picks up and identifies the part, thus, identifying the Sergeant. For Shadow, this mod’s located in the amoranth chip. He had checked it earlier. He knew his identity.

    “Sergeant number 072607, sir!” Shadow shouted his number as confidently as he could manage. He thought it sounded pretty convincing. The major disagreed.

    “Sergeant, I’m going to need you to remove your helmet for me.”

    “Uh...you see...uh, I can’t.” Crap. What do I do? I can’t show him my face! He’ll recognize me right away!

    “You can’t? Sergeant, I’m ordering you to remove your helmet. Now!”

    “You don’t understand. The chip is...stuck.”

    “Sergeant, deactivate your amoranth chip this instant or we will treat you as hostile!” The Sergeants on either side of the major raised their weapons.

    “I-I told you, I can’t!” Just sound assertive. Make him believe you. “I was there...at The Village. My chip got damaged by the fire. That’s why I’m reporting back to the inner area! To get it fixed!”

    “...And why exactly are you traveling through the subway tunnels to get here?”

    Oh...good question. I didn’t think about that.

    A voice sounded off from behind the Sergeants. Shadow couldn’t see where it was coming from. “Because he was on assignment for me to search the tunnels for Shadow. 072607 here was stationed between the outer and middle areas. He knows these tunnels quite well, so I sent him to search them. He didn’t have time to get his chip fixed before then. Time was of the essence, as I’m sure you know, major.” The man’s voice was filled with contempt. It sounded as if he wanted the major to challenge him so he could put him down again.

    “Y-y-yes. Of course. Sorry, general.”

    “Good. Now let him up.” Shadow couldn’t see him, but he was sure that the general was glaring at the major. 

    I have no idea what’s happening, but what else can I do besides going with it? I could make a break for it when I get out, but I won’t make it very far. Who is this guy?

    Shadow climbed to the top of the tunnel and emerged in the care of this general. The sunlight once again attacked Shadow. He did his best to not show the pain his eyes were in.

    “072607, good work on your mission. Come with me. Let’s get your chip fixed.”

    “Uh...right. Of course sir. Right away. Let’s.” Shadow thought that interaction went quite well. The general walked off, nodding for Shadow to follow him. Shadow walked in step behind the general, leaving the confused Sergeants behind.

    Shadow had been in the inner area before, yet it still amazed him. He did his best to take in the sights while trying not to look like a visitor. He had to play the part of 072607, or else this could go downhill very fast. 

    Who is this general? Why did he help me? The actual Sergeant who had this amoran chip didn’t make it out of The Village. There was no mission. Why is he lying? Does he know who I am? I can’t assume he does, cause if I do and it turns out I was wrong...I need to keep my guard up.

    The inner area was much busier than normal. Most of the hustle and bustle of the city goes on in the middle area, where the workers are. The inner area, in contrast, was usually quiet. There were people walking around, sure, but never with purpose. They didn’t need to. They had people to do physical work, and those people were in the middle area. Most of the work that went on in the inner area happened inside the towering buildings. 

    Shadow moved his eyes up, landing on the center of the inner area. The center of the entire city. The governor center, where all the decisions of the city were made. Every project, every operation, every plan, it was all done there. At the very top of the building was the leader. Shadow focused on that spot for a few seconds, letting his anger stew. He took a deep breath and pulled his eyes away, focusing on what was around him instead.

    The inner area’s lights were almost blinding. When Shadow emerged from the tunnel he realized that it wasn’t the Sun’s light that was so hard to adjust to, but rather the lights of the area. Unlike the middle area, where the primary color shone was green, the inner area glowed a bright, pure white. The architecture reflected this too. All of the buildings looked to be made from limestone, even something as simple as a fermented energy shop. All the stores used hard light constructs as signs, displayed large enough so that someone walking by couldn’t possibly miss them.

    The general took a right down a side alley. Shadow followed. The alley was similar to mod block. It was lined with several different mod shops.

    I’m kind of surprised how many mod shops there are here. I got so many inner area customers that I just assumed people went to the middle area for mods.

    Each shop specialized in a different type of mod, whereas Shadow’s shop, and most mod shops in the middle area, were simply general stores. There was a shop for teeth mods, one for arms with an extension next door for fingers, an eye shop, feet; they had everything. Shadow glanced at one of the menus in the window when passing one of the stores.

    Wow! They have everything! For half of these mods, I’d have to place a special order, but they can do these as walk-ins. I know it’s the inner area, but how can all of these shops have this kind of supply with competition being literally right next door? Oh…

    As Shadow passed the stores, he realized that they all had the same owner. Shadow did his best not to scoff at the gaudiness of the operation. The owner split all of his stores up and marketed them as different shops. 

    No wonder they have such a large supply, there’s no competition! And look at those prices! 500 credits for a simple eyesight fix! That’s the price most mod docs set mod removals at! No wonder I get so many inner area clients. If they all went here, there’s no way they’d still be rich.

    The general took another right turn at the end of the alley and went behind the line of mod shops. He stopped here.

    “Uh, don’t we need to actually go into the shop to fix my mod?” Shadow asked, still trying to play the role of 072607. Shadow had formulated a plan during the walk. 

    Ok, when we go into the mod shop, I’ll grab whatever mod I can get my hands on and put it into the external modifier. Hopefully it’ll be useful and I’ll be able to escape. It’s the best plan I’ve got. Well, plan is a strong word, but it is the best idea I have.

    “Drop the act. I know you’re under that mask, Shadowmask Shadow.”

    “What? Shadow? Who’s Shadow?” Shadow knew that didn’t go very well.

    “Really?” The general moved his hands to his head and removed his helmet. 

    “Sun!? But...how? How are you here? How did you avoid the Sergeants? How did you get a general’s uniform? How...how?”

    “Calm yourself down. Do you have it?” Shadow took a deep breath in and out. 

“Do I have what?”

“The articles? Did you get the articles?”

“Oh, yeah,” Shadow pulled the usb out of his pocket, “I’ve got them right here.”

“Then what. Are. You. Doing. Here?” Sun said sternly. Shadow was taken slightly aback.

“What do you think I’m doing here!? I need to help Yun, and everyone else they captured! Isn’t that what you’re doing?”

“No. I wasn’t sure if you got the articles. I was trying to see if there was a way to get them in the inner area, but I suppose that doesn’t matter now. Good work Shadow. Now we need to find somewhere to upload them. The government shut down the outer and middle area’s capacity to upload, they can only view the internet now, so we’re going to need to go through a government facility to-”

“Hold on,” Shadow interrupted, “What about Yun? What about the rebellion? We need to save them! If we do all of this before rescuing them, the leader will just have them killed!”

“Shadow...we need to think about the bigger picture here. I don’t want them to die. I hope they don’t, but this right here,” Sun pointed at the usb, “this needs to be our top priority. This is what’s going to end the government’s rule, not a few lives, unfortunately.”

“Sun...I don’t give a shit about who is or isn’t in charge of the city. What I care about is Yun. What I care about is the people who the leader took. I hate the leader, I truly do, but I care about Yun more. You don’t have my support if you go through with this.”

“What are you saying?”

“If you leak the articles before we rescue them, then you only have the articles. You won’t have me. You won’t have the ‘mod block killer’. You need me to affirm my innocence but Sun, I swear, I will tell everyone that I did it, that I really am the mod block killer and that the government really did bring the right man to justice.”

“Why...that would-”

“Ruin everything, I know. Yun and the rebellion first, then we can release the articles.” Sun looked at Shadow, thinking over what he said.

“You really would, wouldn’t you?”

“Absolutely.”

“...Fine. They’re being held in Albeda. What’s your plan?” Sun asked. Shadow glanced over at the mod shops and smiled.

“You’re not gonna like it.”