The mid-day sun hung directly overhead, brilliantly shining down between the monolithic sky scrapers. Rift loved this time of day; it was the only time he could see the sun without actually topping the huge buildings and risking drawing attention to himself. Attention was just the thing he needed none of now. The engagement with Enforcers had nearly ended him. Their normal armament of light anti-personel weaponry was relatively easy for Rift to deflect. Over time it grew strenuous, but typically he could overpower his adversaries quickly. But they were adapting. Several anti-armor weapons had been employed and the force of the explosive shells nearly shattered his shield. He had been forced to retreat and hide in an obscure alleyway where he vomited blood and passed out.
The harsh realization of how fragile he was shook Rift. Behind the shockwaves and deflective fields he threw about, he was a simple human, as weak and fragile as the next. Until now he had felt all powerful, that he alone could end the tyrannical reign of the Cybers with barely an effort. Though for all his power, he was alone, and could only fight so long as he had the stamina. Against him stood the technological advances of every world nation for the past millennium and the armies of the largest human civilization known to history.
He shook himself. Regardless of the foe he faced, he had to succeed. If he did not, then every Normal would eventually be subjected to cybernetic integration, and forced to live in the illusion of progression and happiness that permeated all Cyber cities. I cannot allow that to happen. Images of his homeland flashed in his mind. Burning corpses and leveled homes filled his mind’s eye. He could still hear the sickening crunch of bones as Assault Suits made their way through the pogrom. The children too young to remember screamed as surgeons bored implants into their necks. If I fail here, that will be every home, every Normal , and every child. Absorbing every shot fired was heroic and instilled fear and wonder into his enemies, but it would ultimately get him killed. He had to learn and adapt as they were. Perhaps some practice was in order, but the very thought tired him.
His shoulders slumped in fatigue as he navigated the busy streets of the poor districts. Walking helped him think and he found it refreshing to be amongst people that were not attempting to end his life. Though for all their cybernetic limbs and augmentations he hardly regarded them as people. Though as fortune would have it, they shared his loathing for the executive heads of the synthetic world, making it especially difficult to monitor the districts. Any attempt to extend the Sonic Imaging Network into the poor part of the city resulted in vandalism and rioting. And since the impoverished of the cybernetic society kept chiefly to their own business no one bothered to spare a second glance at his hooded face. Everyone in the Cyber world knew him from police news feeds, but no one expected him to be out taking a stroll on the street.
His thoughts perpetually rested on the engagement of the previous night. It was probable that from extensive study Cyber scientists knew more about the nature of his abilities than he did. If they could shift and adapt at greater rate than he then it was only a matter of time before his end. But how could he do so as well. Would it be as easy as practice to develop his new powers? He could not even fathom the possibilities before him; much less did he know where to begin. The powers were his, but he knew practically nothing about them. Perhaps he could learn to fly…
He was jerked from his thoughts as he ran headlong into another pedestrian. Stumbling, he retained his feet and quickly offered an apology and moved on, keeping his head down. That was bizarre. He thought to himself. I never even saw them. Typically he was very observant and on alert, how could he have missed someone directly in front of him. He pressed on through the river of people flowing along the streets of the decaying district. He could not shake the uneasiness of being caught off guard, and was completely unprepared when it happened a second time.
“Who would have known that Rift was such a klutz?” A voice behind him said softly.
Wild eyed he whirled on his accuser instinctively readying a shockwave around his fist. To his surprise a young woman stood before him amidst the throng. She was short, slender, and dark. Brown hair fell from under the hood she wore, framing the soft features of her pretty face. A happy grin revealed glistening white teeth. Her dark eyes matched her smile, innocent and beautiful. Were Rift not ready to kill he would have been quite captivated. No implants were visible, so she must have been upper class to afford the Bio-Cyber enhancements.
She waited patiently for him to respond, continuing the grin. Rift looked around nervously; no one appeared to have noticed when she said his name. He was a common topic of discussion, and hopefully the incident had been written off as just another conversation by passerbies. He turned back to the girl whose expression was unchanging.
Rift stepped into an inset of the decaying building just off the walkway, gesturing her to follow. “Who are you?” He asked once the two were out of the pedestrian traffic. Typically he would avoid conversation altogether and just cut to the fighting. But her manner was strange; no military personnel or assassin would have addressed him before attacking, ruining the element of surprise. She must have had a more personal agenda. Whatever the case, he had no choice but to stay and find out or run the risk of identifying himself to the crowd. If that happened, poor district or not, he would have only minutes until Enforcers were on top of him. His present condition suggested that this would be a terrible turn of events.
“Someone just like you.” She replied smiling.
Rift held in scoff and waited for her to elaborate. Likely some pathetic metaphor from yet another metallic sympathizer that wanted to aid the fight against tyranny. He had no need of synthetic aid, their acrid stench filled his nostrils without relent; why on Earth would he take aid from such a creature. Yet his interest was piqued. He made great efforts to be elusive and impossible to identify; that a non-governmental party had the skills to pick him out of a crowd and keep pace was miraculous in of itself.
Her silence made him impatient and anxious, “Really?” He said sarcastically, “And how do you suppose that is? I don’t have gears in place of a heart.”
She looked slightly taken aback at his words, as though she had not expected such hostility from the man attempting to tear down her society and way of life. “I’m not one of them! I want to help you.” She said lightly gesturing to the moving throng about them. “I’m a Normal like you, and I have special powers—“
“And we’ll just stop this conversation there.” Rift said cutting her off with a raised palm. “I don’t know what you are, but you’re not a Normal. The only reason I can avoid getting apprehended is because of my abilities. And you are definitely not like me. But most of all, I don’t need your help.” His tone was harsh and intentional. He turned and moved back into the writhing crowd slipping from her view. Though her claims intrigued him, they could be no more than a farce to earn his trust. She was likely a journalist of some sort masquerading as a Normal to get on the inside and make a fortune on the story.
He looked over his shoulder methodically as he moved. Whatever she was she was nowhere to be seen. He must have lost her for the moment, but getting discovered like that was serious. He needed to disappear. One of the many alleyways that networked the slums came up on his left and he parted from the mass into the dark. The wider main city streets that had once been purposed for automobiles left room for sunlight shine down on the city’s inhabitants. But over the centuries of the city’s existence the skyscrapers had grown higher and higher eventually completely obscuring the alleys from sunlight. Relatively few traversed the murky paths if but for a small shortcut. Rift had always found that they were a haven from prying eyes. Making several turns deeper into the spider-web like heart he finally was alone. Sighing, he leaned against a dingy wall. His body shook with adrenaline and fatigue, and after resting a moment he pushed away and began to move again. But as he turned he nearly cried out in surprise when he found himself nearly nose to nose with the young woman from before, her hand on his chest shoving him backward. His fall to the filthy pavement lasted an eternity. He was too shocked but to think a single question: How?
The unforgiving cement hurt as he crumpled onto it. Slowly, sluggishly, he stood; not for sore muscles, but sheer depletion of energy. He wearied a bewildered look at his aggressor while his mouth attempted to form words that refused to exit. The pair stood silent for a moment while the young woman smirked at Rift’s attempt to stand. She spoke only once he had fully regained his feet.
“You don’t need help?” She asked rhetorically. Rift attempted to rebuttal but she cut him off. “Rift, a child could have toppled you. If Enforcers found you like this you would be hauled off to some lab where a scientist would dissect you like a Junior School class experiment to see what makes you tick. I came searching for you, because I believe in what you’re doing and I want to help make a difference. Much as you may hate to admit it you can’t do this alone, and you need help; my help.”
Rift finally managed to stand. “Really? Do you always approach strangers like this? Claiming to know all of their needs and wants followed by shoving them over?” He said. “I don’t even know what your name is or at least what to call you, much less should I just take your word that you’re an honest anti-cyber enthusiast and you have all the knowledge and skills to make my mission here a success.”
The young woman smiled her row of perfect white teeth. “I was waiting for you to ask.” She said excitedly. “Call me Aeon.”
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