Neon Sky

Eyes, heart, and soul a world where only three guaranteed things still made someone human. As humanity moves forward they slowly begin to lose the grasp of their own laws of humanity. The power of change is also the power of perspective in the eyes of others and the agreed steps of society. A city lost in the midwest of once the country called the United States of America, stood tall with only a couple dozen buildings piercing the clouds that laid over the city hiding what lay below. The new Denver, moved and pulsed into the future, after the final great war. The new cities identity became new unaffected by other cities that could have survived after the war. A world wide disconnection brought together those of a single city trying to continue to live on.

In the years following the war, technology grew and control became digitized. Robots patrolled the streets, people began to add augmentation into their own body replacing the pieces of themselves they felt were no longer whole. A broken part of the body could now be easily fixed, but at what cost. Did replacing one's body with that of a robot make them less human? What did the future of the city and humanity look like? Many under the clouds wondered how to move forward. Some sticking to the old ways, and many embracing the old.

The eyes, a look into the soul. The oculus of a person now holding not only their soul but also one's identity. Credit, Identification, social security now all connected through the eye. Buying a cup of coffee is as easy as looking into a camera. Finding the identity of a dead body no longer needed high forensic research, all they needed was the eye.

The heart, the organ that kept the blood flowing. The last bit of the body that everyone agreed made someone human, or most that is. So corporations that skewered through the clouds felt consciousness was the last thing needed to be human.

The soul, a constructor of one’s self with no valued way of measuring. Did a human even have a soul, or is everything that makes us, us merely a chemical reaction through molecules in a vast void known as space.

Humanity was on the platform to the next step. Some argue that staying as biological as possible is what makes them human and to move forward is the only way. Some think creating robots to do tasks and jobs are changing the way humanity will be able to move into the future. If technology goes too far, will biological lifeforms become obsolete? And Some fall right in the middle. Combining biology with technology is the answer to the future. They just needed to find the line where too much is too far.

…

Neon lights scattered the underside of the clouds resting over the city. Advertisements and logos dancing around building edges with elegant holographic design. The clouds were never dull. Some holograms of the taller skyscrapers shined bright enough to light the top of the clouds. Hints of yellow, red, and cyan could be seen from the penthouses of the CEO’s in the buildings above. Once the city connected its farthest north and south, it could only go up. Society became vertical. The lower levels are filled with crime and disease. Children live their whole lives never even seeing the sun or sky. Mid level stayed below the clouds but rarely went to ground level. Light rails and highways high above the city floor connected buildings and needs for those more fortunate. The upper class had no need to take a transportation service that intertwined the lives of those below them. They stayed on top and others stayed below. The ignorance of being unaware of the troubles below gave them power. The power to control the path forward.

On the top of a skyscraper stood a hooded figure crouched at the edge looking down at the city. The tower is small enough to still be below the clouds. The roof had been structured to look like a zen garden. The entire roof lined with tiny pebbles raked in lines circling around larger rocks. Rumors of these rooftops being used for arms deals spread through the city. But the figure did not need to waste time with these trivial matters, only the mission they were prepared for. Covered in a long hooded trench coat, the figure removed the mask that hid their identity. Long black hair flowed in the wind to the side, her face dirty and slightly freckled. She grew up in the ground levels and found ways to move up the city scape. She now looked down at the world she left behind. She held up a heart shaped locket, the outer casing dark ruby, red. Inside two pictures. On the right a picture of her as a child and on the left a younger looking woman with similar features.

“Tonight is the night I avenge you, my sister.” She spoke into the locket and gripped it tight, holding her hand to her forehead. On her wrist she activated a holoscreen with a map of the city streets. The holo map showed streets and buildings that matched where she was standing. A red dot appeared on the map, the ping. The city is now populated with modern hackers moving through the streets finding new ways to avoid the authorities. With an inside man she was able to learn the movement of a hacker that might have been involved in the disappearance of her sister. She now had his signature and location. It was time to move.

She placed the locket into her pocket and replaced it with a cylindrical device. She brushed her finger over a sensor and the device activated with a green glowing effect. Standing straight up on the corner of the zen garden she looked down at the city below. The ping showed that her target lurked on the ground level about a block away from her current position. Then she made the leap. The building stood about 79 stories above the ground and she began to fall. The wind rushed past her and she could see her reflection on the black glass windows of the tower as she fell fast toward the ground. The fall was high enough that her hang time was quite a few seconds, giving her time to think of her sister's face and the fall she was experiencing. It felt not as if she was falling but merely pulling the ground to her as if she was bringing her reality to her person. The device in her hand began to turn red as its proximity alert triggered. The ground now a few feet away from her the device activated. A large pulse came out of the device and turned off gravity moments before she hit the ground. All her momentum stopped in an instant. She could feel her organs turn and the equilibrium heavily push back as her body changed direction quickly. For a moment she floated a foot above the ground, then dropped landing on her feet.

The ground level, empty and dusty. The streets are empty but not quiet, no one out and about. In the dark corners figures could be seen hiding in the shadows. Anyone this low to the ground wore protective face gear to hide from the dangerous elements that plagued the bottom of the city.

Once she got her bearings back and looked around at the barren streets, she tossed away the used device, placed her hood back onto her head, and drew her sidearm. The hunt had begun.

For the next couple minutes she wandered the streets like a ghost sneaking around corners, hiding in the shadows, and searching for the ping. This low the neon signs were scarce. Light remained dim. Activity near none. The ping moved around the city slowly, almost as if it was also hunting. Unlucky for it, she was faster and on the trail.

Faint screams could be heard. A woman cried out for help with no one coming to her aid. In these times it was safer to look away. The woman continued to beg and plead. Through the streets a gunshot echoed. The hooded woman stopped at the corner and peered around to see the scene unfold.

A man pointed a gun toward another masked figure. Blood dripped from the man’s arm where a sword stuck through it. The barrel of the small hand held gun pointed toward the streets, it had missed his target. The masked man with the sword stood in a stance that avoided the shot and was able to stab the other guy's arm. Only a few moments of silence followed before the wounded man cried out in pain. The masked figure removed the sword from his arm and sliced through the air. The cries of pain stopped. The sword now pointed toward the ground dripping with metallic, red blood. The gunman fell to his knees and his head rolled off his body.

She could still see the woman who cried out for help earlier standing there stunned. She couldn’t move or yell out of fear. The masked figure looked around the street almost as if he was looking for something or someone. From her position around the corner she watched the masked figure tap the side of his head and look around more frantically. He had some type of thermal sight. She could hear him speak to himself, “There you are.” As soon as he said that, the lady ran at him and grabbed him. She began to shake the man in fear, “Please take me not her. I’ll do anything.” He shoved her away.

“You aren’t the job, I’m sorry.” a moment later the sword in his hand stabbed her through the throat. She stood there metal sticking out of her neck coughing up blood. He watched the life leave her body then removed the sword. Her body fell lifelessly onto the street. This is where she would lay for days until the body was found and cleaned up, with no investigation of why or how she died.

The masked man approached a pile of cardboard boxes and shoved a few to the side exposing a hiding little girl. She sat on the ground, her arms wrapped around her knees and her face buried in her legs crying. He reached out to grab her when the hooded figure around the corner sprung into action. A gunshot went off and barely missed the man’s arm as it hit a box next to him and the little girl. He backed away abruptly confused as to where the shot came from. Down the street a couple feet away he could see a hooded figure standing pointing a pistol his direction.

“Leave the girl alone.” She spoke directly at him in anger.

“Who are you?” He responded back.

“Is this what you do? Kidnap little girls in the night.”

“You are messing with forces you don't understand.” He turned to face her. “She’s a job.”

“Is that all we are to you, a job? Just tell me, are you the one that kidnapped my sister?”

He pointed his sword at her and tapped a button. From the sword smoke began emitting out rapidly, creating a smoke screen. She fired a couple shots into the smoke cloud hoping to make contact.

The smoke spread around her and that's when she felt it. Her chest became warm and pain was felt. The masked man emerged out of the smoke and stood with his sword pierced through her. “I’m sorry.” He spoke. The sword left her body and she fell to the ground.

She knew this was the end. Blood pooled around her and she grabbed the locket out of her pocket to look one last time. He stood over her and whispered, “Die at least knowing, she is alive.