“darkness” is a web series based on the novel grydscaen: dark. It follows the characters and the storyline after grydscaen: dark ends. This web series will run a few weeks and post on the grydscaen blog. copyright (c) 2018 natsuya uesugi.
darkness – episode 6
Raven sat at the cyber cafe in the underground subway station at the Astor South stop in the Echelons. People were milling about, rush hour at its height. It was busy in the terminal. He glanced around carefully sensing eyes on him as he sipped on a Pink Monster ion supply drink waiting, trying not to call attention to himself.
A minute later a stranger slipped into the seat across from him at the table and crossed his arms scowling, a hacker informant. “You got two minutes. Make it good.”
“I need Kaizen…” Raven whispered looking around the busy terminal making sure he was not heard.
The informant burst up trying to run.
Raven jumped out of the chair grabbing his arm holding him in place. “I’ll pay…”
“You don’t fuck with Kaizen.” Raven held him. The informant jerked off getting Raven to release him.
“I just need a lead. Will keep you out of it.”
The stranger hesitated and went into his pocket. He slapped his hand down on the table. “Don’t screw with Kaizen,” He warned turning abruptly and walked away leaving a holo card behind.
Raven tapped the black holo card and a projection appeared above it displaying the red circle within a white square logo for AYOR, a black market hacker he would need to engage to go dark. AYOR was a reclusive hacker who kept at the periphery of society and could get you in the black market for a price. Raven knew of him and how to engage. He tapped the card again and a location came up.
The South bound subway train rumbled into the station. Raven stood snatching up the card and got on the train. He rode the subway three stops to Lafayette and got off, the last stop in the Echelons.
He teleported meandering to the Maze in the Shizuoko ghetto and took a corridor to an abandoned building. He entered, wandering through then criss-crossed four different alleys and entered a low building going to the basement.
He passed a neon sign on the wall that read ‘AYOR,’ at your own risk. There was a panel on the wall. Raven punched in a ten digit code and the wall slid back revealing a door. Raven walked through, wall closing behind him. He pushed in the door at the end of the hall onto a dark room with an elaborate computer setup, eight monitors, five keyboards, plasma screens, empty ion supply drink cans scattered at every conceivable space. The room was dark, only illumination the monitors revealing data. Back to him, Raven called out not wanting to shock on entry.
“You got a target on your back…” mocked Raven hands on hips.
“Not as big as yours,” responded AYOR as he shut off the monitors and spun the chair around to face Raven hiding his data. “Why you out?”
“Business,” answered Raven straight. He leaned up against the wall crossing his arms not saying anything.
AYOR called him out. “Going dark?”
Raven started in. “Give me recent.”
“Word on the street is SenseNet has new iodine pills on the black market. Released three days ago. So far seems addicts are dying from the new pills. ZenZen’s edict. Triumvirate backed. Corporation covering it up.”
“That’s corporate. Why is it on hacker radar?” asked Raven.
“Because of whose in it…” said the hacker and pulled a hyper inject syringe out of his pocket. He swiped a vial of neurocyne off a pile of hard drives, loaded it in the syringe and put it in his jack at his temple and shot up. AYOR’s eyelids fluttered as the drug affected him. He turned back to the monitors and they came back on as he engaged. Raven pushed off the wall and leaned over his shoulder looking.
AYOR brought up a dataset and intel about ZenZen. A reference to Kaizen came up. Raven reached in and touched the screen. AYOR slapped his hand away.
Raven spoke up. “Kaizen has been disappeared for years. Why now?”
“Maybe because Jester surfaced with the stock market hack which triggered iodine pills.”
“Doesn’t make sense.”
“That’s on you. I just provide access.” The hacker punched out code on the rig digging deeper on ZenZen. Additional data displayed. “50,000. Now,” called out AYOR angrily.
Raven went into his pocket and handed him an unmarked credit card with the funds.
AYOR took the card, ran it through a handheld to confirm the amount then continued his query.
Suddenly a red window displayed on the main screen and an alarm went off. AYOR frantically started typing. Window after window popped up as data streamed over the monitors.
Raven’s eyes got wide. “What’s up?”
AYOR’s fingers frantically slapped keys. “Someone’s on me!” he cried trying to counter the intrusion.
Data was streaming over the screens then all the monitors flashed white and a single phrase appeared reading ‘die in dead. death in red. session terminated.’ The monitors went dead. The next second ‘terminal offline’ displayed on the main screen.
The hacker slapped the desk and burst up pacing. Raven gave him room. Fear shrouded his face.
“What was it?” asked Raven.
AYOR grabbed Raven’s shoulders and looked him dead in the eyes. “Back off. It is too hot…”
“What is die in dead, death in red?”
“Step off…” The hacker worried his lip.
“No, tell me…”
“Go ask Jester. I’m out,” warned AYOR and shoved Raven back through the door slamming it shut.
Raven sighed and returned down the hall. He decided to go see Jester teleporting to the Red Light District.
****
Rom sat at the Jester hacker guild when a chat window popped up on the hardline terminal he was on. He engaged.
“Ping,” came the avatar.
“What?” responded Rom.
“Raven Allen on ZenZen. Watch your back.”
“On it. Where to?”
“Check Jester. Gone.”
The chat window disappeared as the message from AYOR vanished. Rom changed the view to the security cameras in the alley outside the Jester hacker guild. Someone walked down the alley. Rom ran facial recognition and it came up as Raven Allen, the Psi Faction operative. He teleported to the alley.
“Looking for something?” Rom called out sarcastically from behind Raven leaning against the wall arms crossed.
Raven whipped around. “Didn’t think AYOR would be on me that fast.”
“Spy?”
“Let me see Jester.”
“Got to get through me first,” bitched Rom.
“Ask me…”
“Why you in the Psi Faction? You were one of us.”
“You tell me you know that much.”
“Got caught?”
“What about Jester?”
“Answer first.”
“Yeah, i got caught forced to work for them.”
“Why you need Jester?”
“Need to go dark. Looking for an in.”
“No dice. Not a babysitter,” answered Rom.
“Let him talk,” came Jester walking into the alley in his elaborate red suit, top hat on, shutting down Rom who turned to see him.
Jester circled Raven and leaned in. He tapped Raven hard on the shoulder with his walking stick. Jester slapped Raven on the chest and he grabbed the end of the stick wrestling for dominance.
“Not going through me. On your own,” barked Jester raising an eyebrow.
“You also looking for ZenZen, aren’t you?” Raven glanced over at Rom who did not react.
Raven continued holding the walking stick. Jester snatched the stick back exerting control.
“I need access to Kaizen,” Raven insisted.
“Get off my turf!” shouted Jester and waved over the bouncer violently who pulled his gun and stomped towards Raven.
“Not a threat,” Raven waved off as the bouncer raised the gun to his temple and cocked it. Raven backed down the alley to the sidewalk, the bouncer blocking him.
Jester flicked off Raven and entered the guild, Rom following him in. The bouncer waved Raven into the street and glared then walked off. He disappeared into the guild slamming the door.
Raven got on his handheld and called Gailen to give an update.
A guard came on the line. “Psi Faction code, name, rank?”
“Raven Allen. Clandestine psychic operative. Level 2. ID key Alpha 6, 52941, November, Zulu. Need to speak with Gailen Allred.”
“Confirmed. Hold.”
Gailen answered. “Give me an update?”
“Jazz backed out, he seemed spooked. Jester won’t touch it,” said Raven.
“Why?”
Raven hesitated.
“What is the problem?”
“Kaizen the Immaculate.”
“What was that?”
“Kaizen is in it.”
“I need you back in immediately.”
“Back in a moment,” confirmed Raven and teleported to the Ops room at the Psi Faction.
****
Faid stormed down the ramp to The Soul Deep. He ran up on Jazz standing over darkzero5 in one of the psi synch devices. Faid grabbed his arm and dragged him to the corner.
Jazz jerked him off. “What your problem?”
“You are my problem.”
“What I do to you?”
“Raven is sniffing Kaizen. I needed that stopped. He went to Jester inquiring.”
“Why you care? Hold up…” Jazz brought his hand to his chin looking at Faid closely. He caught Faid’s irritation as well as something else.
“Right…” Jazz smirked walking back to the jock rig, Faid following. Jazz threw himself down in the chair and ran a search on Kaizen. No data came up.
“Back down…” Faid grabbed Jazz’ shoulder.
Jazz swiveled his chair around confronting Faid. He chuckled inquisitively. “You Kaizen?”
“Don’t engage…”
Jazz bent over laughing boisterously. “You devious arsehole. I bet Kaizen is dead, right? You kill him?”
Faid grabbed Jazz by the collar. “Don’t.”
“You hiding that from Jester?”
“Don’t get in it…”
“Someone order you?”
Faid backed off and crossed his arms.
Jazz stood up and walked into shadow behind the rig pulling Faid’s shirt. He spun Faid around and slammed his back into the wall. “How you gonna keep my mouth shut?”
Faid went into his pocket and whipped out a credit card as Jazz released him and took a step back. Faid waved the card in his face. Jazz tried to take it.
“Nope. You give me your word this stays quiet,” barked Faid.
“Ha, you in bed with me, mister host. Paying me off for my silence.”
“Take it.”
Jazz hesitated for a moment and then swiped up the card. He ran the card through his handheld and it had five million credits on it.
The two of them stood there silent then Faid turned to leave.
“Secret safe with me, Packrat!” sneered Jazz.
Faid waved him off not looking back then teleported away.
****
Raven stood at attention in his Psi Faction uniform having taken off his street clothes once he got back. The tan short sleeved shirt, blue military shorts, black socks and dark shiny dress shoes stood out from the green uniforms of the other guards in line with him. He was waiting as Zoon inspected her charges. Gailen was with her looking on with the lead guard Jai. With the fallout from the stock market hack Jester had initiated, the Psi Faction had been on high alert ever since.
Zoon walked the line again and then disappeared around the corner as Jai dismissed the guards. The operatives broke up and Jai waved Raven over to follow him down the hall. The security cuff at Raven’s ankle gleamed in the harsh light of the hallway making it known to everyone that he was on a very short leash. He hoped Gailen wouldn’t change his mind about the operation and lock him down again, not allowed to go out.
“Gailen said you mentioned Kaizen?” asked Jai as they made their way to the Ops room.
“Yes…” said Raven but Jai interrupted him.
“The halls have ears. Wait until we get to Ops. Then you can fill me in.”
“Yes, sir.”
They arrived at the Ops room a minute later and Jai engaged on the table console as Raven sat down.
“What you got?”
“Die in dead, death in red. Don’t know what that means. It spooked AYOR,” warned Raven.
“So you got as far as AYOR? That was pretty quick.” Jai punched keys on the console and brought up the phrase on the heads up screen. He searched the Zone Police database. “Seems that phrase was used for some kills, hackers were the target. Never caught the culprit. Looks like it was classified from the City. Level 19 Black. Hard to penetrate. I don’t have clearance. We will need Gailen to go further,” stated Jai.
“Gailen called me back. Why? I had a lead in AYOR who spooked once that die in dead came up. He wouldn’t touch it. Jazz neither,” said Raven.
“We will have to ask Gailen. He should be here shortly. He had to close inspection with Zoon.”
Raven and Jai waited a few minutes and then Gailen arrived.
“What we got?”
“die in dead…” interrupted Jai.
“The hacker killer?”
“Yes, Jazz and Jester, neither one of them would touch it,” said Raven.
“The data is marked Level 19 Black. Can you confirm?” asked Jai.
“Sure, I can get you access. Then Raven I want you studying the intel then go back out. We are still behind on the deliverables. You have five more days.”
Gailen came around the table and entered his Top Secret clearance ID and password unlocking the data. Jai put the detail up on the big board.
“We will leave you alone. You have two hours to go through the detail then I want you out there again. Ping me on your way out,” ordered Gailen.
“Yes, sir,” stated Raven stood up and came around the table to the console. He leaned in and changed the display on the screen as Jai and Gailen left the room.
To be continued…
