“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.
grydscaen: darkness – episode 7
Faid was with his lead George Shimazuri, they were at a host bar in the City, George having sponsored Faid in for the night. The establishment they were at was luxurious. A silent auction going on. Faid sat quietly sitting along side George with his salt and pepper hair not making a fuss. A man came over with a platter and offered a note card to George who was an executive board member of the SenseNet and had more money that likely everyone in the establishment tonight.
“From the gentleman in the back,” said the waiter and motioned to the side. George looked behind him in the direction and noticed a distinguished man in a black suit salute him by nodding his head. George took the note card off the platter and the waiter walked away.
The host of the auction pulled back the curtain on a young teenage boy in a black kimono with his hair up in an elaborate display, red lipstick on his lips. The gentlemen in the room started raising paddles in the air with numbers on them, getting into the auction as the host talked up the prize. Whomever won the young boy this night would get their way with him. Faid watched on as the show continued one after another the auctioneer rattling off numbers as the price for the young man went higher. The auctioneer slowed down once the price got to one million credits.
George tapped Faid on the hand and handed him the notecard after taking it out of the envelope. “It is time for your job for the night,” said George.
Faid looked at the notecard and then turned it upside down. He finished off his drink and got up going to the bar and sat down on a stool. A moment later a man slipped in next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
“I need something from Kaizen,” said the man.
“I might be able to get a message to him,” responded Faid.
“I need it kept quiet.”
“Of course.”
The man slipped Faid a data card which he ran through his handheld taking it out of his pocket. The information he gleaned included a list of toxic ingredients in the new iodine5 pills that were being marketed that had just gone live. Faid scrolled through the information and then leaned in and whispered in the man’s ear.
“You need this on ZenZen?” asked Faid.
“I need it disappeared. Some Psi Faction operative is up in it, name is Raven Allen. I need Kaizen to cover the Corporation’s back. I need this Psi Faction thing gone. Same fee as before when the data was blanked. Can you get this to Kaizen quickly? I don’t want any hassle. George assured me Kaizen will listen to you.”
“Yes, I can get to him. Let me try on the terminals here at the club. Should be able to rouse him. I need his fee though. He won’t bite unless I pay,” Faid insisted.
“Certainly,” said the man and took a credit card out of chest pocket and slid it under his hand to Faid who placed his hand over the man’s and took possession of the card slipping it into his pocket.
“How do I let you know his response?”
“Give it to George. He will know how to contact me,” said the man and got up out of the seat and disappeared out of the auction hall.
Faid went back to George and leaned down whispering in his ear. “I will be right back with an update on the job.”
“Very well. Hurry up. I don’t want you lingering. Get it done in ten minutes,” reprimanded George and handed Faid a red data card with his name on it which would allow him to access with George’s account.
“Yes, sir,” responded Faid and left the hall and went to the back of the other room in the club to a row of computers lining the wall.
Faid sat down at the far computer and put George’s data card in the slot. He logged into the terminal using George’s ID and then accessed a black site. The terminals in the club were configured for Highly Classified information and encrypted. The clientele knew about the illicit dealings of the owner and the patrons. Mostly everyone in the club was a corporate executive and the guests were mostly hackers or hosts that had been bought or sold by the patrons, Faid being none other than the same, his services bought by George.
Faid sent a message through the system. He got an automated response. He went back and forth with the system, responses coming in quickly each time he logged an answer. Finally the target took the bait.
“When and where?” came the Anonymous avatar.
“Behind host bar Chameleon. Five minutes. Red hair. In a suit” typed out Faid.
“Will be right there,” came the response and then the Anonymous avatar logged out. Faid puled George’s card out and got up from the computer and took the elevator down to the first floor and exited the establishment going around the corner to the alleyway between buildings to wait.
Five minutes later someone came walking down the alleyway in a black and grey hoodie and tan jeans with graphitti on them. He had a anti radiation mask over his mouth and nose. He walked up to Faid and saluted sarcastically.
“What you need, Faid? It is not often you make me come out,” answered Kaizen. “You must be playing a game with someone at the club.”
“Lets just say I need to be two places at once. There are eyes.”
“Okay, I will bite. The only reason I let you use my avatar was because my arse got clocked by the Black Holes and I needed cover. No one can know you are playing both sides of this conversation.”
“Your secret is safe with me. I blanked your avatar and cleared your profile. The Black Holes were in you deep. You ere were not getting out of that without my help. More than any other hacker could do…” answered Faid.
“What you proud of that or something? You did it because I asked you to. Your payment was you becoming me like we agreed.”
“Yes, I know that,” bitched Faid looking around making sure they were not heard. He motioned Kaizen to follow him farther down the alley. “I need a favor. Got to be in two places at once. Got a job for you.”
“What is it?” asked Kaizen as Faid handed him the data card from the man inside.
“Need to blank the ingredients for the new iodine5 pills that are killing people. The trial data and the deaths we erased for the Corporation need to stay disappeared. The chemicals they are pumping out in the Echelons in food, and convenience items are causing people to get sick.”
“You got people dying every day from the damned drug. It is dangerous,” barked Kaizen.
“Keep it down. I need your fingers on it. Make it go away. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”
“Hmph, since you asked nice. I guess I can help you out. But this is it. I am not helping you again. This gig had a timeline. You get to play me for another few weeks then I get my avatar back and I vanish back to where I was disappeared. My days of a Level 9 are over. I am tired. Time to hang up the code.”
“I understand. I won’t ask again,” admitted Faid.
“You better keep George on a short leash and in your pants. He is one ruthless arsehole,” said Kaizen taking a step away.
Faid grabbed his arm holding him in place. “Just get this sorted and then you are out. I will be done with this once I get Raven out of the picture.”
“It is going to be hard to spook a spook, Faid.”
“I will get it done.”
“Of course you will. I’m out” said Kaizen and vanished.
Faid sighed and went back to the club. He sat back down at the table with George.
“Back as planned. Kaizen is on it,” acknowledged Faid.
“Good. Now sit quiet and enjoy the show. I have something else planned for you this evening,” said George and then put his hand on Faid’s crotch under the table and felt him up.
“Yes, sir. Whatever you want,” agreed Faid and sat back as the waiter came over and put a whisky sour in front of him on the table.
Raven stood out front of Hell’s Hearth in the Shizuoko ghetto. The sign for the Maze in front of him down the street. There was a bouncer down the steps checking IDs. Raven lingered for a moment not sure if he wanted to go in. This was where he could go dark and get access to the black market. He fingered the gun in his sweatshirt hoping the bouncer didn’t find it. He had four credits cards in his pocket. Each with two million credits cards on them in case they were needed. All this had been given to him when he went back to the Psi Faction to check in with Gailen. He took a deep breath and descended the stairs.
“ID…” confronted the bouncer as Raven stepped up.
“No,” said Raven.
The bouncer raised his eyebrow and smirked at him.
“Key?”
“Seven, Five, Two,” answered Raven.
“Word of the day?”
“Tallyrabbit Enclave.”
“You sort. Keep that gun in your pocket. You might need it,” the bouncer scoped him and opened the door. Raven slipped inside.
The club was full of smoke creating a haze in the air. Patrons were lining the room at tables, a large open area in the middle. There was a senso strobe in the ceiling letting our rays of red light that gave the room an ethereal feel, dangerous. Raven scoped out the place. There were hackers inside and patrons. He had to find an in. He moved to the left and sat down at a table with a tall woman in a black dress smoking a cigarette in a holder. Her long purple fingernails and purple lipstick bright against her cream white features. He smiled at her as she glared at him.
“Need to go dark…” Raven started in hard not beating around the bush.
She raised an eyebrow and took a drag blowing smoke in Raven’s face. He coughed and waved it away with his hand. “What you in for, honey?”
“Need up in Kaizen,” he whispered so it was barely audible.
She smirked and then her face once more became stoic. She sneered at him. “Kaizen costs…”
“How much?”
“More than you have honey…”
“Try me,” smiled Raven trying to keep her engaged.
To be continued…
