Lieutenant-Fucking-Eclain. The man’s an asshole, a COMPLETE one at that. I don’t say this to be unkind, but with the way how our relationship deteriorated, there was no other way for me to describe who he is.

When I first started out as an EXiCON, it was Eclain who gave me tips on what to do, and how to handle my investigations. His advice was invaluable, and I thanked him for it. I paid him two thousand credits per case when I started receiving verdicts for my cases.

That, as of most things in life was short-lived.

The scumbag started pressuring me for more and started getting grumpy as if I owed him. Me? Owe…him? Not me.

I got it though; heard the bastard had five kids and got divorced, alimony and child support was ripping him dry, but that wasn’t my problem. Should’ve kept your pants on at the right house. Asshole.

“This is bullshit, Zade…you know it.”

“Actually, I do know.”

“Come on, Zade.”

“Look, Cypher, I’m working at dispatch…this is a HUGE demotion for me. Piss it out and get the work done.”

“Right…” I grunted.

“Now about your pending cases, come to the office. I need to speak with you.”

“What? Just call m—“ I tried to say, but he cut me off.

“It’s not something I can say over the line.”

“I’m not in the mood to head over there.”

“Oh really? Well, that’s too bad, Cypher, because the Commissioner requested you and Eclain in her office within the hour.”

“Wait, what? Why didn’t you tell me.”

“Because you’ve been cursing out in my ear from the time you heard Eclain’s name, I was waiting for you to calm down.”

“I’m always calm.”

“…and I’m the Peace Police.”

“Sarcasm noted…”

“As it should be.”

“Do you know why she wants us?” I asked sighing into a groan.

“Don’t know. Don’t care; I’m just a dispatch officer. Now get your ass here so I can give you the rundown before you head to her office. You need to hear this…alright?”

“Alright, Zade…I’m on my way.”

◆

It took me fifteen minutes to reach The Police District of Bridge City. An entire district for themselves. They had their own bank, their own hospital, their own apartments, hell, they even had their own fire department. Luxurious stuff.

I caught full sight of the dome which protected the district as I approached. In my opinion, it was overkill, but we all knew that this was just the Antillean Federation displaying its power.

If you could build a city within a city. I’m sure you could put an end to poverty. But of course, the end of poverty means…the end of profits, according to some. And by some…I mean the nobility of this city.

The dome had a sombre glow of energy, coloured white with blue outlines sizzling across the dome-like with surging shockwaves. The closer I got, the more I could point out the hexagonal ridges that were pencilled throughout the dome’s design. It was as if the architect who crafted the dome had made it like a 3D Puzzle with each hexagon ascending and descending in a sequence pattern. It was monstrously beautiful, I had to admit…but very frightening.

According to the Bridge City Council, the dome itself provided electricity to the electrical grid. The kinetic energy was created from continuous collisions of the hexagon platforms. That energy would then be siphoned off into the eight substations and then spread across the city.

It was meant to be experimental, but it was completed over one hundred and fifty years ago. Yet, it still stands to this day, long past the experimental stage.

Three or more of these domes, and Bridge City would surely be the shining beacon of Antillea.

As I grew closer to the dome, I felt my steering wheel rumble from the charging surges of energy that zipped across hexagon plates roaring and hissing at the same time. This wasn’t my first time taking the Skylane entry, but it was always terrifying.

I made it to the first checkpoint, steadying my car as best as I could. I waited on the entry point to buzz me. A green light flashed to my right and slowly brought my Xen forward into the bay, for scanning.

An extended beam, made up of crimson light particles, buzzed from above the car and slowly descended. Upon completion of the scan, the light changed to amber, then turned to emerald.

Checkpoint One: Complete.

A loud groan of metal clanked around me, and the rotating sound of a mini gun spooled up. I turned right, looking through the window and saw a laser-sight gun pointed directly at the middle of my head.

Not my first time, but it was certainly the scariest. “Loud today aren’t you, Cypher,” The guard said through the outside speaker.

“Wait…Barest, what's up, man?”

“A lot…you still owe me four hundred credits from the game.”

“The game? What game…Oh...” I said, complete bedazzled. I forget about the bet I had with Barest. Ugh, I groaned, cursing myself. He probably thinks I was ducking him.

“Barest, no need to have that minigun pointed at me. Just pass on your account number and I’ll forward you the credits. I literally forgot.”

“Interest included?”

“Of course, you know I’m good for it,” I said smiling gingerly into the side camera on my left. Fuck.

98-85214-9875 Popped up on my screen and I signed into my bank account.

Debit Credit Balance

- - 2,863,561.36C

600.00C - 2,862,961.36C

All is right with the world. Debts Paid.

“We good, Barest?”

“We Good.”

“How bout another bet.”

“Nah…I’m good, it’s clear you know who's gonna win. I swore after Gayle scoring that hundred in the last innings he would’ve had the fight to score another ton.”

“That’s your problem, see? Gayle’s a big game player. Going up against the Zouks, he’s gonna score, but against the Levars? Nah. I ain't got the faith.”

“But they lost fifty runs.”

“That fifty is what Gayle should’ve put on the board…and he didn’t”

“Hmmm…you’re right.”

“Always am, Cypher…always am. I know cricket and cricket knows me!”

The minigun’s spool slowly dissipated and the doors for Check Point One split in the middle, opening up the district for my entrance. The lights from the hexagon plates spread across the city, showing it bare with skyscrapers and villas alike.

I slowly exited the checkpoint and the district split into eight different sections. The most central hub of the district was the housing area, where the family units were for officers. The southern and Western were meant solely for Research & Development and of course Training Facilities. The Eastern blocs of the District were strictly for media purposes. I still couldn’t believe the Police District had their own propaganda machine.

The sole purpose of BLED and the other police departments were to be the front line intermediaries between the Antillean Federation Government, and the Civilians.

Divide and Conquer, simple tactics employed by the federation. Take the best of the civilian class and have them work for you. Offer them lots of money, ensuring their loyalty.

I’m not one to talk, I had my own issues with the Antillean Federation, but they grew on a deeper level. A level, not even Jix was aware of. …And no. I don’t think he’ll ever know, because that’s the way I want it to be.

I finally found myself in front of BLED HQ and looked up at the massive skyscraper. It had a glass outlay, with purple and grey lights stitched into the edges of the building.

The BLED Shield sat at the front of the building accompanying a large water fountain sprinkling waves of water in an interchanging automated sequence timed at four seconds. It was pretty, thanks to the lights beneath the water, but it wasn’t spectacular.

I made my way into HQ and walls of eyes of varying colours peered into my soul as if I were the scum of the earth that just walked in from the Carib Waste.

“Pleasant to see you too,” I said, smiling ruefully.

“Bastard.” One of the officers shouted from across the room. I didn’t see his face, but I pretty much knew it was one of Eclain’s men.

I pushed through the raging gazes and made a right, through a door and down two flights of stairs. There, I made a right, two lefts and found where I needed to be EXiCON department.

I pushed the door open and was struck by the scents of nicotine, coffee, sugar and most of all sweat. The office was stacked with datapads and shattered motherboards sprinkled across the five desks that were there. “Imagine if we weren’t paperless,” I thought ruefully, eyeing the room.

No one paid me any mind, and I was ok with that so I pushed past Eclain’s lackeys and entered Dispatch looking for Zade. He wasn’t there of course, and the sergeant in charge ran me out of the office with his sneer alone.

“I’m at lunch, meet me in the basement, by the shooting range.”

“Oh…” I said, noticing the message come through my cybernetic eye. I made my way to the basement and there was Zade…sitting on the bench, right before shooting range, eating a burger with fries and a smoothie. Cliché as they come I thought.

“You gotta problem, Cypher,” Zade said, chomping the burger in half.

“I know that already, Zade. I have to deal with Eclain directly.”

“This has nothing to do with Eclain.”

“Then what the Imbibe are you talking about?”

“Those larceny cases you dealt with.”

“What about them?”

“Do you know those two kids you slapped jewels on worked for Akatani?”

“Aka-who? No…I don’t know who that is.”

“Akatani is the head of the Hannya Boys.”

“Hannya Boys? Wasn’t their leader, Hanatora?”

“Akatani took out Hanatora in a battle for the leadership”

“Gang civil war? What is this, a TV show?” I said chuckling.

“It’s not funny; Cypher…Akatani is the real deal.”

Whatever that meant…

“I see…”

“Look, I’ll keep it simple. He takes care of his people. Those two kids you investigated for robbing the liquor store on Pelstons and Javor, were his kids.”

“What’s your point?”

“After he took over the Hannya Boys, he’s been making a major play for The Gallows. He’s currently in a turf war with the Silent Dragons. You see? He needs soldiers. So to recruit kids, he just asks them to pass a simple test; rob a store and report back. That’s it.”

“That’s it? Those little monsters trashed both stores making them virtually unrecognizable. It was literally larceny and vandalism they were charged far.”

“Not the point, Cypher. Look…you remember EXiCONS Willet and Obarom? How they died?”

“Yeah…Willet died in a hit and run and Obarom, from hazardous chemicals.”

“Well…word is, the kids they caught were Akatani’s boys, so to send a message, he offed them.”

“…and the case officer that finalised the job?”

“Nothing…he’s fine.”

“I see…you’re concern is that Akatani will be after me, for putting his boys away?”

“That’s correct.”

“I see…wait a minute, you said the case officer was fine, who was the case officer that handled Willet and Obarom’s cases?”

“Lieutenant Eclain.”