The dusk-lit neon splatter on the rain-slick streets was the only thing illuminating my path as I lurched my way into The Relic, a seedy establishment on the outskirts of what once was the most prosperous city on Earth. Inside, the shadows were heavy, and the atmosphere was thick with despair. I knew I was in the right place.
I had spent months searching for the artefact, a relic of enormous importance to my clients. My life had been reduced to that search ever since my divorce, which left me with nothing but my skills as a detective to get by. I buried myself in my work, trying not to dwell on the heartache and guilt of losing everything that mattered to me in this godforsaken metropolis.
As I surveyed The Relic, my eyes found him in an instant – Tony “Antivirus” Hades. He was a scrawny little man, barely noticeable in his shabby feathered coat and unremarkable facial tattoos. If not for my intimate familiarity with his profile, I would have walked right past him. To everyone else, he was just another tech jockey scraping together a modest existence in this data-driven hell.
But I knew better.
Every time you uploaded a file, sent a message, or opened an app, Tony was there. He made sure your data was safe from the oppressive bureaucracy that watched over us through cameras, drones, and algorithms. Respected and feared by some, hated and hunted by others, he was a hidden gem in this cyber jungle, a tech-warlord proficient in both virtual and physical conflict.
And according to my most recent intel, he was the keeper of the artefact.
I approached Tony with an air of confidence that was betrayed only by the barely contained quiver of my voice. He didn’t look up from his drink until I mentioned the artefact, at which point his gaze seemed to penetrate my soul. I could feel the weight of every regret and sin in my life as he stared, and it was almost enough to make me turn away.
But I needed that artefact.
Tony’s voice was like gravel, a sound that would wear you down and eventually break you if it went on long enough. He told me the relic wasn’t on him, but he could take me to it. The catch was that I had to pay part of the fee upfront – a sum of credits that would leave me broke and vulnerable in this unforgiving world. My hesitation was obvious, but I ultimately agreed, knowing that the payout from my clients would more than make up for the loss.
As we walked through the city, my eyes kept scanning for any signs of an ambush. But even as I tried to focus on the task ahead, my thoughts strayed to the woman I had once called my wife – the memories of our smiling faces surrounded by friends, the scent of her perfume as we cuddled together in bed, and the sound of her laughter wafting through our apartment. It was beautiful, but it was also a cruel reminder of how far I had fallen since that life was ripped away from me.
Hours seemed to drag by before Tony led me into an abandoned warehouse, where a small fortune’s worth of high-tech equipment had been haphazardly strewn across the floor. In the center of it all stood a single glass case, illuminated by a narrow beam of light from above. Inside was the artefact – glowing ominously.
As I reached out to touch it, Tony stepped in front of me, his eyes alight with something beyond greed – obsession. He whispered that he couldn’t let me have it, not without first explaining why he was risking his life and reputation to possess it.
He then unraveled a tale of corporate experiments, government conspiracies, and a vast network of ordinary people whose lives had been ruined in the pursuit of technological advancements. The artefact was the culmination of all those efforts, an object that could usher in a new era of human evolution. An era where we would no longer be slaves to the corporations and governments that controlled every aspect of our lives.
As Tony spoke, I realized my own desperation mirrored his. The artefact may have been my ticket back to a life worth living, but was it worth sacrificing the world’s potential for true freedom? Would I be willing to perpetuate this increasingly dystopian existence, all for my own sense of security and happiness?
In the end, the choice was not mine to make.
The air around us exploded, and blinding lights revealed a swarm of government agents, their guns already locked onto Tony. I could only watch as they mercilessly gunned him down, their bullets tearing through his body like a pack of rabid dogs devouring its prey. They whisked me away, not bothering to ask if I would cooperate; they didn’t need to. They could see it in my eyes – the utter defeat and submission that had infected me like a virus, leaving me no choice but to comply.
I handed over the artefact, and my clients held up their end of the deal – though it brought me little comfort. As I wallowed in my newfound wealth, silently mourning both Tony and the dreams we shared, I knew I didn’t deserve this life. But I couldn’t help but cling to it all the same.
And as I stared into the neon abyss of the city below me, it consumed me like a virus, forever tethering me to a world where even the deepest dreams of freedom must be silenced in favor of survival.
Author: Opney. Illustrator: Dalli. Publisher: Cyber.
