Anka glared at the police officers as they wound their way through the maze of cubicle half-walls. Who did they think they were? The cops were the company’s token nod to the idea of an outside authority, a fictional check against the truth: Midas Corporation ruled The City, absolutely. What purpose did they think to serve by this ridiculous show of force? Eventually, they would have to withdraw, embarrassed and humiliated. Midas would issue a statement of ‘apology’ and things would carry on. Midas was invulnerable. These were her last thoughts before the wall of flame swept the office.
The City: 071: Anka
January 5, 2015
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The City: 070: Zidane
January 2, 2015
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Summoned by the CEO, Zidane muscled his way into the office. His own physical size was impressive. He found that he intimidated even here in The City, where such things were of no consequence. There was no inherent value in his strength in the digital environment, it was merely an accurate representation of his stature. But it made people nervous, and it made them forget how smart he actually was. The interviewer girl looked suitably impressed, certainly.
“Ma’am?”
“Ms. Evans was just leaving.” Dawn began to protest, but stopped. Together they watched the top of Midas tower erupt in flames.
The City: 069: Mildred
January 1, 2015
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The investigation was not going well. Posing as a magazine interviewer, Dawn had talked her way into the office of the matronly CEO of Nexus Software Solutions, a data management company that was both a contractor and a competitor of Midas. From this nearly as loft perch, there was quite a good view of Midas tower.
“You seem awfully young to be a journalist,” Mildred O’Dell said. Dawn squirmed in the simulated leather chair.
“It’s the newest thing in avatars,” she said. It was not a particularly good lie.
“Is it?” Mildred said, and pushed a button on her desk.
The City: 068: Roger
December 31, 2014
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The bomb ticked quietly and inevitably down to zero. The cops stood around, debating what to do, while their ‘demolitions expert,’ dithered in front of the device, like an unprepared child called to the front of the class. But the device, like life, was unlikely to grant an extension. Roger hadn’t been on the force very long. He joined the CPD after quitting conventional police work. He had been unwilling to adjust his ‘attitude problem.’ All that hippie bullshit. At thirty seconds, he made his move. He shoved Thom out of the way and grabbed the cutters. Blue, he decided.
The City: 067: Kimiko
December 30, 2014
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In the labyrinthine bowels of Midas Corp. Tower, Kimiko met the glares of a chorus of office drones, and concentrated on staying polite.
“As I said, there is a threat in the building, and we must ask for you to evacuate the premises in an orderly fashion.”
“What kind of threat,” Govad, that floor’s ranking manager demanded. “You’re the ones assaulting the building!” He thrust a finger in her face like a scolding parent. “If you’d done your jobs in the first place, the trains wouldn’t have been shut down, either!” She took a deep breath. Then she stunned him.
The City: 066: Thom
December 29, 2014
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Thom stared down at the desk in consternation. He was the chief bomb disposal technician for the CPD. Up until now, the job description had been a joke. Explosives, along with most other kinds of weapons, not only didn’t exist in The City, but supposedly couldn’t. But he was an expert in the code used to build and break down buildings in The City, so he was what they had.. He examined the clock face, the coils of multicolored wire, and the cartoonish red dynamite sticks they were attached to, and was sure that this was a different beast entirely.
The City: 065: Lucinda
December 26, 2014
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Debbie followed Lucinda’s call into the CEO’s office and stopped dead when she saw the impossible object counting serenely down on the holographic glass.
“Luce, tell me that isn’t what I think it is.” The other woman shrugged.
“I didn’t want to touch it, but the bastard left a note.” Lucinda handed it to her superior.
“Good luck?” She read. “For fuck’s sake. I’d better radio it in. Best case scenario, maybe we’ll just make fools of ourselves.” She opened her comm channel.
“I’m going to need an immediate evac of the building. There’s a bomb sitting on Sizemore’s desk.”
The City: 064: Kumar
December 25, 2014
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On The City’s streets, The Midas Corp. Limousine led a dozen patrol cars on a merry chase. No matter how they diverted traffic, finally easing after a morning of unprecedented congestion, the luxury car was one step ahead.
“Who the hell is driving that thing?” Patrolman Kumar cursed.
“I heard that Bob Tolstoy was Sizemore’s driver. Might be him.” His partner said.
“The king of the racing underground? When’d he turn Citizen?”
“A few years back. Everybody’s got to eat.” The limo made a sudden u-turn, slipping through a gap in three lanes of traffic and disappearing towards the bay.
The City: 063: Deborah
December 24, 2014
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Deborah’s team was the one that got the short straw: The CEO’s top-floor office. She took point, her stunner and boot gun out. The palatial offices of Midas management were deserted. All they found were empty rooms. The digital marble echoed with her simulated footfalls. She shivered, forgetting she was in an Arizona office park.
She went to a filing cabinet and opened it. It was entirely empty. So was the next one. Every bit of information in the office was gone. It wasn’t possible. “Deb, you’ll want to take a look at this,” someone called from the inner office.
The City: 062: Miles
December 23, 2014
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Miles closed the cuff on the last lobby guard and gave the commissioner a thumbs up. The cops dug in and relieved the guards of any stunners they still had in their inventories. While they waited for the cops to recover from stuns, Jenkins dug in and gave orders.
“We go floor by floor. We don’t know what we’re looking for, so report anything suspicious. If any remaining security resist, stun and cuff them.” In the parking garage below them, the stretch limousine formerly belonging to Augustus Sizemore revved its engines, and burst like a thoroughbred out of the gate.
Hugh J. O'Donnell 