Phil sat in traffic and waited. The day had been a complete mess. A river of red taillights spread out ahead of him, mirroring the color of the slowly sinking City Sun. It was usually sunny, and inclement weather was rare in The City. Rain you couldn’t feel took away from the illusion and freaked people out. Finally, traffic began to move. There was a cop directing things somewhere ahead of him, manipulating a pair of giant glowing sticks like an air traffic controller. Finally. Phil had places to be. He needed to log out and pick up his kids.
The City: 076: Phil
January 12, 2015
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, Drabble, Phil, The City, Traffic Leave a comment
The City: 075: Erin
January 9, 2015
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, CPD, Drabble, Erin, Midas Corp, The City Leave a comment
Erin stood in the crowd that ringed the barriers, and hoped her record function was getting all of this. The crowd was full of Citizens and Daytrippers. In a disaster, class was irrelevant. She was a reporter, and this was her moment. The fire and smoke had cleared away, leaving half the building ruined and sooty. The glass had vanished rather than shattered. The top few floors were gone as well, as though they were never there. In their place, there was a tear in the sky, pulsating violet and black. It was like staring into the face of God.
The City 074: Harold
January 8, 2015
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, CPD, Drabble, Harold, Kumar, The City Leave a comment
While his partner swore and tried to find a non-clogged street route towards the bay, Harold frantically checked the police band. Something bad was happening back at Midas Tower, but in the chaos, he couldn’t sort out what it was. The system didn’t have a dispatcher, and the computer algorithm couldn’t keep up with the traffic
“We should go back,” He said. Kumar scoffed.
“We should get the bastard that did this. Maybe he’ll know how to stop it.”
“But there could be officers down back there.”
“Virtual avatars. Just bullshit to cover his escape.” Kumar blared the siren
The City: 073: Sol
January 7, 2015
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, Drabble, Midas Corp, Sol, The City, Zombies Leave a comment
Sol worked on the 87th floor. She was an accountant, and she thought working ‘on site’ in The City to be the most tedious and ridiculous part of her job. The commitment to simulation cost her at least ten man-hours a week alone! She was in the supply closet, searching for virtual toner her virtual printer, grumbling, when the wall of fire hit. As a result, she was the only survivor. Afterwards, she peeked her head out, and saw the charred ruins and the prone bodies, horrified. She screamed and ran when the dead stood and shambled towards her.
The City: 072: Kastor
January 6, 2015
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, CPD, Drabble, Kastor, Midas Corp, The City Leave a comment
Kastor stood by the stairs and listened to the chatter on the police band cut off. Floor by floor it just cut out. In an analog system there would have been static, but it just cut to eerie silence in a staccato rhythm as whatever was happening hit floor after floor. The disarming didn’t go as planned, apparently. He swore and patched in.
“This is Petrosky on Floor 75. Change of plans. This is now an evacuation. Get the whole building cleared out, on the double.” He opened the door to the cubicle farm and hoped there was enough time.
The City: 071: Anka
January 5, 2015
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, Anka, CPD, Drabble, Midas Corp, The City Leave a comment
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: 070: Zidane
January 2, 2015
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, Dawn, Drabble, Kaboom, Midas Corp, Mildred, The City, The Daytrippers, Zidane Leave a comment
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
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, Dawn, Drabble, Mildred, The City, The Daytrippers Leave a comment
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
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, CPD, Drabble, Roger, The City, Thom Leave a comment
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
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, CPD, Drabble, Govad, Kimiko, Midas Corp, The City Leave a comment
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.
Hugh J. O'Donnell 