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.
The City: 062: Miles
December 23, 2014
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, Drabble, Midas Corp, MIles, The City Leave a comment
The City: 061: Georgia
December 22, 2014
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In the lobby of Midas Corporate Tower, the tide was turning in the Police’s favor. Sgt. Georgia Ramirez remarked that it was a very strange sort of assault, as neither side could physically harm the other, and the primary weapons of each side, the boot gun, was useless. The cops has their cuffs, which immobilized a target, but were difficult to use. Midas Security had stunners, which were easier to use, but wore off quickly. In the end, it came down to numbers. Moving in tight circles, Georgia and the other officers circled around the guards, tackled, and cuffed them.
The City: 053: Tina
December 10, 2014
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, Drabble, Loraine, Mario, Midas Corp, The City, The Smiling Man, Tina Leave a comment
Tina shot Lorraine a smug look as Mario knocked on the towering mahogany obelisk. She’d been after Loraine’s spot on the Executive Security Team, and now it was practically her’s! Unless the cops downstairs did something stupid like try and occupy the building or invoke Emergency Powers. A Coup would ruin everything.
Mario opened the door and went in.
“I’m Sorry to disturb you, ladies and gentlemen, but there is a security situation, and we may have to ask you to evacuate.” Twelve smiling faces turned at once to look at them.
“We’re just about done here anyway,” Babbage said.
The City: 052: Mario
December 9, 2014
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, Drabble, Lorraine, Mario, Midas Corp, The City, Tina Leave a comment
Mario glared at Lorraine. There was a goddam riot going on downstairs, with City Police no less, and here she was raving about magic and disappearing doors. He did not have time to deal with her stupidity.
“You can’t change the physical reality of The City. It’s one of The Rules,” he said.
“Rules set by Sizemore. What if this guy got past Sizemore to get to the board?”
“A billionaire assassin? Well, I have to report the riot anyway. Let’s go. Lopez, you come with us.” The door was perfectly visible when the three of them got there. “See?”
The City: 051: Cynthia
December 8, 2014
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, CPD, Cynthia, Drabble, Midas Corp, The City Leave a comment
Boot guns work on a simple principle. Normally, a person can only exit or enter The City from a house that they have access to. Some allowances are made for access interruptions such as computer failure and power outages, but improper logouts are considered criminal offenses. This was because beta users developed ‘Dropout Syndrome.’ Midas created user houses and covered up the damage. But they made Boot Guns to drop problem users. Which is why Cynthia was surpassed to find her gun had no effect on the man groaning and thrashing in the street. He lunged at her and howled.
The City: 049: Loraine
December 4, 2014
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, Drabble, Loraine, Midas Corp, The City, The Smiling Man Leave a comment
Loraine watched the boardroom from her monitor. Something funny was going on. It wasn’t her job as security guard to meddle, but Mr. Constantino hadn’t moved for a solid two minutes. She was sure the new CEO had done something to him. The board was in danger. She pinged the boardroom, but got no answer. She patched herself into the audio feed.
“King? I want nothing so small. Sizemore had so much access, so much control that he never utilized. Myself? I will be a god!” She had to get the board out. But the conference room door had vanished.
The City: 047: Emma
December 2, 2014
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Something was happening in front of the building. Emma tried to check her feeds, something she had added for herself when she built the system. She couldn’t read them. Babbage looked at her. He knew! How could he know? And what had he done to Roberto?
“You’ve hacked The City! I didn’t think it was possible.” The rest of the board watched in horror.
“Hacking is such an inelegant word for what I’ve done. I almost needed to make a new City myself. Sizemore’s access was the last hurdle.”
“What are you going to do? Crown yourself king?” Babbage laughed.
The City: 046: Tyrone
December 1, 2014
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, Abner, CPD, Drabble, Midas Corp, The City, Tyrone Leave a comment
Downstairs, the situation was getting tense between City Police and the Midas Private Security. Commissioner Jenkins had practically fought his way inside, and all available security was converging to stop him from entering the building. The problem was, nearly all the cops were unbootable and unbanable, which made Tyrone’s weapon useless. But if the cops’ were, so were the security guards’. They were at an impasse. Some twit, a suit low enough on the ladder to get thrown to the wolves, identified as Abner Lanning, appealed for calm as the meeting continued on Mount Olympus. He was bootable. Tyrone fired.
The City: 045: Raine
November 28, 2014
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“An explanation? Of course.” Babbage practically oozed unctuous charm. Raine considered the confrontation with interest. The whole board did, but they weren’t going to get involved. There was a time to get your hands dirty, and a time to keep them clean. Most of them knew which was which. “I believe you’ll find a document in your folders which explains the situation quite clearly.” Roberto ripped out the paper in question and held it up.
“This doesn’t tell me a goddam thing!” Holding the paper, Roberto’s avatar suddenly glitched and froze in place. Babbage smiled.
“Now, we can truly begin.”
The City: 044: Roberto
November 27, 2014
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, Drabble, Midas Corp, The City Leave a comment
For Roberto, the stock sale was the final insult. He had never been a loyal soldier to Midas Corp. Their takeover of his company had been all but openly hostile, but the price had been too good to pass up, and The City needed his translation algorithms and messaging capability to become what it could be. Sizemore had never trusted him, and he admitted it was probably with good reason. But to sell his shares without consulting the board, Roberto included, was unconscionable. He banged his fist on the table. “I demand an explanation,” he shouted to the grinning idiot.
Hugh J. O'Donnell 