EPISODE 01 Alpha Release

©2017-2018 Jayce Ran All Rights Reserved

 Presented By

The story, characters, and events, in this book

are entirely fictional. Any similarities to actual people,
places and events are entirely coincidental. This story
contains heavy violence, strong language, and sexual
themes; that may or may not be entirely safe for the
ideologically sensitive. Reader's discretion is advised.

Intended for Adult Audiences Only

©2017-2018 Jayce Ran All Rights Reserved

 Table Of Contents
Prologue: The Crisis
Part 1...................................................................5
Part 2 ..................................................................9

Chapter 1: Morning Incident

Part 1.................................................................10
Part 2.................................................................16

Chapter 10: The Blue Ash Crisis

Part 1.................................................................32
Part 2.................................................................35

Chapter 11: We See All

Part 1.................................................................43
Part 2.................................................................45

About The Author................................................50

Future Release Dates..........................................55

 Prologue
The Crisis

Part 1
“Okay looks like we got everything set up. Let's get working
with the Mantra-Tech systems check Falcon One,” said Chino
Tokuma over the radio. Her fingers gently wrapped onto the neck of
a narrow microphone which stuck out of a platinum metallic desk.
She imagined the people above ground working inside their offices
framed by large paned glass windows. A job she once held herself.
Now she was a mile below a shopping center, well-dressed customers
make the roulette through carousel doors. Their clicking feet brought
to silence as it extended to the depths of this place. Chino taps her
fingers across a gray plastic board of keys. Each press leaves a
distinctly different click. She glances up at a massive screen which
covers the entire wall of the dark room.

A male voice replies over the radio with just a hint of static.
“Rodger that, we have, light. The ion engine appears to be operating
nominally. Ready and waiting for instructions, over.”
 The Crisis

There she was, an expert at her single task of masking out the
power levels. A careful balance of percentages. While Chino works
she cannot help but think of the people walking through the city
slums surrounded by litter. It is dull, a monochrome brown with torn
posters lining the walls of events long expired. At the time those
affairs seemed like something, but now they are meaningless echos of
the past. A population of several million oblivious to the project, no
the process, happening in the shadows of this man-made cavern.

“Begin with the core check Falcon One.” replied the young
woman who sat next to Chino. She tugs on the collar of her uniform
loosening its ever-growing choke on her neck. The levels on her
monitor jumping from green to orange to red. Her fingers type
hastily pulling up information on the pull from the municipal electric
grid.

Billboards line every street. They shine a dull haze of strobe

light while cars bustle through heavy traffic. As Chino flipped a
switch they dim marginally and buzz back to life. A group of school
children pauses looking up in awe as the power flashes dead. Their
teacher rushes the kids along through the crosswalk. A lump in
Chino's throat forms as she sees the levels blackout. “Damn it not
now!” she thinks to herself. “Come on don’t die on me now.” Flipping
switches, she keeps her eyes on the electricity levels gradually lowering
back to a stable condition.

“Rodger, let me see here, Core 1, stable. Core 2, stable. Ah,

Core 3, is stable. Core 4, stable.” says the technician followed by a
heavy crackle of interference over the radio.

“Get that line clear.” said her commanding officer. His voice
 The Crisis
boomed with authority making the room vibrate. She smalls into
herself, continuing her task. The soft hand of her coworker closes
over her fingers.

Chino turns her head to see welcoming eyes. “It will be all
right. We got this.” She whispers.

A "click" crosses the line as the technician says “Rodger, I

apologize my cable was loose.” there is a slight pause before he
continues “Core 6, stable. It appears that everything is working as it
should be. I am good on my end. Broadcasting levels now.” A broken
streetlight burns back to life blinking yellow as a group of pedestrians
ambles through a crosswalk. The clap of thunder roars as rain fell
from gray skies.

“Everything looks fine on our end Falcon one, let’s begin the
Particle Engine Check.” A few blue orbs dot the unnatural darkness
like fireflies lighting a warm summer’s night. Chino could not help
but admire the colors as she viewed the spectacle through the screens
muddled image. The camera adjusted its lens focusing on a few wisps
as they ran in front of the optics.

“Rodger, ah, let me see here.” grunts the technician. The

snap of a plastic board cracks over the radio. Inside the control room,
Chino looked around at her co-workers dressed in white, gray suits
managing many switchboards. Twisting nobs and looking at large
holographic displays, the lab assistants work feverishly. “Engines one
and two are ok. Ahhhh…. Let me see engine three, is, ok.”

Connected by a meager tether, the technician drifts inside

the darkness traveling along the satellite's channel. The white nylon
tricot of his spacesuit painted a dull blue in light of the whisps. His
 The Crisis
only point of refrence wading in the dark void is the satellite, his sense
of direction changing as he climbs the rungs of metal and snowy
plastic. While he floats around the machine, the excellence in his
trade became unmistakable to Chino.

After ensuring the energy levels are stable Chino begins her
final check on her end. She draws open a few more screens taking a
deep breath. “Headquarters clears you to engage the Mantra Drive
Falcon One,” she says over the radio. With a gentle lighting of a
thruster on his back, the technician glides himself to the edge of the
satellite. His feet hang over the panels. After gathering his footing he
reaches for another tether from his side and connects it to a rung on
the ladder. Grabbing hold of a round switch, he turns the white
cylinder till the surrounding satalite rods light up one by one with a
red glow.

Chino jumps as a man stands up and points at his screen.

“Object spotted, Commander, it’s east of the gate,” he says. The girl
next to Chino pulls up the image on the large wall panel. Chino’s
heart flutters for a moment. This should not be happening she thinks
to herself. The computer system at once undertakes a lock onto the
object. “Falcon 1, there is an object in the distance on your three, do
you have visual?”

He turns and looks to see a twinkle in the distance. His suit

displays a lock onto the object. “Rodger, I copy a visual. It’s
approaching very rapidly.”

“Falcon one do you have a read on the object?” the

commander says. The twinkle becomes a flash, and the flash
consumes everything in the darkness. A loud haunting crash blows
the speakers on the other end of the radio. Pieces of plastic and metal
 The Crisis
rain onto the floor as several members of the crew screams. In the
light, the satellite turns to nothing. In an instant, the man loses his
suit in the bright ray. His flesh flying away, and his bone turning to
dust. “Falcon 1 do you copy.” The commander yells his voice
quivering with concern. “Falcon one do you copy. We lost signal
Falcon 1. What’s happening out there Falcon 1.”

Part 2
“Today we remember the twenty year anniversary of the
explosion that wiped out Blue Ash city. The disaster killed over two
point three million people reducing everything in its aftermath to
rubble in an instant. The smoke from the explosion blocked out the
sun for three days. It was the single most destructive disaster in
modern history. A new city has formed in its wake. New Ash City;
the world's technological marvel. We remember…” in a flash, the
news anchor disappears into the black.

“Yeah yeah we all heard it before.” says the voice of a young girl with
a view looking out over a suburban township.
 Chapter 1
Morning Incident

Part 1

The black pavement streets shine in the wave of red and blue
oscillating lights. An officer stands outside an antique salon; his
colleagues' voices covered by the sound of the loud howling sirens. A
crowd of onlookers had gathered around the scene kept at bay with
wooden roadblocks and several other officers telling the people to
move back. They're painted in technicolor by the encompassing
storefronts neon fluorescence. Holding out his gun, the policeman
walks towards the shop’s advertisement plastered glass automatic
doors. The twin slabs partway with a weathered mechanical creek.

“Please, officer, please damage nothing,” a quivering

timeworn feeble voice cries.

“Yeah. Sure… as if everything wasn't damaged,” the officer

thought.
 Morning Incident

“That is not our concern,” grumbles the unmistakable

delivery of his section captain washed over by the loud crying sirens.
“Our only interest is getting whoever is in that building out.” He
imagines the captain standing with straight shoulders looking just at
tight and official as always.

The officer whispered to himself “You tell em, boss.” A

flicker from within causes the officer’s heart to jump. Peering into the
shadowed darkness he takes a deep breath. As the officer slips into the
building, he is greeted by a yellowed flickering tungsten tube bulb.
The officer is reminded of some abyss as he tries to see through the
supernatural inky umbra. Aside from the scintillation of the light,
everything else is saturated in black.

A sudden chill comes rushing down his spine as the halogen

to disappears. Out of his open mouth, neon colored ghostly breath
floats through the heavy arctic air. He raises his hand to his shoulder
and presses the switch on his radio. “Shit, I can’t see a thing.”

“Hey Arikado, you scared of the dark are you?” joked

another officer over the line.

“Shut up Vince,” Arikado growled irritated by his remark.

His chest pounded as he realized he is scared. Not the scared he
ordinarily felt though. Sure there is always concern while walking into
dead-end shops with a possible armed suspect but this, this is
something different. It was a living fear, a gripping dread. It clawed
upon his throat and stole the air. “No, I mean it's darker than night, I
can’t see anything.” Taking a few steps forward Arikado squints his
eyes gazing into the shadows making out an assembly of shelves
knocked atop an inky mosaic of assorted objects. “So much keeping
 Morning Incident
the place undamaged, damn what the hell happened here. So it looks
like someone messed this shop up.” A rustle from his left side causes
Arikado to turn. He raises his gun pointing to the stretch of
unknown. “Come out with your hands where I can see them.” He
shouts convinced the haunting void is occupied.

Red glare, scream of pain, shouting, his eyes grow wide, a

sharp agony bursts from his stomach. He did not realize the splash of
his own blood slapping against the polished tile floor. Disorientation,
his body is flung across the room into a wall leaving his own yelp
trailing behind him.

Outside, the officers heard the hollering and thunder of

Arikado’s crash. Gesturing with his hands pointing at the door, the
captain hollers “Get your asses in there. Move, move, move.”
Adhering to the orders of their superior, the other officers rush into
the salon with their guns drawn; safety’s off. Arikado screams in
agony in the corner. In the shadows, the silhouette of a woman stands
her hair spread as though static has stretched out each lock. “On the
ground.” Another officer yells as she raises her hand revealing sparks
of electricity. The room is lit by strobes of muzzle flash.

After this, the crowd had dispersed, only the braver or

perhaps foolish individuals staying to observe. The remaining
onlookers clutch the barrier to get a better view. The officers stop
their push back but instead watch in horror while the building
flickered.

Between flashes, the twisted and distorted smile of the

woman spreads. Her fingers splayed wide open stopping the bullets
in mid-air, hovering for a moment as if impacting against something
unseen then drop to the floor with a metallic ping. The woman’s
 Morning Incident
milky white eyes flash a blinding light shattering the glass in the room.
A supernatural wind turns the shards into a storm of shrapnel tearing
through the officer’s bodies.

The officers are propelled through the panned windows;

their remains rolling in pieces across the now bloodied roadside. The
outside officers run for cover behind their cars as the razor fragments
berate everything in their path. Kneeling over their hoods they aim
into the flare of silhouettes, hearts pounding, gripping their triggers,
bodies tight.

Darkness returns to the quiet still storefront that has

glistened with the first beams of morning light. Every eye gazes
unwavering as the silence goes from unsettling to straining, the sound
of low moans and cries for help are drowned out by the tension.
Splintered glass shards pepper the metal of the police cruisers
embedded deep into their chassis shimmering in the dawn. Several
officers scream out in pain as they too fell victim to the razor
projectiles.

From darkness, the woman steps outside through the

shattered hanging shop doors. She stands brazenly with pride, her
eyes wide open and her face bearing a crazed toothy smile. Her skin a
bronze gold tone embracing the figure of a gymnast. Each stride she
takes leaves sparks behind her. “On your hands and knees.” The
captain yells. Blood drips off her body in thick streams forming rivers
at her toes.

Instead of complying the woman brings a bloody step

forward. A slight chuckle escapes from her strange feral grin. One
officer shakes pulling the trigger releasing a single shot from the
chamber with a loud pop. The lead-antimony alloy dot flies right at
 Morning Incident
the woman, but it stops mid-air falling to the ground the same as the
bullets before. “It’s a witch!” screams one officer. The patrol opens fire
in a frenzy each bullet bouncing along sparks of electricity that floats
and fizzles shielding the conjurer. Step by step, she gets closer and
closer to the officers shielded behind their cars. She turns her head in
a near broken mechanical doll-like stuttering movement, raises her
arm and shoots a blast of lightning destroying a police cruiser and
turning the nearby officers into a pulpy mess of tangled parts.

Spotting an opening an officer draws his saber. He charges

the monster raising both arms to slash her in the back. Mid-swing, the
woman turns slicing him in half by an invisible force. He splits open
at the shoulder to the hip spraying warm blood as he falls onto his side.

The roar of screeching tires alerts the strange lady. Her eyes
grow wide at the dissonance as a pair of trucks come barreling from
the end of the street. She looks up from the officer’s split body
grinning towards the rushing freights. The heavy armored rigs ram
through parked cars and knock aside any sidewalk decor, shattering
everything in their wake. The leading truck's driver turns his wheel
and slams the brakes causing the massive automotive to spin around
with its cargo port pointed in the lady's direction.

With metallic groans, the hanger doors roll open revealing a

large steel-plated humanoid machine. It stamps out the back
splintering the pavement under its weighty triple toed foot. The
gargantuan body is twelve feet tall resembling something of an
armored knight. In its mechanical three-fingered grip is a long
specialized rifle with cables and cords snapped into the machine's
forearm. The automated servos whine with each movement as it
strides forward. A new group of armored officers runs from the
barricade of trucks assembling themselves into several small squads.
 Morning Incident
The decals SDP clearly visible on their shoulders and bulletproof
vests.

A tall man dressed in a black captains trench coat takes off

his hosed mask with an airy hiss. His graying black hair sat atop an
experienced pitted face. "Let’s finish this." yells the older man. He
points to one officer hiding behind their police cruiser near the rear
by the barricades. "Get these assholes out of here." motioning with his
hand to the crowd of onlookers.

Sparks float in the air in long streams running across the

hard pavement as the lady growls. Discarded litter from around the
city floats in the same fashion as leaves in a vibrant spiral wind. The
armored suit takes a measured step in front of the group squaring off
with the strange girl. Lowering its knee into a sniper position, the
pilot points its barrel towards the woman. With a loud scream, she
sends forth a bolt of electricity at the machine leaving a trail of fire in
the blast's wake. It strikes the armor causing a great spark to turn its
white plastic plating cyan in the flash, its red light emitting diodes dim
for a moment. The ground flares for several seconds after the shot, the
tethers of lightning rolling before fizzling out.

The blond monster freezes seeing the still Goliath move

again. The machine adjusts its sights while the lights return to
normal. A single flash from its muzzle blows off her right leg in fleshy
red strands, severing her thigh just above the kneecap. She tumbles as
her limb flies like a bowling pin away from her body rolling and
spinning on the ground. She lands with a rib breaking thud onto her
side before sprawling out against the cool pavement.

The older man chuckles “Good shot. Now pack that thing
up so we can get out of here.” Several of the armored police rush in
 Morning Incident
toward the girl with yellow plastic ties and syringes along with a large
yellow plastic body bag. An officer kneels to place the cuffs on the
woman grabbing her wrist. She turns her head to look at him giving
a taut pout. With her other arm, she pushes herself up grabbing his
neck with the arm he was trying to cuff. Her fingers press into his
neck before the man even speaks choking him. A powerful blast blows
his head to pieces with the ferocity of a shotgun. “Kill her.” Roars the
older man. The officers draw their guns blowing her body full of
wholes. One last scream can be heard in the roar of the gunfire as her
mutilated body dances side to side.

From above the storefront buildings on a rooftop, a

shadowed figure in a cloak stands to watch at the bloody mess. “What
a pity, the lady hadst shown promise.”

Part 2
Images of a dull burgundy flashing enter Apricot’s mind. She
lays asleep deep under the thick cloud of slumber. A rather annoying
buzzing keeps ringing in her ears. As the fog of sleep lifts, she opens
her lids from the darkness to see her room transitioning between a red
glow and shade. She turns her head over to her blinking alarm clock.
Her eyes grow wider as hearing and vision become comprehensible
again. Apricot reads in crimson digital lights that shine across a black
plastic screen, 8:23 AM. A yelp of shock escapes her mouth reminded
of school. With a spark of animation, she thrusts out of bed onto her
feet sending her covers cascading to the floor.

Her uniform hung off a polished bronze curtain rod. Not

wasting any time, Apricot snatched the uniform in hand placing an
arm through the long sleeve while she moved through her room.
 Morning Incident
While adjusting her green and white, yellow trimmed sailor, she
glances over at her makeup before deciding she hadn’t the time for
that today, even though this pained her to admit. "Maybe just
eyeliner, that only takes a moment." she reasons.

Rushing into the kitchen, she finds her younger brother,

Jasper, already at the table with half-eaten morning toast. His eyes
fixated on the television. Typical of Jasper to adhere to the TV in the
mornings. Often keeping her from catching something interesting
before she herself got ready for school. Expecting to see cartoons or a
movie, she glances over to emergency broadcast news bars lining the
screen. A well dolled up lady in a deep red swing coat was speaking
explaining the situation. Her voice a dull mumble the volume being
too low to make out the reporter's words. Apricot imagined the lady
in red is jubilant to have the story and someone else is unhappy to be
the subject of that story. Such resulted from media. A constant search
for tragedies to exploit in some form. “Whatcha watching?” She asks
Jasper.

“Oh, you're up.” He snickers. “Your alarm woke me up. You

know, it's annoying how you don’t shut that off. You have been
sleeping through it lately. But look at this! The police had another
standoff.” Apricot hated how smug her kid brother was. The least the
little brat could have done is wake her up if he knew she was
oversleeping.

Opening the fridge Apricot found several leftovers and a few

pre-made dishes still wrapped in plastic. Most likely her father’s meals
as he often got home late from work. Over time they built up like a
museum of the past weeks' dinners. She grabbed a half carton of milk,
drinking from the cardboard fold out, a few eggs and a stick of butter.
“You know you could be a good boy for once and help your big sister
 Morning Incident
Jazz.”

Jasper laughs “You could be responsible for once and get

yourself up.” His eyes ever fixed on the screen, letting out a gasp. “Wo,
there is blood everywhere.”

Apricot lifts her head from the fridge looking up at the image
of bodies and limbs and pools of blood spread like modern art over the
wide pavement. “Jasper Signa! You know you are not supposed to
watch this stuff!”

Jasper growls “It's the news, and Mom is not home anyway
so stop lecturing me.”

“But Dad is home.” the color drains from Jasper's pale face as
he turns his head over to see his father standing over his shoulder. He
places his hand on Jasper’s back. “What is this?” he asks in a raised
tone. Apricot feels a sense of satisfaction knowing her Dad caught
him being a jerk. She springs up closing the fridge door with her foot.
With the stove top burner, she starts an omelet for breakfast.

“It's the news… some robber attacked a bunch of people.

They had to even call in the SDP.” Jasper chirps with a hint of
fascination in his voice. “Sachiban model 4s, Dad.”

“Huh, I see. Well, your sister’s right your mother would be

furious if she found out you were looking at this. So turn it off.” He
commands before walking over to Apricot. “And Missy you are late
for school. Think you have time for making breakfast when you are
already late?”
 Morning Incident
“Ah,” is all Apricot moans feeling in the pit of her stomach he
is right.

Racing along a crowded road, Apricot finds herself deep in

worry about her recent string of tardiness. If she does not hurry, she
will be late to catch the next train. She weaves a careful trot through
the slow-moving morning crowd. While she reaches the end of the
road, she soon discovers that the stretch to the train is barricaded.
Rushing up to the barricade she is scolded by a tall man in uniform.
“Hey, girl go around the other way.” He shouts at her. She can see
medical crews on the other side shifting bodies zipping them into
bags. "This must be where the attack happened," Apricot thought.
“Didn’t you hear me?” The man yells at her again. “Go around!” His
hands now redirecting back where she came.

With a sigh, she turns heading down the morning street as if

walking through a current in the wrong direction. Slipping through
the unyielding people quickly became maddening. Regardless of any
manners she once held Apricote pushed through the onlookers as she
is sure as hell not going to miss a train to school.

Several blocks down was another railway but it was not her
usual route. Still, it would get her to the university if she was fast.
After a short sprint, the station was in sight but her heart dives when
she sees the train has already boarded passengers and room was
becoming scarce. She burst into a full sprint through the cluttered
streets bumping into people saying “Sorry” as she did. Just before the
doors were closing a young man held it open with one arm and
 Morning Incident
reaches out with the other.

The cart moves as Apricot picks up pace running faster, her

hand outstretched reaching for the man's open palm. He lunges
forward gripping the side of the train's door. Gripping her fingers, he
lifts her off the ground and into the threshold of the trains’ closing
doors before slamming shut behind her. “Hey there, almost missed
your train.” He chuckles.

Apricot blushes before saying “Yeah, thanks to you I didn’t.”

He smirks before looking her up and down stopping at her bust
before moving back to her eyes. “Oh great, he is a pervert.” She
thought to herself.

“Got caught up in the detour, huh?”

Apricot nods. “Mmmhmmm, so, did you?”

“Nah, but quite a few people were complaining about it. I

kind of figured.” He uttered as he leaned grabbing hold of the
headrail. “It's crowded in here this morning. This route is empty. I
heard they had to shut down the whole subway system in Ginzu for
repairs.” Apricot nods. She could tell he was waiting for her to say
something but didn't. His eyes roll before he lets out a sigh. “So, what
brings you out this lovely morning?”

“Ah, I am going to uni. I ah, I’m studying journalism.” A hint

of pride welling up inside her as she smiles.

The guy smirks. “Journalism huh?” he shrugs. “You got a

camera?” The question struck Apricot as odd and her face showed it
 Morning Incident
as her eyebrows squished together. “O’ I figured a journalist would be
into photography. I got this camera I am trying to sell. Thought you
might want to buy it.”

“Ah, no. I'm not looking to try photography.” A lie but she
assumed the camera is probably stolen or broken.

The young man nods his head. “Oh yeah, well if you ever
change your mind I ride the train almost every morning so ah come
see me. The name is Cortez, just letting you know.” At first, Apricot
thought he was coming onto her but after a moment Cortez raised his
hand waving to her proceeding to say “See you around ok.” Then
blended into the crowd of people losing himself among the timbered
bodies.

A thin layer of beaded sweat streaked across Apricot’s rosin

cheeks. Her clothes soggy from the long jog into and through the
university’s entrance corridor. She gazes up at an LCD screen
displaying a government broadcast along with the current time neatly
boxed in black and white in the upper right corner, “10:04 AM”.
Intense anxiety coming over her as she rushes through the sparsely
populated halls that twisted into something like a maze. “The detour,
they will keep the door open.” Apricot thought to herself to at least
edge some of the tension. Upon seeing the classroom door of 1403B,
she could see through the glass door window the off-white paper
shade is already drawn down. Reaching for the knob of the door she
twists only to meet a substantial resistance of locked metal fastens.
With a grunt, she tried again in vain as the knob only jiggled with
 Morning Incident
little give.

Taking a few steps away from the door, Apricot lowers her
head. A tightness flowing down her face to her fingertips ending its
stream at her toes. She drew in a long breath holding it for a moment
before letting out an even longer sigh. “Late again.” She thought to
herself.

Blue Ash on a weekday is not much unlike any other bustling

city, a shadow of the population. Apricot passed people dressed in the
various fashions along a narrow street. The smells of skewered
Barbecue over a charcoal grill filled the air. The edges of the sidewalks
are dotted with food carts and street vendors. The shops that line the
road are very diverse selling trinkets, clothing, and various consumer
goods. Apricot had always liked this street which seems more like a
hall of commerce to her.

One shop that caught Apricot’s eye was a shop window

selling the latest style spread across mechanical dolls striking an
assortment of poses. They look almost real Apricot thought to
herself, almost. It was in that small gap between the two she found so
unsettling and wrong. Something about the eyes, they were dead. The
bustle of programmed synthesizers diverts her attention to an arcade.
“I have little else to do.” She thinks to herself being drawn in by the
blinking neon lights.

Inside smells of a piped scent that covered the humid heat

generated by a mix of body sweat and cigarette smoke. Spread across
the walls various machines flashing, each one playing an assortment
of tunes that blended together to form that iconic arcade sound. It's
quite a cacophony but rather a pleasant ring that Apricot associated
with a fun time. One game, in particular, had been the flavor she was
 Morning Incident
looking for to cheer herself up. A side-scrolling hack and slash by
Capnom called Queen Of Dragons.

A chill ran down her spine as the machines dimmed while a

slight flicker came over the screens. “Crap, the power is starting to go
out.” She thought to herself. When a specter of breath faded into the
open air from her mouth, she felt cold as if she had walked into a
freezer. The cold faded As quickly as it came but not before causing
all the machines to reset. Each one had started their boot sequences
which caused her to let out a slight moan of boredom. The appeal of
battling against pixilated monsters had left and with it herself.

She continued to wander the vitrines until finding herself on

a side street she was unfamiliar with. The shops around here were
different; dusty old places that were long forgotten. She passed a
hardware store, an electronics boutique, a very shady looking pawn
shop, second-hand stores, and a small market called Wiseman’s.

The populace wandering the streets here are of a different

nature. If the one’s previously reminded Apricot of people without a
care, these made her feel, in danger. She walked by several men giving
her unwelcome glances along with a grin that said everything she
needed to know about them. She decided it would be best to get back
onto a more populated street. However, when she went to turn the
corner, she is welcomed by the sight of four guys kicking another man
in the ribs. He barked out as each strike slammed into him knocking
his body from side to side. She stood with wide eyes of horror before
shouting out “Stop!” As the guys turned to consider her, she realized
the folly of her reflexive action.

Now she had the audience of four rather hard-looking men.

The tallest one delivers one last kick to the guys face. “Yeah, let’s get
 Morning Incident
out of here. Remember to have the rest of it punk. If not, get the hell
out of town or else.” All four men walked toward Apricot her throat
growing tight. Without so much as a glance, the four just walk past
her. She looks down at the man who spits blood out of his mouth.

As she looks at the man on the ground, she is shocked to

recognize him. It's the guy she talked to on the train. Apricot
narrows her eyes saying “Are you all right? Do I need to call the cops?”

“No.” He groans while getting to his feet. “Don’t do

something stupid like that. Stay out of it. It’s none of your business,
reporter.” He then gets to his feet limping away. Apricot wanted to go
with him to at least make sure he was ok, but she knew it was best if
she didn’t. Becoming involved with people like that can get you hurt,
sometimes worse. Unlike most Apricot keenly appreciated the
unseen. Her desire to become a journalist had brought out a pseudo-
respect that some things are best left unknown.

After several streets, Apricot sees a familiar sign “Utopian

Theaters” and knows where she is. Further down the road is a small
cafe called “Hot Shots.” Upon entering Apricot is greeted by the
strong scent of brewed espresso. Inside the decor, a pleasant chocolate
wood color accented with soft greens and red pastel windows. Light
music canvased the senses allowing for privacy but not enough to
drain out your thoughts. As she walked to the counter, the smell of
fresh baked goods wafted causing an almost Pavlovian salivation to
occur. “Hey girl, I thought you had school.” Apricot looks up to see
the bright blue eyes of Bonni Wilox one of her best friends from high
school.

“Bonni!” Apricot chirps with delight reaching over the

counter to give a warm hug. “I did not know you worked here?”
 Morning Incident

“Yeah, well, I needed a part-time job, turns out you can’t be

a movie star without having one.” she laughs. “So what brings you
here?”

“I was late for class, stupid detour blocked my train,” Apricot

shrugs.

Bonni leans over whispering “I got a story for you. I

overheard the cops talking about that. They spoke of the boss being
upset about not getting the robber alive.”

Apricot gives a funny expression. “How is that a story?”

“The way they were talking about it was not like the typical
upset they had to kill her but… like they wanted her for some reason.”
Bonni leans over onto the counter drumming her fingers against the
polished wood. “I will tell you more about it later but right now is
there anything I can get you?”

Apricot nods her head before placing a finger on her cheek.

“Just a coffee with Vanilla and a spot of half and half.”
 Chapter 2
Bang Bang Bank

Part 1

“I need a great story now.” Apricot moans. The cool black

synthetic wood bench chilly against her skirt. “I will get in trouble if I
don’t turn in an article tomorrow.” A soggy double cheeseburger with
lettuce, tomato, and a fried egg, rests between her fingers. “The
Bureau of education sent me a letter certified that if my grades did not
improve, they will move me to the labor field and I don’t want to work
in a factory the rest of my life.” she cries. Sitting cross-legged next to
Apricot dangling her heel off her foot, Bonni raised a chicken nugget
from a small cardboard pouch, Bonni dipped the tip into a pair of
open teriyaki and mayonnaise dipping packs. The smell of coffee from
her cafe uniform battled against the surrounding salty smell of fried
foods.

“Why not do one on today’s incident?” said a black-haired

 Bang Bang Bank
man who sat across from Apricot, who already dug into his burger, a
friend of hers named Sato. She knew him through college. A pseudo
mentor of sorts as he was a professional photojournalist finishing up
his final year. “I got a couple photos of the crime scene, it would be
great for your article.” His younger sister Machi, a first-year
engineering
student picked at her bowl of salad in a ladylike fashion.

“She wants a good article Sato, not one everyone will turn in
reports on,” Machi remarked.'

Apricot glances towards Bonni who's smile spread so far

across her face Apricot, thought it was going to fall off. “So, remember
that secret I wanted to tell you, like those officers were at that robbery
this morning, as I was saying they looked concerned about something.”

Apricot watches as Machi rolls her ice-green eyes hidden

behind thick black framed glasses; the ghost of a car passing by polish
black sidewalk rails in their reflection. “I think there is a clear answer
for that one,” She then takes a bite of her salad bowl. As she chews her
bite Apricot and Bonni both wait for her answer. Machi shakes her
head back and forth allowing her black twin tails to dangle. She
swallows and continues “Most likely the fact she murdered several
people.”

Bonni picks up another nugget and gestures in a pointing

fashion towards Machi. “Don’t you think it's odd that so many people
died. According to” Eerie Truths Monthly “there has been monster
sightings all over the city.”

“Monsters! Ha, she was a crazy person, enough said.” Machi

barks back chortling rudely at the notion of monsters.
 Bang Bang Bank

For as long as Apricot had known Bonni, she was always one
to become carried away with a fantastic story. Be it when they were
kids and she took movies far too serious or an urban legend having her
avoiding places. Even still Machi was being rude after all who does it
hurt if Bonni has her weird obsession with spooky stories. “I find it
odd to Bonni but I don’t think I can write a story on it at this point.”

“But why are they appearing all over the place now? I
remember not too long ago when everyone said witches were just fairy
tales. Something is happening and like I for one want to find out what
that is! Don’t you agree with me, Sato?” A heavy red blush paints his
face as Bonni crawls onto Sato’s lap leaning over towards him.

“He is a photographer, not a journalist.” Machi buts in giving

a quick push on Bonni’s knee forcing her back into her seat away from
her brother. “Witches are not real either. They are just ill people
playing hocus pokus.”

“I guess but this sounds like tabloid stuff but who knows
what is lurking in the shadows right. I mean for all we know monsters
are under the city.” Sato strokes the back of his head with a foolish
grin. Apricot giggles a little at Machi’s stabbing glare before she gives
a small jab into Sato’s ribs. “Ack!” he yelps “But Machi is right, I am a
photojournalist. If I see something and snap it you bet it would be
front page news though.” He adds rubbing the impact of Machi’s
playful blow.

“Tabloid, no this is cutting edge news.” Bonni barks before

turning her gazes on Apricot. "You don't think this is a tabloid story?"

“Well,” Apricot says placing a finger to her lower lip. She

 Bang Bang Bank
looks up towards her brow pondering the idea. “I would need more
information and two sources that are not hearsay. Thanks for the tip
though Bonni. I will keep my ears open and you bet if I get more
information I might write an article on it.”

“Ugh Apricot,” Machi growls. “Don’t encourage her to be so

illogical.”

“Apricot come on. My idea is perfect.” A sudden look of

shock comes over Bonni’s face as the loud cry of sirens roar down the
street. Sato grabs his phone from his pocket. “What is that!” Bonni
cries covering her ears.

“Hey Sato, what’s your police scanner say? Something I

might want to write about?” Apricot asks.

Apricot hangs off Sato’s shoulder as she latches onto him.

Sato maneuvers his finger through a black and blue looking app.
Several alerts being placed on board. Tapping on one alert, Sato gives
a foolish grin. “Yeah,” he says pausing for a moment. “A bank robbery
going on a few blocks from here.”

“A bank robbery would be perfect!” Apricot burst jumping

up and giving a fist pump. “Sato!” she shouts.

“You thinking what I am thinking?” Sato smirks before

standing up from the table. “Hey Machi here is fifty Marks,” Sato says
pulling out a few shiny emerald cards. “I’m sorry but you will have to
get yourself a ride home.”

Machi blows a puff of air. “Yeah yeah, you always ditch me

 Bang Bang Bank
like this.”

Apricot waves to the two girls as she jogs behind Sato. “Hey
sorry to take off like this. I will call you later to tell you how it went!”
Bonni waves as Machi sits cross-armed and slumps into her seat.

Accompanying the sound of the sirens Apricot held tightly

onto Sato’s back. With expert skill, Sato rushed past cars weaving
through the two onward lanes. His red and white sports bike. The
white lines of the road become a flickering line as Sato pulls on the
throttle. “Sato,” Apricot yelps. “Don’t you think this might be a little
fast.” Apricot cries. The swishing of cars passing them had gone from
having measured pause to something more like a rapid reply from the
last.

“These things can go down quick,” Sato says “Don’t want to

miss a thing.” Apricot feels her heart race as she sees a near wall of
vehicles up ahead. Sato cranks the break, the motorcycle screeching.
A heavy smell of burnt rubber fills the air as Sato comes to a full stop
behind a truck. “Ah, shit looks like we have traffic.”

Seizing his camera Apricot leaps from the bike and takes off
running. “Sorry Sato.” Apricot looks back to see Sato’s confused face.
“Thanks for the ride. I will catch you later.” She giggles holding up his
camera.

“Yeah, get a good shot for me will ya,” Sato calls out.

“You bet!”
 Bang Bang Bank
Sprinting along the street of backed up traffic Apricot runs
along massive walls of plastic and steel. All the transportation
weaving along an interactive dance of inches and steps along the
clogged metropolitan artery. As she is just about to reach the
sidewalk, a car clips her heel knocking Apricot off her feet. She lands
with a thud on the ground scraping her elbow and knees. She looks at
her legs brushing off the street dust. Her skin is scuffed up with a
surface layer of blood blossoming against her pale skin.

“Are you ok miss!” the driver asks stepping out of the car.
Apricot gets back to her feet, brushing offer her clothes.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Apricot calls out running along the sidewalk.

When she nears the police barricade, Apricot can see several
people already pushing to get past. “Damn it, I hate it when they do
this kind of BS. Let the officers do their job.” Apricot reaches into her
pocket and then for her purse. Then it hit her, she had left it in her
seat and imagined Machi or Bonni had just about noticed it. “Great,”
Apricot says aloud before looking around. Regardless she approaches
the barricades, anyway. Apricot stands in front of an officer saying
“Please officer I am media can you let me through!”

The officer coldly looks at her before hollering “Sure kid,

student journalist, right? Yeah, where is your pass?”

“I left it behind I was in a hurry to follow the sirens.”

“I'm press too, officer!” says another man in a business suit.

“Sure kid, go get it and I will let you through. Without it, you
 Bang Bang Bank
ain’t coming on this side of the barricade.”

"I am press as well.” shouts another woman.

“Officer please!” Apricot begs.

“Listen to you punks are not tricking me that easily. Now

scram before I have you arrested for misrepresenting yourself to an
officer.”

“What is the official statement of the police about this

robbery?”

“The state has chosen not to disclose whether or not this is a

robbery or not. More information will be given as we understand the
situation further.”

Apricot asks “Is there anyone inside the building?”

“All of you back off and disperse now!”

“Forgive me, officer.” Apricot gives a swift bow before

pushing back through the crowd of crazed protestors. With a heavy
heart, Apricot found it best to retreat. Negotiating with the police
while surrounded by agitators seemed as though it was not the best
idea. The angry roar of the crowd drowned out as she headed off the
main street to a sub-street.

It was there in that sulking state she felt a release from her
original adrenalin rush. Defeat overtaking her. She turns her head
looking back at the crowd. Gripping the camera that hung around her
 Bang Bang Bank
neck she lifts it. Through the frame of the viewfinder, she watched as
people clamored against the police. The officers now growing restless
as their protests moved through the crowd with batons bashing in
heads. Apricot squeezes the shutter button. The twin shutters spiral
shut with a click and open just as fast capturing the moment onto the
negative tape. Apricot grins to herself knowing Sato will be pleased
with the shot. Though she could get a wider shot if she walked back
a few steps using the building’s alleyway to frame the image. Though
as she steps back she trips. Falling backward Apricot catches herself
dropping the camera to hang on her neck.

At her feet was a metal grate that had been obstructed by her
clumsy footwork. Stooping, Apricot put her hand on the grate to put
it back into place when a delightful idea crossed her mind. The
network of tunnels used for runoff beneath the city connected every
road together. She had heard every street has them. Removing the
grate she smiled hoping into the subterranean tunnel that would
become her nexus to get into the press area for her interview once
where someone would recognize her for sure and vouch for her.

“Come out with your hands up.” Shouts an officer with a

handheld plastic blue and white bullhorn. Several other officers
surround with their cars forming a shield wall around the crowd. A
bulk of the officers hold the barricade as protesters try to push
through to harass the police.
 Bang Bang Bank
“Get back or I will shoot!” yells a younger officer over the
crowd. “Back up I said!” before he draws a pistol panicking as the
protesters get past the barricade. He levels it to a young woman’s head
about his age while she crawls over the barricade. She freezes in place.
The group around the officer chant a rallying cry.

“Enough of these rabble-rousers.” said a chief to an officer

standing next to him. “Gas these sons of bitches.” A group of officers
in full riot gear march towards the group holding large pipe like
cannons in hand. With a holler, the officers release a series of
canisters into the crowd that land releasing a thick cloud of brown
smoke. The protesters scream as the tear gas reacts. Their skin burns
and eyes water in the thick haze of poison. Passing out of the smoke
the protesters are shortly followed by the gas still reeking from their
clothes.

The police in front begin chattering to each other when they

see the mirror glass door of the bank slide open. A man casually steps
from the shadows with a girl coiled in arm. A gun pressed against her
lower jaw. “Put the gun down.” The officers on the outside said.

The man lowers his head to the girl’s ear. “Now darling
remember what I said. If you move or say a word, I will spray your
face all over the room. You got that?” she nods her head as tears drop
off her cheeks. His voice was gruff, the trademark of a heavy smoker.

The captain of the police lifts a radio off his chest “Get me a
sniper on him, fast.”

“Put down the gun sir, it will be better for everyone if

everyone gets to leave today.” said the officer with the bullhorn.
 Bang Bang Bank
The man laughs. “I will put the gun down and even give you
the girl. Back up you shit heads. Back up!” he says pulling the gun
from the girl. Pointing towards the crowd. “Get back or else! If I see
an officer in sight.” He presses the gun into the girl’s jaw moving her
spongy skin. “Would not want to turn her pretty face into a scarlet
fountain would we!” He then points the gun back to the officer.
“Move back I said! Go now do it!”

“Take the shot.” The Police chief says over the radio.

A bullet thunders from the adjacent building soars overhead

through the man’s face. In an instant, the image of the hostage and the
man flickered away leaving only a small softball sized orb at their feet.
“Wrong move assholes!” said the man over the bank’s intercom
speakers.

“Shit!” gasped the officer as an explosion rolls out from the

front of the bank. Crawling fire bellows over the ground with shards
of debris hitting several bystanders in the wave of heat winds. The
remaining protesters ran for their lives along with several officers who
cracked under the pressure.

Apricot screamed as the ground rumbled. Whatever had just

happened above was loud enough that her ears had rung from the
blast. The lights hung upon cables strung along the walls shook in
their metal cages danging back and forth. Apricot’s heart now
pounded as she reached what she assumed was the other side. Apricot
looked up at the escape. The metal bars obscuring the view above but
much to her relief the sky's still blue. Scampering up the bars she
pressed through to the surface.
 Bang Bang Bank
A smile grows on Apricot's face as she glances around the
dirty street to see several trash bins filled with assorted recyclables line
a brick wall enclosure. She had made it past the guards. The top of
the walls is lined with some very nasty looking razor wire. Apricot
creeps out of the grate, the metal grate slams back down with a loud
clank. She sweeps the dirt off her legs looking towards the alleyway.
She could see police frantically pulling people from what appeared to
be an explosion. “Who would use bombs for a bank robbery?” Apricot
asked herself. She felt her hands fidget a little as a tense feeling washed
over her. “Could this be a terrorist attack?” She bites her lip
swallowing hard. “Can’t let nerves get to you girl. You want to be a
reporter nows the time to act like one,” she says to herself.

Clutching the camera, Apricot lifts the box to her face.

Peering through the viewfinder appeared black. She removed it from
her eye to see the cap was dangling off the lens on a tinsel of white
string. She put it back to her eye to see a person’s hazel eye looking
back. Instead of having lashes teeth surrounded the orb. “What the?”
Apricot says under her breath. The teeth shut turning into a grin
saying “Hello,” in a strange cartoon-like voice. A shriek escapes her
mouth as Apricot throws the camera raised her hands to her head, her
body shaking from the sudden fright. The sound of glass shattering
directs her gaze to her feet to see Sato’s camera broken on the ground.
She looks around seeing everything in the alleyway as it was before
she looked into the camera.

Apricot drops to her knees lifting the camera up, a few pieces
of glass dropping out onto the pavement. “No,” Apricot says under
her breath, as a tear escapes from her dropping face.

“Don’t move.” says a young man’s voice rather calmly.

Apricot turns her head to the back of the bank building to see a man
 Bang Bang Bank
in scruffy clothing pointing a pistol at her. She felt pale as he bombs
the nozzle. Accepting the gesture as a direction to stand Apricot rises
to her feet not wanting to upset the man. “Wow, he is really
handsome,” she says to herself after noticing the man’s chili yellow
eyes. He was a handsome devil with the features of a celebrity.

“Now, why would a girl be out here?” he asks curiously.

“I, I am a student journalist. I am trying to get a few photos

for my class.” Apricot says holding the broken camera in hand.

“Looks like you need a new camera.” The handsome man

snickers shaking his head a few times before stopping. “You think I
am an idiot or something?” his voice sounding more serious in tone
now. “You went through the sewers to get back here. Filthy. Are you
sent by the cops? Got a wire on you?

Apricot shook her head. “No.”

“Sure, like you would tell me, anyway.” He grins. “There is

one way you can prove you don’t.” He raises his head pointing his
pistol at her chest. “Take em off.”

Her face grew flush as the order rung in her head. Exposing
herself in front of this man was not only embarrassing, but it was
degrading. However is she did not she was sure he would kill her no
question asked. A dread of her previous actions came over her as she
lifted her shirt exposing her bare soft stomach.

“Wait.” the man said lowering the gun. He looked at the

ground. “You don’t have to do that.” Apricot paused looking at him
 Bang Bang Bank
pondering if it is a trick. She figured even if it was she would be shot
anyways. If a criminal will toy with you like that most likely they will
end you soon after. Lowering her shirt back down she stood still as
the man pushed his back against the door. It opened all the way with
a clank against the brick wall. “After you.” He said directing her inside
the back of the bank.

Apricot froze for a moment. If she went inside, she was not
sure if she would live or die. The idea struck her funny. She had her
robbery article, as a first-hand figure. She would have settled for
recording someone else's story. If she lived through this, she may hold
the story of a lifetime. A smile grew on her face. “What has you so
happy?” and in that instant, her joy is gone. The fear of death snuggly
placed in mind.

Part 2
“How the hell do we get out of this?” said a man holding a
pistol. He looked young. Like a teenager. Twitchy too Apricot
noticed. His nerves are stretched as thin as they could get. This made
him dangerous she noted.

The man who escorted Apricot in shook his head. “I don’t

suppose we can just walk out of here now. The back is open, heh,
reporter girl found a way to the tunnels. If we slip out though, I am
sure we will get chased.”

Another lady rested up against a bank tellers desk. She

either had a resting bitch face or was about ready to tear someones
head off. Apricot reasoned she was in her late twenties or maybe even
early thirties. Unlike the other guy she did not carry a weapon but the
 Bang Bang Bank
Belon Ruse jacket she whore could easily conceal an arsenal. “Well,
isn’t this great? Bright eyes are upstairs drooling like a madman. This
was not what we planned at all. What the hell was he thinking.

“A bomb. He is insane.”

Apricot sat on the floor looking around the decorated bank.

In the lobby, the polished marble floor had a huge crack which she
assumed was the blast that ruined the front. The glass around the
windows all shattered allowing a remnant of the tear gas flow
through. Next to her sat several other people with their heads down.

Apricot listened to the group bicker quietly. The questions

only grew as they complained. One thing above the rest troubled her.
What exactly did they expect to gain from a bank robbery? They had
done away with paper money several years ago ever since the Emerald
Mark became the new standard. She could not bite her tongue any
longer. She had to know. “What was your plan originally?” Apricot
burst out.

The handsome man glances over at her. “Told you she was
an interesting one.” He says with a half smile.

The nervous man laughs a little. “Well, we aimed to get

ourselves a hefty retirement plan… but it is looking like we got
ourselves a funeral instead.”

“Maybe, you could turn yourselves in, I mean the bomb was
not your idea. Turn on that... Diago guy. He does not seem like he
cares much about you guys.” Apricot suggests.
 Bang Bang Bank
The girl glances down at Apricot taking measured steps
towards her. From her side, she draws a thin slab. With a click, the
slab reveals a spring-loaded blade. She bends down next to Apricot
placing the flat of the blade against her cheek. “Comedian, keep
talking and I will carve a smile over your face from ear to ear.”

The handsome man smiles saying “I kind of like the

comedian, someone has to be funny around here. Might as well be
her.” She taps the sharp end of the blade on her cheek leaving a small
superficial cut. Her eyes locking with Apricot’s giving a sharp
warning. Yielding it to her palm she stands up to her feet.

“She might be right.” The nervous man laughed. “I mean, I

ah, I don’t want to die. We had no part in the bomb. That was all
Diego’s plan. Heh fuck, I mean, how do you explain that?”

“Speaking of Diagos what is he doing up there?” the calm

man says. “I knew that deckjocky was just a plug head.”

“Maybe he will still come through for us?” the nervous man
laughed. “I mean… he rigged that bomb up… with that holodeck
from upstairs. Think he has some way of getting out of here?”

“Only one way to find out.” she looks over at the calm
handsome man.

“Yeah, yeah, I will check on our little decker… see if he’s

done.” He then glances over the group. “I want a body as collateral
though.” Glancing over at Apricot. “Hey reporter girl, mind being my
shield for a bit?” Apricot shook her head.
 Bang Bang Bank

The man had lead Apricot upstairs to the second floor of the
bank. Over the mezzanine, the over-watch gave a view of the outside.
While uncomfortable with the anxiety of having a barrel pointed to
her head. Apricot felt more at ease even though the man’s gun to her
head told her otherwise. “So, just down the hall. I don’t want a sniper
to blow my head off so would you please walk in front of me?”

Inside the room, a girl in the corner with tears streaming

down her face sobbing to herself while a man sat in front of a
computer. A pistol rested on his desk along with a camera setup with
several cables stretching from his hands and tiny metal pieces spread
out of his fingers. They clicked on the keys typing at a fast rate. “Hey,
Diego, you almost were done? You pissed off the cops with that light
show of yours.”

“Did I?” he chuckles sarcastically.

Beating his fist on the table, the handsome man barks “Yeah
now get your ass in gear cause we sure as hell are running out of time.”

“What? But the party has just started.” He snickers. “They

got impressive ICE. I got through the first couple phases of it. Think
I they got a real nice buried treasure. The downstairs vaults are
unlocked anyways, load up what you can. I will have all the tunnels
open for you in a few. Was not expecting this stuff ya know. If you
give me some time though… I think I can find something more
valuable. This place is equipped with naked body scanners. Bet that is
worth something.”

“Listen, pervo, get us a freaking bank train so we can get the

hell out of here.” the handsome man hollered.
 Bang Bang Bank

“Tanj! You ain’t no fun.” Diagos grumbles.

“Just get it done.”

“Are you a runner?” Apricot asks curiously. The black haired

lady in the corner looks up with apparent shock.

Diago glances from his screen at Apricot. "The eyes, they are
wrong," Apricot thought to herself. "Like the dolls in the shop
windows of Akubashi street."

“Who's the girl?”

“Hostage like your’s.” The handsome man said patting

Apricot on the butt with his hand. A chill ran down her spine. She
wanted to slap him but resisted the urge. “A reporter.”

“Huh, shit man, if you don’t get that one creased soon, I’ll
reconfig her myself. Expert witness, you know joy boy.” She did not
understand all the words but gathered the jist, he wanted her dead. A
threat Apricot wouldn't take lightly. Judging by the other girl's wide
eye's, she thought much the same.

The handsome man presses the tip of the gun into Apricots
back. She can feel the cold barrel through her uniform. He moves the
gun from her back and presses it into her side instead. “You worry
about our get away.” She figured this was it. Driving her towards the
hall they had come from he said “You know the drill girl, don’t let
them blow off my head now.”
 Bang Bang Bank
From the ground floor, a deep voice thundered “On your
knees!” over a retinue of commands.

“Ta hell is that!” shouts Diagos. The handsome man pushes

Apricot onto the floor holding out his gun.

Several ghostly figures drop through the marble ceiling onto

the floor. The officer's cloaks bend the light to mirroring the
surroundings. "If not for the shimmering," Apricot thought "they'd be
invisible." Throwing off the cloaks, the armored police point their
guns to the criminals. “Got ya.” Said, one officer.

“You did.” Said the handsome man. Swiveling his body fast
he drew a blade from his spinning his torso to stab the knife against
the thick armor covered collar. The blade scraped against the black
Kevlar. The butt of the officer’s rifle impacted into the man’s head
knocking him to the floor.

Diego jumps onto the table, knocking the seat into the wall.
He swings his arm sending the computer smashing into an officer.
The cables whip back into his left arm, pointing his right arm at the
officer. The officer points the tip of his rifle in Diego’s direction.

“You son of a bitch!” Diagos howls. His forearm splits open

with a mechanical groan revealing a hidden uzi. "Bratatat!” the gun
roars. Protecting her ears with both hands, Apricot kneels into a fetal
position. To her horror, she watches a smoking bullet landed
between her knees letting out a scream of her own.

Apricot backed into the wall. “Ah-ahahahaa!” Diagos

cackled. She screams as her back sank into what felt like a pair of
arms. She looks up to see another officer kneeling over her as the
 Bang Bang Bank
officer covers within the cloak. Inside it was bright as the fabric
became a screen showing bodies around the room and making the
walls appear translucent.

Apricot watched as the red silhouette of the handsome man

swept his foot knocking an officer over. “I got you honey!” said a
muffled female voice. The officer leans back lifting Apricot to her feet,
she leans backward through the wall taking apricot along with her. An
intense tingling sensation came over Apricot as they pass through the
wall. Plummeting from they P wall the officer was like a swooping
bird with Apricot as her pray clutched in her arms. Landing with a
heavy thud on the pavement below Apricot let out a scream.

“What just happened?” Her mind was racing. Did they jump
through a wall? Cradled in the officer’s arms Apricot looked up into
the iron blue mask. The eye shields shined a bright red color. Two air
hoses run along the sides of the solid neck shields.

“It’s all right mam, you are safe now.” The police officer set
Apricot on her feet. She rose back up to her full stance gripping a clip
on the side of her mask. It clicked with an airy hiss as she lifted the
helmet off allowing her long blond hair to come cascading out. She
had bright almost white eyes. “Are you ok? Hun?” she said with a
rural mainlander accent. Apricot looked on with amazement. “I got to
thank you. Your little sneaking escapade allowed me to get inside the
building with no one noticing,” she said with a smile.

Apricot looked over as she saw another officer jumping

through the wall with the black haired lady from inside hopping down
onto the pavement. “Mam, do you need medical attention?” he says to
the lady who wails hysterically in his arms.
 Bang Bang Bank
Apricot looks up at the room they were once inside. The
struggle still going on inside. "This is the life police have, so
dangerous.” The words came off her tongue without intending to.

“You are lucky to miss. I have not seen many kids walk out of
something like that.” The officer said to her.

Apricot broke out of her trance before turning to the

armored woman saying “Forgive me.” She bowed as low as she could
“Thank for saving me. I am in your debt.”

“All in a day’s work miss.” The officer says with a smile.

A man in uniform walks towards Apricot holding a

clipboard. “You, student journalist, huh?” He says looking at
Apricot’s tattered uniform. “What were you doing inside the bank?”

Apricot’s heart sank knowing full well she would be on

camera. “That is a funny story…” Apricot said biting her nails. She
relayed the events that lead to her becoming a hostage. Much to the
officer’s amusement.

“Press huh, well, I am going to have to report this to your

superiors. I will let them decide what is to be done with you.
Understand me.” The man says waving a finger at Apricot. She nods.
“Good girl put in a good word. Got it, girl? Now would you come with
me? We need to get your account on record so you can be on your
way.”
 Chapter 3
Morning Incident

"You," a voice coughed from the dark. "You promised… why!

Why has this happened!" the voice sounded as though their throat
was full of liquid. It choked again wheezing as it breathed. A pile of
remains rested inside of a puddle of inky black liquid.

"I warned you." said a proud male voice. The footsteps

echoed in the alleyway, each step slow and deliberate. "You should
have waited. You were not ready to make yourself flesh again."

"You bastard!" said the pile of sludge. The man's black dress
shoes stop in front of the puddle. The tip of his cane touches the
ground with a click.

A snicker escapes the man's mouth. "You poor eager creature."

Out of the puddle rises the necrotic body of a skeletal

 Chooseth Life
creature with melting flesh hanging off its inky corpus. Several arms
extend from its spine reaching for the man's leg. "Don't mock me!"
roars the creature.
The man slashes his rod at the creature bursting its body
back into a puddle as it swipes through the creature's torso. "Hush, all
is not lost." He says taking a step away. "You need to feed on the flesh
of others and you will build the fiber needed for a body."

"Don't walk away!" the puddle commands. "I am not through

with you."

The man stops on his heel, the scuff of his shoe echoing in
the dark alleyway. "I suppose you are not," he continues his gate away
from the puddle. "Find me, later, or maybe I will find you when you
are born into this world."

Two arms burst from the puddle grabbing the pavement, its
fingers gripping the solid street. Clawing with its fingers, the puddle
slides against the ground moving deeper into the darkness of the alley.
"Later you say."

The low bustle of shoppers and wild ringing of

cash registe rs along with

the beeps of computers became the ambiance of Ichigari

Grocery. People of all types walk through aisles of stocked shelves
filled with various foods. Apricot rests on her knees with a crate of
milk. She lifts a pair of milk cartons out of the box and places the pair
onto a refrigerated shelf. "I am in so much trouble." she thought. "If
 Chooseth Life
I was on thin ice when Miss Akagi reports to the beauro of my
actions, they will kick me out for sure."

She looks at another carton of milk. A slight measure of

condensation dripping off the white cardboard. It appeared heavier
this time she noticed. "And I will be stocking shelves for the rest of
my life like this. I won't amount to anything." she moaned. "And that
rotten Jasper will be a famous engineer or something, he will rub it in
my face forever! Oh shit, when Mom and Dad find out, I need to
focus on the good things. I got one of the best scoops. I was a
first-hand witness to a robbery and I lived. I could be dead right now."
she pauses her thoughts for a moment. "I mean I would be dead if not
for those officers. I almost died today." she gasped her face fills with
frustration. "You would think being a hostage would be a good
enough excuse for getting off work," she mumbled to herself.

Apricot jumps out of her skin when a firm hand rests on her
back. She looks up to the pitted face of a middle-aged man. He bends
over her grabbing a gallon of milk off the shelf pressing his leg against
her face. "Thanks for shopping at Ichigari Grocery," Apricot said in a
kind tone. The man looks at her with a big goofy grin.

Apricot expected him to move on after but instead the man

just stood there looking at her. "What the heck does this guy want."
Apricot thought but continued and just ignore the odd behavior. She
reached for another gallon of milk to replace the one he took.

With the tap of his foot, the man bumbles "And..." in a low
tone.

A grumble escapes her mouth as she screams internally.

"And have a nice day!" she says flashing wide blue eyes and a massive
 Chooseth Life
grin piercing across her face. The man nods his head, places his milk
inside a cart and continues through the aisle. Apricot shakes her
head. "This is what I have to look forward to for the rest of my life.
I want to die! Uhg!

From behind she hears the distinct click of her bosses shoes.
It was a skipping sound that echoed about the store. At least it gave
her a distinct warning he was approaching. She rolls her eyes
knowing from past events he wanted to give her new choirs. If he was
happy or at least looked that way he wanted something. She figured
it was because he is always stretched tight as a wire; at any moment he
could snap. She turns her head to look up into an older man dressed
in a white button-up with black pants.

“Apricot,” he says ending his speed walk in front of her.

"Oh hey, Mr.Cawel. How are things going?" she said in a

raised voice in an attempt to sound chipper.

He taps his feet a couple times "Oh gotta go gotta go gotta go

go go!" His balding head is plastered by an artificial smile. He pokes
at his clipboard with a pen a few times. "O girl, hows your project?"

She looks over at the milk crates for a moment and lets out
an internal sigh knowing full well he would ask more of her. "Well, I
got this left, then clean up. I got a really important article to finish for
tomorrow." she hopes her not so subtle hint would be considered.

"Good good good, ok ah, so you're 'bout done. Hey, one more
thing. Could you mop the sidewalks?" He walks away before she can
answer. "Good ok that's great."
 Chooseth Life

Apricot looks over at the two boxes of milk left and sighs.
"Can't I get out on time just once… I was not even supposed to work
today!" she moans.

The shine of fluorescents lights the empty night street

painting the gray sidewalk faint orange around the edges. Apricot's
steps echo on the quiet night pavement. Her black slacks and white
oxford style button up shirt are stained with grease and soda. "Mop
that parking lot before you go… it should not take too long," she says
under her breath. An empty dented soda can rolls by clanking. It
reminds her of troubled laughter. "At least it's over now," she says
looking at a vast cityscape.

The sidewalk ends at a large staircase. In mid-step, Apricot

feels something slam her in the back. She was in airborne free fall
flying over the stairs flailing her arms letting out a shriek. Her foot hit
a step with a loud snap. Apricot cried out in pain as it surged up her
left leg. Seeing the ground fast approaching she slammed her eyes
fastened closed. She screamed; the sound echoes as in a tunnel.

Apricot squealed again yet did not receive the impact. After
several moments she opened her eyes to see pavement in front of her
face. Apricot attempted to squirm but could not. "What?" she said in
a faint voice. "What is happening?" Apricot looks just in front of her
face to see a pair of very pointed pair of red shoes in front of her.
"Who…"

"Tis time for thou to make a choice girl. Doeth thou wish to
die or wilt thou choice life?" said a gentlemanly male voice.
 Chooseth Life

"Who are you?" Apricot yells. "What do you mean?"

The man tapped his foot twice. "Thou find yourself

moments before thous curtain call. I hast stood in the way of that
death to give thou a choice. Doth thou choose life or doth thou choose
death."

"You're speaking all weird. What are you trying to tell me?"
Apricot yells at the man, she attempts to struggle but finds herself
paralyzed.

"Haply 'tis thou that speak the strangers tongue. None the
less ye are running out of time to make the choice. Doth thou wish to
live or die? I tender life as a gift for thou, choose wise as a serpent." he
says with a slight chuckle.

"I choose life!" she yells. Apricot slams into the ground with
a heavy impact knocking the wind out of her. She opens her eyes to
see she has slid several feet. She pushes herself up with a heavy pain
in her chest. "I must have hit my head." she turns to gaze up the
staircase to see a shadow looking at her. "What the hell is that thing?"

"Mineth dear that wouldst be a phantom. Thy trial is not

over. Feareth not though. You hast the tools to defeat such a fearsome
foe." said the strange looking man. Her sight gaze up to a long nosed
mask that reminded Apricot of a beak. His clothing was like a jesters.
He had two long striped purple and red horns and his hands were like
claws. He stood with a very prominent stance that looked weightless.
He was about six and a half feet tall by Apricot's estimation. "I
wouldst suggesteth thou doth something yarely before that creature
notices ye art still alive. I hast left thy power within thou to defeat the
 Chooseth Life
phantom. How it manifests is up to thou." He gestures his bladed
hand to point at the shadowy creature.

Apricot gets wide-eyed letting out a shriek. With a flash, two

white eyes appear on the floating shadow. It splashes onto the ground
much like a blob spilling over the stairs. The gentlemanly stranger
beside her does not flinch as he watches folding his arms. The shadow
rises out of the stairs to expose several dripping arms. Apricot
counted eight arms reaching from its back before she turned to run.
She turns her head to look at her as an arm slashes at her face with a
knife. The arm segmented too many times to be a human arm
Apricot noted.

Apricot dodges the attack lunging behind her. She raised her
hands up to her face backing away in fear. The creature rose like a
centipede from its puddle of black, it's many arms baring knives in
hand. The white eyes gaze in the dark. Its reflective might is near
blinding to Apricot.

She takes a heavy breath as the creature lurches towards her

dripping as its body extends. Apricot feels a warm glow inside her
arm growing stronger urging her forward. She dives away from the
creatures attack dodging another knife aimed at her face. The image
was overwhelming. She huddled up covering her face with one arm
and with the other outstretch she shrieked stop. A glow burst from
her open palm igniting the creature in a purple beam of light. The
creature let out a wet shriek of pain. Apricot's eyes grow wide as she
looks at her hand. A purple flame blazed from her palm dancing in
the wind. She shivers. "What is happening!" she screams.

"You bitch!" the creature roars before spreading out many

more arms as it dives into the air. Apricot throws her arm allowing
 Chooseth Life
the flame to slash like a blade cutting through the torso of the
creature. It splatters into burning pieces to rain like ash on the
ground. The parts fizzle and roll at Apricot's feet until nothing but
small orbs of light floating. The fire in her hand fizzles out and
extinguishes. Apricot gasps gazing at her palm. "I don't believe this
is happening."

"Splendid!" the masked man whispers.

She blinks unable to believe what she had just seen looking
over at the strange masked man. "I had to have hit my head." She
turns around and walks away. "None of this can be real." Out of the
corner of her eye, she sees the man floating in the form of someone
wading in water. "You're not real!" Apricot says as she scuffles ahead.

"Tis true thou did hit thy mazard, but ye art not seeing
things. Thou hast defeated the first of many phantoms. Thy method
of manifesting thy power was rather unorthodox, but it accomplished
thy task none the less." he said with no inflection.

Her step comes to a final click echoing around the empty

road. Apricot turns toward the stranger with a moment of silence.
The blue light from an LCD screen advertising beer colors Apricots
medium length fiery hair purple. A few papers carried by the breeze
make a shuffling sound. "I just want to go home after having a long
day at work. You expect me to believe you're real. I just killed a
monster by shooting a laser fire thing at it." She raises her hands to
her mouth. "Oh God, I am crazy. I hit my head and now I am crazy.
I am talking to a clown in the street at night."

The masked man floats in front of her and lands on the

ground blocking her path. He puts his hands on her shoulders and
 Chooseth Life
looks into her blue eyes. "Thou ramble like a daw. Thou hast work to
be done. The power I hast given thy is not for free. Nay, I hast a task
for thou."

"A task? What task?" Apricot asks.

"Thou shalt mortal arbitrament the phantoms from the city."

Apricot tries to walk through him. With a powerful thrust, he pushes
her back onto the ground. "Doth thou still believe me to be a vision?"
he snapped.

Apricot looks scared. She wipes the street dust off her nose
and looks up at him with terrified eyes. "I don't know what you want
from me. Leave me alone!"
"I gave thou that power to hurlyburly with the phantoms
from thy city. Tis mine task to remove them from thous ordinary
before I can return to mine home." In a flash, he is before her
extending a hand to her.

Apricot grabs the strange person's clawed hand. "What is

hurly-burly?"

"To kill the phantoms," he says in a cold voice.

"What if I don't?" Apricot says to him.

He snaps her in close to his face. "Then I shall taketh thy soul
as the collection for giving thou those powers."

Apricot scrunches up her face and squints her eyes at him

"You can't do that?" With the snap of his fingers, Apricot goes limp
 Chooseth Life
and sees the world tumbling. She looks up at the strange figure before
her. All the colors are sucked away. She can feel herself rising. Apricot
looks to the ground to see her body drooling out of her mouth gasping
for air; her eyes rolled back to the whites convulsing. The being's hand
opens, and she feels herself go back into her body. Her mouth opens
with a painful gasp for air.

"Thou will doth the task I hast given thou. Thou made thy
choice. Thou chose life. Anon 'tis time to pay the toll of salvation,
Apricot." he said in a firm tone.

"How do you know my name? I never gave it to you!" She

screamed at him.

He turns towards her "A reaper knows all names. Goeth, rest
for in time thou shalt be called upon to doth thy duty." Apricot blinks
her eyes to see she is the only one standing in the street.

"There is no way any of that could have been real." She

looked up to see a black starless sky obscured by the street lights. "I
need to get home."
 My Sweet Insanity
About The Author

I didn’t have many friends growing up. A couple but I never

really found myself desiring the company of others. I was satisfied
with myself. Granted I did have “friends” like any other child but I
spent a great deal of my time alone. I did not invent imaginary friends.
No, instead I invented imaginary worlds. Ones of monsters and
dragons, beasts and terrors, usually loosely based upon whatever
childish show I was watching at the time.

As time passed I grew more interested in sharing my worlds.

The thing about my friends is they did not hang out with me because
I was particularly nice or friendly, but I always had the most elaborate
pretend games to play. Ones that tried our bravery and made us
warriors. We fought aliens and were aliens. The forests of my sleepy
little town were desolate jungles of a ruined world. One that only I
think I ever appreciated. My friends kind as they were tried to see
what I saw. At least I was entertaining.

When I arrived at high school I had completely solidified my

mind that I was going to become an artist. No question about it. I was
an artist and that was what I would be. I had moderate success in the
field too. I wanted to work on video games doing concept art; so off to
the internet I went. I got caught up in a scam or two like any naive kid
would. I used to draw sloppy comics of wacky and weird adventures
based around myself in some dystopian sci-fi setting. It made no sense
but was the rambling fictions of a complete and total self-centered
teenager.

Now that I look at it I can hardly believe I wrote that stuff.

Those pages are the kind of corny that I could never hope to achieve
these days. Once I got out of school I traveled to where my heart took
me. That happened to be thousands of miles and I don’t regret the
time I spent out west. I had my solitude I craved and I enjoyed
meeting and experiencing new people.

It was in those days that I found myself going through an

alchemical change mentally. I stopped watching TV and unplugged
from society. I began actually reading books something I woefully
avoided prior to my poordom of working life. It helped that I worked
in a bookstore, well entertainment store, it does not much matter I
suppose. I knew I would never work as an artist. To be honest I
started finding the professional life of art difficult. I had been taking
commissions and it just did not pay the bills. I also grew tired of the
tragically hard amount of work without being able to really tell a story.
Growing my admiration of those with the talents (patience) to create
graphic novels.

I knew that I wanted to tell stories, but I had to understand

what exactly I would write. So I began writing ideas for stories. Years
went by…
 It was not until I entered college that I considered the
prospect of becoming a writer. I had experienced about eight years on
my own and developed a morbid fear of death. A fear I still hold very
close to my heart; I mean that in the most literal of ways too. I found
myself writing often to calm my nerves. It did not matter what I
would write I just wrote. Though I had this idea for a series that had
been growing all my life. I like to think it grew with me. It came to a
point though when it got, big… real big, too big. So I severed a chunk
of it and then there was two… I stood before the monsters and they
battled for my time. It was in those months that I saw my world was
about to be snuffed out and I had not made my mark on the world yet.

So I refused to go and here I am today writing this biography

about myself. I love myself in a dramatic kind of way but writing
about myself has some difficulty. It’s something I do not enjoy as
much as anyone that knows me would think. So this is how I got to
this point. It is in these days I make all those childhood stories of
worlds unknown legible to others. This is why I chose to be an author
of fiction.

~ Jayce Ran, 2015

 Release Dates
Blue Ash Crisis Episode Releases
Episode 1................................................................................January 2018
Episode 2.............................................................................February 2018
Episode 3...................................................................................March 2018
Episode 4.......................................................................................April 2018
Episode 5......................................................................................May 2018
Episode 6......................................................................................June 2018
Episode 7........................................................................................July 2018
Episode 8.................................................................................August 2018

Lyorta: The Saga Of Retribution Releases

Episode 1...................................................................................March 2018
Episode 2......................................................................................June 2018
Episode 3..........................................................................September 2018
Episode 4...........................................................................December 2018

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