City 18

[Sexy Frog]

City 18

OOC prologue: This story is more based on my time in the community Sigma 7 before it died so a lot of the stuff happening in here doesn't exist in CG like the "water treatment plant" but still I think it's a nice touch.

Chapter 1 - And so it begins...

A distant female voice is heard over a city wide intercom “Welcome to City 18, its safer here.” As cold metal doors slid open I walked out onto the subway platform, several strange men in black and white uniforms, faces hidden behind white plastic protective masks began directing citizens out of the subways. Out of the corner of my eye I saw one of the strange men grab a woman’s suitcase and roughly yank it from her hands and radio “Any available units, we have a non-compliant citizen, please advise.” When something buzzed over the radio the man unclipped a metal stick with zaps of electricity jolting from the tip, but at that instant my vision was blocked by a second strange man saying with a cold tone apparent even with vocalizers on “Move along, citizen.” But the horrid whacks were clearly heard from behind him. As I walked out, flying machines snapping pictures of people flew by and the voice over the intercom rang though the city again “Welcome to City 18. The Civil Protection are here to help you,” then the voice became cold and chilled me to my very soul “Do not resist them.”

Chapter 2 - Getting on your feet

I wandered out of the station plaza and into the first district, at least that’s what one of signs read. Every street corner had at least one of these “Civil Protection” stationed at them, there was nowhere to go and nothing to do without being seen. I came to this city not by my own choice…I was actually herded more than anything else, but I do remember that before we got on the trains for City 18, the supervisors were kind enough to give us 50 credits each to “help us get on our feet” I just assumed it was to buy a home. Eventually the darkened putrid colored sky began to weep as droplets tainted with the tang of rubbish cascaded from the heavens, I let a droplet or two fall on my tongue before realizing how bitter it tasted and decided to go for cover while the Civil protection stood like statues, unmoving. I soon found myself in an apartment complex called 45th Apartments. I figured while I was here I might as well get myself a place to stay, as I walked up to the reception counter I laid eyes upon a timid looking woman with soft hazel eyes and quite the complexion with her nose in a book that read “Vortiguant Anatomy”. She looked up as if expecting to see someone with an axe running at her and said “C…can I help you?”
“Yes, do you have any apartments for sale by any chance?”
Her face brightened up slightly as she realized I was no threat and stated “Why, yes. Apartment 2-A just opened up a few days ago, but if you’re looking to move in that would require 25 credits as payment, if you’re looking to rent then it’d be a 15 credit down payment and 5 credits monthly.” I slid her 25 of my credits and she handed me the key in return. “Enjoy your new home... I’m sorry,” then she gazed at me curiously, “I don’t think I caught your name.”
“Felix Saunders,” I started proudly and then smiled “At least last time I checked it was, what about you?”
She giggled and then with a warm smile she spoke, “I’m Jasmine, nice to meet you Felix. Anyways enjoy your new home!” I nodded my thanks and turned to leave when out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw her checking me out and I smiled to myself when I realized she actually was and continued walking. I finally reached my new apartment and slipped the key into the lock and opened my door, what was inside was nothing too amazing, the room was shabby dark teal wall paper that was tattered and stained with scratched and badly chipped oak flooring, A small kitchen area, and a bathroom. In the living room/bedroom there was but a single window overlooking the street, while I was looking out the window one of the flying machines floated up making a silent humming noise and blinded me with its bright flash used to take its pictures, making me stumble back and trip over a slightly lifted board. As I winced from both the flash and the fall I cursed silently to myself and got back up. “Well,” I whispered to myself, “Might as well find something to occupy my time, maybe a job or something.”

Chapter 3 - City working

As I exited my apartment I made sure to lock the door behind me. By the time I got outside 45th the rain had stopped, though it had done all except wash away the foul odor of the city. As I walked into the plaza the female voice came echoed through the streets again “All citizens wishing to work please make your way to the Water Treatment Facility, shifts will begin in 5 minutes.” I wandered aimlessly for a while still lost in the urban maze as I was accustomed to the country life, until I came upon a set of double doors that had a sign above reading “Water Treatment Facility”. As I stumbled in, I met a lengthy line leading to a desk where a Civil Protection officer stood assigning people jobs. Eventually as a couple minutes went by I was next in line, as I stepped up to the counter as everyone else had done the unit, not looking up from the computer screen in front of him said bluntly “Apply.” I looked at him inquisitively “What?” This time the unit looked up at me and repeated “Apply.” I looked around obviously lost, not knowing what to do. “Apply!” he exclaimed, this time more aggressively.
“What does that mean?!”
“You’re not from around here, are you?”
“No.”
The officer sighed heavily and stated crossly “Apply means you give me your Civil ID and name.” At the mention of “Civil ID” I remembered the supervisors back when I first got on the train headed here had gave me a card with some numbers, my name, and my picture on it; I figured that’s what he meant. I whipped it out of my back pocket and read the numbers aloud “My ID is 75281 and my name is Felix Saunders.” The unit looked back to his computer and said “Felix, you’re on Water Flow Distribution.” I looked at him yet again, this time cocking and eyebrow obviously saying I had not a clue what he was talking about but he only chuckled “I’m done with you, you figure out the rest. Just don’t screw up…it’s you’re drinking water your handling in there!”
I turned away from the placement desk to witness the massive pumping and filtration machines that lined the walls buzzing, beeping, and booming with many citizens manning each one. Now I had to find the “Water Flow Distribution” machine, I scanned around but couldn’t identify it, as I went over to the biggest machine I could find a robotic sounding holler flared from across the room “Hey! Hey you, 75281! Not that machine, stupid!” a Civil Protection officer was looming over me at this point his vocalizers straining from scolding me. Then he pointed to the machine in the far right corner “That’s the Water Flow Distribution machine!”
“Okay, okay, jeeze. I’m new, okay?” I stammered after he finished, and the CP grunted as a reply and stalked off. I walked over to the medium sized humming machine console that had many blinking lights and colorful button, and two very distinct arrows, one facing left and the other facing right. I assumed those were the directions the water was flowing, however right under the arrows there was a gauge that read 0.00, and I had no clue of its purpose.

Chapter 4 - City working and it's conflicts...

I began nervously pressing buttons and turning dials, soon following the gauge increased to 5.89 and I pulled on a handle next the right arrow which made it blink on and the slosh of filthy water echoed throughout the room as it began to flow through the pipes into another rather large machine which began beeping and steaming. I smiled to myself a little figuring I must have done something right, suddenly a command was yowled from the citizen behind the machine where the water was flowing to and he looked rather irritated “We need more water intake! We’ll never get these tanks filled up at this rate, and direct the water to the other tank will you!” I whipped around back to the console panic stricken thinking nervously what am I gonna do? I haven’t a foggiest idea how to work this….thing! I hurriedly began pressing buttons and turns dials again and the gauge stooped to 1.24 and most of the sound of water died down, replaced by the eerie sound or tickling under the booming machines. I was turned around by a man with a face twisted in anger exclaiming in my face, a little closer than I felt comfortable with a few angry citizens behind him “What are you doing?! Get it right, or I’ll set you straight!”
The light of anger flared in my eyes as I pushed him away from me “Get off my back! I’ve never been here before; you wanna come and work this? Be my guest!” The man stumbled back and tripped over a lifted cable on the floor with a hard thud and the whole facility went deathly quiet aside from the machines of course as heads of the people working bobbed up out of the lake of machinery. The people behind the man hauled him up and his face was now unreadable, darkened as if a shadow fell across the building, he stared at me; his icy cold glare seeming the be looking into the very confides of my soul. He stated bluntly “You my friend have messed with a very bad man. And you will have wished you hadn’t. I will-” his threat was cut short by three Civil Protection officers approaching the disruption with stunsticks in hand, electricity zapping from the tips waiting eagerly to taste flesh “Citizens, against the wall!” one of them commanded harshly. The anger that had shimmered in my eyes died away and my heart sank as I realized my situation; first day, first offence.

Chapter 5 - Jail bird

The citizens led by the man attempted to run out of the building but to no avail, spare CP by the door tackled them all the ground. One of them said over the radio in the station “Any available units, we have several non-compliant citizens, Requesting back up in the W.T.P.” I figured that meant Water Treatment Plant. Meanwhile, the captured trouble makers had their hands bound behind them with zip ties, though it hadn’t stopped them from cursing up a storm. But one thing was apparent even through the loud cursing and the buzzing of machines and uneasy mumbling of the remaining citizens and that was the name of the man who had threatened me “You better watch your back, kid! I’m coming for you; Kevin Corteen is coming for YOU!” That made my stomach feel like a stone sinking into a pond but my panic was interrupted by a CP shoving me roughly against a wall. Face met concrete as I was slammed against the nearest wall, pain buzzing through me as he roughly yanked my arms down and zip tied me. The CP grabbed at my collar and guided me out of the plant; the onlookers were commanded to return to work by the remaining CP. As I walked out with the CP almost dragging me as hot foul air of the city felt almost refreshing compared to the putrid, hot, noisy water plant. After some time of rounding corners we came to a combine barricade, the CP scanned his card and the doors opened leading to a half of the city I had no idea was here. He pulled me to another metal door and scanned his card again when the door slid open he pushed me inside, and I tumbled inside. The CP strode inside and commanded “Get up!” I scrambled up, the urge for battle screeching through every part in my body and it must have been obvious for as soon as I got up the CP shoved me back in a quick movement and withdrew his 9mm pistol, so by the time I was able to recover from that shove I was looking down it’s darkened barrel. “Don’t test me,” the CP’s robot like voice buzzed from his mask “If you try anything I can just shoot you, file up some paper work and I’m done.” I looked down the barrel, then at the officer and I calmed myself down sighing “Fine…”
He holstered his weapon and led me down to the containment cells; he waved his card in front of a strange machine on a cell door and the orange light on it glowed green making the door open by itself. The CP pointed into the cell and barked “Get in.” The cell was unnaturally dark and reeked of death, as if someone had stayed in confinement for too long and perished. I sluggishly shuffled into the cell and the Civil Protection officer slammed the cell door in my face and I heard the strange machine on the other side of the door lock itself. There was not much light and the little that there was came from a small window next to the door of the cell. This revealed some blood on the back wall that looked rather…..fresh. I felt my way around the cell and I have to admit, it was about the size of a broom closet. There was a small splintery wood bench nailed to the ground inside it. When I found it I sat down gloomily, splinters poking through the back of my pants but I didn’t really notice, I was too angry that I was dragged here when that man, Kevin, started it! The officer that had taken me here knocked on the window, when I looked up, half my face shrouded in the shadows of the cell I asked moodily “What?!” “Apply.” Was my response, and I looked at him questioningly
“What?”
“Apply!”
I dwelled on that word for a second or two before remembering that “apply” meant my CID and name. But I still refused “Why? I shouldn’t even be here, he came to me first.” The CP’s voice became harsher than before “That’s not what I asked, citizen! I said apply!” yet I still shook my head defiantly, the officer sighed and raised his walkie to his mask “Non-compliant citizen, preparing to reeducate.” Within second the response came over with much static in the background “Roger. Proceed.” I looked through the window clueless “What’s that? What does reeducate mean?” the CP chuckled and stated as he opened the cell door the same as he had before “You’ll find out soon enough.”

Chapter 6 - The makings...

He grabbed me by my zip tied hands and raised them up in an unbearably painful manor and steered me toward another room on the far side on the detainment cells. He swiftly opened the door and pushed me inside. I stumbled, but kept my balance and I trotted to the far wall of the room. This room was much better lit, with a long metal table and a chair behind it, there was also a long window that I could not see through from my end and an intercom in the corner. The CP soon strode inside and unclipped his stunstick, gingerly shutting the metal door behind him. “Now, for that re-education process.” He rasped as he drew closer to me but for each step he took forward I took one back until I reached the end of the room. As he came within range he lifted his stunstick in the air threateningly, blue sparks of electricity jutting out from the movement and brought it down hard! Since my hands were still zip tied behind me, there wasn’t much I could do except try to move out of the way in the little time I had. I leaned to the right at the last second, the stick meeting concrete as several chips sprayed out into my eyes, briefly blinded I lost balance and fell over, but before I even hit the ground the sickening crack of my ribs coursed through the air as the CP’s heavy metal boot met my abdomen sending me hurtling across the room into the table. I landed awkwardly on the edge of the table on the edge causing it to flip over only to look up to the familiar white mask I have seen too often since my arrival. He grabbed me by the neck with one hand and tightly gripped his stunstick with the other and crashed its electric tip into the side of my face. As metal met flesh, a flood of electricity rippled through my body making me scream, it was blood curdling and echoed through the halls of the Nexus as all went slowly dark. The last things I remember were hazy, as the darkness lifted slightly and I was being dragged out of the room, then the dark claimed me again. It lifted one last time long enough for me to see a sign…it read “Armory” then all was black.
Slowly my senses came back to me, first the metal clanking of far away footsteps and the steady swift sound of someone hitting keyboard keys, then the strong odor of machinery. As my eyes slowly opened a hard deep blue metal ceiling was my first view, I moved my head around viewing my surroundings, there was a big glass cage in the corner with a odd creature that had two little feet in the back and was propped up by two long horn looking things in front of it and it looked as though it had an indentation where it’s belly would be that was bloody. As I scanned forward there was a flight of stairs and an open cabinet filled with medical equipment, it was then I figured I was in a hospital. And finally there was a CP sitting in front of a big console typing something on it, when I turned my head towards the CP, it shot a sideways glance toward me and spoke “Ahhh….you’re awake at last.” Its voice was peculiar to me, before, the other officers sounded more….deeply transmitted but as it stood and I examined its figure, the realization dawned on me. This CP was not like the others, this one was female! However, female or not I wasn’t about to just trust a Civil Protection officer after what had happened so I asked warily “Where am I?” she looked at me an answered simply “The Nexus medical bay.” There was a brief awkward silence that hung in the room like a heavy fog until she approached me “Well, you took quite the injury. Do you hurt anywhere?”
I quickly inspected myself, putting pressure in various spots to see if I had pain, I winced in some spots more than others. “Yeah, a little here and there.” I replied still wary and alert of my surroundings, the female CP glided over to the open medical cabinet across the room with grace and picked up a cylindrical container and came back screwing off the cap and passing it to me. I took the bottle like container cautiously and peered into it only to see its murky green and yellow contents, as I held it further from my face in obvious disgust she chuckled slightly and said gently “Don’t worry, it’s not poison or anything, it may taste bad, but it will help you heal.” I stared at her, shocked at how tender her voice sounded….almost…..motherly!