Abraham walked into The Colosseum, its circular insides decorated in the fashion of a multi-leveled Victorian theatre. The whole structure centred itself on the pit in the middle. Abe was on the ground floor. There was one floor above with a balcony looking down at the pit, which was currently shielded from Abe's vision by a chatty, excited crowd, mostly employees from the surrounding businesses. The activities of the three or four higher levels with hidden behind red velvet curtains.
Abe wandered across to a bar. He wasn't sure what to have. Frisky had knocked him for six earlier, made him a jibbering wreck. He'd behaved like a coward and a fool. He wanted something that would make the night more vibrant, but wouldn't snatch his wits away from him. He decided on Ice. He sipped at it slowly and feel it prick the synapses of his brain into calm concentration.
Abe ascended a snaking black metal staircase, one of many dotted about the place. He paid little attention to the other people, groups breezing through easy conversation, guys forcing awkward conversation upon girls, some loving it... Abe found himself paying more and more attention to the people around him as he came to think of it. The women of Esplinade were fascinating creatures.
Lusting at one face after another, Abe moved through the people and towards a view down onto the pit. A punter was waiting to start in against the prey - a bald naked beast with digitless stumps were his arms should be. The concierge handed the punter - a fat, long-haired, greasy behemoth, presumably a technician - the Stunner: a thick plastic baton. More of the crowd drifted towards the front of the second floor balcony as word spread. The bald-headed freak, a third-rate organ clone, had a bloodied noise and a raw red gash amidst heavy purple bruising on the left side of his face. A red-smeared surgical mask obscured the mess that had been made of his mouth. He trembled as the punter stepped forward. The punter took a look at the prey, smiled, then lifted the baton high over his head.
Thlunk.
The soft, precision-designed thlunk of Stunner on skull. It was nowhere near full force - the punter was just getting into his swing - but it was enough to knock the prey's head to the left and send the mask floating from his face to the floor. The prey shuffled his feet a little, trying to regain his balance, to a general chorus of whoops and whoos and 'hit him harder faggot' coming from the crowd. The punter shot his eyes around the auditorium, searching for the bitch with the temerity to call him a fucking faggot. Unable to find the culprit, the punter decided upon taking his anger out on that ugly armless clone cunt instead. He took a breath and swung the Stunner up high over his head, ready to pendulum its weight straight through that clone cunt's skull.
The prey leapt forward and bit, clamping his teeth on the punter's nose. He bit and tore a chunk of flesh off, causing the punter to scream in pain and the crowd to collectively gasp. Without hesitation, the prey moved his reddened teeth to the punter's neck, tearing through flesh, trying to bite through the arterty, red jets of blood escaping through the savagery... black-clad security officers moved forward, four of them, wielding machetes and KN11s.
One security officer pulled the prey back and cut his machete quick across his throat, as the other security officers pushed their machetes into either side of the prey's torso, just below the ribcage. The three of them dragged the prey quick to the ground as the fourth security officer dropped to one knee and held his KN11 to the back of the prey's head. Health assistants ran forward to keep the punter on his feet as the KN11 devastated the prey's head.
A chill made its way across the nerve endings of Abe's spinal chord. Esplinade. The After Life.
Monday 30 August 2010
9
Tel walked along D Quadruple-A 16 (D.A.A. 16: Designated Activities Area Avenue 16) with pounding heart and empty mind. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he hurried along the street, not wanting to be seen by anyone who might recognize him. What he wanted to do was legal but it wasn't exactly everyone's thing.
He entered Reject Parade, a thin doorway deep at the foot of a set of stairs running in from the street. The doorway had red and green lights shining about its edges. Tel went inside and saw the cages, about thirty of them, around a third occupied. There was one other guy perusing the merchandise. He shot Tel a cool look with nervous blue eyes then turned his attention to the Cleopatra in front of him, sat staring at the wall, eyes half-alive, probably fucked up on Entropy.
Tel looked through the glass paneled cage at a Maryelle, clearly in her late forties, blue eyes staring straight out at Tel. Her face was expressionless. The eyes betrayed nothing human. She was still pretty - her face was only slightly cracked with wrinkles. Tel smiled at her. She suddenly smiled back, super-sweetly, then her face contorted into a scowl of pure hatred. She looked to be chewing the inside of her lip as she glared with soulless evil at Tel. Tel was going to enjoying this.
He entered Reject Parade, a thin doorway deep at the foot of a set of stairs running in from the street. The doorway had red and green lights shining about its edges. Tel went inside and saw the cages, about thirty of them, around a third occupied. There was one other guy perusing the merchandise. He shot Tel a cool look with nervous blue eyes then turned his attention to the Cleopatra in front of him, sat staring at the wall, eyes half-alive, probably fucked up on Entropy.
Tel looked through the glass paneled cage at a Maryelle, clearly in her late forties, blue eyes staring straight out at Tel. Her face was expressionless. The eyes betrayed nothing human. She was still pretty - her face was only slightly cracked with wrinkles. Tel smiled at her. She suddenly smiled back, super-sweetly, then her face contorted into a scowl of pure hatred. She looked to be chewing the inside of her lip as she glared with soulless evil at Tel. Tel was going to enjoying this.
Wednesday 25 August 2010
7
When the rain came it came quickly. Abe was sat on the third floor roof terrace at the J. El's. The thin sheets of cover sprung up and uncoiled themselves over patrons quickly. Still, many opted to head inside. Sheltered from the sheets of rain filling the terrace, Abe remained where he was, looking out over the evening bustle of the floor, night descending slowly.
His mind was fixated on Maryelle. Blonde hair, blue eyes, 20th century American model... the Barbie Doll Classic. Espinlade really had it all. The choice was endless. Abe thought about his namesake, that American Licoln. He existed in a world well away from this. What would he make of it? Fuck, what would anyone make of it? Made to order perfection. Esplinade. The After Life.
Someone strolled through the terrace, oblivious to the rain. They spun and fixed their cold eyes upon Abe. Abe froze. Rain blurring his features into an aura of bad news, the guy in the rain reached slowly into his jacket pocket.
Abe took his cue and leapt to his feet. He sprinted through the rain to the wide open doors at the edge of the plush velvet interior. Abe delved inside, the mad man still fumbling for his weapon out on the terrace. Abe glanced back and saw that he was smoking a cigarette. Abe slowed to a walk, ignoring of few stray glances from the other punters as he moved towards the exit.
Minutes later he was out on the street and staring through the crowd, slower now, performance everywhere, trying to filter out the noise and find himself. Esplinade was causing him problems.
Abe walked along Central Avenue 10, letting the weird air of the city waft all about him. He was in no hurry to get anywhere. He carried on through the disjointed gathering and arrived at the edge of Main Central Avenue 11: Money Park.
The thrills and frivolties of seedy Central Avenues, the golden toilet bowl ringing the airport, gave way to the quiet order of Money Park, a team of five or more HK209-wielding Security Partners (official jargon for Esplinadian Pigs) posted outside every premises. Most people were filing out of work at this hour, staggered finish times doing little to quell the silent rush of headset-equipped money makers filtering out of work and on with their lives. Some were filtering straight through cracks into the Great Beneath, the huge multitude of underground levels running deep beneath the roof, housing most of the city's inhabitants. Plenty more were escaping straight into the rooftop entertainment arenas. Abe thought instantly of Main Central Avenue 7: The Money Pit.
The Money Pit was a concession by the governing coalition of corporations profiting in Money Park to the needs of their tens of millions of employees. Arenas there had been given special exemption from Financial Cleansing legislation that barred all 'dark entertainment' from within the confines of Money Park. Abe suddenly noticed that of the workers not heading home, at least half were walking towards The Money Pit.
Amongst them was Tel. He was pounding pavement from the Stateler on Main Central Avenue 9, knowing exactly where his rediscovery of the roof would begin. Tel's mind was entirely focused. He knew what he needed to do.
His mind was fixated on Maryelle. Blonde hair, blue eyes, 20th century American model... the Barbie Doll Classic. Espinlade really had it all. The choice was endless. Abe thought about his namesake, that American Licoln. He existed in a world well away from this. What would he make of it? Fuck, what would anyone make of it? Made to order perfection. Esplinade. The After Life.
Someone strolled through the terrace, oblivious to the rain. They spun and fixed their cold eyes upon Abe. Abe froze. Rain blurring his features into an aura of bad news, the guy in the rain reached slowly into his jacket pocket.
Abe took his cue and leapt to his feet. He sprinted through the rain to the wide open doors at the edge of the plush velvet interior. Abe delved inside, the mad man still fumbling for his weapon out on the terrace. Abe glanced back and saw that he was smoking a cigarette. Abe slowed to a walk, ignoring of few stray glances from the other punters as he moved towards the exit.
Minutes later he was out on the street and staring through the crowd, slower now, performance everywhere, trying to filter out the noise and find himself. Esplinade was causing him problems.
Abe walked along Central Avenue 10, letting the weird air of the city waft all about him. He was in no hurry to get anywhere. He carried on through the disjointed gathering and arrived at the edge of Main Central Avenue 11: Money Park.
The thrills and frivolties of seedy Central Avenues, the golden toilet bowl ringing the airport, gave way to the quiet order of Money Park, a team of five or more HK209-wielding Security Partners (official jargon for Esplinadian Pigs) posted outside every premises. Most people were filing out of work at this hour, staggered finish times doing little to quell the silent rush of headset-equipped money makers filtering out of work and on with their lives. Some were filtering straight through cracks into the Great Beneath, the huge multitude of underground levels running deep beneath the roof, housing most of the city's inhabitants. Plenty more were escaping straight into the rooftop entertainment arenas. Abe thought instantly of Main Central Avenue 7: The Money Pit.
The Money Pit was a concession by the governing coalition of corporations profiting in Money Park to the needs of their tens of millions of employees. Arenas there had been given special exemption from Financial Cleansing legislation that barred all 'dark entertainment' from within the confines of Money Park. Abe suddenly noticed that of the workers not heading home, at least half were walking towards The Money Pit.
Amongst them was Tel. He was pounding pavement from the Stateler on Main Central Avenue 9, knowing exactly where his rediscovery of the roof would begin. Tel's mind was entirely focused. He knew what he needed to do.
44
Esplinade has always had a reputation as the original Sin City. But some sins scream louder than others. Esplinade has just been hit with a howler so loud it's caused tidal waves in Yankara. Yeah, and who gives a fuck right, but let's get it straight and up and out there Esplinadians - Sin City, Live and Let Die, Land of Horrific Fantasy, has fallen victim to one of the grossest abasements of humanity ever to occur.
Abraham Alexander, some weedy little bitch from Jungarw, hath come to our fair city and defiled it. This inglorious cunt hath arrived via air transport, fleeing prosecution for a string of debasements in his native desert land. Yes, they have laws in desert communities, fucking weird isn't it? You'd expect them to be a load of total faggots.
We here at The Esplinade Chronicle are offering you the blow-by-blow dissection of this odious corpse. Full series just 5c.
Abraham Alexander, some weedy little bitch from Jungarw, hath come to our fair city and defiled it. This inglorious cunt hath arrived via air transport, fleeing prosecution for a string of debasements in his native desert land. Yes, they have laws in desert communities, fucking weird isn't it? You'd expect them to be a load of total faggots.
We here at The Esplinade Chronicle are offering you the blow-by-blow dissection of this odious corpse. Full series just 5c.
Tuesday 24 August 2010
4
- The Contact Centre was an expanse of performance capture gear-clad employees generating avatars for horny punters across the planet and beyond, the long-distance ones coming at a premium. Esplinade was the Contact Centre capital of the known universe. RLE was one of the largest, spanning floors 290 to 308 of the Stateler Building. A room rammed with out of towners in need of a buck.
The horror, Tel thought to himself, staring off at the scramble wall hiding the depraved actions of his colleagues and their avatars. He had to leave it behind him soon.
Tel wondered why he'd stayed so long. Then he remembered: the nightlife. He'd grown up in some forgotten northern nowheresville, cold and safe. Huge human communities were scattered across the snow-swept higher hemisphere. It was the last place on earth humans could carry on with civilization in peace and quiet, without wild animals and weather craziness dragging the population into alienation and discord. That was what was happening across the overpopulated mass of the rest of the earth's surface, billions of creatures slugging it out for survival. That's what was forever threatening to happen here in Esplinade, Tel reminded himself. Exiting the centre of the Contact Centre, Tel chose the stairs over the elevator, then ascended said stairs taking every opportunity to peer through plate glass windows at the massive fall into the free-for-all of the floor. He was so isolated from the noise and craziness of it up here. He hadn't actually ventured down there in... how long had it been now?
His first few months in Esplinade, Tel had gone downstairs and visited the floor every weekend. As time had elapsed, he'd grown content with the in-house amenities at the Stateler. How long had it been? A year? More? Since he'd left the Stateler? Tel stopped suddenly on the 306th, letting the realization sink in. He hadn't been outside in over a year. The thought made him sick. He'd shut himself up in the Stateler building and let it slowly swallow him whole. How much had he saved? Enough, surely. Tel's eyes started to dart rapidly across the populous surface of the floor. He was leaving the Stateler. And not just for the weekend. He was going to go straight home, gather his stuff, hit the floor and go. Tel smiled softly to himself and carried on up the stairs to the 309th.
The horror, Tel thought to himself, staring off at the scramble wall hiding the depraved actions of his colleagues and their avatars. He had to leave it behind him soon.
Tel wondered why he'd stayed so long. Then he remembered: the nightlife. He'd grown up in some forgotten northern nowheresville, cold and safe. Huge human communities were scattered across the snow-swept higher hemisphere. It was the last place on earth humans could carry on with civilization in peace and quiet, without wild animals and weather craziness dragging the population into alienation and discord. That was what was happening across the overpopulated mass of the rest of the earth's surface, billions of creatures slugging it out for survival. That's what was forever threatening to happen here in Esplinade, Tel reminded himself. Exiting the centre of the Contact Centre, Tel chose the stairs over the elevator, then ascended said stairs taking every opportunity to peer through plate glass windows at the massive fall into the free-for-all of the floor. He was so isolated from the noise and craziness of it up here. He hadn't actually ventured down there in... how long had it been now?
His first few months in Esplinade, Tel had gone downstairs and visited the floor every weekend. As time had elapsed, he'd grown content with the in-house amenities at the Stateler. How long had it been? A year? More? Since he'd left the Stateler? Tel stopped suddenly on the 306th, letting the realization sink in. He hadn't been outside in over a year. The thought made him sick. He'd shut himself up in the Stateler building and let it slowly swallow him whole. How much had he saved? Enough, surely. Tel's eyes started to dart rapidly across the populous surface of the floor. He was leaving the Stateler. And not just for the weekend. He was going to go straight home, gather his stuff, hit the floor and go. Tel smiled softly to himself and carried on up the stairs to the 309th.
5
- High on the 309th, Stateler, Tel reclined and wondered when he'd return to the freedom of the floor. His little temporary living cubicle had been his home for two months short of three years. It was easy money with little time to spend it, but it was exhausting. He wanted to board a flight and get the fuck out of Esplinade. Enough time had surely elapsed. One month's notice had to be given to an outranker before he'd be permitted to leave. If he left before that, they wouldn't give him a digit of the money they owed him. Tel had to time his move carefully.
As soon as he closed his eyes for longer than a second he felt sleep take-over, a fast succession of images taking him from waking reality -
As soon as he closed his eyes for longer than a second he felt sleep take-over, a fast succession of images taking him from waking reality -
1
Esplinade lay on an island and looked as if it had erupted from the surrounding ocean. Great hulking shells of skyscrapers stood ready to topple around the four levels high constant shack covering and raising the island.
As the rickety passenger jet stuttered through the air and dipped towards the city, Abe shuddered. He hated landing.
The jet skidded and bounced along the surface of a platform strung up precariously between jittery skyscrapers, a couple of hundred metres above the weak mess of four floor city sat confidently underneath. Textbook.
Abe moved quickly through the wide expanse of featureless customs and past the armed guards into an elevator. He rode it to the ground floor, stuck in the close vicinity of a half-century of other passengers in the tight metal holding pen. It hit the ground floor without incident.
Moments later Abe was through the last armed, crew-cutted, angry-looking armed guard build-up and into the loud crazy free-for-all of the roof. Odd cars lay stranded between swarming pedestrians, crawling cautiously forward. Bikes and scooters nipped in between people who moved aside, zen-like, breezing past each other without collision as they pressed forward calmly.
Abe wasn't used to it and soon found himself flailing wildly and throwing shoulders at people, knocking them off their instinctive paths. They scowled at Abe with angry faces as they re-aligned themselves. Abe needed to get out of this craziness.
He pressed through the swarm of limbs, shoving and pushing his way across the street, to where a huge billboard at the seventy foot long base of a dilapidated skyscraper. Abe ran his eyes high up the ravaged frame, the skyscraper a mere fifty-foot stump, thousands of metres having broken off and fallen into the ocean, burying a large portion of the roof no doubt, and crushing anything in the lower levels unfortunate to be positioned beneath it. The repairs would've been almost instantaneous, Abe thought to himself, surveying his situation with what he regarded as no small amount of moral calm.
There were about two dozen suit-wearing security guys lining the wall of bar, keeping gatecrashes, as people filed past the guards, cover fees instantly transferred to the management. Inside, the seventy foot of plant and water feature dotted skyscraper interior spread out in epic calm before smiling Abe. There were maybe a half-thousand people dotted far and wide about the space, soothing music programmed in from outside. The whole place was brilliantly light with blaring spotlights expanding over the entire ceiling.
He got to a machine and got himself an ice-cold Frisky. He sat at a station and sipped slow and thoughtful, thinking through the purpose of his being in Esplinade. He was here to relax and forget about work. Success had its drawbacks, and Abe had a lung stuffed full of them. He knew that the longer he stayed here the worse things would get. Such is life. The Frisky sparkled across the synapses of his brain. Abe smiled suddenly. He was growing comfortable in his new environment.
Abe sat there and let the Frisky delicately soothe away any critical internal rumours. Thoughtless. His gaze fell across the place and landed on a three person group, a girl and two guys, sat indeterminate minutes away. The girl looked nice. Abe realized suddenly he had no idea what the time was. Flights'll do that. As will Frisky. It was early, surely. Abe composed himself and looked at the huge main staircase, leading up to the darkness of The Upper Rooms. He probably had time to squeeze in a quick visit. He could easily do that and be done in time to get on with everything.
Abe glided across the pseudoturf towards the huge spindles of mammoth tree trunk wrapped together to comprise the thirty-foot by twenty foot staircase leading up into the electric dark above. He stumbled across the dead wood and looked without seeing at the others ascending and descending the thing. He was clear of purpose and of conscience.
The peace was shattered as he reached the top of the staircase -
As the rickety passenger jet stuttered through the air and dipped towards the city, Abe shuddered. He hated landing.
The jet skidded and bounced along the surface of a platform strung up precariously between jittery skyscrapers, a couple of hundred metres above the weak mess of four floor city sat confidently underneath. Textbook.
Abe moved quickly through the wide expanse of featureless customs and past the armed guards into an elevator. He rode it to the ground floor, stuck in the close vicinity of a half-century of other passengers in the tight metal holding pen. It hit the ground floor without incident.
Moments later Abe was through the last armed, crew-cutted, angry-looking armed guard build-up and into the loud crazy free-for-all of the roof. Odd cars lay stranded between swarming pedestrians, crawling cautiously forward. Bikes and scooters nipped in between people who moved aside, zen-like, breezing past each other without collision as they pressed forward calmly.
Abe wasn't used to it and soon found himself flailing wildly and throwing shoulders at people, knocking them off their instinctive paths. They scowled at Abe with angry faces as they re-aligned themselves. Abe needed to get out of this craziness.
He pressed through the swarm of limbs, shoving and pushing his way across the street, to where a huge billboard at the seventy foot long base of a dilapidated skyscraper. Abe ran his eyes high up the ravaged frame, the skyscraper a mere fifty-foot stump, thousands of metres having broken off and fallen into the ocean, burying a large portion of the roof no doubt, and crushing anything in the lower levels unfortunate to be positioned beneath it. The repairs would've been almost instantaneous, Abe thought to himself, surveying his situation with what he regarded as no small amount of moral calm.
There were about two dozen suit-wearing security guys lining the wall of bar, keeping gatecrashes, as people filed past the guards, cover fees instantly transferred to the management. Inside, the seventy foot of plant and water feature dotted skyscraper interior spread out in epic calm before smiling Abe. There were maybe a half-thousand people dotted far and wide about the space, soothing music programmed in from outside. The whole place was brilliantly light with blaring spotlights expanding over the entire ceiling.
He got to a machine and got himself an ice-cold Frisky. He sat at a station and sipped slow and thoughtful, thinking through the purpose of his being in Esplinade. He was here to relax and forget about work. Success had its drawbacks, and Abe had a lung stuffed full of them. He knew that the longer he stayed here the worse things would get. Such is life. The Frisky sparkled across the synapses of his brain. Abe smiled suddenly. He was growing comfortable in his new environment.
Abe sat there and let the Frisky delicately soothe away any critical internal rumours. Thoughtless. His gaze fell across the place and landed on a three person group, a girl and two guys, sat indeterminate minutes away. The girl looked nice. Abe realized suddenly he had no idea what the time was. Flights'll do that. As will Frisky. It was early, surely. Abe composed himself and looked at the huge main staircase, leading up to the darkness of The Upper Rooms. He probably had time to squeeze in a quick visit. He could easily do that and be done in time to get on with everything.
Abe glided across the pseudoturf towards the huge spindles of mammoth tree trunk wrapped together to comprise the thirty-foot by twenty foot staircase leading up into the electric dark above. He stumbled across the dead wood and looked without seeing at the others ascending and descending the thing. He was clear of purpose and of conscience.
The peace was shattered as he reached the top of the staircase -
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