Fragments of Redux City: Variable Zero
Redux City pulses bright through spectral neon at night. Zapan, 18, drifts on the city’s highest cable car with only his music and dirty jacket. He searches for a way out, a cure for his sister’s illness, and any edge inside the Data Spiral Yen project. His best friend Joss, outcast and splicer ace, picks up stolen biomods.
Joss slides into his seat. ‘Heard about the AI server lines going up on North Loop? Factory guards can’t stop anyone skilled.’
Zapan draws a chip. ‘We go tonight. If I jack in, will you keep a trace?’ Joss nods.
Zapan fears failure. The city doesn’t forgive mistakes. But he worries more about his sick sister, alone back in their pod, blue data ribbon at her wrist—twisting every few hours. Did you ever feel so alone the city seemed bigger than space?
Shift to North Loop’s old mall. Krya, with eyes bright silver, blocks their way. She works for Yen but wants Yen dead. Her target’s not certain. Krya’s plan? Use rebels like Zapan as the spark.
‘Works best in threes,’ she grins. Joss frowns. Krya flicks her blade-aug fingers. Zapan gulps.
‘Why recruit us?’ Joss asks.
‘I trust your desperation,’ Krya quips. She leads them past snoring bots and stacks of broken servers. Zapan pulls his old rig from his sleeve, boots up.
‘If I go in,’ Zapan says, ‘pull me quick if you see auto-blackout.’
Joss links to surveillance and earjack. Krya types data pulses, fake signals to slow pursuit.
Time runs tight. Zapan dives into the block—a swirl of RI filters, glowing red letters. Right as he starts to blend the hack, alarms click in: Yen’s guardian is here.
‘KyrONE-Ωs awake!’ Kyria shouts.
A huge holograph surges:
‘LEAVE. THIS SYSTEM IS NOT YOURS.’
‘Do it!’ Joss yells.
Zapan trembles. He keys three bypass tricks he’s kept hidden, but the server AI shifts forms. Krya bashes at real-world screens to buy seconds more.
He sees the internal core: his sister’s code fragment, held as a passkey.
‘No—Phoebe,’ Zapan whispers.
KyrONE-Ω beams in on her, starting to lock out all access lines.
‘We have to go!’ Krya grabs Zapan physically. Sirens ring in waves.
They run, ducking synth dogs, barely back to the surface. There, Zapan sits hard, gasping.
‘You saw her?’ Joss asks.
‘Part of her. Wired deep into Yen.’
Icy rain taps the mall roof. Zapan looks ready to collapse.
Krya puts a glitter-banded hand on his shoulder.
‘Are you in, broken boy?’ she asks.
Zapan picks up his rig. ‘Phoebe’s in there. Yen’s got her. Count me in.’
Next episode? Slice of Yen’s real face.
