"Transaction Complete. Payment processing and will be sent in 1 hour 23 minutes." The robotic voice spoke in the man's forearm implant, a sigh left his lips as he muttered "useless piece of scrap." He walked down the street, his footsteps coming to a stop in front of 'Mr. Liu's Noodle Shop'. The neon logo shimmering above his head as he entered. "Ahhh Vincent, welcome back! Welcome back! You want something?"
Vince looked up to see the gleaming smile of an old man, Mr. Liu. A cautious, faint smile touched his lips "Not today, I'm here to return something." The old man nodded in understanding, opening the flap to the back of the counter "I see, well you know the code."
Vince opened the door, pushing into the shop's kitchen. Rusted equipment covered the counters and the smell of something rotting made his face scrunch up. His steps slightly quickened until he heard a squeak. His hand shot to the holster of his pulse rifle, a rat, just a rat, his grip loosened and a sigh escaped his lips. He resumed walking and reached the back wall, grabbing a ladle and banging it on a brick with a crack on it. In the bricks place appeared a keypad "ok so… 09… 2… 4." Vince clicked enter and was met with a sharp buzz. "Passkey incorrect, 2 attempts remaining."
Vince scowled as he tried again "0290… stupid, like a passkey needs math." A hydraulic hiss filled the room as the wall slowly retracted into the ground, revealing a metal door behind it. Vince turned the handle and stepped inside.
Lights flickered on above, Vince's pupils contracting to the harsh fluorescent lamps. Before him was a room utterly out of place in the grime and dirt of the city: sparkling tiled walls and floors shining squeaky clean. However that was only a backdrop to the racks, floor to ceiling and covered by a blanket of weapons. Pistols, rifles, shotguns, anything an assassin, or a soldier, would need. Vince reached for his holster, grabbing the pulse pistol and placing it on the rack. He turned to leave the room, glancing one more time behind his back before he stepped out, the wall going up and covering the room like it never existed.
He reached the front of the shop and was met with the smell of warm broth, his limbs relaxing and his eyes briefly closing before he turned to face Mr. Liu "at least you didn't forget this huh Liu?"
The old man chuckled heartily and swiftly responded "I may be getting old, but I remember the important things. Like your first mission where you returned with your pants-" Vince's cheeks turned a pale pink and his eyes widened "no need to mention it. I remember it… vividly." He reached down and grabbed the bowl of fresh noodles and a pair of chopsticks "Thank's for the noodles Liu, see you tomorrow."
"No problem Vincent!" Liu waved "See you tomorrow!"
——————————
"Next stop, Midtown North, destination is 12 minutes away." The droning of the C.M.M filled the metro compartment, a subtle continuous shake made the crowd grip tighter on the handles. Vince stared out the window as the above ground metro whirred past over the run down ghettos of Rendo. Buildings patched by scrap, infrastructure left to rot, streets riddled with filth, even worse than the likes of Midtown and Medio. Vince's face darkened as he spotted an old woman, where her left leg should be a makeshift prosthetic made from a rolled up piece of fabric. He thought of his own implant, maybe that buggy transaction system isn't so bad. To clear his mind, he looked up towards downtown.
Layers upon layers of skyscrapers, and mega corp HQs, all in a race to see who can build higher. Mundane greys and whites of the blocks were contrasted with the vibrant neon and graffiti, each a spit in the face of corporate greed. Vince's train of thought ended when the metro ads began playing, a scowl going on his face. "Always buy Lifynth, for better, healthier, and nicer produce. Lifynth, made for the people, made for you."
"Transcend, going above and beyond, a lead player in cybernetics in the region, promising a new tomorrow. Transcend."
"Fashobo, where expression becomes a form of art, an outlet for your imagination to thrive. Fashobo, serving Celda for 30 years."
Just as the ads cut a metallic hiss went across the compartment as the metro came to a stand still. "You have arrived at Midtown North. Next stop, Burton."
The metro doors groaned open as Vince stepped out, taking a breath of smoggy fresh air after the compartment's sweaty, human heat. He walked down the path as lights glittered above, the metallic hum of the city carrying through the night. He walked in silence, the only sounds being the occasional slurp of noodles and gulp of broth. Eventually Vince stared down an empty bowl before him, he shrugged and threw it to the side but was immediately met with a hiss. His hands raised up as he turned to see… a cat, all ribs and anger, licking the empty bowl in a hungry frenzy. "Kinda looks like someone I know" Vince muttered as he turned to resume his walk.
His hands fumbled with his keys as he unlocked the door to the apartment, eventually getting the door to open. His footsteps echoed in the stairwell, each step moaning under his feet, it always felt more dangerous than any job- walking up these stairs. He finally reached his apartment door, opening it and entering inside.
He let out a sigh of relief as he switched on the lights and was met with his apartment. The bed overrun by mould in the corner, the window giving a view of downtown, the single kitchen counter with a Politech and microwave on top. Vince stepped inside and closed the door behind him, throwing his jacket onto the bed as he entered the bathroom. Inside he looked at himself in the mirror, hazel eyes and light stubble staring back. He was alright for a man in his 20s, just a little bit of grooming needed and he'd pass for being a millionaire.
After getting ready, the warmth of his blanket wrapped around him, a replacement for the non existent heating of his apartment. He looked out the window at the still running lights of the skyline far away, the moon a backdrop to the rainbow of colours as holographic billboards flew across and corporate towers gleaming with bright colours on bleak backdrops. As his eyes fluttered closed a final thought went across Vince's mind, 'hope Liu's noodles are as good as ever tomorrow.'