Chapter 1
Pairs well with: I Against I, by Bad Brains
Earlier that day
Walking along one of the wide throughways of the Battery, Juan was doing his best to ignore the world around him. He liked listening to music before physical training class, but without a subscription to higher Krelnet tiers he was restricted to a limited playlist unless he wanted to be inundated with ads. When selecting music that Greta recommended, ads in pink, yellow, green, blue, and all the other colors of the neon rainbow appeared on every available surface, which– given the plethora of drab buildings and streets in the Battery– was everywhere. Even the grayed-out sky wasn’t safe.
Looking up at the ever-present clouds, he switched over to the PubWeb. There were no fewer ads here, but at least they were more varied, and the music selection was broader. He instantly regretted the choice, having forgotten there was a Black Chair election coming up next month. All the ads were for political candidates he didn’t care about. Even if he did care about politics, the Black Chair election was only for non-aligned citizens. He switched back to Krelnet and listened to GreinScrein for the thousandth time. It wasn’t the fancy stuff his girlfriend Greta could afford, but it did the job. Most AI music sounded the same anyway. The formulaic beats got him moving, and that’s all he really needed as he headed to PT on this gray morning.
The richer citizens of Nekonikon could subscribe to a tier that would use their neuro’s AR overlay to make the sky appear blue and show the sun. Juan wondered for the thousandth time what it would be like to afford such luxuries.
He wasn’t exactly jealous of Greta; she had earned her status on the Sales and Acquisitions track in school. He was happy for her, but still he wished for the luxuries that came with such a high status– and the power wouldn’t be too bad either. It would certainly make life easier for him and his mother. He sighed, knowing he was dreaming; he was exactly where he belonged. The Guard track wasn’t so bad, and it came with its own kind of power.
He arrived at the building for his class and climbed the stairs. Above the door to the dojo the Krelborn motto was etched in iron: Dominate. Control. Prosper. Everyone knew the Guards were the first line of defense in the maintenance of their society- despite the low status they held at the academy. In the world of Krelborn schooling, the Guard candidates were considered bottom rung– the grunts. It didn’t matter that he was one of the top twenty students preparing for the elite guard. That only put him slightly above the dregs.
As always, he was among the first to arrive at the gym and went through a light stretching routine alone by the side as the others shuffled in. He hadn’t gotten close with anyone in the elite class. He felt a coldness from their interactions as if they were purposefully distancing themselves from him. Juan passed this off as his own insecurity; he often felt like he wasn’t good enough and it made him work doubly hard to seek their validation. However, the harder he worked, it seemed, the less he felt like he belonged.
He sighed, too bad his best friend Rafiq couldn’t be in this class with him; they shared most of their subjects and their guided duty shifts. But this particular class was only for the top twenty and he hadn’t made the cut. It was a reality that Rafiq had a hard time accepting. Their competitive rivalry was so intense that Juan’s mother often mused that if they weren’t friends, they’d be certain enemies.
The time came and all the students gathered in a line and stood rigid. After a few moments, Shifu Bao entered the room. She slowly and methodically removed her sandals and placed them to the side, then withdrew her famed jian (sword) Ruby, and placed it gracefully in its holder. The golden hilt, with a red gemstone on the end, shimmered despite the soft light of the room.
To the untrained eye, Bao would not present much of a threat. Her small frame and demure smile themselves were tactics that disarmed many opponents. The facade was betrayed by her cold, unmoving, shark eyes, which along with much of her body, were enhanced with a full array of combat upgrades. She could see in pitch dark, locate enemies through smoke and walls, even flashbangs had no effect. Her neuro AI tracked opponents’ movements and fed real time predictive data directly to her spine which reduced the delay to her already lightning-fast reflexes.
Every year, with each new cohort, it seemed there was always one cocky young student who had to learn the hard way that she was the elite combat instructor for good reason. Juan never doubted her from day one, as he had already heard- and believed- many stories of her legend. But he remembered Paul wasn’t quite so fortunate. Snickering in line the first day, she offered him a test. All he had to do was land a single blow and he would advance through her class with a glowing report.
The fool took the bait. He went with a strategy to overwhelm the Shifu, beginning with a quick barrage of attacks, desperately trying to land something, anywhere. Bao moved so fast- at first Juan thought his neuro was glitching- she seemed to flash from right to left, up and down, without actual movement in between. Juan wondered at what point Paul realized his mistake. Was it during his attack or when the Shifu countered? The fight was so short, it was hard to tell. For Juan, and the rest of the class, the message was sent loud and clear as her carbon fiber forearms and shins connected with pinpoint accuracy and very little mercy. That was Paul’s last day in guard training.
By now she had the utmost respect from everyone in Juan’s cohort. Her past was a mystery to the students and the subject of much rumor and speculation. No one knew how old she was because she had all the latest integrated hardware upgrades which, along with the enhanced abilities, hid her age. She could be twice as old as his own mother for all Juan knew. For sure she had seen combat, so she had to be at least forty, but really none of the students could claim to know much about her.
She stepped softly on the matted floor as she made her way to the front, then cupped a fist in her hand and gave a slight bow to the class, which was promptly returned much lower. Her calm demeanor was unnerving, and not a sound could be heard in the room before she spoke barely above a whisper.
“Welcome all, thank you for attending. I know this time of year for seniors is when many lose focus. However, you must discipline your minds. The best warriors know that they do not get to choose when to fight, they must always be prepared…” she paused and graced the class with a rare smile “…even when graduation is at hand.” Juan stifled his own smirk and maintained attention.
“Today we will forgo our regular practice. I want to see who among you can truly stand out. While, as guards, you will be expected to work together and sync up on duty, it’s still good to strive to be better than the rest. Just as iron sharpens iron, so too will each of you become stronger.” Juan stiffened at that last bit. “We will have a full melee with the batons,” her tone turning the sentence into an order.
“Yes, Shifu!” The class shouted in unison, though Juan had to fight the tightness welling up in his stomach.
“Remember. What do we do?” Her voice now rang with authority.
“Dominate! Control! Prosper!”
The Shifu smiled again, “One of you certainly will. Go now, each of you select a baton from the back.”
The class walked single file to the wall where the batons hung. These were training batons and unlike the standard issue security one he would soon carry; they could not be tuned to a lethal frequency. At max, they could knock you out with a touch, and of course, even a dead baton could be swung with devastating force by guards because of their enhanced strength. Good thing we have training vests and helmets or things could get really messy, Juan thought. Then he noticed, just about the same time as the rest of the class, the protective gear was still locked in the cage.
Turning back to Bao, the students’ faces asked the question that their hearts already knew the answer to. The great Shifu nodded, “Yes, today there will be no protection. All you have is your baton and your focus. The last student standing wins a special assignment for tonight’s guided duty. A prize for the best of the best.”
At the promise of such a reward Juan’s fear turned to resolve. While he and his classmates were all part of the same team, every aligned citizen in Nekonikon- no matter their vocation- had been raised in the fires of competition. Competitiveness was the guiding principle of their world and the secret to their prosperity. It made them all stronger and an opportunity to stand out like this- so close to graduation- could set the winner on a path to the kind of success Juan dreamed of. It was exactly the kind of motivation that brought out his best.
One by one, students selected a baton and situated themselves strategically in the gym. Juan wasn’t entirely pleased with his placement- fifteenth out of twenty. By the time he picked up a baton, the corners were all taken, as well as the locales along the wall. Everyone wanted something solid at their backs and flanks. Given his lack of options, he decided instead to claim the dead center of the room. As one of the bigger students he knew he could be intimidating; he decided he should emphasize that with a show of confidence to throw some of his classmates off. They already preferred to be defensive by the walls; their fear might be his best weapon. To drive the point home, he locked eyes on Troy, – the largest student in the room– smiled, and visibly turned his baton up to the max.
When the last students took their place, Bao waited a beat then announced “Ready.” There was a long pause as students looked about; eyes shifting from person to person, some had clearly chosen their allies and their enemies. Juan was encouraged that no one kept their gaze on him for too long.
The room was as silent as a tomb as they all waited for Bao’s command. It seemed like an eternity, and Juan struggled to keep his mind in the moment. He just started to drift again when he heard her say calmly: “Begin.”
His mind snapped back to the present, and then turned off as he let instinct take over. He just knew there was someone trying to be sneaky and come at him from behind. He ducked low and turned 180° slamming his baton up and into the abdomen he knew would be there. The body dropped, and Juan touched the tip of his baton to her chest as she fell, sending a debilitating shock that would keep her down.
Without breaking stride, he engaged with the next student. Feinting forward, he drew a hard slash which he easily parried while throwing a kick to the knee. The student’s momentum carried him forward, and he put too much weight on the distressed leg. He too fell and received a jolt from Juan’s baton.
As he did a quick scan for his next challenger, he detected a shadow in his left peripheral. Evading would take him off balance, so Juan ducked low and drove his body toward the attacker. He never did find out who it was, but he heard a crack as the body went flying into a wall. No need to follow up with a jolt on that one.
Now he had some space and could see there were six students left standing. The closest were a pair who were working together. They engaged, spreading themselves apart, flanking him. He was too far from a corner to cut them off, so he needed to be aggressive. Slowing down would only give them more time to plan and work together.
He feinted to the left and then committed to his right with a charge. His hope was to get inside the other’s defenses. But the kid was too good, he backed up allowing Juan to claim the space and now the two opponents were directly on either side of him, exactly where they wanted to be. Juan resisted the urge to flail out. Now was the time to be aggressive, but not sloppy. He knew they would start closing the trap.
Juan pivoted perpendicular to the two, facing the far wall and keeping each in his peripheral vision. They both circled to his back, and he would need to turn to see at least one of them. He drove right with his baton raised high but continued his momentum around. The one behind him had taken the bait and charged, realizing too late that Juan had turned the move into a spinning back kick. His heel struck directly in the opponent’s sternum. Juan didn’t need to check this one either, the thud on the floor gave him all the intel he needed.
The other one, angered by the elimination of her friend, screamed and charged with a barrage of strikes. He tried blocking, but in her rage the attacks were too fast and coming from too many angles. He was able to focus on the tip and avoided jolts, but at the expense of his forearms and shins as he blocked.
Finally, he was able to anticipate one of her strikes. He reached out, caught her wrist, and twisted into a cartwheel throw. She landed with a hard thump but sprung back to her feet. Attacking blindly, she rushed into the tip of Juan’s baton and dropped just as quickly.
Taking a deep breath, Juan scanned the scene. Two fighters left, and one much bigger than the other. They were all tired and the smaller one- her name was Rae- was clearly losing the advantage her speed previously provided. The larger one– of course it was Troy– was toying with her, buying some rest time, before the final battle. When he noticed Juan was free, he dealt a heavy punch to Rae’s stomach, dropping her to her knees. She was bloodied, barely conscious, and starting to keel over when Troy stopped her from falling. At first, Juan was pleased, thinking his fellow student was showing mercy, but quickly realized he was only lining her up for a brutal overhead strike. There was no need for it, she was a downed opponent and clearly done. Even more disgraceful, Rae was a fellow Guard track grunt who would soon swear the same oath they all would.
Before the blow could fall, Juan had raced across the divide and tackled Troy. They fell in a heap, and both sprung up facing each other. In his haste, Juan had lost his baton and had to play defense. Arms wide, he locked his eyes on the brute’s chest. Anticipating the attacks, Juan ducked, backed away, and feinted forward. Without a weapon, he knew it would only be a matter of time before he was hit.
Luckily, the brute was angry. His attacks all had bad intentions; they were powerful, but slow. Hoping to draw him out, Juan chuckled, smiled, and taunted. Troy launched a combination with extreme force. Juan guessed correctly that this would be the basic four-strike sequence they had drilled since the first day of Guard school. He absorbed the first three strikes with his defenses but pivoted at the fourth. The brute had overcommitted. Juan used the momentum to trip him to the floor and then pounced, locking in a choke hold. It was over a few seconds later.
Rising slowly to his feet, Juan was exhausted but elated. He had bested his classmates and won the day– plus a special assignment at guided duty that night. Smiling ear to ear, he stumble-walked toward his Shifu. For her part, Bao did not move, betray any emotion, nor did she even signal that the event was over. That last point troubled him. A nagging voice roared in the back of Juan’s mind for a split second before he realized his mistake.
He turned around to find a weapon but was interrupted by a swaying, smiling Rae, holding her baton less than an inch from his chest. He could hear the hum coming from the tip and felt the vibrations in the sweat on his chest hair. He was still contemplating his error when her smile broadened, and she pressed the baton forward. He remembered only a quick pain, and then an extreme numbness as his ears erupted in silence. Everything went black.