2034, January 7. Axiom Pearl. A city for ghosts. A place that was considered heaven for the wealthy people. On the other hand a group of people were completely isolated. This city had two sides. One for those rich pigs and another for those who were starving to death. Pigs don't care what we do, they don't care how we live. To them we are just tools. If a tool breaks it gets replaced. The law and order only exists when it comes to them. More than half of the cops in this city were tools for the pigs. If a pig commits a crime it's called a mistake but if an immigrant or lower class commits a crime they either end up in jail or get hanged. The discrimination was beyond imagination.
Those who lived in the south had everything. Luxurious mansions, cars, wealth. The north and west were considered as the working class. Most of them worked for the pigs such as butlers, drivers, company workers and dreamed to become one. The east coast people were hated by everyone. They were called Grubs. Pigs only used them as tools. Slaves. Those who obey live, those who don't end up missing.
This city is rotten. The luxurious mansions and buildings in the south were just structures built on sins. The air was filled with their disgusting thoughts. The more a person thinks about them the more hatred consumes them. Then there was me. A grub myself who managed to survive in the north. The north and west side of this city was calm yet filled with crimes. Streets get dark when it's midnight. The people who lived here only focused on surviving. They had no dreams, no ambition. They only wanted to survive and die a peaceful death.
I opened my eyes and saw it's almost ten o'clock. The feeling was something else as if the night had passed within a blink of an eye. My body refused to move. The bed felt so warm and nice I couldn't afford to get up. The sunlight on my face felt like a warm touch from heaven. Right before I closed my eyes again someone almost broke my door through knocking. "Mr Fin, wake up already. Mr Yamako is calling us."
As usual she broke into my apartment again. I somehow managed to get my lazy ass up. Every step felt different today. I looked in the mirror. My hair was messed up as always. The stack of files on my desk awaits my attention. She didn't stop. Her knocking only got louder. "Mr Fin wake up for god's sake."
I was cornered. I had to open or she might break the door. Without any second thoughts I opened the door. As soon as I saw her I was stunned. "What the hell?" Purple hair, blue contact lenses. "What?" She acted as if nothing has changed. I was just standing there. Yesterday her hair was white and now she had changed it completely. "Is that a wig or have you painted your hair again." I had to ask. "It's called hair dye not paint Mr." She gave an angled look.
Yuki Griffin. My assistant who was annoying most of the time yet she was the only one who can get the job done. I ignored her and walked ahead towards my office. She followed me around and kept talking. "Mr Fin I have almost received a hundred calls from Mr Yamako please just talk to him." I was listening but I didn't answer. I needed a coffee more than anything. "I will." I sat on my chair. The comfort was something else. My desk is messy. My office looked as if someone had rampaged here. "Can you give me coffee?" Yuki looked annoyed when I asked her.
She slammed the phone on my desk. Oops. I should've listened. Without a single word she went for the coffee machine and I was the bad guy here. She turned it on and started making coffee. I looked at the phone and picked it up.
"Damn your comfort. I am trying to be productive and you're interested in coffee." She was muttering. Her tone was deep and she was genuinely annoyed by my behaviour. I can't help it. Coffee is everything for me in the morning.
"Mr Yamako, Robin here." As soon as I said it she turned back and looked at me. I couldn't afford for her to get mad. "It took you long enough to answer Robin." The person on the phone was no ordinary figure. The chief officer of the North sector of this city. Mr Yamako. His tone reflects a melody of experience. "So what's it this time?" Yuki came with the coffee and sat right in front of me. I pulled the mug closer. The aroma of caffeine is the most precious fragrance in the morning.
"There's been an incident in the Apex complex yesterday." I took a sip while listening. Yuki got busy with files. "Isn't that in the East sector? So why bother to call me?" The Apex complex is a slum located in the East sector. The most hated and disgusted place by the pigs. "Yes, but this one's different. A merchant from the south has shown interest so we have to take action." Yuki gave a disgusted look as soon as she heard about it. "So what's the case?" I wasn't curious neither interested because life in the East doesn't matter to the pigs. They only use them as factory tools. "Just come to the location I have sent you. Don't be late." He hung up.
My coffee got cold. "Damn pigs." Yuki smiles as soon as I said it. "What?" She looked curious about it but I can tell she won't show interest. "Nothing, the pigs probably want to run experiments on them again right?" She wasn't bluffing. The south sector belongs to the wealthy people. There are rumours that they run experiments on the Grubs but no one has ever got any solid evidence since they had control over the city.
I was feeling frustrated. I wasn't interested but I owe Mr Yamako a lot so I must. Yuki got up and stood in front of the window. I was drinking my coffee while looking at the phone. "So?" She was interested. I put the mug down. I have no choice left. "Let's go then?" She smiles. She's not happy. She's just hungry for thrill.
We made arrangements. Usually I take my car but today something felt different. As we were going downstairs I stopped. Yuki turned back and looked at me. "What's wrong?" I know something is wrong but I don't know what? I looked at her but I didn't have any answer. "How about we take a taxi?" She gave a side eye look and went downstairs. I know what she thinks but I can't get over this odd feeling.
As soon as I stepped outside the air felt heavy. The streets were crowded. The shops were busy. My apartment is located in one of the most busiest places. The people were rushing. A man running. A local arms shop was packed with teenagers. The crimes in this city were a daily routine. As I was observing everything Yuki arrived with a taxi. She was sitting inside. She opened the door and I got inside. "Apex Complex, take the straight route." The driver looked at me but didn't say anything. Yuki sat quietly. Here we go.
As we were arriving there the strange feeling grew more intense. I have seen worse so what's with this one. As I was enjoying the horrible view I noticed a boy was getting beaten by three men. What's his fault? Scenarios like this are very common. "Shop lifting I guess" Yuki guessed it and it might be the thing. The taxi stopped and we have arrived. Apex Complex. The biggest slum in the east sector. The complex was twenty stories high and almost every floor had fifty apartments. A huge colony of Grubs. The pigs named this place Grubs Market. They hated the east sector and the people with all their life. To them we are nothing but waste.
Yuki and I were standing in front of the complex. I looked around but saw the place is completely empty. This is a place where thousands of people live together but today it was a ghost town. Yuki saw a bunch of cars across the road. Cops. The APPD. This confirms that Yamako is up there.
"Did he tell you which floor?" Yuki asked me but even I don't know which floor it was. "Let's climb shall we." I walked ahead and she followed me. I also noticed a cop was staring at us when we were going inside the complex. "Pig eyes." I looked at Yuki when she says it. Eventually eighty percent of the APPD officers are corrupted they only follow orders from the pigs. Their only job is to satisfy them.
We walked inside and the complex was huge. I looked up and the view was like an illusion. The floor layers were like a maze. Yuki walked towards the elevator. "You coming or what?" I made my way to the elevator. "Which floor then?" I asked her.
"Seventeen." She says it without any hesitation and pressed it. "Why so confident?" I asked her because I know she can figure it out but as a senior it's a test. "Every floor had lights except for the seventeenth one." She's right. I smiled but she didn't give any reaction. Eight, nine. The elevator keeps going up. "You knew right?"
She figured. "As soon as we entered you looked up and you figured which floor it was." She was absolutely right. She smiles and looks ahead while I stood there quietly. The lift stopped at the seventeenth floor. The doors opened and our job started. This is the crime scene. Another case? Another murder? Another game begins. The floor was mostly dark yet some lights were still on. Across the hallway the cops were standing in front of an apartment. As we walked towards it I felt an extreme surge of curiosity. What's it this time?