Chapter 5:
Chapter 5: A World Full of Shit
Fracture
"Yes, sir. We've secured the kid you asked for. But we need some time to train him," Michael said.
"Good. Don't take too long. I need him generating cash for me," the voice on the other end replied, the tone heavy and commanding.
The call ended. Michael slid his phone back into the pocket of his trousers. Mora glanced over briefly while continuing to type.
"Who was that? Razor?"
"Yeah. Just as I suspected, he immediately asked about the boy."
Mora yawned, stretched her arms, and cracked her knuckles loudly.
"Well, it is what it is... I'm going to rest now. I'm tired of talking about work." She pressed a button on the side of her console, and the massive screen in front of her went black. She slid out of her chair and left the room.
Michael stood in silence for a moment. He picked up his coffee from the table, took a slow sip, and set it back down. Reaching into the lower shelf of the desk, he pulled out a pair of binoculars.
Etched across the top was an inscription: Adaptive Binocular by Mora.
Michael walked out of the room, killing the lights as he went. He took the elevator down to the second floor and stood before a window as massive as the glass walls of a skyscraper. He pressed the binoculars to his eyes and zoomed in on the streets below.
He watched a woman being dragged by three men into a narrow, dark alley. He immediately shifted his gaze; he knew exactly what was going to happen next. A mob of thugs was smashing property along the street. Some were looting small shops. A few pressed pistols against the heads of shop owners until they fled their own businesses. They didn't hesitate to fire at anyone who tried to resist.
"Truly a rotten city. Where the hell is that fucking government when the city gets like this? Every single night, this place turns into a madhouse," Michael muttered, lowering the binoculars.
---
Meanwhile, Mora stepped out of the elevator on the third floor. She walked down the hall to a room with a card reader built into the door handle. She pulled a card from her left pocket and swiped it.
The door slid open automatically. Inside, the room was a clutter of bookshelves, machine spare parts, and three computer rigs stationed in the corners. In the center lay a bed facing the door. On a small nightstand beside it sat a framed photo of Mora's family. To the left was the door to the bathroom.
As she stepped inside, the door sealed shut behind her. Mora sat on the edge of her soft mattress. She turned to the nightstand, picked up the frame, and stared at it.
A smile touched her lips as she gently stroked the photo with her right hand.
Moments later, a tear trickled down her cheek. Then another. Soon, the tears were flowing uncontrollably. Mora sobbed, her shoulders shaking. Slowly, she placed the photo back on the stand and wiped her face with her sleeve.
Then, she smacked herself hard on the head.
"What are you sad about, you crybaby! Crybaby!" she shouted, hitting her head again.
She collapsed onto the mattress, peeled off her gloves, and hugged the bolster pillow beside her tightly, burying her face in it.
---
The sun was shining brutally bright the next morning. Its rays hit Raden's face, but he remained dead asleep.
"Hey! Come on, wake up, wake up, wake up! It's already bright out, time to run!" Mora's voice boomed through a microphone connected to two large drones hovering directly over his body.
Raden jolted awake, eyes bulging, body trembling. His face went stiff as the deafening sound from the speakers registered. He looked over at Mora, who was standing there with her arms crossed.
"Ugh... why do you have to use speakers that big?" Raden groaned weakly, rubbing his eyes.
"No excuses! Come on, hurry-hurry-hurry! Wake up and run! Or I'll force you out of bed in 3..."
Raden drifted back into a half-asleep state. The blanket still wrapped him in warmth. His mind was still wandering in dreamland—Mora's command simply didn't register.
"2..."
Raden, wake up! Oni shouted inside Raden's mind.
But Raden didn't respond. His eyes were shut tight, drool pooling at the corner of his mouth.
"1..."
Raden! Oni screamed internally.
Mora pressed a holographic button in front of her. Instantly, a massive spring mechanism beneath the mattress deployed. The bed launched upward, catapulting Raden across the room. He slammed headfirst into the wall with a sickening thud before crashing onto the floor.
Raden scrambled to his feet, wincing and rubbing his throbbing head.
"Shit, damn it... couldn't you be a little gentler? I was about to get up."
"No can do! Hurry up! Wash your face, put on your track pants and shoes, now!" Mora barked through the speakers.
Raden covered his ears with both palms, grimacing at the noise. "Okay, okay, I'm doing it! Just stop using the speakers!"
"Good! I'll wait outside the building. You have five minutes!"
Raden kept his hands over his ears until Mora finally left the room.
He rushed to the bathroom to splash water on his face and brush his teeth. Afterward, he changed into a thin shirt and track pants hanging in his closet, slipped on the running shoes from the rack near the door, and headed outside.
Mora was already there, doing dynamic stretches with intense energy. Above her, two drones mimicked her every movement with millisecond precision. She glanced at Raden, rolling her eyes in annoyance.
"I gave you five minutes and you just got here?"
Raden walked over and started copying her stretches. "Yeah, well, uh... I was brushing my teeth and had trouble finding my shirt."
"Hmph, whatever. Wear this," Mora said, tossing a small box at him.
Raden caught it and flipped the lid open. "What is it?"
"It's a TWS. Put the earbuds in. It'll make your workout more spirited. See? I'm wearing them too," she said, pointing to the device in her own ear.
Raden put the earbuds in and pressed play. Within seconds, his body felt an urge to move fast. His eyes widened. He started nodding his head to the aggressive beat pounding in his ears. He felt a sudden surge of energy, putting more force into his stretches.
"Eyy, this is sick. I feel like I want to punch a few people in the street. What's this track called?"
"Pfft, look at you acting cool. By the way, the genre is Phonk. The title is... honestly, I forgot. Who cares. Come on, let's jog around the city."
"Let's go!"
They started jogging at a slow pace. As they moved, they watched Spectre City waking up. Shopkeepers were busy opening their stores and restaurants. Large malls were already open, their neon signs blazing. Hovercars missing their wheels, zipped back and forth at high speeds. Factories hummed with the noise of heavy machinery, spewing unavoidable smog into the air. Raden and Mora coughed occasionally as they ran through thick patches of pollution.
Eventually, they stopped beside a bookstore, both out of breath. Mora grabbed a water bottle from one of her drones, chugged half of it, and grabbed another to hand to Raden. Raden downed the entire bottle in one go and wiped his wet lips.
"Are you thirsty or possessed? You drank that in one breath," Mora remarked, panting slightly.
"Well... maybe both," Raden replied, breathless. He handed the empty bottle back. Mora tucked them away into the drone's storage compartment.
She looked to her left and saw her favorite bookstore—Marlin's Book was open. She snapped her fingers, a wide grin spreading across her face.
"Hold on, I want to buy something."
"Okay, I'll... just wait here." Raden collapsed onto a nearby public bench.
Mora entered the shop. Inside, shelves were packed with fiction novels. She scanned the aisles, looking for new tutorials or IT guidebooks. But as she circled the shelves, all she saw were covers featuring women with impossibly large breast. Mora's eyes widened in horror.
"Harem protagonists, incest protagonists, gender bender, forced marriage, forced sex... WTF are these books?! Why are bookstores selling this stupid crap now?!"
Her shouting drew the attention of everyone in the store. Customers whispered to one another. A bespectacled employee hurriedly approached her.
"Excuse me, Miss. Sorry, is something wrong? Can I help you?" the employee asked gently.
Mora grabbed one of the books and shoved it right in the employee's face.
"This! Do you see this? What is this book? Why is my favorite bookstore selling garbage like this?" she yelled, shaking the book.
"Um... Miss, that is a best-seller in our store. So we stock it."
Mora lowered the book.
"What do you mean? This shop used to be known for selling educational books, books with substance! Now you sell trash, huh?! YOU ARE FUCKING SELLING TRASH?!"
The employee lowered his head, swallowing hard. "Um... what book were you looking for? These genres are very popular right now."
"I'm looking for technology guides and tutorials. Why aren't they here?! It used to be so complete. This is weird."
"Um... Miss, books like that aren't really sold anymore."
"WTF, what do you mean not sold anymore, huh?! Are you trying to make modern readers stupid with these stories?!"
"B-but Miss, this is what sells..."
"WHO CARES?! You only care about money now, huh?! Look at this, look!" Mora flipped the book open and shoved a page at him.
"What is this? Do you guys not crosscheck anything? Look at the text here. It says, 'Hey guys help vote for this novel with Broco Stones so my rank goes up'. WTF is this?! Is this a physical book in this day and age?! Where is your professionalism, huh? WHERE?!!"
The employee froze, his legs shaking. "But Miss, the digital novels that sell well are like that. We cooperate with digital platforms to print physical copies. You can find tutorials on social media. Everything is easy now, right?"
"Huh... do you know something? I hate getting tutorials from random people on social media. I don't understand their language half the time. I want to learn fast, but I get blocked by stupidity. You corrupt corporate hacks really just became money-hungry! Fuck all of you! Enjoy your dirty money and let people get dumber!"
Mora slammed the book onto the floor and stormed out, shutting the door of Marlin's Book with a violent crash.
When Mora stepped outside, she froze.
Raden was slumped stiffly against a pole. His hands were covered in blood.
Mora rushed over, panic rising in her chest. She slapped his cheeks rapidly.
"Toki! Toki! Hey, wake up!"
"Good. Don't take too long. I need him generating cash for me," the voice on the other end replied, the tone heavy and commanding.
The call ended. Michael slid his phone back into the pocket of his trousers. Mora glanced over briefly while continuing to type.
"Who was that? Razor?"
"Yeah. Just as I suspected, he immediately asked about the boy."
Mora yawned, stretched her arms, and cracked her knuckles loudly.
"Well, it is what it is... I'm going to rest now. I'm tired of talking about work." She pressed a button on the side of her console, and the massive screen in front of her went black. She slid out of her chair and left the room.
Michael stood in silence for a moment. He picked up his coffee from the table, took a slow sip, and set it back down. Reaching into the lower shelf of the desk, he pulled out a pair of binoculars.
Etched across the top was an inscription: Adaptive Binocular by Mora.
Michael walked out of the room, killing the lights as he went. He took the elevator down to the second floor and stood before a window as massive as the glass walls of a skyscraper. He pressed the binoculars to his eyes and zoomed in on the streets below.
He watched a woman being dragged by three men into a narrow, dark alley. He immediately shifted his gaze; he knew exactly what was going to happen next. A mob of thugs was smashing property along the street. Some were looting small shops. A few pressed pistols against the heads of shop owners until they fled their own businesses. They didn't hesitate to fire at anyone who tried to resist.
"Truly a rotten city. Where the hell is that fucking government when the city gets like this? Every single night, this place turns into a madhouse," Michael muttered, lowering the binoculars.
---
Meanwhile, Mora stepped out of the elevator on the third floor. She walked down the hall to a room with a card reader built into the door handle. She pulled a card from her left pocket and swiped it.
The door slid open automatically. Inside, the room was a clutter of bookshelves, machine spare parts, and three computer rigs stationed in the corners. In the center lay a bed facing the door. On a small nightstand beside it sat a framed photo of Mora's family. To the left was the door to the bathroom.
As she stepped inside, the door sealed shut behind her. Mora sat on the edge of her soft mattress. She turned to the nightstand, picked up the frame, and stared at it.
A smile touched her lips as she gently stroked the photo with her right hand.
Moments later, a tear trickled down her cheek. Then another. Soon, the tears were flowing uncontrollably. Mora sobbed, her shoulders shaking. Slowly, she placed the photo back on the stand and wiped her face with her sleeve.
Then, she smacked herself hard on the head.
"What are you sad about, you crybaby! Crybaby!" she shouted, hitting her head again.
She collapsed onto the mattress, peeled off her gloves, and hugged the bolster pillow beside her tightly, burying her face in it.
---
The sun was shining brutally bright the next morning. Its rays hit Raden's face, but he remained dead asleep.
"Hey! Come on, wake up, wake up, wake up! It's already bright out, time to run!" Mora's voice boomed through a microphone connected to two large drones hovering directly over his body.
Raden jolted awake, eyes bulging, body trembling. His face went stiff as the deafening sound from the speakers registered. He looked over at Mora, who was standing there with her arms crossed.
"Ugh... why do you have to use speakers that big?" Raden groaned weakly, rubbing his eyes.
"No excuses! Come on, hurry-hurry-hurry! Wake up and run! Or I'll force you out of bed in 3..."
Raden drifted back into a half-asleep state. The blanket still wrapped him in warmth. His mind was still wandering in dreamland—Mora's command simply didn't register.
"2..."
Raden, wake up! Oni shouted inside Raden's mind.
But Raden didn't respond. His eyes were shut tight, drool pooling at the corner of his mouth.
"1..."
Raden! Oni screamed internally.
Mora pressed a holographic button in front of her. Instantly, a massive spring mechanism beneath the mattress deployed. The bed launched upward, catapulting Raden across the room. He slammed headfirst into the wall with a sickening thud before crashing onto the floor.
Raden scrambled to his feet, wincing and rubbing his throbbing head.
"Shit, damn it... couldn't you be a little gentler? I was about to get up."
"No can do! Hurry up! Wash your face, put on your track pants and shoes, now!" Mora barked through the speakers.
Raden covered his ears with both palms, grimacing at the noise. "Okay, okay, I'm doing it! Just stop using the speakers!"
"Good! I'll wait outside the building. You have five minutes!"
Raden kept his hands over his ears until Mora finally left the room.
He rushed to the bathroom to splash water on his face and brush his teeth. Afterward, he changed into a thin shirt and track pants hanging in his closet, slipped on the running shoes from the rack near the door, and headed outside.
Mora was already there, doing dynamic stretches with intense energy. Above her, two drones mimicked her every movement with millisecond precision. She glanced at Raden, rolling her eyes in annoyance.
"I gave you five minutes and you just got here?"
Raden walked over and started copying her stretches. "Yeah, well, uh... I was brushing my teeth and had trouble finding my shirt."
"Hmph, whatever. Wear this," Mora said, tossing a small box at him.
Raden caught it and flipped the lid open. "What is it?"
"It's a TWS. Put the earbuds in. It'll make your workout more spirited. See? I'm wearing them too," she said, pointing to the device in her own ear.
Raden put the earbuds in and pressed play. Within seconds, his body felt an urge to move fast. His eyes widened. He started nodding his head to the aggressive beat pounding in his ears. He felt a sudden surge of energy, putting more force into his stretches.
"Eyy, this is sick. I feel like I want to punch a few people in the street. What's this track called?"
"Pfft, look at you acting cool. By the way, the genre is Phonk. The title is... honestly, I forgot. Who cares. Come on, let's jog around the city."
"Let's go!"
They started jogging at a slow pace. As they moved, they watched Spectre City waking up. Shopkeepers were busy opening their stores and restaurants. Large malls were already open, their neon signs blazing. Hovercars missing their wheels, zipped back and forth at high speeds. Factories hummed with the noise of heavy machinery, spewing unavoidable smog into the air. Raden and Mora coughed occasionally as they ran through thick patches of pollution.
Eventually, they stopped beside a bookstore, both out of breath. Mora grabbed a water bottle from one of her drones, chugged half of it, and grabbed another to hand to Raden. Raden downed the entire bottle in one go and wiped his wet lips.
"Are you thirsty or possessed? You drank that in one breath," Mora remarked, panting slightly.
"Well... maybe both," Raden replied, breathless. He handed the empty bottle back. Mora tucked them away into the drone's storage compartment.
She looked to her left and saw her favorite bookstore—Marlin's Book was open. She snapped her fingers, a wide grin spreading across her face.
"Hold on, I want to buy something."
"Okay, I'll... just wait here." Raden collapsed onto a nearby public bench.
Mora entered the shop. Inside, shelves were packed with fiction novels. She scanned the aisles, looking for new tutorials or IT guidebooks. But as she circled the shelves, all she saw were covers featuring women with impossibly large breast. Mora's eyes widened in horror.
"Harem protagonists, incest protagonists, gender bender, forced marriage, forced sex... WTF are these books?! Why are bookstores selling this stupid crap now?!"
Her shouting drew the attention of everyone in the store. Customers whispered to one another. A bespectacled employee hurriedly approached her.
"Excuse me, Miss. Sorry, is something wrong? Can I help you?" the employee asked gently.
Mora grabbed one of the books and shoved it right in the employee's face.
"This! Do you see this? What is this book? Why is my favorite bookstore selling garbage like this?" she yelled, shaking the book.
"Um... Miss, that is a best-seller in our store. So we stock it."
Mora lowered the book.
"What do you mean? This shop used to be known for selling educational books, books with substance! Now you sell trash, huh?! YOU ARE FUCKING SELLING TRASH?!"
The employee lowered his head, swallowing hard. "Um... what book were you looking for? These genres are very popular right now."
"I'm looking for technology guides and tutorials. Why aren't they here?! It used to be so complete. This is weird."
"Um... Miss, books like that aren't really sold anymore."
"WTF, what do you mean not sold anymore, huh?! Are you trying to make modern readers stupid with these stories?!"
"B-but Miss, this is what sells..."
"WHO CARES?! You only care about money now, huh?! Look at this, look!" Mora flipped the book open and shoved a page at him.
"What is this? Do you guys not crosscheck anything? Look at the text here. It says, 'Hey guys help vote for this novel with Broco Stones so my rank goes up'. WTF is this?! Is this a physical book in this day and age?! Where is your professionalism, huh? WHERE?!!"
The employee froze, his legs shaking. "But Miss, the digital novels that sell well are like that. We cooperate with digital platforms to print physical copies. You can find tutorials on social media. Everything is easy now, right?"
"Huh... do you know something? I hate getting tutorials from random people on social media. I don't understand their language half the time. I want to learn fast, but I get blocked by stupidity. You corrupt corporate hacks really just became money-hungry! Fuck all of you! Enjoy your dirty money and let people get dumber!"
Mora slammed the book onto the floor and stormed out, shutting the door of Marlin's Book with a violent crash.
When Mora stepped outside, she froze.
Raden was slumped stiffly against a pole. His hands were covered in blood.
Mora rushed over, panic rising in her chest. She slapped his cheeks rapidly.
"Toki! Toki! Hey, wake up!"
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