Noir, City Shrouded By Darkness Read online

  Shades Of Gray

  #1

  Noir, City Shrouded By Darkness

  Kristie Lynn Higgins

  SHADES OF GRAY: Noir, City Shrouded By Darkness

  Text Copyright © 2006, 2011 by Kristie Lynn Higgins

  Cover Art Copyright © 2007

  Pandora Project Publisher

  Ebook Edition

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

  ----

  If multiple Earths existed, what would their worlds look like? What kind of people would they be? Societies? Religions?

  Would they make the same mistakes as us?

  From the Assembled Works

  Ginn L. Irynkissgthie 525 B.D.C. (Before Dry Clouds)

  Prologue

  On a parallel Earth, thick puffy barriercumulus, also known as Dry Clouds, covered the sky. They prevented the glimmer of twilight from shining on the city of Noir. For three decades, the polluted high-troposphere looming clouds covered half the planet and left part of the world to live in endless night. The mile thick clouds yielded petroleum based contaminated water dubbed Tainted Rain and polluted the air. Therefore, they were named Dry Clouds, for leaving half the planet without drinkable water. At first, scientists believed pollution caused the great cloud barrier, but that theory proved to be false. What caused the Dry Clouds to form baffled scientists and how to reverse them eluded reason. Only technology’s constant battle with nature has kept the dark city alive.

  Man’s need for conquest expanded Noir to cover more than half a continent of what would have been called North America. Noir stretched into a Mega-city. It was the only one in the world. Over the last twenty years, Transgenics and bio-mechas evolved at a breakneck pace. Transgenics were genetically modified organisms with an extra-genome and were mostly plants produced to survive without the sun. Bio-mechas were robots resembling living things.

  On this world, corporations not governments ruled the people, creating a society where profit set policy and dictated life. Those who resided in Noir were touched by darkness, and the light of goodness seemed a forgotten memory. They... they lived in the gray —Shades of Gray.

  Chapter One

  The Pandora Project

  Isaiah 5:30b

  If one looks to the land, behold, darkness and sorrow, even the light will be darkened by the clouds.

  The year 31 A.D.C. (After Dry Clouds)

  October 22...

  Thursday...

  4:44 A.M...

  "Initiate the Pandora Project," a deep male voice ordered.

  "Pandora has been awakened," a female replied.

  "Good... Good...," the deep voice said.

  "Are you sure the project is ready?" a second male voice inquired. "Maybe we should give it a few more weeks of conditioning."

  "No. Launch Pandora," the deep voice instructed. "Let us see what it can do on its own."

  "Releasing the project now," the female said, paused, and added, "Pandora is running as predicted."

  "Good... Good... Let us begin the tests."

  6:04 P.M...

  Scattered streetlights partially lit an abandoned industrial district. The wind howled, blowing through overgrown weeds and chilled the air of the blue gray night. A few trees and plants adapted to the limited artificial light along with a large variety of weeds. Nocturnal creatures; rats, mice, owls, and cats ruled the alleys and parks of the mega-city of Noir.

  A black sedan slowly rolled down the street, and its headlights lit up the dark road. The vehicle stopped at the curb a few hundred yards away from Etna Toys Plant and Warehouse. The four doors of the vehicle opened. Five men in brown suits exited the car. Their dark shades hid more than their eyes. Four of them carried a silver Beretta each, which they removed from their shoulder holster. The fifth wore a Coffin Handled Bowie tucked in a belt. The man tapped the hilt eager to draw the knife. Eerily, in one accord, they turned their heads, stared through their black tinted glasses at the rusted toy building, and awaited orders. A parking lot stood between them and their target.

  In another part of the city...

  In a secret location known as the Sanctum...

  Fifty, large, flat screen monitors covered three walls and lit up a dark inner room called the Chamber. Data filled the screens. Two dozen analysts scrutinized the influx of information coming across the monitors as they typed at their workstations. The men and women toiled, compiling a range of intelligence from several projects and experiments.

  "All right people, let’s stay focused," a male supervisor shouted.

  He and a female supervisor walked up and down the line of workstations. They received updated reports from the analysts and kept their employers current on the projects and experiments.

  He added, "This is the day we’ve been waiting for!"

  The analysts wore indigo jumpsuits with white stripes on the sides. The supervisors wore crimson jumpsuits with white stripes. Both the analysts and supervisors wore earpieces to communicate with operatives in the field. The hum of equipment and the chatter of people filled the area.

  In the center of the Chamber, two men and a woman sat at a long table. Each of them had a laptop in front of them and each wore a black business suit. Shadows concealed their eyes, leaving only their mouths visible in the computer-blue illumination. The three, known as the Council, scanned reports as they were delivered to them by the supervisors on Hand Held Computers or H.H.Cs. The standard size for a H.H.C. was two and a half inches by four and a half inches.

  "Has the project been located?" Mr. Morta asked in a deep voice as he twirled a gold ring on his dark brown finger. He sat at the end of the table with the woman to his right and the other man to his left.

  "Yes. One of our best operatives, Argus, is watching Pandora," Mr. Decuma, the smaller man, answered as he smoothed his hand down a bright orange tie.

  "Good... Good..." Mr. Morta leaned back in his chair. "What does the operative have to report?"

  Some distance from Etna Toys...

  A man with shoulder length blond hair, wearing a black trench coat, peered through specialized binoculars. Argus positioned himself in an alley a block from the abandoned toy warehouse to watch Pandora. He noted the sedan across the street, the five men, and reported them over an earpiece.

  Within the Chamber...

  The male supervisor handed a H.H.C. to the third member of the Council.

  Ms. Nona frowned, thinning her cherry-red lips which contrasted her powdery white skin. Her frame was the smallest of the members. "We have received a second report from our operative." She scanned the report a second time, disconcerted over the news. "Argus has spotted five bio-mechas. They are not Proto-Androids, but a new model called Un-Men."

  "Un-Men?" Mr. Morta rubbed his chin, not as surprised as his female counterpart. "Only one department is developing this line of bio-mechas." Disappointed, he exhaled loudly. "So the Factory has started their Un-Men tests. I hoped they would have waited."

  "You knew this might happen?" Mr. Decuma questioned as he rubbed his finger over a silver tie pin of the word Fate.

  Mr. Morta nodded. "Yes, it was only a matter of time, but that means..."

  "It means–" Ms. Nona interrupted. "–the Factory has decided to go against the wishes of the Council."

  "How dare they!" Mr. Decuma slammed his palms on the table as he stood. "We must do something!"

  "But what?" Ms. Nona questioned.

  "More importantly," Mr. Morta started. "What are their plans for Pandora?"

 
Back at Etna Toys...

  The wind kicked up sand and debris as the five men, the Un-Men, stood by the sedan. Their Internal Link or I-Link not only connected them to the Factory, but to each other. With the I-Link, they could think and move as one. They shut the sedan’s doors and simultaneously walked toward the warehouse across the parking lot. The one with the Bowie paused and turned, spotting a heat signature. The heat signature was of a human hiding in the darkness of an alley that was across the street from it. The Un-Man could tell the human was watching them. The Un-Man's I-Link blazed orange through the right lens of its shades as it processed the data.

  Fearful, Argus moved his hand to the M4 assault rifle strapped over his shoulder. He tensed, not knowing what it would do. Argus had encountered a Proto-android before and it had nearly killed him. He had no idea what this new model was capable of.

  "Best to stay on the safe side," he thought. "And make it clear I won't interfere with their mission." He moved his hand away from the assault rifle.

  The Un-Man smirked, continued toward Etna, and joined its brethren.

  "Looks like it worked. I'm very relieved. I didn't want to die this day.” Argus grabbed a hold of the M4 and moved across the street to continue the surveillance of Pandora.

  Within the Chamber...

  "The matter is confirmed. The Factory–" Ms. Nona emphasized the next word, "–has gone against our wishes." She looked to the larger man. "What is our next move?"

  "Analyze and record," Mr. Morta answered. "Our agenda has not changed. The Un-Men will test Pandora for us."

  Within the dark Etna Toys Plant and Warehouse and among boxes of discarded toys and debris, a cot had been set up. A lamp on a round end table stood beside it and lit up the area in a dim glow. A woman in her early thirties slept on the cot. She had a shaven head, and a gash on her forehead bled. The trickle of blood flowed past her brow, ran down the side of her face, and dripped to a pillow. The crimson liquid spotted a white cotton case. No other bedding covered the old and worn mattress.

  The woman wore a white V neck T-shirt, gray-black pants, and black hiking shoes. Her eyes rapidly moved underneath her closed eyelids as she dreamed. Her lips moved as she talked within the dream, but there was no sound. The woman’s inaudible narration continued until she spoke out loud.

  "A love that will not die."

  Her breathing increased and her arms and legs jerked in mock movement as she envisioned herself running. Sweat speckled her forehead as her face grimaced in determination. Her mind replayed a memory. It was one that would mark her future with sorrow. Three shots rang out in the dream. The horrible recollection caused her to scream. She sat up and franticly searched the building.

  “I need to run!” she thought. “But where?”

  Her heart thundered in her chest as she noticed she was alone.

  “So... I'm not in any immediate danger.”

  She calmed down a bit when she realized she had been dreaming.

  “I remember running, but there's something I can't remember. Was I chasing someone? Or was someone chasing me?”

  Her head hurt, and she was very thirsty. She examined the old empty building more closely.

  "What is this place?"

  She noticed parts of teddy bears scattered about a stack of boxes.

  "Is this place a toy factory?"

  A layer of dust clung to everything like the building and machinery hadn't been used in years. The woman remembered the dream, and the urgency she felt within it.

  “There's something I'm supposed to do. Or have I already done it? Whatever it is, my life depends on it.”

  More of the dream faded. She mentally tried to grasp for a clue, but it was like trying to capture a dark phantom. The feelings of fear and anxiety remained with her, along with the memory of the three shots. Nothing else of the dream remained and that bothered her.

  "Was I pursuing someone or was someone chasing me?" she wondered. "Am I the predator or the prey?"

  She sat there a little longer, hoping something would resurface from the dream. She thought if she waited there long enough her memories would tell her...

  "Oh my gosh!" She put a hand to her mouth as she realized something that unsettled her. The revelation frightened her more than not knowing what had happened in the dream. "Who am I? I don't know. I don't know my name! Why?!" Her head continued to hurt so she touched her temple. She felt a warm wet substance and examined her bloody fingers. "I'm bleeding! What happened to me?!" She balled her other hand and squeezed it tightly. "I have to remember. What's my name? What's my name?!" She looked back to her bloody fingers. "Is this why I can’t remember? I hit my head? Or... Did someone hurt me?"

  "I have to find out." She moved to the edge of the cot and noticed a second table. It was square and small and had a few items on it. She picked up a business card with an image of a flaming bird. "A Phoenix." She flipped it over and noticed a barcode on the back. "Are they mine? Can they tell me who I am?" She set down the card, picked up a note, and read it aloud.

  "Katharine..." She studied the name. "Is that me?" She thought about it. "It doesn’t sound familiar." She continued reading. "Katharine, you must not fail. This is your last chance to redeem yourself. I know you can complete your mission, my dearest Kat. I am counting on you." The Note was signed by R.G.

  She folded the paper, then along with the card, stuffed them in her back pocket. "I should find some help. Where do I look?" She stared at the table. "Should I take these things with me?" A small case was also there. She moved her hand to open it, but stopped. "What am I afraid of? I don't know what's in it. So why do I hesitate?"

  For the moment, she ignored the enigma and turned to the last object on the table. It was a small silver box shaped like a treasure chest. It had a small raised star the size of a dime on its lid. Kat examined the box then carefully opened it. A tune sweetly rang in her ears. It reminded her of the opening of a classical piece.

  "Whose piece does it remind me of? Bach, Beethoven, or Mozart's. I can't remember. It's like the piece is a mixture of several openings." Kat realized something as she struggled with the answer. "I can’t remember my name, but this tune... I know its title and who composed it. It's Ginn L. Irynkissgthie's Unfinished Melody. I also know the names of those other composers." She gazed at the Music Box, hearing nothing but the haunting arrangement of compounded sounds. Unfinished Melody's length was short, only about thirty seconds, and then the piece started over. "Why do I know them when I don't know my own name?"

  Kat felt frustrated, afraid, and alone. The more she thought about her lost identity the more terrified she became. "I can't stay here. I have to find help." Unfinished Melody played over and over in a hypnotic flow. "What–" Her fear and anxiety vanished and her body relaxed as the tune lulled her into a trance. "–should–" She slowly closed her eyes and entered a peaceful place within her mind. It was a subconscious oasis. "–I..."

  The melody had a calming effect on her, and as she sat there in an ecstatic state, sounds outside of the building became louder and clearer. The wind howled, rustling the leaves of trees and overgrown bushes. A moth repeatedly tapped the glass of a street light drawn to the artificial flame. Four car doors slammed. A cricket chirped, and an owl swooped, landing on a squeaking mouse.

  lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

  Her hazel eyes widened as her heart thumped so loud she heard it. Kat put a hand to her chest not in pain, but in horror as she realized something was wrong. She closed the Music Box, placed it in a left thigh pocket, and searched the building. It was still empty. Kat knew she was in danger, but from what? She looked to the case on the table she had ignored. A deep dread lifted in her like a leviathan rising from the ocean's abyss. She froze as she stared at the metal container. What was she afraid of? What was inside the container?

  Kat turned her attention back to her pounding heart and the urgency to leave. She thought, "I have to get out of here. But where do I run?"

  The longer she waited to act, the m
ore anxious she became. She felt like a deer standing in an open meadow, sensing a predator prowling toward her through the tall grass. Kat feared she could be attacked at any moment and from any direction. Kat got off the cot and started to run when the lamp shattered. The surrounding area plunged into darkness as pieces of the lamp pinged to the concrete floor. She screamed, realizing someone had shot at her and dove as more bullets whizzed overhead. Kat turned the table over for cover, and the case fell, knocking itself open. A metal object clanged to the floor.

  Far from the cot, light from the street dimly glowed through Etna’s dusty windows. The light provided limited illumination within the building. Within its radius, she saw a black gun. Kat gasped, staring at the instrument of death that was an arm's length from her. She peeked over the table and spotted two armed men. Kat didn’t know they were bio-mechas. As far as she knew, they were ordinary men trying to kill her. They readied to fire again, and her heart thumped harder as if it would tear through her chest.

  lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

  The muscle coursed artificial adrenaline through her blood. The synthetic hormone reacted with her body. It increased her heart rate, dilated her pupils, and elevated her blood sugar. The adrenaline super charged her. Horrified by what was going on with her body and the men shooting at her, she put her hand to her chest again.

  "This isn't natural!” she thought. “Why is it beating this way?! And why are those men trying to kill me?!"

  She screamed, "Help! Someone help me!"

  The two Un-Men paused then moved toward her position after calculating the best way to kill her.

  One of them stated in a monotone voice, "Target acquired. Moving forward with termination."