Chapter 3: Channels on TV
10.03.10 AW, 8:53, CHROMATICAN CITY // SPINE
The office smelt… stale. Darkness engulfed it, save for the wall of monitors on the back wall, which lit up the old wooden desk sitting in the middle of the room, making the entire room feel much more cramped than it truly was. However, it was to be expected that neither the air circulation nor the lighting would be optimal. After all, the Spine never seemed to have a strong relationship with windows. A lightbulb would still help, though.
As for the desk, piles of papers and empty ceramic cups littered it haphazardly. Behind it stood a woman, looking through the stacks with little regard for keeping a sense of order. She was old, not too far from her golden years, but maybe that was just the exhaustion making her look older. Her grey hair, styled in a short bob, framed her eyes; the right one appeared exhausted, eye bags betraying what she tried to hide with coffee, while the left one wasn't there at all, covered by a big eyepatch.
Jacques stood in the office, hands in pockets, looking mildly bored as he waited for the woman to finish searching for whatever she was looking for in those mounds of paper. Velos had run out of blood, now an axe once more, strapped again to Jacques' back. Both of them stood silent, waiting for the woman to address them.
"Good job, by the way," her voice monotone, raising her only remaining eye to look at them, lowering it immediately after. "You know, that full-time post is still open."
"Thank you, Mihaela, but I'll pass."
"Give it some thought. Now, I don't have all day, give me the Wolf Tags, you know the drill."
Jacques scoured through the pockets of his coat, finding a small piece of metal, not too dissimilar to a stainless steel dog tag, engraved on both sides, one meant for those who could see and one meant for those who couldn't. Velos followed suit, clanking his parts until a similar tag was spat from his mass, falling into Jacques' palm.
Jacques tossed the tags to Mihaela, who caught them without raising her gaze. She threw her body onto the office chair behind her, rolling herself to one of the monitors, putting the metal objects onto a scanner before typing a few lines, now sitting and waiting for Jacques and Velos' files to sync between the tag files and the master files on her servers.
As she neared the sync's completion, a monitor beeped to life close by. Mihaela looked at it, gazing at the screen in complete stillness.
"...Are you sure?"
Jacques looked around, confused. Was this question addressed to him? He attempted to view the monitor, yet he struggled to make out details; her head, her body motionless, focussed on mostly obscured the screen and what she was looking at.
"Lorand! Come in here!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, turning to face the door. "Jacques, go get h-"
"I'm here!" interrupted Lorand, bursting into the room.
"Great. Come look at this real quick," she said, gesturing at the monitor.
"I'm pretty sure the tags have finished s-"
Mihaela looked through a drawer in her desk, took a stack of banknotes, sloppily counted them, then threw them in an envelope. She tossed it, along with the Wolf Tags, back to Jacques, who quickly slipped them into his coat. She turned back to the monitor; this issue was much more pressing.
"How long would it take you to get to these coordinates?"
"I don't know? Ten… maybe eleven hours?"
"Gather the best- no, you stay!" she interrupted herself, turning to face Jacques, who attempted to back out of the office in complete silence. "-best operators you have on stand-by and head there immediately."
"Wouldn't it be faster if you sent one of the Signal Station technicians to check it out? They should get there faster."
"NO! I mean- I don't want to risk another Station going offline so soon."
"Um, sure! On it! But, uh... what are we supposed to do there, exactly?"
"Just a general sweep of the area. Be on the look-out, just in case."
"Okay...? Oh, can I bring Jacques?"
"No, I already have a mission queued for him."
"You have?"
"Yes, you're going to-"
10.03.10 AW, 23:41, CHROMATICAN CITY // OUTSIDE KRATERWERK
Loud music blared from the club. Beams of multicoloured light shone from the repurposed industrial building sitting at the edge of the city, illuminating the streets outside. Jacques had woken up twenty minutes earlier because he wanted to take a quick nap to be fresh for the job. His alarm didn't ring; he was twenty minutes late. Maybe it has something to do with Velos, given that he absorbed and refused to give back the clock some weeks prior.
Jacques made his way into the club. Not through the main entrance, but through a back door. This was but one of the many oddities this mission had. What was most striking was that he was completely on his own. That and the fact that he was to meet with someone who would provide additional orders. Mihaela had eyes and ears around the entire Chromatican City; she was the handler for every operator Ultraviolet had; she ran the entire Pale almost entirely herself! This was entirely unlike her.
Inside the club, it was louder and brighter than Jacques' senses could adjust to. He emerged from behind the bar counter, trying not to attract too much attention to himself. The bartender wanted, and hesitated, to berate him about where the front door was, especially after seeing the giant slab of metal vaguely resembling an axe strapped to his back.
Jacques squeezed his way through the crowd of people dancing to the techno music booming around them. He reached an alcove, where he was supposed to meet the contractor. There was a low table, with bottles of alcohol and substances believed to no longer exist strewn on it. Around it, there was a round, plush couch with a large group of people sitting on it. But most striking was the man sitting in the middle, facing the exit. Jacques approached him; he suspected this was the club's boss, the one he was supposed to talk to.
The man raised his gaze, rising with ease, making sure not to disturb the passed-out people who shared a seat with him.
"Ah, there he is! You must be the ones Miha sent, uh… Um, hm…"
"Jacques Ren. This is Azuria Velos," he introduced himself, grabbing the axe's handle.
"Yes, Jacques! My name is Radek Preda. Here, after me."
Jacques followed the man as he entered a staff-only door.
Radek was old, not too far from his golden years, but maybe that was just the alcohol and drugs having a word. He had his grey hair styled in a slick cut, his similarly grey beard cut short, although it appeared to mimic good grooming; looking closer, you could notice it was sloppy, a façade, the minimum effort put into hiding how unkept it was in truth. He was ever so taller than Jacques, but that was mostly because of Jacques' bad posture, as he was carrying a 100 kg Velos on his back, discounting whatever tools he might've absorbed previously.
But Jacques' eyes couldn't shift focus from a single detail on his face… and arms, and shown skin. He had burn marks; deep, severe injuries, his arms being covered in scar tissue, going up inside his shirt and around his neck. On his face, where his left cheek was supposed to be, there was a large gash, scar tissue lining its edges, leaving Radek's teeth and part of his tongue completely visible.
Jacques followed Radek through the maintenance hallways of the club. The music was much more muffled. The neon buzzing accompanied their every step as they made their way deeper into the building.
"So," said Jacques, trying to break the ice, "what's with the…" he asked, waving a hand around his own face.
"Ah, well, you know how somewhere in history, some ancient human had to test which fruits are bad and which are safe to eat? Or how someone in history had to try drinking chlorine to see what would happen?"
"I don't think that's how we found out-"
"Well, nobody told them what charcoal did when swallowed, but someone tried! And now we have a cure for bloating and hangovers! That's how we found out how Phlogiston works. Nobody told us what it does to a human body, but now we know!"
"Yeah, I guess- Wait, 'we'?"
"And what is it useful for? Giving you a nasty burn, that's what! It doesn't heal on us either. Trust me, Miha tried."
"I'm sorry, could you run that back-"
"Miha told me about how you dealt with that one Zmey that hit earlier this morning. Truth be told, I woke up like five hours later, but I kept thinking: what if it got you? If your pal over here hadn't stepped in and taken the hit for you? He can take a Phlogiston burn just fine, wait a couple of minutes, and he's like new, but you? I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy! Well, metaphorically of course, my worst enemy's immune to it, ha!"
"Well, that's very thoughtful, and he wasn't very pleased that he needed to do that, but what did you mean by-"
"Ah! Look at me, rambling on! In one ear and out the other, eh?"
"Not really, I was actually-"
"We're here!"
They stopped in front of a large metallic door with a wooden decal painted on it.
"This is where I live. Makes going home in the morning so much easier."
After fumbling with his keys, Radek opened the door, stepping in. Jacques followed closely behind.
The air inside the makeshift flat smelt… stale. The walls were dirty and yellowing. Inside the living room, there was an old couch, which sat in front of a cathode TV. Next to it, behind a counter, sat the kitchen, in a similar state of disrepair. The carpet covering the floor had loose strings and was visibly deteriorating. There were no windows or exits besides the front door, with dim light bulbs weakly illuminating the flat.
"I assume Miha didn't specify any details?" Radek asked. "That's because I didn't give her any. I also asked not to keep tabs on you. Well... 'asked'."
Radek went to the door on the back wall, knocked on it, and then entered.
"Hi, sweetie!"
"Oh, hi! You're… early…" responded a girl, followed by the sound of a creaking chair and rustling paper.
The girl went to hug Radek, but as she stepped into frame, her demeanour shifted. He pulled the girl out of the room and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, ignoring her discomfort. Jacques tried to look around her and into the room, and there he could see the walls covered, from top to bottom, with sheets of paper, each having a drawing that he couldn't make out.
"Jacques, this is my daughter, Signe! Your duty will be to guard her! Now, I know you have questions, and I have answers, but the most important one: for a week or so. I believe there are… parties that seek to harm her. You'll have to make sure she is fine until I deal with them. Mihaela trusts you, so I trust you as well!"
The girl was young, no older than sixteen or seventeen. Framing her face was her long, light brown hair. Her right eye, with its yellow iris, could lighten up any room, while her left eye wasn't there at all, covered by a big eyepatch. Her posture shrank her already tiny figure even more, noticeably nervous at the sight of other people.
"Also, I kind of lied to her about why you're here, told her she could focus on more important stuff and all that. So, if you see her, I needed you to deal with some hooligans or something, okay? You'll get paid either way."
"Right, so… when do we start?"
"Right now."
10.03.10 AW, 23:49, CHROMATICAN CITY // OUTSIDE KRATERWERK, AGAIN
As the newly formed trio stepped outside, the door automatically slammed closed behind them. Radek guided them in using a secret backdoor. From the outside, it had no handle, was flush with the wall, leading to a dead spot of a dingy backstreet. Jacques took a deep breath, enjoying the crisp air, while Signe was still on guard.
"Want to grab something to eat?"
"Oh, n-no! I'm not hungry, thank you…" she quickly responded dismissively.
"Yeah... listen, your dad asked to stay low. I say we go to my place, on the other side of the city. Quiet area, neighbours keep to themselves, even a non-stop shop nearby. Maybe we can grab some snacks if you change your mind later."
Velos throttled and braked rhythmically, responding to Jacques' suggestion.
"Whoa, did your...?"
"Hmm? Right, forgot to introduce you. Velos, Signe; Signe, Velos. He says we should go somewhere more populated. Should mask your scent better."
"D-did you understand what he said? Every word? I... haven't seen a Steel Shark before! I read about them in one of Father's old papers. Isn't he... y'know, dangerous? OH, can you teach me how to understand him, PLEASE?"
"Okay, too many things at once. First, yes, I can understand what he says, but most sounds aren't really words, more like... exclamations. And second... yeah, depends how you put it, really. Steel Sharks ARE the most dangerous Devil species we know of, but Velos is cool. Pss, say you're cool!"
Velos revved his engine, plates clanking together.
"See? This sound right now; it means agreement. Unless I tell him specifically to tell him to kill you, you're safe!"
"That's so- WAITYOUCANTELLTO-"
"NO-" Jacques paused for a second, clearing his throat. "What I meant to say was, if you can place your trust in me, you can place your trust in him. Besides, I can't see who'd actually want to hurt-"
Jacques didn't get to finish his sentence. A spotlight suddenly appeared, illuminating them from atop the buildings.
"HA, YES! AND THEY SAID SHE WOULDN'T BE DUMB ENOUGH TO USE THE SECRET BACKDOOR!"
They looked up, where behind the projector, they could see a figure.
"YOU! NEAR THE GIRL! GO AWAY, SHE'S DANGEROUS!"
"OR WHAT?"
"P-please don't provoke people…"
"Shh! I know what I'm doing…"
The figure waved its hand in front of the light, and by the time they blinked, it was in front of them.
Almost reflexively, Jacques swung Velos, and Velos did the rest, aligning the axe's edge to parry the incoming attack. The figure staggered back, trying to get its balance back.
It was roughly in the shape of a human, completely made of a burgundy crystal, glinting in the light. It appeared to lack arms; its body was thin and lanky, almost stick-like, with two pairs of legs entwining. Its thorax was large, swollen, resembling crudely folded origami. Its head was long and featureless, except for five light patches that resembled eyes, with two horns around its head sitting like antennae. A Vesper.
Jacques lunged to slash at it, but as the axe touched its surface, it disappeared.
"Alright everybody, she's guarded!"
From the darkness, three hooded men emerged, surrounding them, and the Vesper appeared once more, circling them.
"I'll hazard a guess that we started on the wrong foot, you and I. This girl, the one you're protecting, is a threat to both of us. Some of my... peers and I have taken the issue into our own hands, and will kill her ourselves. It doesn't concern you, so leave her to us, and these gentlemen and I will be out of your hair, how's that sound?" spoke the Vesper in a distorted voice, but you could still realise it was genuine, appearing almost sympathetic.
"And you expect me to believe that?! Radek's inside; settle it with him. Leave his daughter out of this!"
"I… do not know who that is."
"You… don't? Wait... what's so dangerous about a random teen? How do you even know about- Wait, do you even know her name?"
"I can't answer that. It's a contingency in case you leave her to us and all that."
"Then I don't see why I should believe you."
And with that, the Vesper disappeared once more. Jacques shielded Signe behind him as two of the men started charging towards them. Jacques swung Velos, parrying their metal bars just as they were about to hit, utilising the blunt side to send the attackers back. They appeared to be after Signe, but why? Velos, on the contrary, didn't care about the ethics of the situation; he wanted blood, but he still followed Jacques' command of non-fatal injuries.
"Non sai cosa stai facendo!" screamed one of the men, repelled by Jacques.
"Don't know what you said, mate!"
But while distracted, the third man, still in position, pulled out a gun, pointing it directly towards Signe. Jacques had to reassess his priorities quickly. With a single swing, Velos' edge aligned with the bullet's, slicing it as it went by. This distracted him just enough to…
"Catch These Hands…"
The Vesper manifested itself once more, its figure towering above Signe, its torso opening up into two gigantic hands, each of its three fingers resembling scissor blades, each being as long as its forearm. Jacques turned around, or rather Velos turned him around, trying to hit the Vesper. Before its claws stabbed the girl, the Vesper vanished. But Jacques felt it; they hit it ever so slightly just before it vanished once more.
It flickered into being far away, sauntering towards them, dragging its claws on the ground, appearing and disappearing, a shattered gash in its torso slowly closing itself. Jacques saw the marks it left in the ground, how they only formed when the Vesper itself was visible. Jacques looks back at Signe, thinking of a plan.
"You trust me?"
"YES, WHY-"
"Good."
Jacques rushes towards the two attackers, leaving Signe behind. She looked around, terrified, crouching down, back against the wall, as the gunman and Vesper took advantage of the opening.
On her right, she saw the gunman's shot miss her, his aim possibly affected by the metal bar that hit him directly in the face, raising a hand to shield her body.
On her left, the Vesper tries to attack, but as it manifested itself once more, Velos' blade was there, impaling it directly in the chest, forcing it to vanish. Signe flinched at the sound, but didn't see any of this because of her lack of peripheral vision.
She turned her head slowly, only to see Jacques pointing a blade at her, centimetres away from her ghastly white face.
"W-why are you…?"
"Bad timing."
But the Vesper didn't go too far away. A few meters back, it materialised once more, stumbling around, distracted by the pain. Jacques ran towards it, going in for the kill, but as it was about to slash at it with Velos, the Vesper disappeared. He tried to slow down, but he quickly realised it was a trap.
As he passed the Vesper's previous location, it retook shape, with its fingers stretched and twisted around his body, clawing deep into his gut, viscera dripping as it dragged its fingers out. It faded just long enough for Jacques to pass through it and end up in a spot where it could maim him. After it was done, it retreated once more.
Jacques tried to get up, blood spilling onto the concrete. He looked up, and he saw the two of them approaching, closing in on Signe. He couldn't keep up the passivity.
Jacques signalled to Velos to spit out his gun, the same one Velos used on Jacques earlier, a construct not too dissimilar to an old Luger. In the chamber, he loaded a single bullet, inside which a blue liquid glinted. He forced himself to get up, deflected the incoming attacks, punched one man in the nose, then rushed towards the gunman, still stunned and looking for his gun. He kicked away the man's weapon, dropped his own, then threw Velos into the last unaccounted assailant.
When the gunman returned to his senses, he immediately picked up the first gun he saw, pointing it at Jacques. Jacques did nothing. He simply stared at the man, hands in the air, waiting for the bullet to hit him. The Vesper tried to close the distance, but it was too late.
"…waitWAITWAITTHAT'SADRIVESTARTERDON'T-"
10.03.10 AW, 23:53, OUTSIDE CHROMATICAN CITY
The engine stopped. Out of the vehicle, four people emerged. In front of them was Lorand, looking at the ruins of an abandoned building. There were three humans with him, wearing gas masks.
"So... this appears to be the location."
"Capitão Aorello! O Executiva lhe disse o que precisamos encontrar aqui?" asked one of the people.
"Well, she… kinda… omitted that part, to be fair... She said to sweep the area. Let's look inside, see if we find anything out of the ordinary, then head home."
The group slowly advanced towards the abandoned structure. It was in a state of ruin too great to determine its previous role. They all dragged their feet through the half-metre piles of white, chalky dust. While Lorand appeared somewhat unbothered, the rest of the group shivered ever so slightly, unprepared for the temperature decline this far outside the city, the wind howling past them.
Far in the distance, large searchlights were scattered across the desolate wasteland, and even further, colossal figures stood; nothing more than clumps of wires, sitting high in the sky, anchored in the ground, surrounded by lightning up high. From anywhere within the Chromatican City, on the horizon, you could see their silhouettes in full, illuminated by an ever-present backdrop of white. But they were so far away from the city, and the figures appeared no closer than before. The group reached the front door, cracking it open.
"Capitão! E se houver uma ameaça lá dentro?" said another person, blocking the door.
"I'll go first; you guys stand behind me. Stay sharp."
Lorand quietly stepped into the building. He entered a large room, its ceiling and the second floor having collapsed, walls broken through, piles of dust having formed inside. The wooden furniture appeared to be stacked into a barricade, with the state of its destruction showing that it wasn't very efficient. Piles of old, destroyed devices and parts of heavy equipment stood all over the place, cluttering the entire building, motionless. The rest of the group entered cautiously, looking around.
"Okay, the area appears to be safe. I-I mean, even if there was something, it's nothing we can't handle, right? Mihaela would've warned us if there was something that could-"