❝how do you kill a monster without becoming one?❞
In the last city ruled by man, fish soar in the skies above and monsters lurk in the alleys below. Ten years ago, Jase lost both his legs and his mother to one such monster. However, tragedy couldn't...
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Jase watched Huraira and Bonnie disappear with a smile. They must've already taken a case. Which also meant that Jase and Kova were behind. That was enough motivation for Jase to return to his office and throw open the door - rather dramatically. Kova, who had been playing with the blinds, didn't even bother looking up.
"You're back," he just said and pushed a package towards Jase. "Someone came in and gave this to me. They said not to open it without you."
Jase rolled up to his desk and tore the package open. Inside of it, there was a small, blue sphere, about the size of a marble. The only thing on the sphere was a silver stingray. Furrowing his brow, Jase tapped the symbol with his Chip, which was generally the way to activate a device. It instantly began to glow bright blue and a holographic AI sprung to life.
"Good morning, Jason Williams and Kōvhakiēl Malik." The AI butchered Kova's first name almost as badly as Jase had. "I am your Personalized Appointment Transmitter, or PAT," she said. "As Agents of Stingray, your duty is to kill Smiles and protect the humans of Last City. It is my job to help you book appointments."
"Appointments?" Kova echoed. "What's that?"
"It's how Stingray manages its Agents," Jase said. "Whenever someone reports a Smile or a series of Smile killings, it's put into the system and Agents have to take an appointment before they are sent out." Jase frowned. "We went over this in... class." Where Kova spent the entire time sleeping.
Kova shrugged unapologetically.
"Stingray is like a massive simulation game." PAT turned to face Kova, with that eerily cheerful smile. "Everyone starts at Level One and they work their way up by completing cases. By leveling up, an Agent can unlock more dangerous cases. Of course, these cases offer more Notes in exchange for the work."
Jase had never played a simulation game before - never had the Notes to afford a console - but he knew that Stingray produced a large percentage of them, the simulation is based on real combat. Huraira said they'd probably be boring for him, though. Apparently, after someone had seen the horrors of Smiles first hand the pixelated version was childish in comparison.
"Show us the list of cases that we can take," Jase said.
"I found seventeen cases in your skill level," PAT said, disappearing as a list of cases taking her place.
"We're going now?" Kova asked.
"Huraira and Bonnie have probably already left," Jase said as he scrolled through the cases. "We can't get behind them. Besides, if we don't take cases, we don't make money and I'll get booted out of my apartment if I miss another payment."
Kova looked away. "What case are we taking, then?"
"How about this one," Jase said, handing PAT to Kova. It looked fairly simple. A young couple suspected the older woman next door to be a Smile but in the details, it noted that it was extremely unlikely as the woman had held a job for over thirty years and had a Chip that checked out. She had been a citizen since birth, nearly fifty-eight years ago.
