Chapter 6 The Technomage

The Underhive refers to the vast pre-federation underground network. During the third world war, large underground bunkers were made to support small communities of highly important people in case of nuclear warfare. When the nukes dropped, the chosen people were evacuated to these underground complexes. These survivors fear the outside is not so safe. dare not to go outside. Instead, they started digging tunnels that eventually connected these asylums. With the help of primitive AI, they were more or less successful in preserving humanity.

Over time, as the nuclear winter died down, most of the descendants of the survivors decided to go outside bringing with them advanced scientific knowledge, and the underground network was abandoned. During the unification era, when the Federalists and the technical help of Aresians fought against other surviving human organizations, these bunkers were then reused, these bunkers then turned into cities, acting as both a haven and fortress for both parties. Those who resisted the Federation went underground creating their underground city-states. Each Underhive city can be considered lawless by federation standards, but they all have their own culture and traditions.

"Well, partner. Don'tya think that this place is more rowdier than usual."

Said Target, in the distance, countless explosions and gunshots can be heard.

"I wouldn't know, It's my first time here."

Said Holmes as he checked his communicator. Looking at the signal map, there are SOS everywhere. It would have been standard for an Underhive, but there are too many of them.

"Too much quantum chaos. I couldn't connect to any local forces."

"We better hurry partner, I don't like this one bit."

Holmes nodded, and without a word, they went inside the mega block. A mega block is a large communal building, they are mini cities housing thousands of residents. Everything can be done inside a mega block. Housing, stores, offices, etc etc. Even large research institutes have their mega blocks. Soon Holmes and Target went in and out of an Elevator.

"Apartment section, Floor 700, Room 755. This should be it."

Target spoke in a matter-of-factly tone. Holmes nodded pressed the intercom and presented himself.

"JSEA, Detective CD-1854 "Holmes"."

The intercom blinked, and a cyan cog logo was projected by the holograms.

"Password."

A young boyish voice said behind the intercom. Holmes checked his datawatch notepad, the words were written in ancient common that originated in Texasia.

"Praise the Machine Goddess?"

Holmes translated it, it seems to be related to old customs with religious connotations.

'Who the hell is so religious these days? Are they trying to get me killed?'

Holmes said inwardly in distaste.

"You're 1658.979888... late. The designated appointment has passed, it will cost you extra credits for the lost time."

Said the voice in the intercom. Holmes wanted to say it wasn't his fault, that some crazy SG decided it's more effective to use a landwheeler.

Holmes painfully takes out his credit transfer app. The voice then replied to his actions humorously

"I do find your method of transport funny, So I'll let it roll! Get it, "Roll", causes land vehicles to have wheels that roll! LOL, Lmao, rolf!"

"Haha, I know right!? My Rex is great isn't he!?" Target said acting shyly

"You should let me ride it, I'll give you normies a discount next time!"

The door opened inviting them in a dimly lit chasm. Inside, in front of a pillar was some sort of artistic mechanical statue made of metal pipes and rivets. It was a woman made out of a cybernetic contraption. Under it was the same phrase Holmes uttered earlier but in Federation Common Lingua.

"Praise The Machine Goddess."

'Great, another weirdo, a suspected religious one at that.'

Holmes thought. Wandering where he had gone wrong. Suddenly holographic waypoint manifested to show them the way.

"Hey! This dump isn't half bad! Right partner?

'This holographic system does look fancy... Perhaps I should ask the boss for it.'

Holmes and Target followed the light. The Apartment was bigger than expected, the walls were littered with countless slithering wires, from big to tiny. Finally, they reached their destination, a dimly lit wide room, where holograms are the only source of light, a young kid was connected to a virtual bed where all the wires converge.

The kid had long shiny green hair, a youthful grin on his face, and green shimmering eyes with a small red iris reflecting countless data and codes.

Although he looks like a kid and almost fooled Holmes, he is sure this "kid" was nothing but a walking cybernetic crime. Everything about this "Kid" body is prosthetic.

"Urgh. What the hell?"

"Woah! Amazing."

Holmes wondered if he should be revolted or amazed. How this "Kid" survived all those body modifications is unknown to him, and made him slightly interested.

"How are even alive?"

"Are you amazed...? Not like you normies would understand anyway. Perhaps, I shall enlighten you about the many gifts of the Machine Goddess?"

Smugly the "kid" said. What Machine Goddess? Never heard of it.

"Is it some sort of cybercult? If so, no thank you. Although, the Federation might like to hear about the experience of a living alien specimen. You techrunners do insane things." Said Holmes losing interest in the subject.

Who cares what kind of cult a madman who threw most of his humanity away for mechanical enhancements follows?

"So rude! Although I'm more machine than human, I'd let you know I'm protected by the Goddess Machine. Hah! You normies really can't understand the gift of Mechanical Ascension! Only we who are enlightened by the greatness of steel can truly understand the world! I'm not some normie techrunner! I'm a Technomage, don't compare me to those ignorant philistines!"

Said the "Kid" nonchalantly. As if being a walking "human" metal is normal.

"So cool, are like what? You're like immortal?" Said Target

"Just a trifling gift of the Goddess Machine! Be Amazed at her gift! I like you Safeguard, perhaps you're interested to hear about the teaching of the Goddess?"

"En, no thanks! I'd like to keep my mushy parts mushy." Said Target as she hid her chest

"Alas, a normie will always be a normie" The "Kid" said as he wiped a tear away.

Holmes looked disgusted at the act.

"Okay...That was very uncanny... We didn't come here to hear about your crazy cybercult. We came because you said you have information about a man called the... "Baron"? What's your name anyway?"

The "kid" turned to smile, like waiting in the queue. He began showing off holograms of data.

"Well, I know a lot about the guy "Officially". "Officially" he's 26 years old. yadidadida. "Officially" born from a rich family in Europa. "Officially" worked for a corpo before "Officially" coming in contact with "Purity Church"...

Holmes noticed where this "kid" was headed, and decided to play along. He was getting tired of this "kid".

"I don't care what he does "officially", tell me more about what he does unofficially."

The "Kid" grins grew wider.

"Well, he's a vampire."

Target and Holmes looked at each other as if shocked.

"What the heck is a "Vampire"."

The "Kid" looked annoyed at the two's antics.

"This is why I don't like dealing with normies. You guys know nothing at all! Let me show you what a Vampire is!"

Begrudgingly, the "kid" looked for data about vampires. When suddenly he found something interesting. An evil grin formed on his face.

"Well, at least the Safeguard knows something."

"w-what? I never heard, of any of these "vampires" before?"

Target looked confused.

"What's this then?"

The "kid" threw a holographic screen at them. It was a video recording. Holmes played it. The video played two heavily armed groups having a shootout in bird's eye view. Holmes zoomed in to get a better look. Holmes looked even more confused at these two groups.

"Safeguard...and the PDF?"

A company of safeguards fighting a regimental PDF? Blue on blue isn't unheard of in the duties of a safeguard. After all, they have absolute clearance when dealing with corruption. But the problem is the PDF, why are they fighting a safeguard? Where does their loyalty lie? A safeguard loyalty is absolute. They were programmed from birth and given the best technologies and training. The PDF on the other hand is nothing but a group of under-equipped rubble.

PDF, especially in core worlds are nothing but underfunded reserve armies, they serve no purpose, and if they're lucky, they'll get sent to border worlds for retraining. But Earth PDF? Outworlders look down on Earth, they would have more chance of winning a lottery than getting off this wasted rock.

"The PDF is fighting so damn hard with no care for their lives," Holmes said distastefully

"With no care for their lives!?" Holmes realized something.

He reminded the video again and looked at a certain soldier. Playing it again, observe, rewind, play, observe.

"These men... Don't die!?"

Holmes exclaimed in shock. What the hell is going on, he watched a man die more than any man could, and the man in the video regenerated body parts like it was natural. He looked at the other PDF and the result is all the same. Some heads were blown off, but they regenerated lost limbs like nothing.

"Heh, of course, they're blood slaves. Ghouls at that!"

"What are they? Some sort of gene experiment? Like zombies?"

The video continues, the Safeguards who were fighting masterfully before were being pushed back. Although no fatal casualty is being had all that would change in the next scene. The PDF suddenly started halting all action. As if waiting for somebody. Meanwhile, the Safeguards sat still to observe the situation. Then suddenly, a group of 7ft hulking men walked toward the safeguard, they were wearing a crude type of power armor, painted in black and red, with a drop of blood symbols on their chest, they also had bat-like metallic wings, that would gracefully flaps unexpected of their crude design.