The city where the light doesn't shine

Trump City, California state, USA

The city was built in the year 2044 after China's rise to power and the collapse of the USA's grip on global affairs. The city's name was inspired by one of the USA's presidents Donald Trump, who gained popularity amongst the American public after being elected more than 3 times in the past. After riots and chaos ruined most of the big cities as a result of mismanagement in the government, Trump City became the economic centre of the newly reformed US.

To the American public, the city represented the last of the good times the US had under Trump before he passed away in 2031. The city was distinct for the huge metallic Trump statue in the middle of the city centre. Life was decent there until the start of the Fourth World War when crime rapidly overwhelmed the authority inside the city. Now, the city is more controlled by the mafia and different criminal associations than the actual US government.

Today, the city gained an unfamous nickname: [The loophole of the law], a place where even the US military fears to enter. The rules of the city are simple: if you enter, you will dedicate your life to crime; If you manage to exit then, you are a made man capable of running your own criminal empire.

Kadyn carefully walked through an alley full of homeless people and drug addicts. She made sure to cover her face with a mask to hide her identity while avoiding eye contact with anyone she came across. It was a last resort option for her since the authorities could not reach her here. Despite the fact that she lived for over three months inside the crime-ridden city, she managed to distance herself from any criminal association thanks to a parting gift from Mike.

*Back then, a few hours before Mike fought Sniper.

[Mike] - "Here, put this on. The aircraft might not have heating. "

Said Mike as he wrapped Kadyn in an elegant grey winter coat.

In return, after being comfortably embraced by the coat, Kadyn reached her hands toward Mike and arranged his tie. As their eyes crossed, they shared a warm smile at each other.

[Kadyn] - I wish I was tying your tie as you go to work. Like in the movies, you'll come back in the afternoon with a bouquet of roses. As I welcome you, we will share a kiss... Not like this, as I tie your tie maybe for the last time ever. "

Said Kadyn while trying to hide her sadness under an unconvincing smile.

[Mike] - "Maybe by the afternoon, I will come to you with a bouquet of roses. "

Said Mike in an attempt to cheer Kadyn up.

Kadyn smirked as she wiped a few specks of dust off Mike's coat.

[Mike] - "In case I don't make it, there is a secret compartment under your coat's left arm. I left something that will cheer you up. "

Kadyn's palms stopped in their tracks before forming a grip on Mike's coat. Mike immediately sensed Kadyn's feeling of fear. In response, Mike wrapped his arms around Kadyn.

[Mike] - "We'll get rid of it together when I come back, alright? "

Kadyn's grip slowly relaxed before she gently pressed her head against Mike's chest.

Now that Kadyn thought about it, why didn't she give Mike one more hug when she had the occasion? Next thing she knew, the only person in this world who ever loved her was gone in an instant.

Inside the walls of Trump City, where the climate no longer required her to wear that dirty coat, Kadyn reluctantly cut open the small compartment under the left arm and retrieved a small white envelope. For all this time, she refused to acknowledge the existence of the pocket but now, after losing everything she had, Kadyn finally decided that it was time to seek a little bit of help.

The envelope contained a handwritten letter and a small bank card.

"All my regard to my dear beloved Kadyn. If you are reading this letter, it means we have made it out alive. You thought I wrote this letter in case I died but no. All I want to ask you is one simple question: Will you marry me? Here is a card with all the money I saved for our future. It has more than enough money to buy you the best engagement ring on the market.

-Your forever knight, Mike. "

All this time, Kadyn thought Mike was a pessimist but this letter proved her wrong. All this time, Mike held on to the hopes that he would be victorious against Sniper. The letter absolutely broke Kadyn's heart as she felt knives stabbing through her chest. Memories of her and Mike flashed through Kadyn's mind as she gripped so tightly onto the letter that she accidentally ripped both sides of the letter from the paper.

[Kadyn] - "You already knew I was going to say yes. "

Whispered Kadyn while trying to hold back her tears.

[Kadyn] - "I would've said yes the first time we went on a date. I would've said yes the first time I met you. I would've said yes a million times if it meant you could hear it. Instead, you decided to let a piece of dead tree speak for you. Now, I will never hear you ask that question and you will never hear me answer it. "

The buzzing of the neon slowly started to fill the street as the night approached. Mimicking the other miserable denizens of the city, Kadyn found herself an empty spot by a door and decided to set camp there for the night. As Kadyn slowly drifted into sleep, a man suddenly kicked in the back.

With a gun pointed at her head, Kadyn looked up to see a bald man with a pair of shiny chrome hands. Compared to the others in the street, he seemed relatively clean and well-dressed. His long spider fingers clicked as he adjusted to the pistol which was obviously undersized for his large hands.

[Rust Claw] - "No camping by my doors. Find yourself another place to sleep before I blow your brain out. "

Kadyn simply gave him an empty stare before she started to speak.

[Kadyn] - "Offer me a place to sleep and I'll pay you handsomely. "

[Rust Claw] - "Hmm! You are nothing but a dirty homeless prick! What can you- "

[Kadyn] - "7 million US dollars a month. "

Said Kadyn on instinct.

[Rust Claw] - "Huh? "

The doctor was surprised by the random number that suddenly jumped out of Kadyn's mouth.

[Kadyn] - "7 million a month. In exchange, you will offer me a sanctuary. I will not join any gang and you'll make sure to keep my existence a secret. Do we have a deal? "

Said Kadyn in an emotionless tone.

7 million is more money than what the doctor was making a year salvaging his patients and dead corpses for useful cybernetics to sell. No surprise, Kadyn got a deal right away. That night, instead of sleeping in the streets, she got herself a decent makeshift bed on the autopsy table. Thankfully, later, she will be given a separate room by the doctor behind the autopsy chamber.

This last gift from Mike bought Kadyn some much-needed respite but her troubles were far from over.

Inside her room, Kadyn brushed her long blonde hair under the dim light over her bed. She looked outside of her window and saw a luminous city decorated with all sorts of neon lights and holograms. Although the beauty of the city should've inspired hope in all its citizens, Kadyn knew the darkness that hid under the light. There is no hope, there is no future and there is no escape. Kadyn touched her slightly swollen belly but there was a lack of joy on her face.

She had escaped the worst but she was completely and utterly defeated. She's stuck inside a city unsuitable for raising children. Kadyn slowly closed her eyes and tried to relax her tortured spirit. In another couple of months, she will have to give birth but then what?

"I'm sorry little ones... Mom has failed you. I was supposed to find us a home and provide you two with a future but I'm stuck here, in this city of lies. I'm hiding from everything, which also means you two must as well. Look at me, what kind of mother am I, Mike? I wish you were here. I'm so lonely and scared. "

Thought Kadyn as she cried herself to sleep.

Like every other morning, Kadyn woke up to the sound of machinery outside of her room before being assaulted by the smell of embalming fluid. Opening the window won't help her case either as the city's air is more polluted than actually breathing in embalming fluid fume. Kadyn leaned by the window and tried to think about something positive but just as she closed her eyes, she was snapped back to reality by the sound of gunshots in the street.

[Kadyn] - "Ah, for fuck's sake, you bloody American! It's 8 in the morning! "

Said Kadyn in a frustrated voice.

In the street, a car chase ensued before one of the cars was ambushed and blown into a ball of fire right below Kadyn's window. Soon, a half-burned screaming corpse crawled out of the car. Considering his injuries, he won't die right away but he won't be saved either. As he kept screaming in agony, Kadyn covered her ears and slammed the blind over her window.

In desperation to take her mind off the increasingly irritating screams, Kadyn banged her against the wall repeatedly until a red bloody bruise appeared on her forehead.

[Rust Claw] - "Can you stop disturbing me? I'm trying to work here! "

Said the doctor in the other room.

Suddenly, Kadyn rushed out of her room with messy hair, red eyes and her wrist blades both extended.

[Rust Claw] - "Eh, never mind what I just said! You look terrible. "

Kadyn suddenly charged toward the doctor.

[Rust Claw] - "Hey! Hey! We can discuss this! You don't need to... "

Screamed the doctor in a panic.

Kadyn stabbed the corpse on the autopsy table before making a perfect incision on its back. Not long after, Kadyn laid out every single salvageable cybernetic part she could harvest from the corpse on the surgery table. This impressed Rust Claw who would have needed 5 times more time to accomplish the same task. With the job completed, Kadyn started to retreat toward her room.

[Rust Claw] - "You can work as my assistant, you know. "

[Kadyn] - "Fuck off! "

Said Kadyn before slamming her door shut.

With an entire day's job completed in the span of an hour, the doctor simply shrugged before starting to bag everything for either disposal or sale.

On the other side of town, a convoy of grey vans arrived at an armed checkpoint. After checking the driver's access code, the armed man allowed the vehicles to enter the city.

[Driver] - "Where are we heading, headmistress? "

In the back of the van sat the slim and elegant figure of KD-454 with a cigarette hanging by the tip of her lips.

[KD-454] - "Head for the last known location where our target was last sighted. "

"Trump City, huh? That's where you are hiding. Been a while since I last visited this place. KD-555, maybe we are sisters but in this cruel world, you are nothing but a banquet of upgrades for me to harvest. "

Inside some of the convoy's vans sat men of different stature; some of them enhanced to the bones with cybernetic while others appeared so large and imposing as if they weren't even human.

To be continued...