Chapter 73: A set back

SoulStealer laughs out loud like a mad man his ploy is starting to working players are turning on Sunken Reef. He is reading on his mobile display that floats in front of him. He is travelling to a secret location in the Heguria Platina. The Heguria is accessed by the most prominent Martians. It is an exclusive Platina strictly invite-only. A privately funded and owned by the Sān zú wū the iconic and recluse company doesn't even open its doors to anyone. They had sent him a card with a three-legged crow. He swipes in the auto cab it travels slowly taking him to a private maglev train station. These are used by business executives to travel between Planitas'. His heart beats faster amongst the circles of lower-class martian the Sān zú wū is one of three legendary entities on mars. 

The maglev train flies using the magnetic line they have laid into the ground. The ground that is getting closer SoulStealer stands as his train crashes. Inside a secret tunnelling chamber shaped like a seed has captured him and is shooting further underground. The seed arrivals at a listing hot platform. From his best guess, he is at least two hundred meters underground. 'A shame I thought I would get to the legendary city.' He has only ever seen Heguria on old vids from a hundred years before mars joined the Extrasolar Congress.  Looking he sees buildings build directly into the earth. Swaths of menial labours ploughing the red soil. Steam clouds of poisonous gases vent in the choking stifling air. 'Nothing like Imagined.'

This is view is more reminiscent of the old mars before human rights were reestablished. When Mars was ruled by an a.i controlled meritocracy. Only by contributing did one climb the social ladder. Like every other Martian, he only knows that they turned it off.  A feminine body fitting surface suit is walking towards him. The woman puts her hand on his shoulder and he is enveloped in a nano weave. The nanites consume his already poisoned clothing. At the same time, a small fog performs complete decontamination. Once he is fully sheltered several needles poke into him he would have moved if not for the suit still being deactivated. He takes a deep breath surprised he feels better than he ever has. 

The woman presses the side of the suit activating it. Her voice is better than anything he has ever heard before ickles his ears. Grilka says, "Mr Lez Ona, born on mining barge Enhos' Hope. Entered the Martian Collective territory five years ago. Accused of multiple sexual assaults and murder of at least sixteen girls. You have mutilated your share of men over fifty from what we can find. You are also a skilled vegetarian chef and notable musician." 

If Lez could run he would. In his forty years of living, no one has ever been able to trace his deviant behaviour. This woman makes his crawl skin every word she speaks sends him a reminder. He wants to kill her, 'Noone should know! what the hell am I going to do?' His ass starts to sweat nothing he is trying is making the suit move. She continues to recite his history bringing up his involvement with the Oort cloud mafia. The mass shooting at an Earthen Private school even somehow what he did to his older sister. The mention of Racheal sends him into a rage. Even though lez can't see her face he can feel her derision. He stares daggers at the woman who when she done says, "you are now an associate of ours. While your actions are still amateur at least we have someone we can with. Please follow Mr Ona and remember your manners."

Lez still trying to process what has just happened. Is forced to walk with her she points out a few others and their ranks. Each suite also denotes the rank a person carries. The Martian Collective is not something he has heard of before but then again he isn't someone who has ever been well connected. She continues to explain the complex A.I. monitored system they all live in. She leads him to a small garden surrender by piss and shit. Depleted buildings and all manner of Poolers. Poolers are the term they use to describe the lowest members of their society. A shortener term for Cesspool. 

The suit carries him forward and in the instant, he enters the garden. The vista changes a perfectly curated collection of plants and trees. The whole garden is surrounded by some sort of digital projection. From the inside, you can't see any of the dregs of this area. If he hadn't walked there he would know that the city even existed. The suit comes to a stop under an Orange Jacaranda tree. he is familiar with most of the plants each of them is one of the trees founding during the Martain terraforming project started. The trees are all from earth but have been genetically engineered to reflect some aspect of Mars. The orange jacaranda is a symbol of Martian wealth and determination to survive. 

An image of an old man, grey-haired and wrinkled. Even though he is just a projection his suit makes him kneel the suit starts a long-winded poetic greeting spoken in Old Martian said to be a combination of Cameroonian English, Maghreb French and some other lesser dialects. The man is wearing a comfortable Atoghu. He speaks in a measured tone, " Welcome to our humble organisation I'm sure you have questions." He lets out a long sigh filled with anger and frustrations..." Everyone always has questions. No, you can't go home. You are here to serve! Your first task is to wait. We have set you up with all you need to survive and carry out your mission in Odyessy." 

Lez can feel a strange aura from the man like the image he is seeing is not real. Lez has always been adept at picking out changes people do themselves. This is different everything about this man is fake. Well except that bloodthirst that Lez knows all too well a fellow killer hiding as a sheep. his suit signals that the man is giving him a chance to talk. He has to think about what he wants to say. He knows he should be respectful but who can just accept everything this man said just like that. Shit if Miles finds out he might lose his position with Baron International. They have just been approached by another powerful company. 

Lez says, " How should I address you?" This is a perfectly neutral question plus it shows the old man he has some understanding of how vulnerable he is. After all the old man can probably send his suit a single command and he would be dead in less than a second. The old man smiles rubbing his brittle beard. Leo says, " I'm Leo, your better in every possible way." The old with the assistance of the suit increases the pressure on Lez. Lez finds it harder to breathe and think.

After an agonizing three minutes of slow suffocation, Leo says, "Good you are no child. I hate human children. Now stand let me tell you what I expect you to do on behalf of the Sān zú wū. As an associate, you have been tasked with destroying these three players. I suppose for now we have decided against any lethal actions. We have enemies watching us all the time you have a limited window once we register you. You will no longer be able to live amongst normal people. Do this for me and promise you I will show you the wonders of our society. Here is a small sample." 

The suit displays a list of tasks for him to complete in reward for merits. All of these missions are centres around Odyessy. A wicked smile appears on his face as he looks at the possibilities of rewards he can get for merits. The first thing of interest to him a the micro ship. The micro suit is a military-grade mobile suit that can travel between planets. It allows has its own weapons platform and a host of hacking tools. 

Lez says, "It will be done, Leo!" He even holds his head low, drugs woman and anything he can think of can all be exchanged for merits. 

Leo says, "I give few chances for failure, you were already on the radar as you manage to kill one of our members. The loss of Gemini has set back our efforts back more than you know. This is a small step to saving your life and rectifying what you did. We have plucked you from mediocrity make sure to shed those useless things of the past. Lez remember there are those who dance to the tune and those that play them. We are those that wrote the melody." 

Leo fades away leaving Lez standing there...