YEAR 2030 - LONDON COMPOUND - 'DESIRE'
Max was cruising the perimeter of a refurbished Hotel in the centre of the compound named 'Desire', an appropriately named Adult Entertainment Establishment (AEE). He was on the lookout for the black market shipment of opiates that was due here for the clientele and would provide the means by which he and Jake would escape the compound. The ambiguously named AEEs were at the heart of all compounds across the globe and were regularly patronised by high ranking officials and the wealthier workers with high credit accounts. This was the only place in town where people could get a release for their carnal desires, access to outlawed drugs and an opportunity to escape the all-consuming oppression of life in the modern world.
Since the emergence of the Empire as a global power following the lost decade between 2010 and 2020, all forms of drugs had been outlawed in these oppressive modern day concentration camps. Laws a few years earlier had made child rearing a criminal offence, intimate relationships were not allowed to exist within the compounds justified by the limited resources and healthcare facilities available and the need to maintain a smaller population following years of famine and war. Family structures were entirely decimated during the dissemination process to the compounds with family members being allocated on the basis of their skills and work tasks for the 'greater good' of rebuilding the Empire and sustaining a way of life in the peace years.
Those children born before the Sustainability and Social Protection laws were passed in 2019 had been gathered and sent off to compounds with the specific task of indoctrinating them in the mentality and belief system of the Empire. As with everything, anyone who stood up against the regime was removed. All work and no play was the mantra and ideologies of freedom and liberty were no longer freely available. The world had changed.
Within these compounds, people lived to work, and free time between the end of work and curfew was the only time when leisure pursuits if you could call them that, were available. This was where the credit system came into effect. Old movies and television shows could be purchased for the evening, games were available or even music. These were obviously a very selective brand of conformist offerings. Diversity and ‘alternative’ were not concepts that existed since the rise of the Empire. For those with higher positions access to these modern day legal brothels were much preferred.
Some workers were known to save their entire month of credits for just one wild night. Sex was no longer free, no longer took place between two consenting adult humans and played no role in sustaining the future of mankind.
Frank was fully aware of the reduced restrictions on certain couriers into the compounds, particularly those carrying the cyber sex dolls and opiates that made places like Desire so popular and sought after. This was how he had helped Jake and Max into the compound in the first place, and this was the way he was going to get them out tonight.
Jake was inside waiting for the green light that their ride was here from Max. Right now he was putting on a very convincing display as a young adult male synthetic human dressed only in leopard skin briefs, leather waistcoat, and a mask. He was one of the Welcome Models who ensured that clients were fully enticed and entertained before their night of debauchery. Jake like the other synthetic human welcoming party was tasked with teasing the clients into spending more of their credits on the available opiates to make their night even more spectacular. The welcoming party carried large opium pipes which were offered freely to the clients in the ‘selection zone’ like caviar and champagne tasters from the past. The male clients outnumbered the females two to one, they grabbed at the pipe as Jake passed, and inhaling deep lungful’s of the gassy blue smoke as he tried his best not to stay too long in one place.
It was a busy night and the place was bustling with excitement. The bright neon lights gave the otherwise bland place a splash of glamour. The patrons who entered then rushed hurriedly to have their names checked off on the daily register by the synthetic human hostess who seemed to run the show here. She was dressed from head to toe in a tight PVC outfit that clung to her inhuman figure revealing large oversized breasts and a waist you could literally put your hands around. It was her job to ensure that patrons had been authorised access beyond the curfew and to guide them to the selection zone where they could choose their sex object for the night. Choice of gender, hair style and colour, skin colour and age. Whatever your sexual perversions and proclivities, nothing was unavailable provided you had the credits to pay for it. Two of the best sellers were small boys and hardcore sadomasochism.
Jake's task was nearing its end, he continued to wear his fake, fixed smile like the other welcome party operators offering the remaining clients who were still selecting their sexual partner's vital statistics and preferences. He was brought to a halt by a rotund middle-aged gentleman who had arrived late, with two armed security operatives in tow. The fiery haired official was sat making his selections on the touch screen monitor. He had chosen three boys all aged under 10. Jake's blood was curdling, he wanted to move on, but the man now had his hand on his backside.
'I bet a few years ago you saw many a man like me' said the man taking hold of the hose from the pipe and taking a deep drag of the opium.
He continued to caress Jake's bottom and his hand now swept around to his thigh. A feeling of deep-rooted sickness and bile stirred in Jake's belly and was now climbing with burning acidic disgust to his throat. He wanted to punch the old man, but a synthetic human would not react this way to a seemingly innocent grope, he continued to smile as the man took another long drag from the pipe.
'It's amazing how lifelike these things are' the fiery haired man said to one of his guards who simply nodded in passive acknowledgement of the comment. 'What's wrong? Not your kind of thing?' he reacted to the guard.
'No Sir, Mister President' the guard said maintaining his gaze elsewhere.
A sudden chill ran up Jake's spine. He was now in the presence of the president of Europa, Raymond Van Duyn. He maintained his fake smile hoping that the president would soon take his hand away from his thigh and release him to complete his duties.
Van Duyn took a final drag from the pipe, blowing the smoky fumes into Jake's eyes. 'Ensure there is one of these pipes waiting for me in the penthouse suite, now go on' he said playful slapping his hand on Jake's behind.
Jake did not say a word, he smiled and nodded acknowledgement of the president's order and filtered away to ensure that it was placed.
'Wait!' Van Duyn exclaimed.
Jake stopped in his tracks and guessed he had probably been discovered.
'Hey boy' called the president. Jake slowly spun on his heal reminding himself to maintain his cover and smile sweetly. Maintaining the sycophantic fakery he did as any synthetic would do and maintained the amiable attitude and painted on look of joviality.
‘Yes sir, how may I be of assistance?’ Jake chirped fully in character.
Van Duyn had now risen to his feet, his ice cold eyes, softening under the influence of the opiates now filtering into his system. He stroked his greying ginger beard playfully and then winked at Jake.
'Make it two pipes' he said to Jake's relief. 'I look forward to seeing you again whilst I'm on my travels' said the president now waving his security detail behind him as he made his way to the penthouse, where his young male synthetic human sex slaves would be ready and waiting for him.
Jake privately agreed that they would indeed meet again but the circumstances would be very different.
Max had been keeping watch outside Desire for a while now. He had seen Van Duyn and all the other revellers arrive, but there was still no sign of the courier. The plan was a simple one and they had conducted it successfully many times. The truck would arrive, dock itself to the electro charger in the alley, as all vehicles ran on electric power now, the driver would unload the shipment of opium and sex aids and replace them with damaged synthetic humans and would then leave. During this time Max and Jake would slip into the back and hide among the cargo and they would get out at the nearest stopping point. Simple. The problem was, that today, the shipment was running behind schedule and Max knew that with senior officials in town that if they did not get out tonight then with the level of security likely to be increased, they may not escape at all.
He paced uneasily in the back alley wondering whether he should contact Jake and warn him that things were not going as planned. A fleeting anxiety crossed his mind. Perhaps they had been discovered and this was an elaborate sting operation? He decided that sitting here panicking about it was not going to help matters, so, he decided to check the main street one last time and would then sound the alarm.
The main streets were now quiet and empty, curfew had fallen and the brainwashed masses would now be holed up in their tiny high-rise prisons. Residents of these compounds lived in the equivalent of a rabbit hutch, single bed, toilet facilities and a media point for access to the heavily censored intranet where they could access the state media reports, spend credits on entertainment packages or place orders for food or future activities. There was no social networking, email or any other communication opportunities with the wider world or family members who were based elsewhere. This was an existence, not a life. The choice between the security from the rebellion or the punishment for challenging the system was enough to keep them in line.
Max looked down the street for the imminent arrival of the courier. There were no signs of activity just the high rise buildings to left and right of Desire where inhabitants of the commune were stacked and packed high into the midnight sky. Max's fears began to grow, he decided to go back into the alley and hide behind the skip and to let Jake know that the driver was a no show. The skip was full off dismembered, half naked body parts from the sex surrogates who had outlived their prime or had been destroyed by over-zealous patrons who had lived out violent fantasies on them. For all of its faults, whilst the regime under the Empire was oppressive, crimes by citizens had all but ceased. The occasional rambunctious destruction of a sex surrogate at Desire just came with the territory and maintained the strict order of things.
Just as Max was about to update Jake on things outside, the alley was illuminated by the bright beams of the courier's headlights. The driver conducted a three-point turn in the main street and then eased the truck backwards into the alleyway. Max took his place behind the skip, he didn't really want to get in given the contents and how they had been used, and he waited patiently for the driver to go through his routine. Everything it seemed was back on schedule.
The welcome party had now finished up and all of the clients had moved up to their dedicated rooms to act out their respective fantasies with their varied selections. Jake had managed to break away from the long line of synthetic humans who were now being filtered back into the charge room where they would be powered down and recharged for the following evening. He made his way to the rear stairwell where he had hidden his backpack and change of clothes.
Everything had gone according to plan at this point. All Jake need to do now was to get into one of the laundry baskets, get changed and he would be put in the back of the waiting courier and well on his way out of the compound. He had noticed that the emptying of the ground floor skips containing disused pipes from the previous night had yet to be taken. This could only mean that the courier had been delayed, this somewhat fortuitous revelation gave Jake an idea. He picked up his backpack and made his way up the stairs, but instead of going to the first floor, taking himself to the laundry chute and dropping into the waiting basket where he could change out of his costume and into his usual attire ready for pick up, he just kept going. He had never expected that President Van Duyn would have been here on this night and given the man had played such a significant role in framing his father when he ascended to the most powerful position in Europa, this was an opportunity that he just couldn't pass up.
The driver is here, finally. Max's voice echoed in Jake's head from outside. He should be coming in for you very soon.
Keep me posted. Jake replied telepathically before continuing his way up towards the penthouse suite. What Max did not know would not hurt him, he reasoned.
Jake had arrived on the top floor. One of the guards had begun a patrol across the floor, paying far too much attention to the few rooms and the occupants on this floor. His attention was drawn from his duties, living vicariously through the deviant acts he could see through the dimly lit rooms that had failed to be properly secured. The second guard was outside of Van Duyn's room keeping watch. Jake needed some form of distraction to get the guard away from the door which would allow him to get into the laundry chute opposite the room and give him a chance to try and get some intelligence from the president.
Van Duyn's angry face then emerged from the room. 'That goddamn cyber boy didn't place my order' he bellowed, as his sweaty naked body emerged into sight, a towel at his waist maintaining his modesty. 'Go get me what I asked for, I'm starting to lose my buzz'.
The guard did not challenge the order even though he knew that this would leave the president exposed. He just headed towards the lift and signalled down the corridor to the right that he was going down stairs.
Initially Jake cursed himself for having failed to place the order, but this had worked fortuitously for him, leaving Van Duyn’s room unguarded. It was an unplanned stroke of luck.
Van Duyn returned into his room, the cyber boys were bound and gagged inside ready to complete their task. The president dropped his towel revealing his chubby derriere and he made his way to act out his darkest fantasies leaving the door slightly ajar.
Jake seized upon the moment darting in from the stairwell and quickly clambering into the laundry chute and closing the cover before the returning guard saw him. He had not really considered what his next step was going to be but he had a little time to figure that out before he had to go.
The party in Van Duyn's room was now in full swing. Both guards had resumed their posts outside and Jake remained undetected in the small, enclosed space in the adjacent wall where the laundry disposal took place. Jake could sense what was happening behind the closed door, it was as if he had stepped outside of his own body and snuck past the two henchmen, into the room entirely undetected. He could feel himself creeping into Van Duyn's mind, seeing what he could see through the intoxicated state of his host. The scene before him was violent, debauched and laced with sin. Jake tried to close this out whilst Van Duyn went about buggering the cyber sex toy. Jake did not want to see this, but in this vulnerable state, the president's guard would be down, making accessing his memories much easier and better still Van Duyn would have no idea.
After a few moments the images in Jake's mind drifted away from the disgusting and debased scenes from the penthouse suite, he was now retracting deep into Van Duyn's mind reversing into a dark void. He had managed to penetrate his host's mind.
Images flashed at sharp intervals in an incoherent and disorganised pattern. The words and the images did not piece together correctly and made no real sense, perhaps a result of Van Duyn's drug-infused state or Jake's relative novice status as a mind reader. He had rarely tried to read other people's minds, he had been taught how to by his mentor Shengani who had given him refuge after the disappearance of his father. It was as if he was downloading Van Duyn's deepest darkest memories into his own mind desperately searching for any evidence linked to his father.
Jake and Max had been shipped to Shengani when Jake was just seven years old just as the Empire was emerging from the shadows to take up its role as lord overseer. Frank had delivered him to Shengani and kept details of his new host a secret from Jack, Jake's father, to ensure his safety. They lived in a desolate village far beyond the activities of the Empire and the emerging territories in relative anonymity from the changing world. Jake spent the next 10 years or so being trained by Shengani to develop his latent talents so that one day when the time arrived he would be ready to protect himself from the weapons of the Empire. Shengani was an old fisherman who had taken refuge in the Vanuatu islands during the war in 2019. He was a very wise man, but also a deceptively strong man who had protected Jake and Max from capture on many occasions. The final such occasion had cost him his life but had allowed Jake and Max a chance to flee. Avenging him was one of many motivating factors for trying to bring the tyranny of the regime to an end.
Jake could now hear his master's voice in his head urging him to maintain focus. He could feel himself delving deeper into Van Duyn's memories like a deep sea diver who had discovered a hidden treasure trove marooned at the bottom of the sea.
Max was getting very riled up outside in the alley behind Desire. The new shipment of opiates had been delivered, the vehicle was close to being fully charged, and now the courier just had to remove the laundry carts and bins. Max had been trying to connect with Jake for nearly ten minutes now but was getting nowhere. This was supposed to be a quick and easy out but was quickly headed south.
The courier now emerged from the base of the stairwell with the first of two laundry baskets and pushed it up easily into the back of the truck. He then took the second and followed it into the back. It was clear that Jake was not in either and the fact that Max had heard nothing from his master was starting to mean he would need to improvise. Now the courier was moving the skip which Max was hiding behind towards the truck, Max figured he'd jump out and surprise the hapless driver and try and buy some time. As the skip started to move the street out the front of Desire's entrance was filled with light. Max resisted the urge to pounce on the man, who still had not detected his presence and followed the path of the mobile skip as it was pushed towards the truck. Max stayed out of sight moving alongside it and then moved to the front of the truck whilst the courier secured it in the back.
A jeep had pulled up outside and a tall dark figure had begun to make his way into the building. It seemed a little late to Max, for a client to be entering the building. The neon lights from the signs out front briefly illuminated the man's ebony face and piercing blue eyes. It was a face that Max had seen before and one he knew meant trouble. The white braids that trailed down the back of his head and neck meant it could only be one person. Numen had unexpectedly arrived.
Look, kid, I don't know what you are playing at in there but we're in deep shit. He said, hoping that Jake could hear him. Numen's here.
He watched their arch nemesis stroll through the entrance of Desire. There was no response from Jake. Max knew that he would have to go in there himself, but given that the shipment was soon to depart he could not go and warn Jake until business out here was taken care of.
Jake's connection to Van Duyn had been abruptly terminated by the activity in the corridor outside of the room. From his position in the laundry hatchet, he could not see a thing, but he could just about hear voices talking but was unable to make out exactly what was being said. Next, the door to Van Duyn's room opened and the agitated President could be heard angrily complaining about being disturbed. Jake had been so absorbed in searching Van Duyn's subconscious, he had been oblivious to the unanticipated interruption of proceedings.
The guard's footsteps towards the lift could be heard and Jake now pushed his ear up close to the hatch hoping to hear the murmured conversation between Van Duyn and whoever he was talking to.
He tried to get in contact with Max. What's going on?
Get the hell out of there. Numen's coming for you. Replied Max clearly rattled and on the move.
This was not the time for questions, it was time to escape. Jake now kicked off the cover to the laundry chute and made himself into a sausage shape to drop down to where the laundry baskets would be. He motioned to drop but was fixed in place. He tried again but his body continued to hover motionlessly above the chute. He was paralysed to the spot completely unable to escape. The door to the hatch now exploded in towards him and a dark hand gripped him tightly around the throat.
'Hello Jakey boy, I've been looking forward to meeting you' said Numen pulling him through and throwing him to the ground. 'You are not an easy person to find'.
Jake tried to run for the stairwell door but as he grabbed it he was sent sprawling headfirst into the adjacent wall, tearing the hinges off the door as he fell. Numen was picking him up and smashing him first into the wall, and then Van Duyn's door. He did so effortlessly and without even laying a finger on Jake’s battered body. Blood now began to stream from Jake's nose and a cut above his eye.
'So you are a weak little human after all' said Numen now stood before him motioning for him to get up.
Jake tried to resist but he was now lifted unexpectedly by an invisible force a couple of feet off of the ground. He looked at his dangling feet and then at Numen. The sound of the elevator opening down the corridor unseen behind him.
'You are weak' goaded Numen, now swinging Jake's flailing body through the entrance of stairwell and against the wall with kinetic skill.
Jake hit the wall hard and collapsed in a heap. Numen was unrelenting, drawing Jake's flaccid body to him. He grasped his hand tightly around his throat again.
'I can see you truly are your father's son' he mocked.
The anger fired through Jake like a bolt of lightning which now rendered his right arm free. He thrust his thumb and index finger into Numen's electric blue eyes and for a moment it was as if they were both being electrocuted, intense images bursting at lightning quick speed through them both.
Numen dropped Jake to the ground briefly dazed by the unexpected resistance of the boy. He quickly gathered his senses and went for Jake again. He took a step towards his fallen enemy but was drawn to Jake's gaze which had fixed behind his shoulder. Numen turned just soon enough to see a muscular fawn coloured beast, teeth-bared, hurtling towards him. Max flicked his thick skull at the moment of impact and catapulted himself into Numen's face. The general's tiny white and silver braids on the back of his head flicked into the air as he fell backward over the railing and heavily to the floor a few floors below.
This way. Max urged guiding Jake towards the corridor and back to the lift from where it had emerged. As Max stepped into the corridor the lift doors were opening with heavily armed guards, including the two who had been guarding the president's suite, spilling into the commotion. Max turned back towards the stairs.
Second thoughts, just keep behind me. He said before stepping onto the railing and launching himself down the stairs. Jake gathered his senses and trailed behind, the yelling of the guards echoing behind them.
Numen got to his feet for just a brief moment before the full weight of the American Staffordshire Terrier slammed like a forty kilo avalanche upon his balding skull and flattened him.
Soon Jake and Max had arrived back in the alleyway, the truck motionless but with the engine running was waiting for them.
Time for a driving lesson. Max said as he darted into the driver's cabin ahead of Jake.
Jake jumped in behind him, quickly assessing the situation. In the rear view mirror, he could see a couple of the guards emerging, taking aim, whilst the courier lay motionless in the well of the cabin and the road ahead was clear. Improvising, Jake slammed his foot down and the truck thrust into life.
A handful of robotic foot soldiers had stepped from the entrance to Desire into the alleyway, but the truck had picked up some speed. Jake smashed through them easily and now spun the truck towards the only route into and out of London's compound on Tower Bridge. They would need to be quick as word of their escape would surely filter through to the main gates. Another plan that had been poorly executed.
After a momentary loss of his bearings and consciousness, Numen had managed to recover from his head-on collision with the boy's troublesome companion. News of their escape had filtered through the calamity of what had just occurred. Numen knew that the fugitives would be heading for the exit a mile or so away. It was the only way out of the fortified city after all. He intended to stop them and finish what he had started upstairs with Jake. Back in control of his faculties, Numen pushed past his useless troops and roared the engine of the jeep into life, giving chase to the boy and meddlesome canine.
He knew there was something going down and was annoyed with himself for not having interrogated the black market courier further upon entering the compound, but he had searched his mind and seen very little evidence to suggest he knew the boy or intended to help him escape. Thankfully, Numen had followed his instincts and bar the mutt would have been able to erase the young pretender from interfering in the Empire's affairs anymore.
Tower Bridge was a half mile ahead and he could now make out the truck which was easily going to get there ahead of him. He would have sent a message on the radio, but the teeth marks on the dashboard suggested that the dog had taken care of that outlet. Numen began scanning the skies above for signs of movement from the drones.
Where the hell were they?
He slammed the wheel of the jeep in frustration and increased his speed. He could not let them escape the compound. Twelve years they had been looking for him and if he joined up with the rebels, as Numen expected him to, that could cause some difficulties down the line.
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind, he was jolted back into reality as the sound of a huge explosion roared ahead of him, lighting up the skies ahead with an orange glow. They had broken through the first security fence and were now getting on to the bridge. Numen was running out of time.
Jake had smashed through the first checkpoint destroying the gate that was guarded by two footsoldiers. They had not seen them coming. The only problem was that they had no doubt alerted the remaining two posts, one on the bridge and the other on the south side, to their presence. Worse still the truck did not sound healthy and it was only a matter of time before it would be rendered extinct.
Second checkpoint up ahead. Max said.
'Really! Like I couldn't bloody see it' Jake snarled sarcastically. 'How about you figure a way of getting us out of this mess rather than stating the bleeding obvious!'
The handful of guards up ahead right in the centre of Tower Bridge had begun to close the heavily reinforced gate. Had they been given more time they would have raised the bridge and made it impossible for the runaway truck to escape, but as it was they knew that it was unlikely that they'd even get the gate shut in time. The foot soldiers formed a line in the gap to slow the route. The gate, however, came to a halt before being fully able to close.
Punch through the gap. Max urged seeing that there was enough room for them to push their way through.
Jake slammed the pedal of the accelerator to the floor, squeezing the last vestiges of life from the dying truck. One of the foot soldiers managed to unleash a shot which ripped through the heart of the vehicle, but it was too late, the momentum of the vehicle with the stowaways aboard smashed through the gap knocking two of the soldiers down, another was catapulted over the side of the bridge into the river Thames below. The final foot soldier just about managed to dive out of the way to safety.
The truck was on its last legs and after a few hundred feet came to grief after the final team of foot soldiers from the main gate unleashed hell upon it. The truck spun wildly out of control and then began to roll towards them. The foot soldiers continued firing upon it, debris and body parts from the discarded surrogates began to fly out across the road littering it with dismembered effigies of the sordid sex establishment which was normally so discreet in its activities.
Numen continued to give chase behind. He had seen Jake and the dog jump out of the moving truck just before the robot foot soldiers had fired upon it. He now went through the second checkpoint just as the foot soldier who had evaded the impact of the truck stepped into his path. The collision of metal on metal ripped through the night sky. The foot soldier smashed into three pieces and lay maimed on the road whilst Numen's jeep crashed into the wall just after he had thrown himself out of it. The wreckage exploded and went over the side of the bridge. Undeterred from his mission, Numen was now running to the third gate up ahead. With the gate closed, the armed soldiers on the scene and him bringing up the rear, there was no way the two fugitives could evade capture this time.