NYLON - 3

Cody lets out a small sigh of relief and looks up at the sign above the wide double doors. The letters are big and faded, painted in dull maroon: ‘TRANSFER POST SECTOR 3’. The place reminds him of the trading post from earlier, but it looks a little better. The lights aren’t flickering as much, and the windows are a bit cleaner. Through the glass, he can just barely make out a hallway leading inside.

Near the entrance, a few people are sitting on the ground. They look tired—like they’ve been waiting a long time. But something’s not right; Cody notices this, but can’t put a finger on what exactly is wrong.

He steps cautiously toward a man sitting closest to the door. The guy’s wearing a ridiculous outfit—neon-orange jacket lined with cheap, peeling stars and baggy pink pants stained dark at the knees. The grime on his face looks like it’s been there for weeks. Cody can smell him before he even speaks.

“Excuse me, sir.”

Hearing Cody’s voice, the man slowly and groggily looks up. Almost like a ghost.

“Is this how we purchase access to Nylon?” Cody asks.

Everything changes at that last word. The man’s head snaps up at ‘Nylon’. His eyes latch onto Cody like hooks—wide, twitchy, too bright. There's something off in them.

“Nylon?” the man repeats, voice cracking. “Nylon City? You’ll take me back? You’d really do that?” He leans forward fast, saliva gathering at the corners of his mouth. “I knew someone would come to help me. You’re my ticket. You have to be!”

Cody quickly steps in front of Lilian, one arm shielding her.

“Sorry, nevermind. We’ll ask someone else.”

The man doesn’t hear him—or doesn’t care.

“No!” he shouts, suddenly furious. “You’re not walking away. Give me the credits! Show me your wrist. I know you have enough!”

He lunges forward.

Cody stumbles back, tightening his grip on Lilian’s hand, but the man’s faster than he looks, hands outstretched, teeth bared like he means to bite—

CRACK.

The man freezes, eyes still wild—and then collapses like a puppet with its strings cut.

Standing behind him is a shadow, a figure with his arm still raised from the blow. He’s wearing a hood that covers his entire body, but it can’t hide his large, muscular figure. He walks past the strangely clothed man towards them and flips back his hood. It reveals a man, maybe in his mid-thirties with numerous scars on his face and a a sharp gaze.

“Careful now,” the man replies. “That one’s been overtaken by the dreamrot.”

“Dreamrot?” Cody echoes, confused.

The man studies Cody and Lilian with a measured look, as if weighing their worth. “New to Nylon City?”

Lilian nodded. “Yeah. Are you a local?”

“Of course not. No one is except for those damn festives. I’m more of a Sub-City resident who visits the city of celebration when I have to.”

“So you can get us in?” Cody asks.

The man just looks at Cody strangely. “What business do you have there? No one your age should be messing around up there.”

“I’m sixteen. Am I not old enough?”

“There is no age limit, son. Anyone can go. But the younger, the more hopeful you are, the easier the dreamrot gets its claws in.”

“We’re looking for our friend. We’re trying to find him and bring him back.”

Maddox studies them for a long moment. The dim light casts deep shadows across his scarred face, and for a heartbeat, he seems distant, caught in some private memory.

Finally, he nods.

“The name’s Maddox Graves. I don’t like to talk about myself, but I don’t mind answering any questions about Nylon City. Throw it at me,” he says, voice low but steady.

“Actually, I was wondering—what is dreamrot?” Cody asks.

He steps closer, folding his arms. “It’s a sickness—the kind that creeps in when you get hooked on Nylon’s glitter. Your brain gets rewired, starts craving all that glimmer and noise like a drug.”

He glances at Lilian, then back at Cody. “But the worst part? When you get pulled away, whether it’s back to the city or locked behind bars, the sudden silence tears you apart. That withdrawal? It breaks minds. Makes people desperate, violent, or worse. It’s no joke.”

Cody swallows hard. “Is there a cure?”

“There is. Never get hooked in the first place.”

Cody’s mind starts racing as Maddox’s words settle in. Dreamrot. The name alone feels heavy, like a warning etched deep in the back of his mind. He glances at Lilian. She’s just looking around without much thought.

A horrible thought gnaws at him. The city’s glitter isn’t just dangerous for him—it could swallow Lilian whole. She’s still too hopeful, too open. The kind of person dreamrot preys on.

“Thank you, mister Maddox. We’ll be careful,” Lilian says. “So can you show us how to get into Nylon now?”

Maddox steps closer, folding his arms as his gaze sharpens. “I’ll be straight with you. If you want my help . . . I’ll need a favor.”

. . .

“Greetings, visitor. Are you seeking entry into Nylon City?” a servoid asks Cody from behind a counter. They’re inside the transfer post now, and the interior is unlike anything Cody has ever seen before. There’s a dark red carpet covering the entire floor as well as designs on the walls. The whole place just seems to be drawing him further in.

“Yes.”

The servoids Cody knew were bare-bones machines—arms, wheels, static voices. This one? Practically human. Its face shifts with emotion. Its silky voice almost sounds like that of a human.

“Is this a first visit for everyone here?”

Cody is about to say yes, but then he looks at Maddox, who nods.

“Yes. We’re all new.”

The servoid brightens up, lights flashing and its tone shifting to a friendly voice.

“Welcome, esteemed guest! Nylon City is the premier destination for luxury, leisure, and limitless sensory delight. Enjoy curated environments, stunning artificial skylines, and premium synthetic cuisine. Please select an access Tier.”

The servoid’s chest opens up, revealing a screen that displays a message.

“Notice: purchases are automatically renewed daily.

Tier 2 “First class”: 50,000 credits per day

Tier 3 “Standard access”: 5,000 credits per day

Tier 4 “View pass”: 500 credits per day

Tier 5 “Null Tier”: You are here!”

“Fifty thousand?” Lilian says incredulously. “There’s no way people can afford that. Even the view pass is expensive.”

Maddox whispers, “Up there in Nylon City, some of those festives have riches beyond your imagination. I’d recommend getting the view pass for now.”

Cody presses the button that says ‘Tier 4’.

“Please present a payment method.”

Cody holds out his wrist, and the Servoid extends a scanner to scan it. Its eyes light up red.

“Balance: 127 credits. Insufficient funds.”

Maddox looks at him curiously. “You’re broke? Why would you even consider going to Nylon City with that little?”

“Because we have a trump card!” Lilian holds out the amulet and presents it to the servoid, who scans it, and scans her own wrist.

“Alternative payment method detected. Verifying connection to Milanova account.”

Cody holds his breath. He knows the amulet should work, but still has this uneasy feeling. It’s not their amulet, so why are they using it so freely? Suddenly, the servoid’s eyes light up green.

“Verified. Tier 4 access granted to Cody Stratton and Lilian Carter.”

Cody breathes a sigh of relief, but that uneasy feeling still remains.

The servoid pivots toward Maddox. “Your turn, visitor. Please present your account for scanning.”

Maddox looks at the servoid for a moment, then at Cody and Lilian.

In one swift, fluid motion, he draws a sleek blade—gleaming metal fused with humming circuitry—and without a hint of hesitation, slices clean through his own forearm. The severed arm hits the floor with a dull thud, still twitching as blood starts gushing from the wound.

Everyone stops moving once the arm hits the ground. Cody and Lilian stare at Maddox in disbelief. The arm squirts blood sporadically, but no one touches it. Maddox quickly pulls out what looks like a cloth with wiring and technology in it and wraps it around the wound. It starts flashing and making whirring noises on his arm as the smell of burnt copper starts permeating the air. He looks back at the servoid.

“As you can see, I do not have an account. Could you register me with one and get me a biochip for my left wrist?”

The servoid’s optical sensors dim briefly before responding. “Blood relative must be present for biochip implant.”

“He’s my uncle,” Cody blurts out. “Maddox Stratton.”

The servoid turns to Cody for a moment, then turns back to Maddox.

“Procedure noted. Please proceed to medical bay for biochip installation.”

Cody remembers Maddox’s request from earlier: “Later, claim that I’m your relative.” He didn’t think that this was how the favor was going to be used. He looks at Lilian, who’s still staring, stunned. But Maddox’s gaze remains locked forward, steady and unshaken.

Maddox waves off the servoid. “I’ll head over to the medical bay in a moment.”

Lilian glances back and forth at the arm and Maddox.

“Did you just—what was that?”

“It’s hard to explain, but I can’t go into Nylon City with this account. I’ll just get a prosthetic. Don’t worry about me.”

Cody then asks, “How come the servoid didn’t notice anything weird about you just cutting off your arm? Shouldn’t it notice that you’re probably hiding an actual account in that other arm?”

Maddox shrugs. “Servoids aren’t programmed to think like humans, son. They don’t question things beyond their protocols. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get to the medical bay. Should only take five minutes.”

With that, he follows the servoid down a hallway to the left, leaving Cody, Lilian, and his severed right hand behind in the quiet corridor.

After a moment, Cody looks at her, still staring in silence at the arm.

“Still want to visit Nylon City after seeing that?” he asks.

Lilian shudders but straightens her spine, eyes still locked on the twitching hand. “Yeah… I mean, if it’s that dangerous, maybe it’s even more important we get in. There’s something about that city—it’s like a puzzle we have to solve. Also, I think Maddox is just weird. There’s no way everyone in Nylon will cut their arm off like that for entry.”

Cody shrugs, running a hand through his hair. “I guess. But Maddox… he’s not like anyone we’ve met. There’s something real dark under that calm. I don’t know if I trust him.”

“We don’t need to trust him. We just need his help to get in. And maybe while we’re there he can show us around.”

“Maybe.”

After a few minutes, Maddox returns, showing off his newly implanted biochip. The servoid walks back over to the counter.

“Tier 4 access has been granted for Maddox Stratton. You may now proceed to the lift.”

Cody, Lilian and Maddox head further down the corridor. Once they reach the end, there’s a metal door and some buttons on the side. Next to it, there is another servoid, but it looks very different. It’s large, and made with dark colors. It’s wearing what looks like a helmet with a red light on top, and its eyes glow blue. And its arm looks strange; at the end of the servoid’s left arm isn’t a hand, but . . . a gun.

Maddox slows and leans toward Cody.

“Don’t make any sudden movements,” he whispers. “That’s a spectroid.”

The servoid tilts its helmet. The red light blinks.

“What’s that?” Cody whispers back, tense and shaking slightly.

“They’re a special class of servoid—Nylon’s law enforcement. You’ll see them everywhere, and they all look just like that. Lots of folk like to mess with servoids, but you never mess with spectroids, unless you’re prepared to head to K-Lock.”

Cody gulps and nods, eyes forward. K-Lock? He wonders what it means, but he doesn’t ask. He can feel Lilian clinging closer beside him, and Maddox stiff as stone on the other side. The air around the spectroid hums faintly, like static clinging to his skin.

They walk slowly, trying not to look directly at it. No sudden moves. No strange gestures. Just calm, slow steps.

The spectroid’s head follows them, precise and silent. Then it speaks.

“Stand against the wall.”

Its voice is deep and filtered, like it's coming from a tunnel full of wires. There’s no anger, no emotion—just a command. They obey without hesitation. Cody backs up against the cold metal wall. Lilian and Maddox join him.

The lift dings.

The doors slide open, and two more spectroids emerge, dragging a man between them. He’s slouched and limp, barely conscious. His clothes are stained, one shoe missing, and his mouth hangs open as he mumbles nonsense.

“...I told you, I paid the credits! I paid them, you stinking bots—ask the fireworks man—he knows!”

His voice echoes wildly down the corridor. The spectroids don’t react.

They march him past Cody and the others, back the way they came. His eyes roll wildly as they pass. For a split second, the man looks straight at him.

The man mouths at him slowly: “You’re next.”

Cody swallows hard. Lilian is frozen beside him, her eyes wide and unblinking. After a few moments, the man disappears down the corridor, probably ushered out to where the other crazy people are.

The spectroid turns back toward them. “Proceed into the lift.”

Cody nods quickly, grabbing Lilian’s hand. They step inside. Maddox follows last, not saying a word. The doors close behind them with a quiet hiss. For a moment, Cody wonders if the lift isn’t working, but once he hears the whirring noise, he realizes they’re going up.

Everyone’s quiet for a moment, but then Cody looks at Maddox, silent and brooding.

“Maddox. What’s K-Lock?”

Maddox crosses his arms, shifts his weight, and glances at some symbols etched into the lift’s wall. “Let’s just say it’s not somewhere you can usually walk out in one piece.”

Cody asks quietly, “Have you ever . . . been there?”

Maddox looks at him for a moment, and the silence gives more of an answer than any words could. The lift hums steadily, and Maddox leans back, his voice low and serious.

“Believe it or not, I’m starting to warm up to you guys. You two . . . stay safe in Nylon City. ”

Cody nods in understanding, deciding not to push his previous question.

Lilian asks, “Why are you telling us this now?”

“I have business to attend to in Nylon City, and I can’t take you two with me.”

Cody feels his heart drop. He’s not ready to face Nylon City, even with Lilian by his side. If Maddox is there with them, they surely won’t have to worry about any sort of danger.

“Wait—you can’t leave us. What if something happens?”

Maddox doesn’t answer at first. He glances behind Cody, then places a firm hand on both their shoulders.

“In Nylon City, the only evil you really have to watch… is the kind inside yourself. Remember that, and you’ll be fine.”

Lilian starts, “But—”

Maddox gives them a gentle shove.

“Now go.”

The music hits Cody first—upbeat and vivacious, but also loud. So loud that Cody can barely hear his own voice as he tries to speak. The sound seems to echo through him, forcing his heartbeat to match the rhythm of the song. It’s so overwhelming that it takes all of Cody’s willpower to keep a grip on Lilian’s hand.

Once he starts to get used to the music, the crowd hits him. People move about in every direction, dancing and chatting away. Some people hold drinks, some hold food, and everyone is donned in glamorous outfits and accessories. Outfits shimmer with shifting light, catching reflections from neon signs above: skin-tight jackets made with metallic mesh, glittering visors with various designs, and pants that are so brightly neon that Cody has to avert his eyes. He looks down at his own clothes and how different it is from everyone else’s—dark, solid colors, and covered in dirt and grime.

Beyond the crowd are enormous buildings, each one different from the other. He catches flashes of signage: “Galleria Lux”, “Velvet Plaza”, “Grafton District”. He catches the names, but they blur past him as he turns to look back at Lilian.

She isn’t paying attention to any of those things. In fact, she’s in her own world. When Cody gets closer, he realizes she’s crying. He freezes.

“Lily? Are you okay?” he shouts, trying his best to reach her over the overbearing music.

Lily just looks at him and starts smiling through the tears. “Look, Cody. The sky.”

And he looks up.

All Cody can do is stare.

The view of the sky is nothing like the one from the secret spot in the Sub-City that Lilian showed him. Cody tries to speak, but nothing comes out. He tries to describe it, to form a word for the vastness above him, but nothing fits.

It’s not a ceiling at all. It’s just a sky. Soft and endless, like someone peeled off the roof of the world and forgot to put it back.

Cody feels something rising in his chest—hope, maybe. Or sadness. The idea that something this beautiful has been kept from them his whole life feels unfair in a way he doesn’t know how to name.

“It’s real,” Lilian says through tears, “I—I knew it . . .”

He looks at her, then back at the sky. A part of him wants to stand here forever.

But time doesn't stop, even for wonder.

Cody gently tugs on her hand to get her attention. “I know you’re super excited about the sky right now, but remember what we’re here for.”

Lilian shakes her head as if to clear away all distractions. She wipes the tears from her eyes and looks up at Cody with a fierce look.

“Yes. Now we look for Rylan.”