NYLON - 8

As Cody looks around, he spots a few more skyliners just like the Celestial wandering about in the skies, more painful reminders of what they lack.

“We need to focus,” Cody says seriously. “It doesn’t seem like the Milanovas have noticed us spending their money yet, but it could happen at any time. Let’s find Rylan before things get messy.”

Lilian nods in agreement.

The hovercraft continues for a while before starting to drop. The city zooms in, and before Cody can even blink, the magic of the midnight ride is gone. Everything is back to normal. When he steps outside the door, he spots a large green cross with a green label next to it: “District 3 MedCenter B”

“C’mon, Lily. Let’s get you healed as quick as possible.”

The entrance to the MedCenter is grandiose but not in a flashy way like many of the other Nylon City buildings. It’s sleek, clean, and bright, almost similar in a way to the skyliner they saw earlier, The Celestial.

Right outside the door, a few people sit leaning against the wall, some of them coughing, others missing limbs or covered in scratches. Why don’t they go inside and get themselves medical attention? They’re right here. Cody wonders this, but when he sees the servoid at the entrance, he realizes why.

Before they step in, a servoid blocks the door. “Please pay the entry fee.”

Cody says with disdain, “An entry fee for a MedCenter? Are you serious?”

“Entry fee is 3,000 credits per person.”

With a sigh, Cody gestures for Lilian to hold out the amulet. The servoid scans it.

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

Cody’s eyes drift around as he waits for the verification that usually takes a few seconds. They need to go in to the MedCenter, get Lilian a cure, and head right out.

“Rejected. Incoming call from Sebastian Milanova.”

The name hangs in the air as Cody and Lilian freeze up. Milanova. The owners of the amulet they’ve been carelessly spending throughout Nylon City. Did they finally notice us spending their money?

“Incoming call from Sebastian Milanova,” the servoid repeats. Cody has many questions. Like why this Milanova is calling them, and why it has to be through this entry servoid, but he realizes there’s only one way to answer them.

“Pick up the call,” Cody replies. Lilian looks at him with a shocked expression. He just stares intently at the servoid, whose robotic eyes light up yellow.

The distant voice of a gruff man comes out of the servoid’s speakers.

“Son, me and your mother are overjoyed that you’re finally using the amulet, but why are you using one of the public MedCenters? If you needed a full brain refresh, we could’ve sent someone. You know the MedServoid on Deck 2 has nanogel, right?”

Cody doesn’t respond.

“Son? Are you there . . . ? Honey, he’s ignoring us again . . . at least he’s using the amulet now . . . no, he hasn’t come back for weeks . . .”

He still doesn’t reply.

“Well, son. For some reason we can’t call you through the personal connection. Can’t you just come home already? We miss you.”

Cody feels his heart tighten as the Milanovas hang up. Lilian just looks at him.

“Should we . . . still be using this amulet?” Lilian asks.

Cody nods, his face stoic. For the first time, he’s starting to see the consequences of using the amulet. They didn’t just find it, they took it.

“We have to. It’s the only way we can survive up here, even if we’re taking it from someone who might need it. The Milanovas’ son will just have to wait until after we’ve found Rylan.

“Connection to Milanova Account verified,” the servoid says in its normal robotic voice. “Welcome to the MedCenter!”

It returns to its idle stance as if nothing happened. The two of them walk into the MedCenter, and seeing the interior, they immediately forget the events outside.

The inside of the MedCenter is nothing like they’ve ever seen in Nylon City. Sure, the Galleria Lux was bright and modern, but the MedCenter is soft, pink, and calming from the moment they walk in. Cody almost feels his body healing just from breathing the air inside. There’s seats off to the side, plush and large. It’s mostly empty except for two festives in the back corner, whispering to themselves.

They walk over to the front desk, where what looks like a kind woman waits for them with a smile. “Hi. Welcome to our MedCenter. What can we help you with?”

“She might have dreamrot,” Cody says, pointing at Lilian. “Can you heal her?”

“We’ll have to perform a diagnosis first to see if she’s actually feeling symptoms of Deprivation Trauma. The diagnosis will be 4,500 credits.”

Cody says, “We have to pay for this, too? We already paid the entry fee. What’s next, you’ll charge me to sit down?”

She responds humorlessly, “Seating in the lobby is free for 24 hours.”

Cody sighs and says with realization, “You’re a servoid, aren’t you.”

The kind woman continues smiling. “Of course I am. I’m an economy model MedServoid. No human could possibly assist with MedCenter operations. That would simply be too risky.”

Lilian quickly takes out the amulet and uses it to pay.

She says to Cody, “Let’s get this done quickly. Take the amulet and wait for me, okay?”

She hands the amulet over to Cody, who just shrugs.

Lilian, led by the servoid, is taken through a double door and out of sight. Now that he’s alone, Cody looks around. The two festives are still in the corner whispering. He doesn’t want to get to close to them so he finds a seat in the lobby near the front desk and waits.

The minutes drag on for longer than they should. He glances at the clock many times, and every time it’s still three system hours in the morning. Normally he would be asleep at this time. After a while, his worries start fading as his fatigue catches up. His eyes start drooping and as much as he wants to stay awake, Cody falls asleep.

. . .

When Cody comes to, the MedCenter is the exact same as it was when he fell asleep. The walls are still the same shade of pink and a servoid still stands at the front desk. He turns around and sees that the two festives in the back are no longer there. He looks at the clock.

9:24.

“Crap. I slept for too long,” Cody mutters to himself. It’s already nine system hours in the morning. He stands up and stumbles over to the front desk, still drowsy.

“Excuse me. Excuse me, servoid.”

The servoid, this time a smiling man, looks at him. As human as it looks, Cody knows it’s a servoid.

“Where is Lilian Carter. She checked in maybe six system hours ago.”

The servoid opens up a holographic interface and after a moment, replies. “She was discharged approximately one system hour ago.”

What.

Cody is speechless for a moment. He doesn’t understand. Why would Lilian leave? Why didn’t she come to get him? He looks around the room, but she’s nowhere to be found.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Cody says, confused. “You let her leave on her own?”

“She left with another customer.”

And instantly that confusion becomes rage.

Cody feels an anger boiling up inside him, the same one that he punched Ruby with. He’s not sure if he can hold it back anymore. He lifts his fist, but brings it down. It’s not the servoid’s fault.

“Can you at least tell me the details of the diagnosis?” Cody asks, almost pleadingly.

The servoid shakes its head. “That would have to be a no. You can ask the patient.”

“Absolutely useless.”

Cody turns around and immediately walks right out of the MedCenter. It’s morning now, and there’s more people out and about. The neon lights of the various stores around are still lit, but under the sunlight they seem dimmer somehow. There’s still people sitting around the MedCenter, probably hoping to get in. One of them is even being taken away by a spectroid, likely because he’s overstayed his welcome. Cody feels bad for them, but he has to ignore them for now. Finding Lilian is the top priority.

“Excuse me. Are you Cody Stratton?” a thin, robotic voice asks from behind him. He turns around and sees a small servoid, a little shorter than him with bulky arms and a metallic body on top of rollers instead of legs. It doesn’t even try to look human. It almost looks like a mini-spectroid, which doesn’t put Cody at ease at all.

“Yes. What about it?”

“Please follow me.”

The servoid turns around and starts rolling away. Cody looks after it but doesn’t follow. The servoid turns around after a moment and adds.

“Please follow me if you would like to see Lilian Carter.”

Immediately Cody walks up to the servoid and grabs it threateningly. “Tell me where she is.”

The servoid doesn’t react at all. It just continues repeating itself. “Please follow me.”

It rolls away and Cody has no choice but to follow. The servoid turns left, then right, gliding silently through streets that grow dimmer with each step.

Cody sees collapsed figures on the ground—half-awake, twitching under dying neon lights. It feels like the Transfer Post all over again, but worse. He just hears the sound of the servoid’s lower half rolling across the uneven ground. The entire place smells different from the open streets. It’s older, less maintained and dusty.

They turn into a darker alley. It no longer feels like Nylon City anymore. The run-down environment almost reminds him of the Sub-City.

“Master Jason, I brought the target,” the servoid suddenly says, stopping in its tracks. Cody jumps, not expecting the sudden dialogue.

“Thank you, Barton. Go on standby,” a male voice suddenly says from up ahead. Cody walks forward cautiously, leaving Barton behind him.

He squints up ahead. A man, Jason, stands alone and is shrouded in darkness, but some of his body is slightly visible. He’s tall. Probably an adult. He’s wearing a sleek coat. A festive?

“Cody Stratton.”

Cody shudders at the way Jason says his name. It isn’t a question; it’s a reading of a file, cold and final. From his very first words, Cody wonders if this man even considers him a human being.

“We waited over a system hour for you to wake. I began to wonder if you'd given up on Lilian.”

Cody flinches at her name. “Where is she? Is she safe?”

Jason seems to study him for a moment, then replies.

“She’s alive.”

Cody tries his best to hide his anger. “How did you take her out of the MedCenter? The servoids working there should have woken me up.”

Jason sighs, as if he finds Cody tragically naive. “You should know by now that rules are easily bent in this city.”

He steps slightly closer. “Now hand over the amulet.”

Cody stares into the darkness again, trying and failing to get a good look at Jason’s face. “Show me where Lilian is first.”

“You are no position to negotiate. Now hand it over before I get Barton to help you out.”

Cody hesitates. But finally, slowly, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out the amulet. Satisfied, Jason approaches. When he enters the light, Cody’s mildly surprised at how young the man in front of him looks. He might even be around Cody's age. In one hand, he’s holding a drink. Ocean Zing. In the other, an open hand outstretched towards Cody.

“You made the right choice,” Jason says as he steps closer.

Somehow, seeing his face flips a switch inside Cody. He doesn’t think. That voice and calm confidence all hit a nerve. His body moves on instinct as he lunges, amulet clenched, aiming straight for Jason’s face.

But it never connects.

Barton’s metal arm stops him mid-swing, catching him like a child mid-tantrum. Jason doesn’t even blink. Just takes another sip from his can, its bright blue label flashing in the dim light.

He looks at Cody with disdain. “Brute force. That’s why you will always be beneath me.”

“Let me go!” Cody yells, struggling.

“Barton, take it.”

The servoid pulls him back and with its immense strength, peels open Cody’s fingers and takes out the amulet. It hands it over to the man, who barely glances at it before pocketing it himself. After struggling so hard with the servoid, Cody breathes heavily, but he still lifts his head to glare at Jason.

“I hope you’re proud of yourself. A spoiled brat playing god,” Cody spits. Jason stops for a moment, and Cody almost spots a flicker of humanity in him. Did that strike a chord? But the hesitation is only momentary.

Jason gestures at Barton. Cody feels a prick in his back, and suddenly he collapses to the floor. Electricity floods his spine. He spasms, his body almost glitching. He remembers the man who was caught by spectroids from before. With his last bit of energy, he looks up at Jason.

“Who . . . are you?”

Jason looks around before answering, as if to see if anyone is around to hear. Then, he looks back down, staring Cody right in the eye. For the first time, Cody sees his unwavering gaze. In front of him is a man who would never back down against anything. A face that’s stone-cold and hardened. Eyes that have seen this a thousand times.

“Jason,” he says. “Jason Milanova.”