PROJECT 37: System Override

It was another night in the bustling city of New York. The sky was a shade of grey, the air thick with fumes that seeped into Sky's lungs like claws. He rode through the honking traffic on his nearly worn-out bike, his delivery bag slung across his chest and sweat running down his neck. Another night, another round of deliveries. As he swerved past a double decker bus, he came to a halt on one side of the road and parked his bike. His phone buzzed in his jeans pocket, prompting him to take it out. The delivery app on his cracked phone displayed #432 - Late - Penalty Incurred. He let out a sigh. Again. “Hey! You can't park there.” An old security guard yelled. “I won't be long.” Sky spoke as he carried the package inside the building. Inside, a chubby woman in quite revealing clothes snatched the food from him. “It is past the delivery time. You people are so damn slow.” she said and slammed the door against his face. Sky clenched his jaw and then bit his lips to withhold him from saying something bad. This wasn't the first time. Everyone saw him the same way: a poor deliveryman who had no chance of ever making it. Strangely enough, they were not wrong. He turned and walked out of the building. His stomach suddenly grumbled, but he paid no attention to it. He had not eaten, in fact, he could not. Every dollar he earned went toward his sister's medical bills. Talia, his younger sister, the only family he had left and a sickle cell warrior had been under his care since the death of their parents. She was his only priority. Suddenly, his phone buzzed again. He opened it to see some notifications pop up on his screen. [Landlord: Your rent is due and you have till tomorrow morning to pay up] [Hospital Bills: Your balance of $97,000 is due] [Delivery App: Your delivery rate is below 50%. Risk of account suspension] He let out a deep breath as he sat on the sidewalk beside his bike. Vehicles passed and so did people, but no one seemed to recognize the struggling young man who was trying to make ends meet. Then he brought out a small notepad from his pocket, one in which he wrote his ideas in. Business plans, inventions, they were all written in it. He had a creative mind, but it was useless without money. He was just a mere delivery guy with nothing to show for it. Suddenly, he heard another buzz from his phone. A message had arrived, and when he checked it, it read: [Delivery App] [New Order: Government Delivery. Premium Order] [Location: NeuroCore Industries] [Payment: $500] [Accept] [Reject] Sky stared wide-eyed at the message. 500 dollars? That was a 3-day income. But a government job? He scoffed. That was a premium order, not intended for him. “Maybe there was a glitch in the system,” he said to himself as he clicked “Accept”. There was no time to think about it; it was his luck, and he desperately needed the money. *** The NeuroCore Industries looked eerie as Nico approached the building. He had never seen it up close; he had only seen it on the news, where politicians discussed inventions made in it and how they would lead to a “better future.” When he got to the security gate, he stood in front of the scanner and raised his phone. A guard sneaked a peek and peered into the phone to confirm his delivery. “Level 6 Lab. Do you have any clearance?” the young man asked. Sky shocked his head. “The app sent it. You want it or not?” The man sighed and opened the gate. “Location is on the 13th floor. You have a few minutes to deliver that.” Inside the building, the whole place was silent. Glass corridors. Bright fluorescent light. Doors equipped with scanners. Security cameras at every corner. Sky looked around as he walked into the reception office. “Thirteenth floor. The elevator is located to the right. Lab is on the left, last room,” the lady explained without looking at him. Sky frowned and proceeded to the elevator. It opened and he stepped in. 1st floor… 2nd floor… 3rd floor… The numbers counted as Sky rested his back on the wall and closed his eyes. Immediately, he felt something strange. “Sky Grant.” a voice called out. Suddenly, Sky opened his eyes and looked around. There was no one. Was he hallucinating? 13th floor….Dinged! The elevator door opened. As Sky walked out of the elevator, the strange feeling persisted. This time, he felt as though he was being watched. “Sky Grant.” the voice called again. He looked around and this time Sky seemed to notice the room he was looking for. The door was marked Level 6 Lab, and there was a security camera on it. “Come to me.” the voice said as he reached for the door handle. Sky, who was now confused and scared, quickly turned to leave. Immediately, he realized something was wrong. The air had an unusual smell. It smelled of ozone and…smoke? Before he could figure out what it was, there was a cackle of static and then a BANG! The ground shook, knocking Sky off his feet and throwing him violently into the lab room. Alarm screamed. Red lights flashed. Voices could be heard. “Security breach. All personnels are expected to evacuate the building.” a voice from the speakers announced. Foot sounds were heard scampering out through the corridor, but they did not notice the young man squirming on the floor in pain. Sky lay on the ground, gasping for breath, and just as he was about to give up his ghost, his gaze fell on a small floating microchip suspended mid-air in a cracked glass chamber. When he thought he had seen it all, the glass chamber shattered into pieces and the capsule floated towards him, releasing nanoscopic fragments which swarmed towards him. “Finally!” he heard the strange voice exclaim. Where the hell was that coming from? Before he could retaliate, another explosion shook the building. Sky's body jerked, and he blacked out instantly.