A Vice at Every Corner

She’d always told Momma that the big city was her dream. The dazzling lights enraptured her from the modest cottage home she had always known. Distant sounds of speeding vehicles, cheers from whatever stadium and fireworks only grew her curiosity. Momma was never discouraging. But always warning Sydney, “All ain’t what it seems, darling. Take what you can without losing who you are.” The stern undertone of warning behind those words never actually caught on to in the height of Sydney’s infatuation. “Baby,” Momma would call to her, “Be careful up there. Stay too long in the clouds, eventually a storm will push you back down to the Earth.” Sydney would always respond, “Yes, Momma,” ending their conversation.

The bus jolted, startling the passengers as it moved past the last checkpoint. Sydney had never been so close to the city in her life. Her first impressions were… interesting to say the least. Too many checkpoints, too many guards, and what were all those guns for? Up close, the bright lights she saw from afar were drowned by opaque greys, tans, and blacks. Squads of uniformed men and women marched endlessly into various alleys and streets and some guy, whom she barely knew, nearly pushed her off the bus once they stopped.

“Line up,” a voice exclaimed from the crowd of soldiers, “have your papers in hand.”

Sydney’s eyes whisked back and forth, following suit of the many people who unenthusiastically followed the voice’s orders. She pulled out her papers, TEMPORARY ENTRY INTO FREIHEIT CITY – SYDNEY KATE. A man sauntered along the line, snatching documents, and leering into each newcomer. He stopped at Sydney.

“Well, aren’t you just a vase of dandelions.”

Sydney played with the ends of her dress. Heat rose to her cheeks. “This your first-time little lady?”

“Yes sir, that it is. You see, I come from–”

“Not interested. You are to report to Sector A for your visit. Seems like you have a guardian angel. Welcome to the city, Dandelion” The guard pushed the papers back into her hand and continued on. Her feet twisted and regained balance as she began walking towards her new destination.

The streets were more of the same. Concrete slabs layered on top of each other, tall lamps illuminated the roads as exhaust dripped into puddles from protruding pipes. Neon signs flickered over stores fronts. Black market drugs, brothels, and fighting rings. Nude men and women and dirty transients littered her path. The smell was horrible. In the distance, sounds of screams, fireworks and loud music drowned out any chance of thinking. It was lawless. Sydney rushed away from the bazaar, her mother’s voice echoing, “be careful up there…”

Finally at the next gate, Sydney handed her papers to the guard. She looked Sydney up and down and raised an eyebrow. “Do you know who authorized your papers?”

“My Momma, I think. Right after I made the decision to visit here.”

“You’re ‘Momma’ huh?”

“Yes Ma’am.”

“She’s got to be in her fifties now.”

“How would you know that?”

“Doesn’t matter, I’ll be seeing you soon. Step through the gate, Sydney.”

Sector A was a far cry from what she had just experienced. Colorful buildings and street corners filled her horizon. Natural sunlight permeated through the crevices between the buildings. Her once worried expression replaced by familiar feelings of home. The people, more colorful than their Sector C counterparts, uniformly made their way along their paths. Each passerby gave the same slight nod and grin to Sydney.

She remembered the guard’s orders and pressed on.

Sydney yelped at the building when it came into view. Elegant marbles, flying buttresses and stained glass wrapped around a stone foundation sat high on the hill Sydney climbed. A fountain sat near the entrance; two figures fixed in the center. A man and woman holding something.

Sydney entered the building and stood in a large hallway surrounded by glass. A man stood at the end of the hallway, organizing papers and mumbling.

“Excuse me, sir?”

The man yelped, turning his attention to Sydney. Heavy bags laid under his eyes and what remained of his hair was messily scattered. “Ho-how may I help you, ma’am?”

“The guard woman at the entrance of Sector A told me to come here. Said I needed to speak with Von?”

His face shadowed then quickly brightened. Like it was on a timer.

“Not too sure why. Maybe you can look at my papers and tell me?”

The man quickly read through her materials. His mouth gaped wider as he continued to read.

“My God.”

“What is it?”

“Apologies for not showing the proper manners.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you not know your history?” Sydney shook her head. “Sydney, your mother was a renowned citizen of the city. Von, was her husband. Your father.”

“My father?”

“We must go see him at once.” The man grabbed Sydney’s wrist and hoisted her through the corridors of the building. The reached a garden at the end of their journey where a man sat, cane tilted on his chair and a book in his hand. He wore round glasses, neatly pressed suit, and a strong jaw. He spoke when the door opened but did not look up.

“Joel, there better be a good reason for you to disturb my time.” His voice was strong, similar to Momma’s but there was a sense of jest in his words.

“The greatest reason, sir.”

“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow though still fixated on his book.

“Sydney, sir.” Von looked up from his book, but not at Joel and Sydney. Like he was listening for an intruder inside his home.

“At long last.” He closed the book and proceeded to hobble his way towards Sydney.

She hadn’t spoken a word. Intrigued by this hulking figure who turned out to be the father she had never heard of for nearly twenty years. Momma never mentioned him and any reference to this man was met with silence or a simple, “You’ll know, one day”.

“My little girl. My how you’ve grown!” His features softened as he came in for a hug.

Sydney was stiff but slowly returned the gesture. His body felt frigid to the touch. As if her privacy was being invaded by a wandering eye.

“I’m not sure what to say. I reckon you may be my dad, but not sure how respond.”

“No need to respond with anything right now. We have business to attend to. That will be all Joel.”

As Joel split off, the newly united pair made their way to an elevator.

“How is your mother doing these days?”

“Momma’s good. Last we spoke, it was for me to be careful as I traveled here. How did you two meet?

“Your mother, always to worrywart. Her and I were scientists in Sector C. I imagine you came through from there.”

“Really, Momma a scientist? In Sector C?”

“That is right, her and I were dreamers, finding a way to make this place better. Eventually we did and had you in the process. Our success made Sector A what it is today, and our goal was to do that for the whole city. Your mother left with you before we could see it through.”

“Momma never told me any of this. What type of science did you do?”

“Figures.” Von said under his breath. Sydney just barely discerned what he said. “We were scientists of the mind. We developed a way to help the people of this city better control their negative emotions. Watch your step.”

“How did you do that?”

He turned to her and winked. He began to punch in numbers on a keypad, “By controlling it ourselves.”

The door opened to a room filled with electronic displays. Each displayed information linked to hundreds of rows of data. People were tirelessly working, keying in figures into their computers. Each worker just smiling.

“What is all this?”

“This is how we remove negative emotions. Each person in Sector A has a special item that release a toxin strong enough to regulate the amount of endorphins they secrete throughout any given moment of their day. Look at her.” He pointed to the woman sitting directly in front of them. “You see her bracelet? That’s where the toxins are stored.”

Sydney tensed. “Isn’t this wrong?”

“Of course not. Everyone in the Sector is prosperous. We maximize production, efficiency, and overall welfare through these devices. They relinquish a bit of control for the healthy lives they get to lead.”

She continued to stare the woman’s bracelet. “Momma did this with you. Did she have one of these too?”

His face darkened. “Funny you asked. She did. I’m wondering if you knew about it?”

“I’ve never seen her with a bracelet before.”

“Her’s wasn’t a bracelet. She possessed a heart shaped locket. Shortly after I gave it to her, she left with you.”

“Really?” Sydney began to inch away from the door.

“You wouldn’t happen to remember her with one?” He covered the distance between them.

“N–No. Why do you want it now?” Sydney nearly tripped through the threshold of the door.

“It’s not that I want it, girl. It’s more that I need it.” Two guards came through the elevator door, Sydney turned and recognized both of them. The man and the woman from earlier. “Your mother and I trusted each other with everything. Everything. And she left me. That locket was identical to the one I have here. Inside it was the directions to building more devices. She told me it was safer in her hands. I trusted her. Gave it as a sign of my devotion and she ran off. I waited twenty years to complete my work. Searching the countryside far and wide for her.”

The guards slowly approached and blocked Sydney’s path. Their hands on their weapons. She looked back at her supposed father. “You have the opportunity here to correct your mother’s mistakes. Help me control the rest of the city or become my leverage.”

“You don’t care about me. Just your directions.” Tears began to well.

“Care about you? I just met you. The only importance you have is your connection to the locket. Now, where is your mother?”

Sydney shook her head, her vision blurred from the salt in her eyes and as she tried to turn, a heavy thump followed by an overwhelming feeling of pressure came over her. Her father’s voice faded and the world blackened. “Take her to the cell. Then figure out where her mother is located. I need that damn locket.”

Another jolt woke her up. She looked around to find that she was in a car, out of the city. The two guards from earlier sat in the front, out of uniform, staring ahead.

The woman turned. “You’re up? Sorry about hitting you, we had to make it look real.”

“I don’t understand what happened. I’m not going to prison?”

The man shook his head, “No ma’am. You see, we love your mom. She took care of us when we were younger. Told us you were curious about the city and asked us to watch over you. She knew this would happen.”

“What will you do now that Von knows you didn’t take me to prison?”

“We have places to go. He can’t extend his reach too far. But first, back to your mom’s you go.”

Sydney’s was in perfect sync with the car as it rumbled along the path, swaying in whatever direction it may go. She looked out the window. The bright lights of the city illuminated the night sky. The noises and lights she once thought were sounds of joy and happiness, replaced by images and visions of screams from the people placed under her father’s… and mother’s spell. Never given a choice to feel what she feels. Experience the pain she was in.

“No,” Sydney said, “Take me far away from here.”