Karmin’s Night Out

It was Karmin's first night out in nearly 2 weeks. With the recent materials shortage, Ludvick had been ordered to ramp up production which meant longer hours for those on shift who actually did the work. So she decided to spend tonight at The Black Hole, a local dive this side of Deck 26. Walking up, it was the same as ever, the same crooked sign reading 'Happy Hour 4-9' still in the window, though every regular knew that Dain hadn't had even a happy minute in weeks. The same illuminated 'Open' board shone its pink letters bright on the dark pavement in front of the homely facade you would miss if you weren’t looking for it, the door slightly ajar. Coming from it were the sounds of the live band entertaining the patrons inside, clinking drinks and conversation. Sounds like ‘Raising Illuminations’ we’re playing tonight. She missed it. Her favorite drink, The Booster Rocket and and it’s overpowering tanginess. Ordering a round of The Black Hole's 'claim to fame’, it’s Shooting Star shot; A dark liquor poured in a shot glass which was then disturbed by a shimmering liquid that sunk to the bottom of the drink, leaving a trail that created the illusion of a falling star. Best thing Dain had done since opening the joint. But for the next 8 hours, Karmin could be happy, be herself, be free.

When Alicia decides to show up, that is. Karmin shivered, it was a cold night outside the bar, though every night's cold in Heritage with its artificial atmosphere. She never got used to that part of colony life, there was no changing of the seasons, no wind blowing through your hair when you stepped outside, that is unless you count walking by the nearest atmospheric generator output as an autumn breeze. And Karmin most certainly would not. It was almost always stale, there was no smell of the night tantalizing your nose with the scent of the trees, a burning campfire in the distance, or the fresh dew off the grass; just the drone of machinery and a "new car smell" as she has been told it's supposed to be. Smells more like a hospital.

At least it wasn't a busy night, it was a Thursday after all and The Hole wasn't like one of the fancy clubs on any of the higher decks. Although 'proper' work weeks don't exactly exist on Heritage. You sign on to work and work is what you're expected to do. Sometimes the factories will coincide off shifts and you get to see your friends to make sure they still remember you and then you drink to forget that you'll be up in the morning again soon to work again. But in Karmin's mind she was just starting her weekend, that's all that mattered to her now. Alicia called about 10 minutes ago.

"I'm on my way, you wouldn't believe the day I've had" she said in her tired but still somehow loud voice.

'Finally', Karmin thought, "Just get here." She told her.

She was happy for her night to begin either way.

'Just like Alicia though, I knew I could've snuck a nap in. Maybe then I wouldn't be so tired already. But,can't wait to hear what happened now.' She thought to herself.That's when the marching started.

The sound of mechanical feet marching throughout the various decks of Heritage was all too recognizable a sound as of late. Governor Sydal had ramped up his patrols thanks to the attack last month, and the only ones happy about it seemed to be the turning pistons and cranking gears of Nero Tech's automaton minions. When a squad was heard rounding the block all activity in the sector ceased. There was no getting in their way, Nero Tech was ruthless in their designs and everyone knew it. Unless you wanted to be crushed under the metal heel of one of their creations you got the hell out of it's way. The low garbled speech of the machine's modems is all that's heard as they lumber toward their predetermined target.

'Here? Again?' she thought,

She had barely dodged a patrol just an hour prior, hearing it round the block while getting ready caused her to wait to leave her apartment until she was sure they had gone down to the next deck. Their robotic conversation could be heard now, the warblings of unintelligible motherboards 'talking' to one another filled the air between the various dwellings and shop fronts. What little activity in the street halted as the patrol began to pass. Thunk, Thunk, Thunk. It was almost melodic to hear their pace against the prefab metal street. The melody of your heart beating through your chest, that is. Moving ever farther down the path, their heads scanning the area slowly from left to right. As more noises emanated from the clunky golems, the silence echoed louder through the block, becoming deafening. Karmin dare not move or show herself as a potential threat.

'It's just routine. They'll be gone in a minute.' She thought.

The machinations halted outside the bar, in front of her. Karmin held her breath, her pulse quickened still.

'They don’t normally stop. Why did they stop? M-maybe they ran out of batteries? They're getting new orders or-or something?'

Any thought raced in her mind to attempt to justify to herself that she would be making it back home tonight to wake up to work in the morning again. Oh just to be able to work again, please. The warbling ended, and in one motion, the metal instruments lifted their rifles and opened fire.