Doll Parts (taekook)

Chapter 3

Taehyung overestimated himself. On express shipping, the artificial flesh arrived in less than twenty-four hours. The packet wasn't pricey, but either way, it didn't matter. Once he sold the synth's prosthetic, he'd be set. A slight problem: his latest upper and downer combo slowed him down to a tectonic pace, but there was no rush. Without a sure buyer and without new loot to upload, it wasn't worth frying his circuits with HySpeed so soon.

Now what.

"Hey Taehyung," the doll said from his makeshift cot on the floor. On his belly, feet in the air. "I wanna go out."

From his worktable, Taehyung waved a hand. "Go ahead."

"Can you come with me?"

"Why?"

"Something to do."

"Can you even go out? Aren't you 'sposed to be in hiding or something?"

"I told you. Don't worry about that. My friend scrambled the system. No sim. No trace."

Friend. What kind of person could make an aerial city combat synth's disappearance.... disappear?

A trillionaire sponsor? A vigilante hacker? A politician, even? Or some social justice rebel? Free the synth movement? All of the above? In Taehyung's line of business, it was necessary to have decent knowledge on cybersecurity. The gear he sold, the work he did, all legal. As legal as splicing human genome with feline DNA. Unlike other things, the doll kept his trap sealed about this friend, and about his plans after.

"How long's that gonna last?"

"Not long. That's why we should take advantage of it now. Let's go out!" He hopped to sit on his shins.

"I dunno."

"As long as I keep my face covered, who's going to find me in an undercity of sixteen million?"

"Eighteen mil."

"See. That's two million more!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet. Taehyung gawked at his agility. "Let's eat something good. It's just for now. I'll eat the nutribars tomorrow."

"That's what you said yesterday and the day before. Food's a luxury, y'know?" Taehyung stressed. "Well, I guess you don't."

"What about street food? They're pretty cheap. Been living off of odeng when I was out there. They're yummy!"

"Yeah. But those are all vat-grown. It don't keep you full. Empty calories."

"And nutribars aren't?" the doll chimed, crossing to the kitchen.

"What? Vat-grown? Nah. It's organic. Hand me one, will ya? Don't think I ate today."

"Yeah, you didn't," he said, tossing Taehyung a bar.

Taehyung fumbled with it, slippery in his grasp like plastic fish. "Keeps me full for hours. Has everything you need in 'em."

"Everything except taste." He snickered.

"Huh? It's decent enough."

"When's the last time you had a good meal? Preferably fried."

"Fried?" Taehyung hummed, sealed nutribar in hand. Expiration date: never. "Don't remember, actually."

"Let's go!"

⌱

The walk to Hongdae was interspersed with oohs, aahs, and the occasional we have to check that out! Have to! Must be a shock. How long have you been down here, again? Not long. The undercity glitched, hollered, flickered. A digital capitalistic swerve wrapped around the city, multi-coloured pixels screaming against an expanse of black and chrome.