RIFT Anthology: Book 4: ZoiTech

Prologue

One night, Rift is at a local laundromat with a bunch of Aliz and Roana's clothes. He sits, waiting on the wash to finish. He watches the banged up holovision in the top corner of the room. It advertises the latest optics from HeptaTech. The washing machine dings and he gets up, taking the clothes out. He makes his way to the exit, opening the door to find someone obstructing his path. He looks up, heavy eyed to find a man in a white mask and cloak. Two rectangle slots for his eyes and a semi-circle for his mouth. The mask had the appearance of a plug socket. RIft comments on the mask.

"Nice mask. Looks like an outlet."

Rift tries to squeeze by him but he's grabbed by the man and thrown back into the laundromat. Rift drops the laundry and holds his throat.

"What the hell, man. It was meant as a compliment."

He looks at the man again to realise his hands are augmented. Each hand splaying four thick metal phalanges.

"What the hell? Dude, you're really leaning into this plug gimmick."

The man hands spark and reaches out in front, towards Rift. Blue lightning zaps out and Rift teleports out of the way. He lands on his ass exiting the portal outside the building. He's near the railing and the man turns around to locate him.

Rift gets up saying, "What is your problem, man?!"

"You won't bother us anymore. It's time to die."

"Bother who? What are you talking about?"

"You know."

"No I don't."

"I don't have time for your games."

Outlet takes off his cloak revealing his tactical suit with light armour. Rift sees the 'O' symbol on his chest. Outlet then dives at him, leaving the ground. Rift gasps at his ability to fly but is too frozen to react in time. Outlet tackles him through the city railing and down into the endless void. Rift struggles in the air to fight him. Outlet having Rift in his clutches sends a bunch of volts through his body, making him spasm. Outlet then throws him upward and dives at him again, flying them both up to the higher part of the city. Outlets cybernetic backpack starts beeping and an indicator flashes red. He throws Rift onto a balcony of one of the groundscrapers. The tall buildings that hang from the ceiling of the underground city. Rift tumbles onto the balcony and groans in pain. He looks up at Outlet, watching him absorb electricity from a generator stationed on the side of the building.

"Bastard's a flying battery," he says in pain.

Rift then takes out his pistol and gets up. Outlet's backpack beeps again and is fully charged. He flies down at Rift firing bolts of electricity. Rift flips out of the way and fires back from the balcony. Outlet manoeuvres around Rift's blasts and lands on the balcony with him.

"I don't know what your deal is, man, but I can't fight all day. I've got errands to run."

Rift slowly reaches behind his bets to grab an EMP. Outlet's hands spark again as he goes to attack Rift. Rift activates the electromagnetic pulse and Outlet's backpack shuts down. He falls onto the floor and slides from the speed. Rift walks up to him and aims his pistol at him.

"Who are you?"

"What's the name you said? Outlet? Yeah, I'll go with that."

"Enough of this. Who sent you?"

"Your mother."

"I won't ask again."

Outlet then grabs the gun from his hand and Rift misfires. Outlet really struggles to overpower him as he's more slender against Rift's enhanced strength. Rift knees him in the stomach, trying to get control of his firearm. Rift pushes him against the balcony railing prying the gun out of Outlet's hands. Just as Rift retrieves the gun, the railing gives, sending them both falling again. They careen through the air and Outlet panics as he has no means to land safely. He screams in terror and RIft rolls his eyes. Rift portals him to safety, though with a hard landing in sewage water. Rift then takes a portal elsewhere.

Outlet pulls himself out of the sewage, gasping for air. He pulls off his mask showing heavy scarring. He looks around to find himself in a sewage outlet of the city. He holds onto the wall as he makes his way to the edge of the outlet. He looks down at the city and then up to where they were falling. He puts his mask on and flees the area.

#

Later that night, Rift returns to Aliz's apartment with the clothes, though some are damaged from electricity burns. He closes the door and Aliz looks up from the sofa.

She sees the state of him and the clothes asking, "What the hell happened to you?"

"Some guy with a plug fetish attacked me at the laundromat," he says, setting the clothes down on the sofa.

"I'm sorry what?"

"Yeah, you heard me right. Had a mask that looked like a socket."

"Who was he? What did he want?"

"Fuck, I've no idea. Was spouting off shit about me not bothering them again."

"You've bothered a lot of people in the past, Ronan."

"Yeah."

"Is this plug-man still with us?"

"Yeah. I spared him."

"That's not like you. What changed?"

"That won't be the last I'll see of him. There's more to this, I just don't know what it is yet."

"You gonna find out who they are?"

"I'll try. Aliz, this guy could fly. That's a first for me. In the city at least."

"Wait. He could fly? So what? He's an Enhanced?"

"Nah, I don't think so. He had a backpack that he had to recharge. He's got some advanced static electronic tech or something."

"He definitely sounds dangerous. Be careful, Ronan."

"I will. As long as I have my EMP charges."

Aliz stands up and turns off the holovision. She then lifts the clothes to look at them.

"I liked this top," she murmurs.

"Anyway, I'ma head out. I need to check the security systems at the hideout. Red is away for the week and I need to make sure everything is working."

"Okay, will I see you tomorrow?"

"Maybe. I'm not sure I should stay around you two for long at the moment with this Outlet guy flying around."

Aliz sighs and replies, "Yeah that's fair."

"I'll call you," he says as he opens the door.

"Yeah okay."

Rift then leaves the apartment.

#