The Universe Of Tomorrow

The Fixer's Gambit in the City of Tomorrow

In the heart of the City of Tomorrow, a young man named Kai stepped out from the sleek doorway of his high-rise apartment. He was the picture of urban casual: jeans, a plain tee, and a lightweight jacket, despite the gentle climate controlled streets. He slid earbuds into place, selecting a playlist with a touch to his phone screen, the first notes creating a barrier between him and the world. Almost immediately, a call disrupted his momentary escape.

"Kai," barked a voice that was unmistakably Barry, his informant. It was raspy, the sound of a man who enjoyed his vices a little too close to the phone's mic. "How is my little working bee doing this morning?"

Kai wasn’t in the mood for games. "Get to the point, Barry," he snapped.

He could practically hear Barry smirking as he took a noisy bite of something on his end. "Got two jobs for you. Someone wants a bug on a nosy journalist. And Alanah—she wants a word."

"Fine. 5% for the info, Barry. Another 5% when you send over the details," Kai replied, his tone all business.

The call ended as Kai reached the elevator. He stepped into the elevator, where a microcosm of the city’s diversity surrounded him. There was a woman with skin like the midnight sky, eyes sparkling with tiny luminescent stars. Beside her stood a creature with a chameleon’s shifting colors, reading a holographic newsfeed that flickered with each change of hue. In the corner, a pair of humans discussed the latest tech in hushed, excited tones, while a being with the elegant limbs of a deer and the antlers to match scrolled through a data pad with dexterous hooves.

Kai scrutinized the details of his task on the phone’s secure display. His sharp eyes flicked up for just a moment, catching the reflection of the deer-like being edging closer, their curious gaze inching over his shoulder. With a fluid motion that belied his calm exterior, Kai withdrew a concealed pistol and pressed it gently but unmistakably beneath the chin of the nosy creature. “Curiosity’s dangerous,” he warned in a low tone, “it might just get you more than you bargained for.”

The deer-person froze, eyes wide, and the situation took a turn for the bizarre as small, pellet-like droppings began to clatter onto the elevator floor, betraying their sheer terror. It was an alarmingly literal response, and Kai couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret for the intimidation, but his message had been clear.

As the elevator doors glided open, Kai slipped his gun away and stepped out, not even glancing back at the creature, who remained as still as a statue, save for the unfortunate evidence of their fright. With the elevator doors closing behind him, he turned his attention back to his phone.

The pay listed for the job was hefty, indeed—a sign that this journalist had crossed someone with deep pockets and even deeper grudges. “Looks like you've made some powerful enemies,” Kai murmured to himself, the hint of a smirk on his lips.

He hesitated for a split second over the icon for his second assignment, the meeting with Alanah. With a small shake of his head, he flipped back to his music, letting the details of that particular job wait. The beat returned to his ears, creating a barrier between him and the world as he disappeared into the throng of the city's morning rush, his mind already strategizing his first move.

Kai absorbed the transformation of the city as he ventured from the affluent glow of neon-lit prosperity to the stark reality of the slums. It took him an hour to transition from one extreme of the City of Tomorrow to the other. The change was more than just visual; it was atmospheric, a palpable shift from opulence to desperation.