Mechanoids Of The Realm

1

In the shimmering light of dawn, the floating domicile hovered serenely above the earth, their sleek, metallic structures glinting like mini-moons. Each dwelling, a marvel of technology, spiraled in calculated, chronological order.

Rosena looked over her shoulder once more. The usual mechanical stairs connecting the domicile to the ground were offline, leaving only a daring escape route.

With a firm grip on the electro-fiber rope, which dangled from the edge of the balcony, she took a deep breath. The rope glowed faintly; its strands woven with a conductive material that pulsed with energy.
It felt stretchy yet incredibly strong, she had had these trusted ropes for years now. She stepped off the ledge. The rush of air whipped past, adrenaline surging through her as she swung downward.

A quick twist brought a solid landing on the lower platform. "Nailed it," she murmured to herself, her ego swelling with pride. She glanced upwards and sighed at the relief that came with the oblivion of the residents.
She pulled her silver cloak over her head, tucking away any identifiable features, merging seamlessly with the morning haze. At least that's what she told herself.
As she headed east the scent of the bustling marketplace wafted upward, an enticing blend of spices and mechanisms.

"Just get the Modulator, and get the fuck outta here before they notice your absence." She narrated her plans as a reminder.

As she passed through the stalls at the market, merchants shouted out deals that didn't sound like a steal to Rovena, she scowled at the inflated prices, insisting it was a rip-off, and muttering about how everything was a scam in the part of town.

She was still focused on a short, fat man who talked about the quality of a short dagger that could transform into a long bendy sword on command, that she didn't see a glider heading straight for her.

The loud whirring pierced through the market noise, catching her attention just in time, her eyes widened as she stumbled back, missing the plasma glider by just an inch, her boot sinking into a puddle of old grease that splattered on her gray bodysuit, the stench rising from the street.

She frowned as the rider's head cocked in her direction; irritation evident in his features, as he muttered incoherent curses as he flew away.

"Fuck you." She spat at the rider who was already far out of earshot. She sighed looking down to her suit once more. "I knew I should have worn the stain-resistant gear." She murmured to herself. Turning back to the market.

Her violet eyes darted around before finally resting on a white stall. She approached the shop purposefully.

She scanned the collection of Mech energy sitting on the dimensional booth in no particular order. She smiled at the variety on the booth. The vendor emerged from beneath the booth, a young man with sleepy eyes, and short tattered hair.

"Welcome miss, found anything of interest?" he asked quietly, he seemed uninterested, almost distant.
The stall probably belongs to someone else, his dad maybe? Making him the perfect target.

"Ah... not yet. 'll let you know when anything catches my eye." Rovena smiled sweetly, picking up a small square object, she scanned it carefully as energy pulsed in it.

Pushed the blue button that stuck out! It and a blue ray of bright light flashed out of it, almost rendering her blind.

She brought it away from her eyes in a flash. The vendor rolled his eyes, taking the small box from her and setting it down on the booth.

"It's a holo-link." He muttered dryly as he stared at Rovena like she was a clumsy idiot.

"Holo-link?" she repeated, almost enjoying the sight of the young antisocial redhead struggling to communicate.

"Communication through Holograms? Isn't that kind of obvious?" he jarred, clearly irritated. Rovena nodded animatedly like it was her first time hearing something like that.

"Uh, when you find something of interest, just pull this lever." He gestured at a small metal with a shiny red ball over it, resembling the nose of a circus clown.

"I'll do just that," Rovena assured him, and just like that he disappeared beneath the stall again. Rovena looked through some Mechs for exactly 3.5 minutes before looking over the booth for any sign of the vendor.

When she was sure his eyes were fixated on an immersive interface that revealed a 3D projection of his character. She watched as he swiped his hand through the air, altering the avatar's features with a swift gesture. A loud ding from the opposite stall jagged her back to reality.

When she was satisfied with her survey that he wasn't paying the slightest attention to her, she smiled. Perfect.

"Lucas." She called. He didn't reply, "Vendor boy." A pale hand appeared from under the booth, pointing at the lever. Rovena rolled her eyes and pulled the lever.

Suddenly, a ripple in the air materialized beside her. The figure emerged from the distortion, solidifying into a tall guy clad in a sleek black robe. Rovena replaced the look of amusement on her face with indifference.

"Impressive Lucas, but I'm not interested in this piece of junk." She nodded at the booth.
"My name isn't Lucas." He retorted. She shrugged and started to walk away.

"You sure look like a Lucas to me," she smirked as the guy disappeared and regenerated behind the booth again. What a showoff.

She made her way home, hoping her parents weren't already wondering where she had gone. She pulled out the portable cube power infuser module. She beamed at the various ports that would elevate the power velocity for each device. What a steal... literally.

As she walked by, she heard a loud crash coming from the alley. Followed by a scream. Her brows furrowed as she took a step back and peeked through the shadowy corners of the building. Her hands hovered over her miniature rail gun in its holster beneath her cloak.

"Let go of me." The voice cried out.