Monstrum Origins 1: Dominique (WIP)

When First We Meet

                                                                                   CHAPTER 1

                                                             "All rights reserved" ©2019

Year 2218 New Deep Ellum, a province of New Dallas.

Chapter One

Killing for the first time was hard. But I soon grew to like it. And no I don't mean killing other humans. I'll let you in on a secret; there are other things out there. I'm not talking about Noids, and no, not the Variants...the Monsters with good hearts. I'm speaking of Evil that wears human faces. Those are the ones I kill. Once I find the leader, I'll destroy them for good. 

But right now, I'm running for my life down a dark, stank alley and any minute I'll be dead, dead, dead. "Dominique Coutee, are you sure this is the right course of action?" Q speak my AI companion said. He was installed in my amulet which glowed now with his question.

"Q do you have a better idea? I don't think Shark and his crew wants to sit down and have a deep discussion on why I stole the money pot." I said.

"It is illogical? If all your attributes and past interaction algorithms were analyzed, it would be determined that you would not be prone to any criminal misconduct?"

I paused at Q's question, which would seem tinged with accusation if he was human; it hung in the air like a bad smell. I walked quickly through the increasingly dark back streets. The last rays of daylight washing away and the streets were soon to be wrapped in shadows. 

 I held my head down, tugging on the brim of my favorite Ward Seven's Android Bandy team. I stayed close to the rundown buildings, trying to lose myself in the deepening shadows. The streets were littered with paper cups, wrappers and some unidentifiable pools of liquids. "Eww, disgusting". I whined.

The amulet around my neck glowed quickly and then went out. This was Q speaks way of acknowledging my rambling without commentary. I heard the loud voices of Shark and his crew coming down the street. The music from two streets over filled the air, where tourists new to New Deep Ellum or as the locals called it Ward 7, came to forget their mundane lives. 

 I knew I'd made a mistake by leaving the packed public areas, opting for the lonelier back streets. But I wasn't thinking just reacting. I'd grabbed the money pot after losing twice at click clack, too late discovering Shark and his guys cheated with weighted dice. I could see them in the distance. "Help would be nice Q?! " I said.

"There she is Shark!" One of Shark's crew yelled.

"Q speak!" I whispered heatedly as I took off running. I raced through the alley ways past the brightly lit Halo's winking and motioning to me from their various perches on the building ­walls. One especially massive hologram motioned to me, standing at least 11 feet, the holographic female smiled cloyingly, peeking through her long Azure colored tresses which accented her skintight pale silver jump suit.

"Awww Honey come out the cold night. It's warm in here at Shades of Blue." The Halo called out. I paused for a second listening, hearing the sounds of Neanderthal running feet, I looked for a hiding space.

" Dominique Coutee. My processors are sluggish. There is also an electrical current interference." Q said, as his voice faded in and out through the static noise coming from the amulet.

"There honey, down that alley." The mammoth Hologram turned and pointed in the opposite direction from where I came. I waved thanks, feeling a warm glow coming from the amulet. Q has a crush. I couldn't help myself; I chuckled as I ran behind the club.