Coyote

[13] coupon city.

Space News: The Universal Authority has informed all news channels to expect their explorers to return in less than a week, and there might be some good news regarding the search of other inhabitable planets and lifeforms in our galaxy.

If there was a city that solidified the statement "Heaven On Earth", then Coupon was it. While other cities on Venus were home to drug users and dealers, sex workers, murderers, and all manner of criminals, Coupon was that sunshine over the rainbow, brightening the sky and giving you hope for a better future.

And that disgusted Wolf.

A dark-skinned man in a red cassock stood on the sidewalk. He waved at their car, and Wolf stopped. "Hello there, newcomers. My name is Jerry." The man smiled. "Please, follow me."

Wolf and Olivia exchanged glances before doing as instructed.

"Why's it so bright?" Wolf asked, driving slowly through the street full of apartment blocks.

"I don't know," Olivia said.

Every building was colored white and had a holo-number above it. The further into the city they went, the higher the numbers got.

Men and women in white clothing stood on the sidewalks, smiling and waving at the passing vehicles. Nuns in black habits and white veils walked among the crowd carrying plasma rifles.

"This is a cult," Olivia said, staring at the bystanders.

"Don't let them hear that," Wolf said. "They believe in what they're doing here, and they'd kill you for saying or thinking otherwise. Do you know what the followers are called?"

"No."

"The Believers."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "That's generic."

"So is everything in this city." As he looked at the joyous smiles in the crowd, Wolf became uncomfortable. It was unnatural for anyone to smile that much and for that long. Something was wrong with them. "Do you think they're all cyborgs?"

"Might be. That's how you become... what was it you said they called themselves?" She scratched her chin and looked to be in deep thought. Once she remembered, she smiled and said, "Yes, believers. You become a believer once you're purified. And being purified means—"

"Being turned into a cyborg." Wolf finished the sentence. "So, basically, if we make the wrong move we'll be at war with cyborgs."

"Yes. Isn't that exciting?"

Wolf looked at her with an ajar mouth, but she was smiling. The prospect of fighting machines made her happy. "Not if they're super-cyborgs."

"Stop being a wimp. A little boom boom pow won't kill you."

"Boom boom pow?"

"Yes."

"If you say so."

"Boom boom pow. I like that," Wednesday said.