We have been in total silence among with tiny rock rolling around the wheels for long about 12 miles since after the attack back at the main roads and ever since, we didn’t get engage into attack (though we heard every noise nearby and we were afraid to get involved). We haven’t even talk one subject, properly we don’t have anything to say other then talk about our personal life.
Apparently, Mark have been in X-Class Military ever since he was a young lad with his father who been part of it for a very long time, though I don’t know what years he joined, neither does he. He rarely see his father except when he off-duty. At that time, Mark have been in harsh training and whipped if he don’t do it correctly which explained the massive and permanent stretch underneath the tank-top. Like they say, if it doesn’t kill you, make you stronger.
The X-Class is actually small base at Gamindustri on Leanbox dock and their job is to investigate every detail and either go undercover federally, which mean you don’t know who they are unless they decide to bring the army to it, in which they did both in this case. Right now, He was sent across the Oceania to here, just to investigate, and then after he find out Genesis plan, the Whole army will be sent out, or a least that what he say. No farther information have been given sadly which make me wonder: What if that don’t work?
Looking at the broken windshield, we heading toward the uphill mountain that started to slow us down and near enter the dusty mountain that goes across the entire island. The sun was hidden behind those mountain, entering the slim, chill darkness. Up the top is where people are armed and stay in same pose. The wounded sign barely say “DO NOT ENTER: RESTRICTED AREA AHEAD. NON-CITIZEN OF CLONO WILL BE SHOT ON SLIGHT.
“The Eye-seeker are still there.” Mark slightly bend over in bottom where he see the people on top of the mountain, staring at those guys on top.
“What the hell is an Eye-seeker?”
“You ask so many question.” He sigh over the annoyance.
“Outside the Heaven is where the guards are consider more dangerous and wild. You need to know, we in Jigoku, a.k.a Hell, and it know to be a lawless area ever. No rules exist beyond the Heavens.”
“Why named Heavens?”
“That… I don’t know.” Mark stubble in that statement, like a confused man whom have no idea what he saying. The town back there was somewhat messy and we just have to deal with a former guards back at Planeptune. It just getting even more crazier.
“They don’t look crazy to me.” I glance at them while they are still standing in same pose one by one.
“My friend trained them to act that way. They act strong and fearless when there attacker nearby. Don’t worry, they can’t shoot us as they can recognize us by the tag on the hood.” Look like Mark try to calm me down in this situation. The blue square tag stick to the hood is a Clono Pass.
To be honest, I didn’t go to Jigoku before, should Fairchild take care of this area? Never seen a fatal area before where there just only rumble of stone and concentrate while bunch of building is sticking up acute.
We now in curvy uphill road, and where it led to is unclear. However as we get into the third curve, I could see an another gate, a rolling gate with no guards this time. Strange.
“Be still.” After Mark calmly stated, the ground shortly shook right at to my right. A slender leg struck the ground which support the small body to expand the height from the ditch. It have 6 slender legs, each of them slowly moving to the high ground. The body have 2 eyes, the right eye is glowing red. As it blending down, the red eye glow intensely to point my eyes automatically closing them but as I try to look closer, the eye zoom in to us and flash us. This creature is like a giant camera spider!
“Unrecognized face detected!” Spider robotic voice shouted unexpectedly as it sound like a threat. I was scared and I was looking at Mark for some help.
“Don’t worry Vort, that the one we need. Please relax.” A girly voice came on along with Vort voice that sound like the voice is part of it. It then return back to his home at very low ground and claw back to the giant hole. The gate roll up, allowing us to process inside the mountain. I was shocked, staying still.
“What the hell was that?” I asked him about that 10 feet spider that just appeared outta of nowhere.
“That was used to be a brown recluse but due to science experience go wrong, Vort have transformed to that. He was abused by GCP a.k.a. Genesis Civil Protection and left abandoned. Couple of guys from Clono find him, trained him and later became Clono Pet. Isn’t that interesting?” He seem excited after he finished explaining Vort backstory.
“Uh… yeah.”
We are now inside the Mountain where the tunnel is actually a small town where each doors side by side are inside the city. We stop at the Tollbooth where it exit the Clono and lead to right curve road where bright light is visible.
“That road lead straight to the abandoned dock. Come with me, this door led to my friends room.” Mark point the last door before the tollbooth. We got out of the car and walk though the bent door where the broken wooden sign say “ENTER WITH PERMISSION!”. Sound like a very strict friend of his. Mark knocked the door very roughly where it echo within the tunnel.
“Don’t worry, I coming.” Same girly voice I heard from Vort back there. While she is unlocking the door, a crowd of cheering and yelling was coming from another door with a sign painted in the door: “Inside City” as well as another wooden sign shouted “FIGHTING TOURNAMENT TODAY!”. Interesting.
The door slim open as she tilt her head to the door. She have her firm face looking at us as if we are total stranger. Well, I mean I am total stranger in this land. She switch her face around to somewhat happy. She then open the door entirely.
“Hello Mark, I was expecting of you to come.” She wearing an emo dress, all black, short skirt, high sock to the thighs and combat boot to the knee. She have her black lipstick, black eyes, very loosely hair as well as cat ear and… Wait is she a prostitute?
“I also bring a friend with me. We both have...”
“Is that you Neptune?” She interrupted Mark as she look at me, surprised to see me.
“Wait, how do you know me?” I was surprised as well as she actually know me. How? I never go anywhere other then Gamindustri!
“I don’t think you remember me since it have been a long time but...”
“Wait, you know each other?” Mark question her.
“Well, yes Mark, me and her both go to same high school! Well, before she have to move out.” She explained to him.
“I rarely remember high school girl. The only thing I remember was the fight from that one punk who ran away like a wussy.” That the only memories I can remember back then. Rest is verge to me. I remember one time where I was eating outside during lunch hour, a girl sit next me with a black loosely hair that ask me what my favorite video game console was and… wait.
“Craft! Hold on, that you?!”
“Oh goodies! You do remember me after all!” She was happily dancing for second outta excitement. I can’t believe it, my best friends, whom I talk to all day back then when I got no one to talk…
Is a prostitute.
“Neptune, isn’t it? What with that shocked face of your?” Mark study my facial expressive.
“Craft, what with the cat ear?” I started to questioned her in case I wrong… or worse, not.
“Oh! I just wear it often. I don’t know, but I just love cat!” Oh thanks goodness. She just normal girl after all. Though, I don’t know if I dug her emo clothes or not, or maybe she was emo before, just never noticed it.
In my nation, for some reason, anyone who wearing cat ear is consider a prostitute as they mostly came from the Red Light District. Even though we banned them, they still exist everywhere, though they just hiding away from us.
“Come inside, don’t want y’all stay in tunnel long enough. It stink in here.” We all went inside a room full of neon sign (Mostly stolen I assume) and whole map of Fair Zone with each city detail and criminal listed. Most of them have been marked but some haven’t been caught yet and only one have so many connection yet not confirmed.
Genesis.
“Welcome to my room. Here, We relax here and talk or do something.” It a small room, but as I look to my left is the windows where I see thousand and thousand of people cheering and throwing money on One versus One fighting. It basically a football sodium, used as fighting tournament. The fight seem intense as they consent fight like there no end to it. They want to kill each other!
“Big game today.” Mark talked.
“Yes there is. It Shaker versus Fisher.” Craft explained.
“Serious? They always been arguing each other, now they fighting?”
“There serious bet into this Mark. 250,000 €redits.”
“Dear god.” Mark seem disappointed. I think it time to ask her something since I still in time limit.
“Are all of you going after Genesis?” This may seem straightforward question but a least boredom is leaving this room.
“Uh, we all are. Everyone here are actually.” Craft seem disappointed by my question.
“Hold on, is this why you here?” Craft continued. Should I confront her about my current self. Wait no, because I forgot I in undercover. But at the same time, I her long-time friend.
“Well, basically I going undercover after discovering he went to my nation and...”
“Your nation?” She interrupted with a question. Oh crap, I shouldn’t say that!
“I mean… uhhhh...” I have a Brain fart right now. How can I explain now?
“This sound very suspension.” Mark point that out. Guess I haven’t got a choice.
“To be honest, I…”
“Professor! We got issues!” A tall, skinny man suddenly slam the door open, shouted at us.
“Kama, please knocked before coming in, damn it!” Craft yell at him. Couple of guys caught up with him as well. Professor?
“We sorry, but one of our guys got arrested by GCP!” Kama seem to be worried.
“You serious?!” Craft was surprised by his sentence. She then look at us.
“Alright, listen good here...” She fixing the small map that she about to hand it to me.
"In order to get in Genesis District, we must cross the Red Zone, one of the most dangerous area here. To get it there, you need to go to our prohibited abandoned dock up ahead the tunnel. I open the Tollbooth for you.” She flip the glass and press the button where the small border turn clockwise. The light blinking red slowly. Both me and Mark walk out her room and get in the car and started up again.
“Be careful Neptune.” Craft given me a warning before going.
“Oh and also, I already know your secret so you don’t need to tell me. Bye!” Craft wave at me as we left. We then turn right to the bright light where it blind us for second. By then, we already left the tunnels. Opening my eyes, I seeing something dreadful.
A dirty, rusty and moldy dock that seem it haven’t been used in billions of years. The puny boats seem to be in okay shape. Anything else, horrendous. The sun is seem to going down at the tip of the mountain. There a couple of mans working to let go the ships. Then, one of them coming to us.
“Oi, you going to Red Zone?” The sailor with scurfy breads read our minds then. That was rather quick.
“Yes sir, we are. Got any available boat?” Mark spoken.
“Well, one is going there in minute. Oh and I can take your car to our garage if you want.”
We accepted his offer and rush to the white, partly dirty boat where it about to go very soon. We step in the dock wood where the Waiter decide to put it away after we got in. There not many people here but all of them, assuming, are from the Inside City going to Red Zone.
“The boat to Red Zone is ready sir.” The Waiter await Sailor command in salute pose. It seem they are the former Navy officer as can tell by their badges and their old looks. The Sailor give us the looks in normal expressive.
“I hope you ready for hell guys. It going to be a hella experience once you get there.” That was his final message before letting us go to once again an endless ocean. While I walking around the boat with nothing to do, everyone was gather around each other, pointing at the tallest building with a cross looking on very top where the cloud barely covered it, far away from us. The power line go across it own island and barbwire surrounded it. It the Technology Plant that one of Fair City Zone Guards mention about it. Man it huge, it kinda surprised how much power that thing can hold. I wonder what inside of it look like?
“Neptune, the Red Zone is, like she said before, consider the worse area so far. It basically the gateway before we enter Genesis District. Better be prepared.” Mark reloading his Shotgun Sword with Barrels and Cannon.
Another miles away, we were laying down like a dead bird, have nothing to do but chatter and drinking. The sun is about to be behind the mountain to our right.
“I feel tried after all that trip we been though.” I complained to Mark.
“I been worse then you. I woke up at 4AM after hearing that we got major threat at Fair Zone and Gamindustri as well. It was out of nowhere, so I wasn’t much prepared, only the Golden sword I bring with me. We got attack after leaving Gamindustri Zone and after that, the traffic at Treaty Pass was very packed for some reason and blah blah blah, all that happened.” Mark seem to be very tired as well, taking the whole space of the breach and sleeping. I decide to take another breach and about to rest as well.
