2195 Apartheid (1)
It had only been a few dozen minutes since I'd said goodbye to Grandpa Heinrich in that frontier settlement straight out of the pioneer days, complete with vigilantes and outlaws like it was the goddamn Wild West. And yet, just a few kilometers away? The vibe here was completely different.
Thud... thud...
A group of figures approached the driver's side, decked out in pitch-black uniforms and bulletproof vests, their faces completely obscured by visored helmets that made them look like they were auditioning for a dystopian flick. Honestly... even giving them the benefit of the doubt, they weren't exactly a picture of disciplined order or perfect coordination. Most of them were blatantly swinging their batons like whoosh whoosh and racking their equipped rifles with zero subtlety.
Were there remnants of some black-market syndicate lurking around? Nah, absolutely not. Sure, the black outfits gave off a similar intimidating vibe, but these clowns imitating border guards at the gateway to Harvest Planet were all city combat police. Still, watching their shadowy silhouettes shuffle under the blinding searchlights... to anyone outside the city walls, they probably looked no different from a pack of street thugs.
Knock knock knock...!!
"We'll be conducting ID checks and cargo inspections. Please open the truck's rear doors and step out slowly to cooperate with procedures. There will be no issues if you comply."
The voice that came out was so heavily modulated it sounded more robotic than Zero's vocal module. Even for a hated job, seeing these quasi-civil servants—the few left in this twisted society—go to such extremes for their own protection just to do their duty... it sent a genuine chill down my spine. Made me rethink what kind of world I was stepping into.
"Hurry it up. We're gonna miss the train at this rate...!"
"Shh! You'll wake Mary."
Schneider and Sylvia, seated up front, calmly opened the door and stepped out of the truck. A couple in casual clothes standing tall amid a squad of fully armed goons. Even accounting for Schneider's rep as a former merc with a name that carried weight, it looked like a seriously risky standoff on the surface.
So... was Schneider gambling his family's safety on this? ...No way in hell.
Beep...!
The scanner at the gate activated. The cop who'd been playing commander scanned the data from the outstretched arm's implant and barcode.
"...Schneider McQueen and wife Sylvia McQueen, verified Blue-grade citizens guaranteed by Heylong Corporation. Confirmation complete. Thank you for your cooperation."
"......Tch."
The cops, who'd been holding their weapons at the ready without even knowing who they were dealing with, lowered them in unison. The ones who'd been closing in like they were about to ransack our neatly packed moving boxes backed off and shut the doors meekly. One of them even clicked his tongue in disappointment... God knows what he'd have done if he'd caught an illegal immigrant or unregistered drifter. Survival of the strongest? That guy's the type who'd be rotting in jail if he wasn't a cop.
"Records show... no plans to stay on Harvest Planet? Mind if we transmit the query results to the train station as well, to avoid any further hassle on your way to Neo Haven?"
"...Hmph! Do what you want."
"...Transmitted. Scan shows a lot of firearms in the cargo... all declared as non-commercial personal items?"
Whether his buddies were cowed by the Blue-grade status or bored out of their minds, the squad leader kept doing his job.
In the game Neo Haven's citizenship system, beyond just credits, people got slapped with grades. Black was absolute authority for mega-corp chairmen. Red was proof given to key personnel or institutions deemed essential by corps for keeping society running. Blue was the shield for those formally affiliated with or protected by corps. Green was the vast majority—regular citizens. Yellow... well, that was the bare-minimum label slapped on anyone just born inside city limits.
Follow the main quests and scenarios smoothly, and you'd start as Green and climb to Red in a warped American Dream.
...Though there was that ending where you smashed the whole system to bits, anyway.
Schneider must've held onto his Blue grade thanks to his flashy merc days. Explained the overflowing confidence. Good thing.
"One last thing... Records show one registered child. So, what's the relation to the other one in the back seat?"
"...A girl from next door, like a daughter to us. She said she wanted to live in the city this time around, so we brought her along."
...The problem was me, with more skeletons in the closet than I could count, fuck. I was worried this forced vouching might drag Schneider's family into trouble. Blue grade didn't grant immunity from crimes, after all.
Clunk...!
The cop opened the door after that vague answer. The hyper-meticulous leader must've thought he'd caught something, 'cause the thugs who'd just been standing around started eyeing us slyly.
"......Could you extend your arm outside?"
"...Sure."
Seeing my awkward posture, he only asked for the bare minimum cooperation for data scanning. Honestly, if shit hit the fan right now, I figured I should distance myself and play no relation to Mary, Schneider, or Sylvia.
...Except the kid had woken up at the crack of dawn, then dozed off unnoticed in the truck's soothing rumble, and now refused to let go of me. And with my nerves jangling from my first illegal entry rodeo, I'd pulled her closer too... so now, all I could do was trust Grandpa's handiwork.
A beam from the scanner swept over my arm with a low whine.
"......Any issues?"
"......"
The squad leader stared silently at his hologram pad, expression unreadable behind the helmet. Trying to act natural by speaking up might've just fueled more suspicion.
Spit it out if you've got something to say! Don't burn me up like this...!
"Ughhh... Anastasia sis... can't breathe..."
"Eek...?! Sorry, Mary!"
I'd been squeezing too hard, and freed her head from my chest. Her mumbling with her face buried tickled more than expected... but perfect timing, really. Time to loosen up and let the ID check finish.
Logically, my citizenship and Paradise side gig were all about drawing in more customers— no way it'd glitch at the city gates. So... just peel Mary off and cooperate...
Squish...
Cooperate...
"...Mary?"
"Mmm... why push me away, sis... wanna sleep more with sis..."
Wait, I'd been awake the whole time...? She hated feeling cramped but didn't want to separate either, apparently. Never figured I'd get a taste of parenting hell like this.
"Not now, I said...!"
"Nooo... sis's hugs are soft... warm... smell nice too..."
"...Smell?!"
"......Pfft."
Pull and she resists; push and she burrows in. The cop watching my tussle with the willful little princess finally let out a chuckle. Who knows—maybe the check was clean from the start and he was just dragging it out, or Mary's sleepy whining scrubbed away the lingering doubt.
This pressure-cooker entry inspection ended on a hilariously anticlimactic note.
"Mary McQueen and Green-grade citizen Anastasia Valentin verified. Cyber engineer, huh... no worries about landing a job. Welcome to Harvest Planet. ...Opening inner gate!! Let 'em out, bring in the next team. Screw up again and your pensions are toast...!"
Clang! Rumble...!!
The wheel locks keeping the truck from bolting released, and with a roar, the massive front barrier pinning us at the checkpoint lifted...
"......Whoa."
The colossal city beyond the wall came into view. Harvest Planet in all its glory.
A riot of colorful lights, but what first seized the eyes was the eerie, bewitching purple glow enveloping the entire structure. The metropolis's dawn skyline, mingled with the first light, was fucking gorgeous.
Sky-scraping towers and massive antennas everywhere—this pinnacle of futuristic cities seemed to promise dreams... hope... a brilliant future. But to me, who'd crisscrossed Neo Haven grinding quests, I could glimpse the underbelly.
The concrete jungle hugging the ground level—holdover residential blocks and factories from the old era. Even from afar, you could feel the frantic bustle crammed inside.
Why Harvest Planet boasted unmatched productivity among metropolises. Why they pretended strict population control while quietly hoovering up bodies from the shadows...
...Cheap, overflowing labor was always mega-capital's favorite meal.
"......Chin up, show some confidence, missy. A girl like you will carve out a spot and thrive in the city soon enough. ...Though your soft heart worries me a bit..."
"Oh? Whatever happened to the gruff hubby who was just praising Anastasia's character...?"
"......Hmph. Just worried, that's all."
Schneider back at the wheel and Sylvia in the passenger seat noticed my tension and chimed in.
...These kind folks had been like this ever since I politely turned down tagging along to Neo Haven and their offer for a job at the new bar.
"...Soon as I've got train ticket credits left in the account, I'll bolt. Don't worry."
"......Yeah. And... even if not me, keep in touch with Sylvia and Mary often."
Sticking with Schneider meant coasting comfortably until the original Neo Haven plot kicked off. But factoring in the changes and distortions my presence could cause lurking near an unraised curtain... better to hole up on Harvest Planet, honing my claws in silence until the critical moment.
Vrooom...!
The truck's engine groaned in overwork as it charged onto the elevated highway toward Harvest Planet's upper levels and the train station. Not goodbye. A new beginning. In a world where you could call with a blink, voices were always a ping away.
"Hnnng..."
"......"
Rub rub. Feeling petty, I ruffled Mary's half-asleep hair wildly.
...She begged for more pets. And the lovebirds up front should quit laughing and start seriously plotting how to pry this sticky princess off me.
"Ah~~ yesss— ah, aaah!"
Clink...
To check for any stray cops holed up in the bathroom, the squad leader peeked inside, set his issued hologram pad by the sink, and disabled the voice modulator. His mouth was still masked, so not crystal clear, but... a husky yet pleasant high tenor flowed out.
No need to scroll the cyberware contacts page. His target was pinned at the top anyway.
Ring ring...
As the signal connected and his one... no, former only family picked up, he shouted cheerfully.
"Ah, Grandpa!! Where'd you pick up such a pretty, cute girl? Huh?! Can't I go claim her first?? For real?!"