The air shimmered as neon-green arcs sliced through the dense, foggy ruins of New Calypso. Lia ducked behind a crumbled pillar, her black stealth suit seamlessly blending with the gloomy backdrop. Her green bobbed hair, slick with sweat, clung to her sharp jawline, a streak of color in the monochrome expanse. The air hung thick with the smell of scorched metal, energy residue glowing faintly across the stones like ghostly veins. Somewhere ahead, the Sentinel drones buzzed, their triangular frames scanning through the emptiness, emitting eerie, flickering beams of light.
“Unit Alpha reporting reduced thermal signatures,” a tinny voice said through the sharp stillness. Lia tightened her grip on the psi-dagger strapped to her thigh. Its metal gleamed faintly, charged by her inner energy, vibrating ever so slightly as if eager for purpose. She took a slow breath and pressed a palm to the stone surface. Her biosuit responded immediately, projecting faint green diagnostics along her wrist device. Three drones… no, four. One cloaked. If she was fast, she could take them out before the containment grid reset. If she wasn’t…
She shook off the thought. Action now—all fears later. Leaping from her cover, Lia’s athletic frame twisted in midair, her boots barely skimming the ground as her psi-dagger hummed. The first drone lunged forward with its saw-like appendage, but her blade carved through its frame in a flash of green. The drone’s shell sparked violently as it crumbled into pieces, the hum of its companions growing louder. Lia landed lightly, pivoting with precision as the sleek fabric of her suit outlined every movement, her training evident in each well-executed strike. In seconds, another drone was reduced to a heap of wires and technology.
But the cloaked one lingered—its unseen presence haunting every step. Lia spun, her green hair catching the refracted light, twin strands of steel cracking in the silence as the city’s looming skyscrapers framed the eerie scene of tech and decay. Where was it?
The world grew quiet for a fraction of a moment. And in that instant, the memory hit her—a symphony of emotions flooding her mind. She was back in Sector Nine, an underground lab where gray-suited scientists had led her into the Augmentation Pod. The sterile, white room was vast, the hum of experimental machinery filling the sterile air. They promised power, they’d said, and Lia had agreed. Not because she sought it, but because the price for refusal had been her brother’s life. Green flashed in her subconscious as she gritted her teeth at the memory.
“You’re running out of time, Lia.” A voice crackled in her ear, pulling her back from the memory’s grip. It was Kael, her ally—though trust was too large a word. His holographic projection flickered on her wrist device. A tall, broad-shouldered man with storm-gray skin, his eyes narrowed knowingly. The glowing tattoos that spiraled across his arm hinted at his origins as an Ascended—a biomechanically engineered soldier from the northern quadrants. He smirked wryly as the dusty glow of the ruins shimmered around her. “That containment grid’s opening. You have thirty seconds.”
“I don’t need thirty,” she snapped back, the hint of defiance in her tone masking her true fear. From the corner of her eyes, a shimmer caught her attention. There, faint against the clouded backdrop of towering ruins, the cloaked drone moved—a predator poised for its final strike.
The clamor of sirens cracked through the oppressive silence, converging on their location. Without hesitation, Lia surged forward, her psi-dagger glowing fiercely. The drone’s cloaking failed for an instant—a flicker, and then a full reveal—just long enough. Her blade slid between its central core and plating with surgical precision. A burst of green energy exploded outward, as though the drone had been torn apart from within.
The sirens grew louder; they would find her soon. Lia sprinted towards the ruins’ edge, her hair whipping against her face, looking barely human against the backdrop of a decaying, neo-industrial expanse. Towering skyscrapers—what remained of New Calypso—pierced the cloudy skies like broken shards of a forgotten utopia. The containment grid glimmered faintly in the distance, promising that very utopia for those who submitted to its control.
Kael’s voice interrupted her musings. “Impressive work for someone down to five percent neural reserves. But you can’t keep running, Lia. Not from them, not from yourself.”
“Was I running?” she muttered under her breath, slowing as she reached her extraction beacon. As she looked up, Kael’s holographic projection faded, replaced by the ship’s faint silhouette overhead—a sharp contrast of steel against the somber sky. Lia wiped her blade clean, the green glow dimming. She stood there for a moment, defiant against the pressure of her reality.
In this fractured future, where humanity’s grasp on technology teetered between savior and tyrant, Lia wasn’t sure she was the hero anyone needed. But she was the only one fighting back. The sirens faded as the ship’s beacon engulfed her in its harsh light. And for a moment, under its glare, her green hair burned brightly against the void, a lone ember of rebellion refusing to be extinguished.
The Source…check out the article that inspired this amazing short story: Cosplay Inspiration with a Minimalist Black Outfit and Vibrant Green Wig
Disclaimer: This article may contain affiliate links. If you click on these links and make a purchase, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Our recommendations and reviews are always independent and objective, aiming to provide you with the best information and resources.
Exclusive Stories, Photos, Art & Offers - Subscribe Today!
1 comment