Port 9

Satin gloves shimmered as she slid them up her arms; the final touch to her regency ensemble. After all, that was the era citizens of Port 9 lived in. Clara had been to three other ports in the world, exterminating the threat that had been calling themselves the Truth Speakers. They have been disrupting the peace and tranquility that had been created by the ports by claiming to know what really lies outside the walls of the ports.

After a month in Port 9 she hadn’t had many leads except rumors that the Penworth manor had held secret Truth Speaker meetings in the past. But tonight that was going to change. She checked herself in the mirror, admiring her dark hair and makeup that so elegantly complemented her brown eyes. As she stood from her vanity she took her cloak from her lady's maid. Although every other household used androids as servants and for manual labor, Clara liked the idea of having real humans attend to her. Every port she went to, she hired people looking for temporary jobs. Real humans didn’t have a camera that constantly recorded everything they saw. Her hired staff had no knowledge of her cyborg status nor could they scan for her credentials. All her servants knew was that Clara was a wealthy woman coming from Port 1, wanting to explore the regency port as a vacation. Clara was good at playing a naive woman.

“I might be back later than usual. I’ve heard Lady Penworth’s ball’s are more extravagant than most.” Clara called out to her maid as she left.

Once she was out of her house and in her carriage, she slid her glove off of her right arm. Clara tapped on the inside of wrist, opening a small compartment that was installed in the robotic hand. Leaning into her arm she quietly spoke, “on my way to Penworth’s ball . I will verify the information I received and report back.”

Affirmative. Good luck. The words scrolled across her line of vision.

She closed the compartment and examined her flawless synthetic skin. She marveled at what technology could do now. Clara checked her fingers and made sure she had plenty of bullets in her hand chamber and one loaded into her pointer finger. She had her hand upgraded with a gun when she got out of her training.

By the time she arrived at the ball, Clara was fashionably late. A deep blue empire waist dress with lace trimming, and pearl beads throughout, draped over Clara’s defined curves. She played the role of a wealthy and clueless woman. Putting on a smile, she waved at familiar people, and giggled as an android footman presented her with a tray filled with champagne flutes.

“Oh, thank you, kind sir!” She laughed again. The ballroom was a circus of commotion. Penworth hired acrobrats to swing from the high vaulted ceilings. A tightrope directly above her held a few dancers in skin tight bodysuits. Clara questioned the authenticity of the entertainment for the regency era. Because that era was over a thousand years ago, there wasn’t time for Clara to check her database without it looking suspicious. Cyborgs weren’t unknown to each port. Many who lost limbs in accidents and injuries were given robotic limbs and upgrades. But very few were given upgrades to allow them database access, communication, and hidden weaponry.

“Penelope! I was hoping I would see you here!” At hearing her undercover name Clara turned to see Janis, a woman that she had met at the seamstress shop yesterday. Janis had just finished her last surgery allowing her to be a full woman and was celebrating by getting a new wardrobe. “I am so glad you’re here! It’s been dreadfully boring!” Janis exclaimed.

Clara laughed, “Janis, you have to give me time to get ready. I know it may look easy, but this-” she gestured to herself- “takes a lot of effort.”

Janis smiled trying her best not to snort before she finally gave in. “Well, follow me. I’ve got someone I’d like you to meet.” Janis offered her arm to Clara.

She led her through the crowd of eloquently dressed individuals. The amount of perfume and cologne being worn was overwhelming- very opposite of the medieval theme of Port 12 that she left over a month ago. Those citizens prided themselves in their authenticity. Clara turned on her retinal scanners to detect any other undocumeted cyborgs, androids, and potential threats. Weapons of any kind are prohibited to civilians. Despite every port having a sixty story wall surrounding its perimeter, the black market still managed to import and export illegal goods without the knowledge of the government. Janis brought Clara to the other side of the humongous ballroom where a group of gentlemen were talking.

“Gentlemen!” She waved her arms, interrupting the conversation. “Mind if I borrow Mr. Ryker for a few?”

One of the men nodded saying, “anything for you Lady Janis.” He winked at her. Janis’ cheeks turned very red as she smiled wide and snorted.

“Mr. Ryker, this is Miss Penelope. She’s new to the port. And I just adore her! I was hoping you could persuade her to make her temporary stay a more permanent one?” Janis explained to a tall and devilishly handsome man. Clara’s scanners didn’t pick up anything. No weapons hidden on him. Although there was something in his jacket pocket. It wasn’t a pocket watch, much smaller.

Ryker looked over to Clara. His dark eyes bore into hers, as if looking for something. That alone convinced her that she needed to question him. Discreetly, of course.

Ryker came up to Clara and presented her with a deep bow. “Miss Penelope, it is a pleasure to be in the presence of such radiant beauty.”

Clara’s own cheeks began to redden. Normally she could control her emotions, but there was something familiar about this man. And he awoke something in her still partially human heart. “The pleasure is all mine, I can assure you.” She replied as she presented her hand. He stared deeply at her as he kissed her gloved, cybernetic hand. His eyes were a pool of darkness, but she could tell we were thinking and calculating. “Shall we?” She gestured to the dance floor.

Ryker took her arm and led her to the dance floor. She could hear Janis and her gentleman friend talking and laughing behind them. Since Clara’s legs were both bionic, she was able to program a few dances into her system before coming to Port 9. But she still let herself stumble a bit, as a reminder that she was playing a woman that didn’t grow up here.

As they danced, she noticed that Ryker as well, stumbled a bit. There was a step he missed here and there. He corrected himself rather quickly, but not fast enough for her to see that he wasn’t from around here either. Everyone else on the dancefloor moved to the music flawlessly. They exchanged partners and moved to the beat without a moment’s hesitation. Once the song ended, Ryker guided her away towards a table that had a tower of champagne glasses, each filled with the bubbly liquid.

“Have you enjoyed Port 9 so far, Penelope?” Ryker asked, handing her a flute.

Clara nodded. “It’s been so wonderful. I was dreadfully bored in my old port. I inherited my father’s fortune and have been all alone in a giant house. I got my hands on some of those old Austen novels and fell in love with them and well, here I am!” She took a sip, keeping her eyes on Ryker. “What about you? Are you from around here?”

Ryker laughed, “afraid so, milady. I was born and raised here.” He’s lying. “I’ve had access to some of the world outside the port. Despite trying to live in an era where there are no technological advances, we have access to so much!”

“Ah yes, Janis told me of her holographic projector she has in her cellar. She said not everyone has one. But where I come from, it’s something most people have in every single room!” Clara sighed. “It truly is magical here.”

She looked up at Ryker as he gave her a smirk. “Well, let’s see if we can keep it that way.” He offered his hand and she took it. Ryker led her through a door into a small study. It contained a mahogany desk that was surrounded by bookshelves. But Clara could see that most weren’t books at all. Just painted blocks. Physical books were hard to come by. It was pointless to print them, when everything could be digital. Even in the medieval themed sector there were digital scrolls and books.

Ryker went over to the right of the room, where a table held a small bar. There were several crystal bottles of whiskey in various sizes. “Care for a glass of fine aged whiskey, Clara?”

She was too busy looking at the fake bookshelf before she caught it. By then it was too late. She turned around but there was an android that held a shock stick and thrust it to her side where it electrified her and it all went black.

***

Clara forced her eyes open. She wanted to keep them shut though. The electricity still ran through her and magnified her senses. She could tell she was in a dimly lit room, but even the minimal light gave her a pounding headache. She cursed herself. She had never been caught off guard. She had never been so careless. How was tonight any different than her other missions?

She attempted to get up, but found that was pointless as she was chained to a chair. The air smelled musty and felt damp. By the lack of windows and walls of concrete, she could see that she was most likely in a basement or cellar. The difference between the two is very little. To her left she almost gasped. Ryker stood staring at her, eerily silent.

“Who are you really?” She asked calmly. To panic would be to give him too much power. He continued to stare at her. Well he did, she mentally accessed her messaging files and sent a distress signal out.

“Don’t bother with that.” Ryker finally spoke.

Clara shot him a confused look.

“Your eyes changed color for a moment. Went from brown to blue in a flash. Did you not know they did that? Or have you never sent an S.O.S signal before?” She hated to admit it, but he was right. And she never knew that her eyes did that. It should have been mentioned after her many operations.

She still refused to let him think he had the upper hand. “I take it I’m not the first cyborg you’ve apprehended?” He didn’t so much as flinch at the mention of cyborg. Which meant he knew what she was from the beginning. “And if you’re telling me to not even bother with a signal, that can also conclude that these walls are lined with lead. Which jams mentally transmitted signals. Clever.” She smiled. He still showed no signs of anything that would have told her she had the upper hand. She cursed herself again. “The question now is, why? I know you’re not from here. So what purpose do you have in Port 9?”

Ryker sighed. “No, I’m not from here. But I’ve been here for a while. Building the alliance to overthrow the government. The usual riffraff. You know how it goes- telling people what’s beyond the walls and all.”

Clara tried her best to keep her face as composed as possible. What was beyond the walls of each sector was classified information. Not even Clara was privy to it. She only imagined it was what was taught in the schools- wild beasts and thick vegetation. The world had rebelled several centuries back. Had taken back what thousands upon thousands of years of humans had taken from it. After so many died, the sectors were built with the highest walls and security. The only way to travel to each sector was through air crafts. It was too risky to try anything else.

“How do you know what’s beyond those walls?”

Ryker stooped down and put both hands on her chair rests. “Because Clara, we have seen it with our own eyes!”

Clara turned her head, suddenly uncomfortable with his face being so close. “We?”

He chuckled. “You and me, Clara. Although your name was different back then. Before they took you from me.” He stood and turned away.

What? “Who, Ryker? Who took me away? What are you blathering about?”

Ryker muttered something so quietly that her ears didn’t pick it up. Either that, or they were also malfunctioning since the shock.

“What are you saying?”

Then he said a name. It was a simple, common name. Yet it rang through her being all the same. “Katherine.” How did she know that name? Quickly, she did a mental search through her mind. But nothing came up. Something should have, she knew that name and yet the memories weren’t there.

Ryker saw her confusion and frustration that she had no recollection of who Katherine was. “You and I- we lived in Port 5.” The industrial port. Clara had no memory of ever being there. Yet suddenly she could recall the smell of smoke mixed with steam. The sound of gears and cogs simultaneously moving. It was the sector of inventing yet it contained an old fashioned touch in its culture. Vests, corsets, buckles, bustles, tool belts, goggles… She did know that place. Yet there were still blocks in her memory…

“I couldn’t have lived there. I grew up in Port 1. I was in a hovership accident. It malfunctioned. I was the sole survivor. I had already worked as secretary to the governor of Port 1. He was able to pull strings and get me on the operating table in the most prestigious medical center. I’m alive because of him. So I took a new job that was offered to- to-” She was about to spill everything! What had this man done to her? Nothing physically, aside from the android shocking her. And yet, here she was. Vulnerable.

Ryker shook his head. “No. You were the governor of Port 5.” His words hung in the air. Before Clara could speak again he did. “Not even the governor was allowed to know what was going on outside the walls. But you were determined to find out. You hacked into the system’s files and were able to find an old file. It was dated hundreds of years ago. Before the ports were built. It contained information of why the ports were built…” He then pulled something out of his pocket. It was jewelry. A golden heart shaped locket hung on a chain.

She knew that locket. It had once belonged to Clara.

“I made this for her. Years ago.” Ryker fiddled with the thumb size trinket. “It’s touch activated. It only worked for both of our fingerprints.” He demonstrated by placing his thumb firmly on the center of the heart. With a small click it opened up. The inside projected a hologram outward. “It was something I made that she could record any important information for meetings. Her mind would always wander and with this she could record important information. The last recording was six years ago. We both came to Port 5 for a routine checkup. You knew she was adventurous. You took advantage of Clara and let her go with you…” He paused, trying to find the right words. “You took her out of the wall.”

Clara couldn’t meet his eyes. This all sounded so familiar. And yet there wasn’t anything in her mind to prove what he was saying. She couldn’t be Katherine. She was Clara Delmont. She didn’t want to be here. She never had in the first place. But now more than ever Clara needed to get out of these chains and get out of this basement. Somehow she knew what he was going to say next would be something terrible.

She didn’t want to hear it.

And yet she still asked, “What happened?”

It was a whisper. If that. But it was also a plea. A plea that he was going to say something that wouldn’t tear her apart. But she also knew, deep down, that that was a lie to herself.

Ryker cleared his throat. She could tell his eyes were beginning to water. But he didn’t say anything except for, “replay recent recordings.”

The hologram shifted and showed a woman in a loose shirt wearing a dark velvet corset over top and tight leather pants. She was blonde with light eyes. Yet Clara knew who she was. That was her. Even though Clara’s eyes and hair were dark now, she could see her own face looking back at her. It was Katherine. She was once called Katherine.

“Come on!” Katherine called to an unseen Clara, who was wearing the locket. They were walking through what looked like a jungle. Trees were tall and vines spread out everywhere. “The file said the creatures came from the sky. Can you believe that? Aliens!” She exclaimed. “Apparently because of them the first port was created. They couldn’t fight the creatures, so they protected themselves until they could regrow the population!”

“Yes, but did it say if they died in the end? We’ve only got Grade 2 blasters and they sound threatening.” Clara said, trembling.

“We won’t be here long enough to find out. For the past week I’ve stood on the top of the wall with binoculars and I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary jungle. My theory is that since they seemed to kill everything in sight- according to the file- they would have exhausted all their resources and starved themselves out. We’ll go in far enough to take a peek and then go back. But if anything we’ll probably find old remnants of them.”

“You promise we’ll go back soon? Even if we don’t find anything?” Clara pleaded.

Katherine nodded. But before she could say anything something ran past her.

“What was that?” Clara gasped. “We should go back. Now.”

“Agreed.” As they both turned around a giant creature stood before them. It was something from a nightmare. Skin stretched over bone. It stood on haunches like an animal. It had two sets of long arms with large talons protruding from its claws. Its face- its face was covered with rows and rows of teeth. Small black beady eyes stared them down. Then… it roared.

Clara didn’t need to see the rest of the recording to know what happened. As the creature roared again images and voices flooded through Clara’s mind. The creature attacked the real Clara. It gutted her like a fish and as she laid on the ground Katherine tried to pull her up by the arms, but it was too late.

The creature had jumped into the air out of view and Clara grasped at the locket around her neck as she died. Katherine wasn’t sure why. Without thinking twice she ripped the locket from the young woman’s throat and ran. Behind her she could hear the monster drop back to the ground and let out another blood curdling roar. She began to hear more roars and as she glanced behind she saw five monsters pursuing her.

She grabbed her blaster and pointed it behind her as she ran and fired. She heard one of them scream in pain. Good. Quickly she switched her blaster to its second mode- emergency blaze. She pointed it up and fired. Then as she switched it back and pointed it behind her she felt teeth sinking into her arm. Before she could scream it crunched down and ripped her arm off. She was down.

She remembered it felt like an eternity before the hovership came and officers fired at the creatures. It must have been minutes though. But the damage was already done. Clara was dead. The creatures had been tearing her apart. Only her left arm survived, still clutching the locket tightly as if it was her only lifeline. But as soon as she was put on the stretcher she let one of the officers take it from her. She never saw it again. Until tonight.

The room was quiet. The recording had stopped playing and she was able to get out of reliving her memory. Katherine looked up at Ryker. “I don’t know why. I’m sorry,” she finally said.

Ryker shouted back, “sorry? You’re sorry, but you don’t know why? My wife is dead. She’s dead because of you! And you had the balls to take her name?”

Katherine tried to remember. She saw flashes of bright lights over her. Androids and medical personnel in masks standing over her. She remembered she volunteered for the procedure. She wanted another chance at life. She wanted Clara to have another chance at life. To be adventurous and explore. So she let Katherine die outside the wall and became Clara. After her countless procedures when they told her her eyes were now able to change colors at will she immediately changed them to a dark brown. She then had the pigment in her hair follicles manipulated to produce a rich brown color. She became Clara in every way she could.

As she looked at Ryker with his seething eyes of rage and hurt and confusion she knew she couldn’t tell him the truth. The truth won’t bring back the real Clara. “What do you want from me?” She asked calmly. Ryker breathed heavily as he stared at her down. Without speaking he unlocked the chains that kept her confined to the chair. But more chains still kept her arms restrained. She didn’t fight him. Although she did the calculations and knew she could beat him. Her energy had returned and in his state he was distracted and therefore weakened.

It turned out that they weren’t in a basement. It was one room of many in a long hallway. Androids and guards were strewn across the floor. With a quick scan she knew they were alive, just unconscious. After passing the twelfth door they came to the lift. Katherine recognized the layout of the structure they were in. It was the wall. They came to the wall of Port 9. She tried to tune out her anxiety, but her mind wasn’t listening and her heart rate continued to increase.

When the lift reached the top floor Ryker led her out a set of doors onto the open top of the wall. The wind ripped around them in the night sky. The wall itself was 120 stories high. But it could never be high enough to truly escape the monsters that lurked below.

As he pulled her restraints towards the edge looking away, she sent out another mental emergency signal.

“You should have been the one to die that day. Not Clara!” He shouted at her. He was right. “She died at the hands of those things. Her body was never retrieved. I had to find out that she was nearly gone by the time you were rescued. Devoured. I hope your cyborg appendages survive the fall down. So that you can be alive as they feast on you!” She could argue that Clara actually died quickly. She was dead when she was eaten. Katherine was alive when she was torn apart. But once again, that would prove nothing.

There was one thing she was sure of. She was not going back outside the wall. And her job was to make sure no one would ever venture outside the walls of their ports into the jungles. And as God as her witness she was going to do whatever it took to be sure of that.

The restraints kept her from moving her arms. But he failed in making sure she was without weapons. Her gloves were still on as she brought her arms up and pointed her right finger at him. The bullet tore through the silk fabric and shot straight into Ryker’s chest. His eyes widened as he looked down to see blood pooling out of his coat.

Katherine looked into his eyes, “I’m sorry. But I have to keep people like me from going out there. Clara’s legacy will live on.” She grabbed her dress and pulled it up to allow her to bring out her leg and kick Ryker backwards. He stumbled back before losing his footing and fell, still clutching the locket. He didn’t scream as he fell. She scanned him and saw that he was already dead. He must have died the moment he fell.

Katherine sat in silence as the hovercraft came. She stepped on to it as it landed. One of her superiors was aboard the craft. “What happened?” He asked. “ My readings show all guards and droids are down in this region of the wall. Was the mission compromised?”

She didn’t look at him as she replied, “the men and women down there are alive. There was one casualty- the truth speaker.”

“Anything else to report, Delmont?” He demanded.

She shook her head. “No. But I am requesting a memory swipe of the last twenty four hours.”

“Again? You know it's never permanent. But, fine. Whatever. I’m still sifting through memories in case you missed something.” He grunted and pulled out a small device meant to plug in to the small port on the nape of Katherine’s neck. She turned and let him open a small hatch and insert the device. As it turned on she could feel it working. “There, happy?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” Clara replied.