Aeiris Sweven

Her Utopian Lies

Hacks wished she’d fallen off the towering neon roofs before she decided to join Hex for a supply run. Neither of them needed any more supplies. Hacks had enough bits and bobs from the alleys to keep her content for another week while Hex came back from a solo run two days prior. Hacks shouldn't have been bounding from one roof to another to meet her friend for supplies she didn’t need.

Her worn-down, black combat boots never let her slip before through countless leaps through the city’s downpour. They were a necessity in Cilok City with its constant downpours. Hacks didn’t want to end up being the poor sod that wound up with hairline fractures on every bone. The weather made the roofs into a slick one-way ticket to Cilok’s half-assed medical station. People left with more injuries than they had before going there.

Still, Hacks didn’t mind how much it rained in her home. In the night, when the blatantly artificial rainbow of neon lights shined brightest, she would sit out on the roof in the rain. The earthy scent overpowered the usual musty grime. It was the freshest air she ever got.

It took only five roof jumps to make it to their usual meeting spot. Hacks never agreed with the low flat being their spot, preferring a higher view. The rain and glare of the all-surrounding lights hitting her made life a blur of bright paths she’d never be able to choose. It was one of few things she’d no longer argue about with Hex.

Her friend was nowhere in sight. She could never miss that shocking navy, chopped hair. Hacks took a deep inhale of the smog air, her dingy but cleaned gas mask making it just bearable. The eyeshield kept any particles from her sea-green calculative gaze, the pale pink glow from inside the mask casting an unusual shadow across her warmed ivory skin. She was ready to leave when there was no movement minutes later.

“Hacks!” A heavy force tackled her from behind, Hacks having to dig her boots into the ground to keep them from falling over the edge. “Finally! Rooftops were a mess getting here.”

Despite the near brush of injury, Hacks quirked a faint smile. “If I wanted to fall off a roof today, I would have jumped myself, mate.” Hacks nudged Hex with her elbow, ducking under the other woman. “Where’s this place?”

Hex slipped right back in her spot beside the pink-tinged woman, leaning with a grin on her. “Old tower over on the Westside. Got word there are some prettyyy interesting bits there.”

Hex always knew how to draw her in. Supplies were the necessities with some added wants for hobbies. Hacks got her spare parts to tinker with while Hex, well, she wasn’t sure what she got. Dangling the reward of mysterious new pieces she could use sealed the deal.

“Lead the way before I toss you for teasing.” It got Hex moving, snagging Hacks by the arm as she led the way with a final quip.

“You love me, shut it.”

***

The Westies weren’t a far trip from their meet up spot. Ten minutes after their departure, Hacks crouched in front of a towering steel-plate door, ear pressed to the cool metal. Hex had a timer she clicked when steel met steel, causing Hacks to back away from the cracked open door.

“8.9 seconds,” Hex flashed the time to her, nodding in approval. “Getting faster.”

“I practice.” Hacks shrugged, ducking into the open entryway. “Woah.”

Hex bumped against her, nudging her towards the booted up ratty computer in the corner of the room. “I’ll collect things, you check the data here.” She didn’t leave much room for arguments before she moved away, picking up items and tossing anything of interest in the pack slung across her back. Hacks hummed, falling back into the swivel chair by the desktop. With a few short clicks she was in.

A chill ran down Hacks’ spine when one of the files opened automatically, text flying across the screen. Knocking over one of many metal sculptures next to the computer, Hacks slammed a transfer card into the drive. Her ruckus got Hex to walk over to her, brows settling a deep line as she stared at the files transferred.

“OPERATION: Utopia? Hell is that?”

Hacks hands curled to fists, knuckles going pale. “None of this is real.” She could feel her tongue grow heavy, her throat feeling like she had cotton stuck in it. She swallowed, head bobbing at the struggle.

Her response made Hex scoff, the golden snake-eyed girl turning Hacks around to face her. “You’re speaking nonsense.”

Hacks felt the bustle of the city outside become drowned out by the roar of disbelief. She yanked Hex’s wrist, fingers pressing just enough to leave faint marks. “This. Isn’t. Real.” She pushed her aside, storming past her friend to pace, boots stomping against deep wood floors. “Hex, bloody hell.”

“What isn’t real?”

Hacks closed her eyes, unable to meet Hex’s hard gaze. “This world, this city, none of it is real.” She held up a hand. “Let me explain it. That file. Cilok City is a simulation. A programmed world meant for virtual reality. It’s a prison pretending to be a game.” Her shoulders trembled, forcing herself to walk past Hex and grab the finished data transfer. “It’s my prison.”

Hex’s face had gone pale, grabbing Hacks’ arm, laughing with a quick glance to the door. “Are you insane?” She hissed. “This is real. I’m real. Isn’t that enough?”

Hacks stared at her, mouth open wide. “But this world isn’t. The Highers. It was the only location in the file. What do you know about it?”

Hex knew any and every building there was in Cilok. She couldn’t lie her way out. “It’s not far.” Hex exhaled. “An hour trip by roof.”

Hacks took a steadying breath, looking over her shoulder at Hex. “We’re going. Now.”

***

“This is a bad idea.” Hex was never nervous for a run. Her hesitance was alarming, but Hacks needed answers.

“Leave then.” Hacks took off from the roof they sized the tower from. If Hex wanted to leave, she could. She trusted her friend, but everything around her was shattering.

Her birth name wasn’t Hacks. The files claimed she was Alice Robin Harls. The only connection she had to the real world. It left a sour taste in her mouth.

She heard Hex spewing curses behind her, jogging to make up the distance. “Do you even know where to go?”

“Not at all.” Hex grabbed her shoulder, pulling her to a stop before she could climb through the misted window. “You had the map, Hex. You said it was right through this window.”

Choppy blue hair swished as the woman scoffed. “How have you not died yet?” Hacks shrugged, pushing her off to pick up a jagged stone. She lugged it at the window, stepping back to avoid the shards of glass raining down. The bits sparkled and crunched beneath her boots as she pulled herself through. Extending a hand to Hex, she tugged her in.

“This should be the right room,” Hex murmured, glancing around with a tight hand on Hacks’ arm. The room they entered was circular, black gauzy walls reaching the ceiling. The only item in the room was a stone, black throne, crooked and falling apart. The deep red of the carpet made Hacks woozy, making the space bun pinkette glad for Hex’s hold.

A single step started a blare of sirens, blinding red lights flashing in second intervals. A loud clap sounded from the opposite side of the room, the sirens and lights pausing.

“Alice, I’ve been expecting you.” A man stepped from the shadows, a bejeweled, shining glass of gold tilted precariously in his left hand. He looked out of place, gangly and lacking the dusty coat of Cilok City on his clothes. The sight of him tugged at something in Hacks’ brain.

“You’re the world creator.”

The man tsked, swiping his free hand through sandy, graying curls. “Seo is preferred for now. World creator is so boorish.”

Hacks’ knuckles went pale, crescent marks digging into her palms.

“This day had to come.” He sighed, shaking his head. His posture was straight, hands tucked behind his back as he gave Hacks a look-over. “You’ve grown so beautifully in this world, daughter. Shame you had to ruin the only happiness you’d have.”

“Daughter? But.” Hacks froze, lips parting as her gaze bore into the man. “Why? Why did you stick me here?” Her voice rose, Hex grabbing her arm to keep her from approaching.

Seo hummed, turning away from the women to approach his mangled throne. He sank in it, stretching his neck. “It was all to protect you, my dear. The world, the true one, is dying. This project had been in the years before you were born. You were so young then, too naïve to see the world for what it was. I had to keep you safe. I found a way to connect your corporal body to the digital world. The rest is history.” He gestures in a wide arc. “Oh. Of course, your body in the real world was kept safe. Through everything, I’ve managed to keep you alive so you could continue living your life here.”

“I kept tabs on you. You’re still my daughter. I can’t exist in this world like you. So, I needed a body to do it for me.” His golden gaze fell on Hex. “She’s done well. If only I programmed her not to forget why she needed to relay to me. Pity. Wouldn’t be here if I had.”

“What..” She took a step away from Hex, a mix of conflicting emotions flashing in her eyes. “Bloody hell, you aren’t real..”

“Hacks. I swear to you I’m with you because I wanted to be. Not due to some programming.” Hex’s voice crackled. “Please.”

“As endearing as this is, we have some business to handle.” Sen took an extended sip from his glass, a trickle of blood-red flowing down his chin. “I can’t have you going around knowing about Operation: Utopia. It defeats the purpose of allowing you to live without worry. Sorry sweetheart, but until I can wipe your memory, you’ll be staying in the cells.”

With a gesture, a current started up in the room, hurling Hacks towards the hall. “Ta-ta, Alice. Soon you’ll be Hacks again.”

“Hex!” Hacks reached out for her as the wind blew her into the hall. Their fingers brushed before Hacks was whisked away down to the cells.

***

“Do you want to stop living a lie or not?”

Hacks had her arms tightly crossed against her chest. She didn’t look at Hex even as metal clanging against metal filled the holding cell. “Did you know?”

The sounds stopped, a faint thump sounding with a deep sigh. “Hacks. I didn’t know all of this. I knew about you but not that you don’t belong here.” With a shaky breath, Hex continued unlocking the door. “This isn’t your reality.”

Hacks stood, raising a brow at Hex. “Why do you care?”

Hex gave a pinched look. “We’re friends. I’m helping you escape. Are you coming or not?”

“You care. Even though you aren’t human, you still care.”

Hex gave a slight nod. “You deserve to know your world just as well as this one.”

Hacks looked around the barren cell. The concrete walls made the room a freezing, bland hell. “You always know what to say to get to me.” She reached for Hex’s hand, her friend pulling her along for one last adventure.

***

“Do you want to leave this all behind?” Hex whispered. Her eyes trained on the hallways for the opening to the server room. Hacks hoped they could stay there for longer. Their destination was just across the hall.

“Not you.”

Hex smiled wistfully. “I can’t leave with you.”
Hacks curled her fingers together, taking a deep breath. “Yeah.” She knew that. Once they did this, she would no longer see Hex. Would no longer be hidden in a utopia. She’d have to do it without Hex, a task that sounded impossible.

There was a tug on Hacks’ hand, drawing her from her thoughts. Her gaze snapped to Hex, trying to memorize her dusty aroma.

“It’s time to go. The server is right there. All I need to do is disconnect your connection to it. No one is expecting us to be there; Seo doesn’t keep guards.”

“I thought I was the hacker here, Hex.” Hacks chuckled. “It's all just a push of a button?”

“Well. I’m inserting my programming into it to shut it down. Perks of being made of code. Let’s go.” She pulled Hacks along into the room.

The server room glowed dimly, blue lights flickering off silver walls. It reminded Hacks of how the neon lights shone against the ominous buildings in the heart of Cilok. It was a dimmer last view, one she appreciated.

Their hands stayed together when they approached the wall of monitors, Hex placing a hand against the pad below them. Her eyes flashed blue, face going blank as code ran across the screens. In a few seconds, a large, black timer started on the center screen, the loudspeakers blaring.

“OPERATION: Utopia disengaged in t-minus 30 seconds.”

Hacks squeezed Hex’s hand, holding on and trying to memorize every dip and curve. She knew she’d never be able to see her again if she left.

“You’ll always be more than just code to me.” Hacks couldn’t see more than Hex’s blurry figure through her tears. Hex never let go of her hand, fingers trembling. Glaring blue lights flashed as the system faded to background noise, their focus on each other in their final seconds.

Hacks grasped Hex’s hand, swallowing a sob as she felt the cool touch flicker away. Before her senses went numb, the world going dark, she heard one last whisper that resonated with her.

“I love you, Hacks.”