Jane
Twenty kilometres due east, Dante City glowed like a pink and green radioactive cesspool. As she started to pack up for the night, Jane saw the numerous vehicles dart in and out of the city. She was happy here, away from all the tracking of citizens, allegations, and control. It wasn’t easy to shed herself of all digital history and activities but with the help of the Fat Man she got it done. It wasn’t cheap either. For the last two years, the nineteen-year-old Jane McKenzie moved here and set up a little stall selling refurbed household goods. She only accepted cash, when her customers couldn’t pay, she bartered for anything that they could trade her with. It’s great little village, the people were kind, trustworthy and human. Timmy brought her goods that he scrounged from wherever and gave them to her at a good price. She was happy here. It was fast approaching midnight and she thought it be wise to get home soon. Dante City was a dangerous place after midnight. though the City didn’t have jurisdiction here, the violence found itself here often. Jane carefully placed all of her unsold stocks in her duffle bang and folded the tent and tucked it inside the metal box in the concrete ground that Timmy had built for her. He was a good guy.
She didn’t live too far from her stall. Thirty years ago, in the last days of World War Five, as they called it, the people set up a good little suburb here where all forms of technology were banned. For the last three decades everyone lived peaceful and simple lives. Still, Jane couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy about living so close to Dante City which was literally a city of machines run by artificially created beings. Those beings were kind of halfway between machine and human, totally void of soul. When she escaped the hellish place and arrived here, the villagers built her a nice little apartment in the abandoned church. She loved her place. Her neighbours were very nice, and human.
In the shadow, two men, dressed in black suits sat in the state issued tactical vehicle. The skin of the car was made of semi-organic material that was invisible to naked eye at night. In the daylight, it had the appearance of a burnt-out junk. The two men have been tracking Jane for the past two months. Their Assignment: Eliminate The Target. Jane felt as though she was being watched and stopped to look around. Streets were empty except for the stray cats. She continued her way home. She was looking forward to hitting the bed. It’s been a long day.
As she approached the front door to her apartment her instincts told her that she was being followed. She continued walking so as to not give away her home. She couldn’t understand who could be tracking her. Her identity was completely verified by the council and full medical was conducted to ensure that she wasn’t a humanoid. Still, one couldn’t be too careful in the village. She picked up her pace. She looked back only to see the dim streetlights and silence. She readied herself. Jane was ready for anything.