Hexagon

Time. It keeps on ticking, there is no end to time. No matter how hard the greats fought it, time would ultimately put an end to their life. Until Dr. Stringham created something called Crypto. At first it was an experiment. Those with piles of money could easily afford to partake in this new adventure. Dr. Stringham had created stasis for the human body. Within a tube of fluid a human could be kept for years, hundreds of years possibly. It was a discovery that ultimately melded the future. Those rich enough to buy eternal life could preserve their very body through a famine, a war...anything really.

Though as time went on stasis was used for something more sinister. Dr. Stringham found money in the greed of the rich. He built upon his company but under another name, Hexagon. It was a blackmarket so to speak. The rich did not pay to be placed in a stasis tube, they paid to rent one of Dr. Stringham’s humans. How he came about these humans? Most didn’t care. It wasn’t their problem so why bother? In a world fueled by greed...the pain of others is just the taste of your own glory. The lower sector of the city, or the slums as the rich chose to call it...it was exactly as they implied. A dirty mess of flats upon flats. It was where those not worthy of the rich lavish life lived. Most of the population resided in the lower sector. Though the few that were born into power, born into the coin that kept them above the slums. Well, they lived a life that was made of dreams. They were the high class businessmen and women that lived in the upper district. A stark difference from the lower district. Perfectly cleaned streets. White concrete. Sunlight. The slums rest beneath the upper district and only gained the light of the artificial bulbs that burned above them. It wasn’t a life to live most would say, but what else was there? Some would leave the city of Dumar in search of something else. Though after the fallout of 2236 there wasn’t much left outside of the main city. The next city of Kunst was so far away that by foot...it would be an incredible feat to survive. What with the strange creatures that lurked in the desolate wastes and not to mention the security bots that would kill nearly anything near the city edge that moved. Unless one were lucky enough to sneak by. It was a gamble that some took. Others pressed on with their life in the slums.

Over the last century or so Dr. Stringham had grown his business, Hexagon flourished and his parent company of Crypto was able to develop more products for the wealthy. Even those that seemed to promise immortality, one day. There were still kinks to work out in the formulas. So far, stasis was ones best bet to preserve ones body until the future. But with such powerful figures within the city of Dumar there was a jealousy that Dr. Stringham held near to his heart. The wealthy would willingly throw money at Dr. Stringham for one of his hired humans from Hexagon. Be it for a human to accompany them to a party for the evening, a body guard to fend off the citizens of the slums, or even an assassin to take out another of wealth that stood before a prize. The wealthy citizens tossed their coin at Dr. Stringham as if they had nothing to lose. Then again, he did offer a guarantee…

Each of his humans were equipped with a device that he had implanted that guaranteed them to follow commands, any that strayed away from their mission or given purpose could be corrected at the simple push of a button. It was a guarantee that many found rather intriguing. Some would push those that they rented into situations that were incredibly immoral just to see them break, just for a chance to click the button….those of power would stay in power, so long as the coin kept flowing.

**

“Running diagnostic.” A man spoke as he stepped forward. He had unkempt black hair and bright green eyes. He clicked away at a keyboard quickly as he looked up to a tube of fluid that a woman float within. She had long black hair that seemed to float within the fluid. Tubes were hooked to her arms to supply the nutrients that supported her life within stasis. Over her face was a hard respirator mask that had a long tube that led to a ventilator outside of the tube. The sound of the ventilatory was rhythmic and even as the woman float suspended in the fluid, motionless.

“Wake her up.” Dr. Stringham stood. He had a thin white beard that lined his jaw, his eyes were cold and focused.

“Doctor, are you certain?” The man questioned, his brows furrowed slightly. “She hasn’t settled into stasis quite yet.”

“Yes. Wake her now, Nym.” His eyes pierced into the young assistant.

“Of course.” He turned and began clicking upon the keyboard. As he did so a different color of fluid pushed through the tubes into the woman’s body. Her muscles jolted as if a shock wave had been delivered through her. The sound of the ventilator quickened as her eyes opened. Bubbles pushed outside the edges of the mask as her crystal blue eyes stared through the fluid. She reached up to the respirator upon her face and pulled against it slightly before she began to beat against the glass. “Dr. Stringham...” Nym spoke his eyes looked to the man. “She’ll hurt herself...she isn’t ready.”

“They never are. Are they?” Dr. Stringham stepped forward to the tube as he gazed inside. He puffed upon an electronic cigarette as his eyes gazed into hers, a smirk upon his lips. “Fight it all you want, Rylee.” He chuckled as he watched her pull at the mask again. He tilted his head slightly as the bubbles escaped the edges of the mask and she succeeded in removing it from her face. He held his hand up as Nym stepped forward to drain the fluid from the tube. “Wait.” He spoke as he watched her fight to breathe. She ripped the tubes from her arms and slammed her fist against the glass. This caused a bit of a crack to form. A chuckle came over his lips. “Alright.” He spoke and nodded to Nym as he watched her body weaken from the lack of oxygen.

Nym stepped forward and waved his hand before the side of the tube, a keyboard appeared and he punched in a code. The fluid bubbled and began to drain quickly. He watched as Rylee fell to her knees within the tube as the fluid left the chamber. “Doctor?” He asked.

“We have to break her. Remember?” Dr. Stringham looked to the young assistant. “Otherwise she won’t make us any money at all...and that just won’t do.” He chuckled lightly as he looked to the doors of the tube as a hissing sound came from the mechanism that opened the door. The sound of the woman coughing as her body attempted to expel the fluid, filled the room. “Good morning, Rylee. I trust that you rested well in stasis.” Dr. Stringham spoke he held a small device in his hand, a remote with only a few different buttons upon it.

Rylee lifted her eyes to the man as water ran over her skin. She sat in what would pass as undergarments, a black sports bra and a pair of shorts. She didn’t speak as she slowly stood, “Where...is Jonah?” She stumbled forward.

Nym glanced to Dr. Stringham whom took a step back from her. “Your dear brother?” The doctor grinned. “You fought against the grain to save him, didn’t you?” He stepped forward and cupped her cheek then, his eyes gazed into hers. “Don’t worry dear. All of the complications of life as you knew it are gone. Your funeral was a hit.” He chuckled. “Quite the turnout.” He lifted a hand and waved it. A screen appeared and showed an image of her mother sobbing over a closed casket as many stood in black around the casket. “A decorated soldier, lost in battle.” He clicked his tongue. “Sad story. Hm?”

Rylee took in a shaken breath as she stared to the image. She turned her head away from the man as he rubbed his thumb against her cheek. “My brother. You promised he would be set free.” She looked to him with her striking crystal eyes.

“Oh yes, yes of course.” Dr. Stringham smirked. “He was set free….about...” He looked to Nym. “How long ago?” He questioned as if he couldn’t recall the answer.

“A year, Doctor.” Nym spoke, his voice soft.

“Yes. Yes. That’s it. A year.” The doctor looked back to her. “It only took him a few months to fall back into his old habits.” He shook his head. “He got caught up with the wrong crowd again. Pushing Ignyte. They found him in his flat...overdosed...terribly sad story I’m afraid.” He chuckled as he looked to her. “You gave up everything. For nothing.” He tapped her cheek. “Don’t worry. You’ll be something here. You’ll make me plenty of money with the history you have. You’re a killer. Better than any of the others I’ve got in stock currently.”

“You lying bastard! I won’t do anything for you!” Rylee lunged forward, her fingertips wrapped around the doctor’s throat. Though as she made to choke him electricity flowed freely through her body. It was a pain that she’d never felt before. Her grip fell from him easily as she crumpled to her knees, a whimper came over her lips.

Dr. Stringham held the button until a few drops of blood leaked from Rylee’s nose. When he released the button he waited and listened as she took in quick breaths. “You’ll do exactly as I say. Besides.” He reached down and lifted her chin with a finger. “You won’t remember anything soon enough.” He smirked. “You belong to Hexagon. You’ll do as our clients ask.” He then nodded to Nym. “Put her back in.” He spoke with a smile. “I’ve a lunch to catch.” He chuckled as he stepped from the room.

Nym stepped forward and lifted her from beneath her arms. He paused as he set her down within the tube, his eyes looked to her as tears rolled down her cheeks. “It’ll be better to forget. Hm?” He gave a soft smile as he brushed a tear away. “Now...take a deep breath.” He lifted the respirator to her face and tightened it back down once again. He lifted his hand and a keyboard appeared. He quickly typed away. “Just breathe...” He spoke as a sleeping gas was emitted into the device.

**

Over the next year or so Hexagon morphed Rylee into the rentable assassin that they wished her to be. When she was released for her first mission she followed her orders flawlessly. Then again and again she followed through. It gave Dr. Stringham the nerve to raise the price to rent his assassin. Though some would rent her to accompany them to gatherings...she was all around a perfect item for Hexagon to have.

Nym clicked away at the keyboard and lifted his eyes to look to Rylee as her eyes fluttered open. She placed her hand upon the glass and gazed to him as the fluid slowly began to drain away. When the door hissed open she stood calmly as he removed the IV lines and then he unbuckled the mask from her face. “Good morning.” He gave a slight smile. “Another client has requested you. You’ll meet the client in room two.” He searched her eyes a moment before he stepped back. “You have an hour, I’ve prepared you a meal.”

“Real food?” She questioned as she stepped from the tube and stretched slightly. She stepped forward to the table and frowned slightly. It was a shake. Liquid nutrition. That was all she ever got to enjoy. She hadn’t had real food in so long that she forgot what it tasted like. She downed the glass and stepped into her changing closet. “Who is this client?” She questioned.

“Dr. Stringham didn’t say. Just dress to impress. That was all I was told.” Nym replied as he wound up the tubing neatly.

Rylee waved her hand and clicked through a few menus. “Dress to impress?” She gave a sigh as she stuck her head out to look to him. “Don’t tell me I am accompanying another wealthy slim ball to a dinner.” She frowned. “I’m not an escort. Dr. Stringham has plenty of others for that purpose alone.” She motioned to the other tubes within the room and then sighed as she stepped back into the dressing room and waved her hand once again to look through clothing options.

“I don’t make the rules, Rylee.” Nym spoke as he let out a sigh. She was one of the only ones that had kept a personality that had a fire behind it. He couldn’t break her of it. No matter how many times Dr. Stringham asked him to. She would wake with the same spice behind her voice. The same fierce gaze. Though he didn’t mind it entirely. It was a nice change to the well behaved nature of the others.

Rylee clicked a button and held her arms out as a plate beneath her began to whirr to life. In a flash her body was covered in clothing. She stood in tight black pants that held a holster with a dagger upon her hip, the belt hung loosely at an angle. She had black leather boots on and a black tank top that was open in the back. Her hair was pulled up into a lovely updo with only a few choice strands that hung around her face. “How’s this?” She questioned as she stepped out a smirk upon her lips.

Nym stared to her a long moment, a smile upon his own lips before he shook his head. “No, no...” He let out a laugh. “You might impress some of the lesser clients...but...uh...” He scratched his head slightly. “Come here.” He pushed her back into the dressing room and he lifted his hand to bring up the keyboard with options. “This is a high class client, Rylee.” He glanced to her. “Escort or not, you have to impress the client.” Rylee frowned slightly as he clicked a button and she stepped onto the platform once again. She lifted her arms and drew in a breath as the machine changed her clothing. “If I’m an escort I may as well dress like one.” She scoffed as she stepped from the platform. She now wore a fashionable outfit. She wore a deep blue over coat with asymmetric lines that accented her figure perfectly. Black tight leggings and black boots that reached nearly to her knees. “There. Now you don’t look like you’re out to kill someone, hm?” Nym chuckled as he stepped from the dressing room. “Room 2, Rylee.”

Rylee looked to herself in the mirror and sighed softly. She much preferred the military garb. Give her a rifle and a target and she’d get the job done. Make her an escort? She hated it. She stepped from the dressing room and walked down a long hallway to the front of Hexagon where she entered a room labeled meeting room 2. She walked into the room that held a lounge sofa that hooked around the corners of the room. It was a small room, but it did well for meeting with clients. Rylee sat down upon the red sofa and crossed her legs. This was the least amount of information that Nym had ever given her on a client. She wondered why there was so much secrecy? She let out a long breath as her eyes lifted to the door to wait for the client.