The Other Side of Life (Book #1, Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy) Read online

  Praise for The Other Side of Life

  (Book 1 in the Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy)

  “Dear Jess: You are a very good writer — I like your plotting, your concept, the characters…pretty much everything. I would love to see future writing projects by you. You are very gifted.”

  — Dr. Uwe Stender, 2010

  ***

  “The notion here is intriguing…”

  — Garrett Hicks, Will Entertainment, 2010

  ***

  “[The Other Side of Life] features a writing style that is professional and thought provoking, with good dialogue.”

  — Roger S. Williams, Central NJ, 2010

  # # # # #

  THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE

  (Book #1 / Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy)

  Published by Jess C Scott / jessINK at Smashwords

  www.jesscscott.com

  www.elventrilogy.wordpress.com

  Copyright © 2011 by Jess C Scott.

  Cover Art © 2011 by Jess C Scott.

  All rights reserved.

  First Print Edition: February 2011

  ISBN: 1456529048

  1. Fiction/Action & Adventure

  2. Fiction/Fantasy/Contemporary

  3. Fiction/Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic

  4. Juvenile Fiction/Fairy Tales & Folklore

  5. Juvenile Fiction/Love & Romance

  Summary: A thieving duo’s world turns upside down when an Elven rogue uncovers the heinous dealings of a megacorporation.

  Note:

  Jess’s cyberpunk elves are Tolkien-esque elves, in terms of stature

  [they’re not the Santa type elves ;)].

  All characters depicted in this work of fiction are 18 years of age or older.

  # # # # #

  For everyone who likes blending & mixing.

  And thank you to friends, customers, reviewers, bloggers, etc, for checking out my

  non-conformist works + non-conformist ways.

  # # # # #

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Author Q&A

  # # # # #

  Chapter 1:

  Nin looked up and around the abandoned stone church, in quiet solace and admiration.

  There was something distinctly unique about the building—it felt safe.

  He waved a hand in front of the hidden camera situated in a crack in the stone wall, watching the small screen on his N-Gage wrist device. The screen showed the scene at the church—empty—with no sign of him, or his moving hand. Debug: successful, he noted.

  An old battered wooden cross hung on the wall, and there were a few pews strewn about the interior. The air was cold. The silence, overpowering.

  He took out a small piece of paper, which had three letters written on it:

  [o], [i], [l].

  Two words were scribbled at the bottom: orn . lir . Elven words for ‘tree’ and ‘life.’ The letter ‘i’ was most perplexing. There were too many urban legends swirling about; Nin could never determine what that letter really stood for.

  He focused on the slow, steady rhythm of his breathing, allowing himself to immerse in the meditative calm that would naturally come. With a clear mind, maybe he’d notice a clue in one of the letters, staring right back at him…

  Nin turned instinctively, to hide behind the nearest pillar, when he heard the sound of fast approaching footsteps.

  He kept his eye on one of the cracked, black acrylic posters at the back of the church. Its reflection offered him a glimpse of the scene behind him. Nin watched as two girls entered the building, via the open doorway. All three individuals kept still for a few tense moments, before one of the girls muttered, “C’mon.”

  The girls moved lightly and quickly, like thieves in the night. They made their way to the front, stopping just before the old cross.

  “Let me see, let me see,” the other girl said, tucking some of her long hair behind her ears. She was barely audible—she sounded quite out of breath.

  Nin stepped out for a moment, angling his wrist device at the first girl’s hand. He got a screenshot of her hand, and zoomed in on her thumbprint. He ran a quick search for her basic information.

  Name: Anya London

  Sex: Female / Age: 18

  Employment: Undergraduate

  Address: 2XT St. 5th Floor. ZC.03 (10010).

  Tel: 501 093 849 1416

  D.O.B. 18th April 2017 (Aries)

  “Patience, Leticia…” the one named “Anya” said, playfully and slightly condescendingly. Anya had a faded pink streak in her hair.

  Nin glanced down at the bottom edge of the broad, digital device on his left wrist:

  July 16th, 2035 | 16:20:35

  He puzzled over the numbers, wondering if the double numbers had any significant meaning. He believed in signs. He had never come across a human in this locale. But that changed today.

  ASK and it will be given. SEEK and you will find. Nin read the hot pink and white text, which graced the black poster.

  He squinted against the bright light that shone in from the outside, to make sure there was no one else following. He stepped out from his hiding place, without a sound. He looked at the two girls—no distinctly Elven ears—definitely human.

  He brought a hand up to his own ears, in reflex. He made sure his razored, medium-length tresses covered the upper portions of his ears, which were slightly pointed—a distinguishing feature that would be a giveaway of his identity. This was a part of him that would stand out, if a human was observant enough. Otherwise, he enjoyed being able to blend in with crowds quite, quite easily.

  He brought the collar of his coat up too, to cover the right side of his neck. He had a faint tattoo mark on the lower part of his neck, and part of his collarbone. It peeked out a little bit, if he was wearing just a shirt. All elves had a similar mark (not all on the neck), from the day they were born.

  “Beautiful,” Anya breathed, flicking aside the faded pink streak in her dark chestnut hair. She gave a low whistle, as she held up what seemed to be an orb filled with glittering bits of diamond pieces. She gave a proud, sideward glance to Leticia.

  Just beautiful, Nin’s thoughts echoed. A raw kind of energy seemed to radiate from the dainty-bodied girl with the diamonds. There didn’t seem to be a trace of fear or nervousness in her slight frame. He continued to eavesdrop on their conversation, remaining undetected. The girls went on speaking in hushed tones.

  “That’s two in a row this week.”

  “You brought the other one in?”

  Leticia opened a vinyl laptop bag she had with her. Nin couldn’t see what was in it, but both girls were nodding impressively at its contents.

  Nin considered letting his guard down—who else would bother with this place? The church was part of a small ghost town situated within a two-mile radius of Zouk City, capital state of Zone One. Brainwashed citizens were too busy toiling away at work, keeping the economy running, to even think about heading out for a stroll. Working and splurging (to offset the drudgery of working at a job one would rather not do—if it weren’t for the money) were the chief aims in life. Nin thought
with vague distaste that this was what had become of the glorious Confederation of States.

  He moved closer, feeling somewhat anxious. Why are the two girls here? Who are they? Will they run away? Say something?

  Nin was looking out for himself too. Humans are dangerous. Anyone who observes the species knows that.

  Leticia tilted her head down towards the floor, and smoothed the surface of her small bag.

  “How much are we getting for the diamond orb?” she asked her friend coyly, as she twirled one of the strands of her luxurious black hair.

  She turned to face the doorway when a raven flew in, its broad wingspan a silhouette against the column of stained glass. She gasped when she saw Nin’s majestically tall, lean figure, the physique of a Tolkien-esque elf. His pristine white hair added to his ethereal look.

  “Anya!” Leticia gasped.

  Anya jumped back when she saw Nin. The orb slipped from her hands as she did so. Her heart was in her throat. This was highly unusual, someone else sneaking around. It was what she and Leticia did, for a living.

  Nin dashed a couple of steps forward and put a leg out, balancing the orb on his foot, just before it hit the ground. He deftly kicked the orb up to his hand. It required minimal effort for him to do so.

  “Yours, I believe?” Nin said to Anya, with a slight bow. He held the dazzling diamond sphere out to the girls. Nin was a punk by Elven standards, but good manners were something he had never quite shaken off.

  Anya was staring straight at him, blankly yet intensely. Nin noticed the warm shade of brown in her eyes, which was quite different from his own dusky-violet ones. Nin noticed the slightly wan glow of the girls’ skin, like their health had been sucked away from spending too many hours in front of a computer screen, a common characteristic of the human species.

  Anya’s fingers lightly grazed across his palm when she took the orb back. The other girl was staring at his shiny, black leather boot, and the gloves he had on. They were black gloves, open at the fingertips.

  Elves don’t make a sound with their footsteps, if they don’t want to, Nin said to himself, stifling a chuckle. The girls didn’t know he was wearing shock and impact absorbing military boots, which were lightweight, functional, and stylish, all at the same time. His gloves weren’t ordinary gloves either.

  Neither of the girls seemed to be the sort who thrived on social interactions. At least, not on first impression. They were dressed quite plainly, in dark jeans and gray jackets, without tons of make-up or piercings. They looked slightly scruffy and disheveled, and like their hair had gotten blown around a bit in the wind.

  Still, Nin believed there was a reason for this chance encounter. He decided to err on the side of intuition. “I’m Nin.”

  He extended his right hand. He wondered if these two even believed in the Elven race, in the first place.

  Nin blinked a few times before petite, bold-faced Anya finally responded by returning the handshake.

  “I’m Anya London.”

  She had wideset eyes, a high forehead, and a few tiny freckles on her ski-jump nose—Nin thought it gave her more character. It complemented the slightly haughty lift in her small chin too. They continued looking at each other before Anya turned to her friend, and bobbed her head in Nin’s direction. The dark-haired girl got the message.

  “I’m Leticia.” She had a softer, more agreeable look than Anya. She relaxed a little before adding, “Leticia Pinto.”

  Anya wiped the orb on one of her sleeves, before slipping it into her pocket.

  “So…” Nin grinned. Anya’s actions hadn’t gone unnoticed. “How much would that fetch?”

  Immediately, both girls turned pale.

  “Are you a sentinel guard?” Anya snapped, quickly realizing what a stupid question that was. Armed forces, including a cadre of super-soldiers who were part man and part machine, were stationed in and around Zouk City—Nin didn’t look like one of them. Other thoughts swirled in her mind. But then again, he could be part of a new secret squad. What difference would it make who he was, if she and Leticia were finally going to be arrested anyway?

  “No…” Nin coolly wondered what identity to assume. He’d play his “questions” game, and see if the girls reciprocated. Maybe then, he’d reveal bits and pieces of trivia, about himself. “I’m just…a regular. Like you. Can’t anyone enjoy the great outdoors anymore?” Nin had a harmonious quality in his voice, expressive of his congenial nature within.

  Still, Anya was cautious. She was wary of the male species—nice ones with strikingly good looks, in particular. They always seemed to have ulterior motives. Anya had to make an effort, not to be distracted by Nin’s charm and the curious blend of sultry sophistication he exuded. He had a presence—a silent but powerful charisma…

  The Elven rogue had his own set of well-guarded secrets to maintain. Like what was lying underground. Nobody would ever guess. Not in a million years.

  “I’m not armed, I’m not wired,” he said. “You’re free to take a closer look, if you’d like.”

  Nin opened up his coat—his sleek, black trench coat, built so he could move like a shadow in the dark—to show he wasn’t hiding any guns or suspicious gadgets. He drew in a sharp breath.

  “We’re not wired or bugged too,” Anya replied, more softly than she intended. Her response made Nin understand why humans were known to be the race that couldn’t trust anyone. Anya didn’t offer to mention that they were unarmed, because technically, that wasn’t true. She and Leticia always carried around a couple of compact, but deadly self defense weapons—just in case. They both had a foldable little knuckle knife, and single cord strangling weapon, tucked away in a compartment in their shoes.

  Anya was looking at Nin’s neck.

  “Here—you can scan me,” Nin said to Anya, to distract her from his tattoo. He removed a small detector from his N-Gage, and handed it to Anya. Anya frowned at the device, wrapped around Nin’s wrist and part of his hand. She wasn’t sure whether it was connected to his glove.

  Nin stretched his hands out. Anya did a quick body scan, then tried it out on Leticia, before grinning sheepishly, and returning it to Nin.

  “So,” he started again, determined to break the ice. “Tell me what you’re doing here.”

  Still no answer.

  “Do you steal for a living?” Nin got straight to the point. He sounded more amused, than aggressive.

  Anya chewed on her lower lip for a moment or two. Nin had an underlying purity and simplicity about him, which she felt compelled to be honest with.

  “Technically,” she began carefully, “we’re returning”—she articulated the word extra clearly—“items, to their rightful owners.”

  Leticia gave a laugh before turning all serious. “It’s true,” she said in a deadpan voice, and blank-slate face, to Nin.

  Nin’s smooth brow was beginning to furrow. “What do you mean?”

  “Well…” Anya started gesticulating in the air with her hands, as she spoke her thoughts. “Museum directors…and collectors…don’t exactly own the artifacts, that they commission people to find. Sometimes, people want their items back. Like this here”—she patted a hand over her pocket—“belongs to Saudi Arabia. It was stolen from a tomb of one of their ancient kings, and has been on display at The Civilizations Museum in Zouk City. The museum people have been unwilling to negotiate so…that’s when we step in.”

  Nin smiled, as he continued watching her closely. “And you charge a fee for this…service?”

  “Most are willing to pay,” Anya answered, self-assuredly. She turned her head slightly towards one side. “We’d do it for free—just for kicks. That’s how it all started anyway.”

  “Your…hobby? Service to mankind?”

  Anya nodded slowly. “There was an email a few months ago. Some Egyptian guy wanted something. I almost deleted the email—I thought it was spam! We had to travel far for that one—Zone Five over on the west coast.”

  “It was a gorgeous,
onyx sphinx,” Leticia said dreamily. “We got fifty grand, in cash. Just like that!”

  Fifty grand? Nin thought to himself. The elves had been siphoning millions out from banks, by charging bank accounts with small amounts from $0.10 to $10—the numbers were so minor, most people overlooked it, or were too busy to care. But a small amount could snowball into something much more massive. A good hacker could reroute email, reset passwords, and transfer money out of accounts in a snap.

  “All gone, by the way,” Leticia added as an afterthought.

  “Money’s a good incentive,” Anya finished. “Real good.”

  Her eyes widened. Had they said too much?

  Nin knew how much humans loved money, riches, and material things—though he never really could understand why. The more technologically advanced the human species got, the more isolated they seemed to become, at the same time. It was alarming, how humans could spend entire lifetimes engaged in all kinds of activities, without getting any closer to knowing who they really were, inside.

  “You must live a good life, then...” Nin pondered whether making a lot of cash was the main aim of most human beings. “What do you spend the money on anyway?”

  “School fees, and rent.” Leticia gave a cynical smile. “It’s expensive living in the city.”

  “Why rent when you could buy a house?” Nin enquired.

  Leticia pursed her lips, and folded her arms across her chest. “We’re working towards it,” she replied rather tersely.

  “It’d look…suspicious if we bought a house right now,” Anya explained. Nin’s genuinely innocent, semi-naïve air was the only reason she still entertained his questions. “Six million dollars for a studio apartment? We couldn’t afford it. We don’t come from rich backgrounds.”