Poppet
The streets were well lit at least. Gwen was hardly impressed by the towers and neon lights blinking at her beckoning commerce. She walked the streets unsure of where to go. She had not known any world but Kadeer's before. She turned another corner, the street was wet under her feet, uneven payment let to puddles. Other people bustled and staggered by in the nightlife of South Under 4. Suddenly she noticed a man in front of her leering. He reeked of cheap drink and piss. The whole city stank but he stood out.
"Hello little lady. New in town?" He said smugly.
Gwen stared at him for a moment. "It is customary for a person to introduce themselves first before requesting information about a person is it not?"
"Oh a proper lady." He laughed. "Names Gnat. You?"
"Grace." She answered.
"Well Lady Grace, you are new in town aren't you?" Gnat leered.
"Yes." Gwen replied. "You have lived here your whole life?"
"Of course. I know my way around. Its a pretty rough place to. I would be happy to help you out for a price of course." Gnat took a step forward.
"No thank you." Gwen smiled coldly. She started to walk by when Gnat grabbed her arm.
"Now that isn't a polite way to talk to someone who only wants to help."
A hand appeared on Gnat's shoulder and a man's voice joined it. "Why don't you let the lady go Gnat?"
"Oh stay out of my business, Danny Boy." Gnat sneered at the man. The man he called Danny Boy was tan and had a dark section of hair laying like a limp mo-hawk around an otherwise shaved head.
"Extortion isn't something I can ignore." Danny Boy replied.
"You shoul-" Gnat almost got out before Danny Boy punched him in the face rendering him unconscious.
"You alright, lady? Oh, my name is Daniel." Daniel introduced himself. It was then that he noticed her hand on a hidden blade. "Looks like I just saved Gnat's life." He laughed.
Gwen relaxed a bit. "Sorry, my name is Gwen."
"Not Grace huh?" Daniel stated.
"No, I doubt Gnat was his given name. I saw no reason to give him mine either." Gwen stated.
"You act superior." Daniel sighed. "But your wit is not much to cover your naivity. You wouldn't get far if you stab everyone who comes up to you."
"I wouldn't stab everyone, just those who tried to harm me first." Gwen frowned.
Daniel smiled. "From South Under 1?"
Gwen didn't answer she wasn't sure what to say. How much should she tell this man?
"We get a fair share of Under 1's down here for various reasons." Daniel smiled. "One of my best friends is one. Why don't you come with me to our apartment and I will let you meet her?"
"Very well. I have nothing better to do." Gwen stated. "I don't trust you, but I don't have anywhere else to be."
The two hurried along and walked to a more deserted sector of the city. The apartment was small with a large mattress, a couch, a kitchen and a bathroom. A couple of computers lay out on the ground. One TV sat with a big guy playing a game.
"Hey, Caleb." Daniel called. "Come meet a new friend."
Caleb stood up. He was very tall and built like a tank. "What friend? This chick?"
"Yes, Caleb, this is Gwen, Gwen, this is Caleb." Daniel introduced.
"It is good to make your acquaintance." Gwen nodded.
"Uh, yeah." Caleb scratched his head. "Whatever, so where ya from?"
"Elsewhere." Gwen answered evasively. Caleb started to frown.
"She just had a run in with Gnat, she isn't feeling trusting yet." Daniel diffused things when he saw Caleb's expression at her response.
"That turd?" Caleb asked. "I keep telling you we should just kill him."
"And what would that do?" Daniel asked. "Other than make is brother seek retribution."
"Gnat has a brother?" Gwen asked.
Caleb laughed. "Oooooh yeah. Nasty jackass who runs the largest friggen tobacco ring in town."
"I take it that means he is worse than his brother." Gwen responded.
"That is the polite way of putting it." Daniel answered.
Just then the door banged open and closed as a young petite girl bounced in. She rushed over and past Gwen to the tv. "OMGOD, guys, Lawrence just told me get ready for body drops." She said quickly turning on the news.
"Oi, I hadn't saved my game yet!" Caleb complained.
"So what, the Under 4 Indie news is reporting the warning." She chattered flipping channels. "Who is that?" She said noticing Gwen.
"Oh, this is Gwen, Gwen, this is Janice." Daniel introduced the spastic girl. "The one I mentioned."
"I see." Gwen nodded. Janice had found the channel.
The voice came through the weak speakers. "Local Authorities in the Under 4 have confirmed body drops released from the dome earlier today. Thankfully we are told they were in very small number. Only four this time so hopefully it wont be as messy as last time. However be careful when walking by tall buildings with accessible roofs all the same. This has been a warning from the Under 4 rogue preservation channel. Hang in there and goodnight."
Gwen stared at the TV with confusion. "Pardon me, but what do they mean by body drops?"
"That is what we call the Pets dismissed from their duty to the slums." Daniel explained.
"Pets?" Gwen raised an eyebrow.
"Under 1 terminology is Poppet." Janice stated quickly. "You may know them by that name."
"Oh," Gwen looked at the TV with a blank expression.
Caleb stared at her for a second. "Where ya from?"
"Yes, maybe our families have met." Janice bounced happily.
"I doubt it." Gwen replied.
Daniel finally spoke up. He had been watching her movements. Gwen was very elegant. Poised and perfect in posture and speech. Even Janice did not have that kind of sophistication when she first arrived. He started to put the pieces together but something was wrong.
Caleb growled. "Look, don't be a bitch. I don't care if ya dont trust us, but we don't trust you AND we still let you in. So what is up with you?"
Gwen looked slightly puzzled at the question. "What is... up?"
"It means what is wrong with you." Janice added.
Then it clicked. Daniel was sure what Gwen was now. But something didn't quite fit. "You're from the Dome itself aren't you?" He asked.
She looked at him with slight hesitation. "Yes." She answered. "How could you tell?"
"Your mannerisms. And the fact you didn't care about the pets. When Janice first found out about them she wanted to rehabilitate them. But you just didn't give a damn." Daniel answered.
"It isn't not caring." Gwen said. "I just know nothing can be done."
Caleb growled. "You are a freak tool" Gwen raised her eyebrow.
"Caleb, quit using lingo she wont understand." Janice chided.
"She is though." Caleb pulled out his knife which as much bigger than the one Gwen had. She took a step back. Daniel stepped in between them.
"Stop it, Caleb." Janice said. "We don't even know what she did inside the dome."
"It don't matter!" Caleb took a step forward. Daniel however quickly reached out and disarmed his roommate.
"Caleb, knock it off." He said pushing his friend to the ground. He then turned to Gwen who had not even gone for her knife during the whole thing. "You don't want to hurt us. So what are you doing here?"
Gwen looked at her feet showing the first true emotion. Shame. "I was.... dismissed."
"Hello little lady. New in town?" He said smugly.
Gwen stared at him for a moment. "It is customary for a person to introduce themselves first before requesting information about a person is it not?"
"Oh a proper lady." He laughed. "Names Gnat. You?"
"Grace." She answered.
"Well Lady Grace, you are new in town aren't you?" Gnat leered.
"Yes." Gwen replied. "You have lived here your whole life?"
"Of course. I know my way around. Its a pretty rough place to. I would be happy to help you out for a price of course." Gnat took a step forward.
"No thank you." Gwen smiled coldly. She started to walk by when Gnat grabbed her arm.
"Now that isn't a polite way to talk to someone who only wants to help."
A hand appeared on Gnat's shoulder and a man's voice joined it. "Why don't you let the lady go Gnat?"
"Oh stay out of my business, Danny Boy." Gnat sneered at the man. The man he called Danny Boy was tan and had a dark section of hair laying like a limp mo-hawk around an otherwise shaved head.
"Extortion isn't something I can ignore." Danny Boy replied.
"You shoul-" Gnat almost got out before Danny Boy punched him in the face rendering him unconscious.
"You alright, lady? Oh, my name is Daniel." Daniel introduced himself. It was then that he noticed her hand on a hidden blade. "Looks like I just saved Gnat's life." He laughed.
Gwen relaxed a bit. "Sorry, my name is Gwen."
"Not Grace huh?" Daniel stated.
"No, I doubt Gnat was his given name. I saw no reason to give him mine either." Gwen stated.
"You act superior." Daniel sighed. "But your wit is not much to cover your naivity. You wouldn't get far if you stab everyone who comes up to you."
"I wouldn't stab everyone, just those who tried to harm me first." Gwen frowned.
Daniel smiled. "From South Under 1?"
Gwen didn't answer she wasn't sure what to say. How much should she tell this man?
"We get a fair share of Under 1's down here for various reasons." Daniel smiled. "One of my best friends is one. Why don't you come with me to our apartment and I will let you meet her?"
"Very well. I have nothing better to do." Gwen stated. "I don't trust you, but I don't have anywhere else to be."
The two hurried along and walked to a more deserted sector of the city. The apartment was small with a large mattress, a couch, a kitchen and a bathroom. A couple of computers lay out on the ground. One TV sat with a big guy playing a game.
"Hey, Caleb." Daniel called. "Come meet a new friend."
Caleb stood up. He was very tall and built like a tank. "What friend? This chick?"
"Yes, Caleb, this is Gwen, Gwen, this is Caleb." Daniel introduced.
"It is good to make your acquaintance." Gwen nodded.
"Uh, yeah." Caleb scratched his head. "Whatever, so where ya from?"
"Elsewhere." Gwen answered evasively. Caleb started to frown.
"She just had a run in with Gnat, she isn't feeling trusting yet." Daniel diffused things when he saw Caleb's expression at her response.
"That turd?" Caleb asked. "I keep telling you we should just kill him."
"And what would that do?" Daniel asked. "Other than make is brother seek retribution."
"Gnat has a brother?" Gwen asked.
Caleb laughed. "Oooooh yeah. Nasty jackass who runs the largest friggen tobacco ring in town."
"I take it that means he is worse than his brother." Gwen responded.
"That is the polite way of putting it." Daniel answered.
Just then the door banged open and closed as a young petite girl bounced in. She rushed over and past Gwen to the tv. "OMGOD, guys, Lawrence just told me get ready for body drops." She said quickly turning on the news.
"Oi, I hadn't saved my game yet!" Caleb complained.
"So what, the Under 4 Indie news is reporting the warning." She chattered flipping channels. "Who is that?" She said noticing Gwen.
"Oh, this is Gwen, Gwen, this is Janice." Daniel introduced the spastic girl. "The one I mentioned."
"I see." Gwen nodded. Janice had found the channel.
The voice came through the weak speakers. "Local Authorities in the Under 4 have confirmed body drops released from the dome earlier today. Thankfully we are told they were in very small number. Only four this time so hopefully it wont be as messy as last time. However be careful when walking by tall buildings with accessible roofs all the same. This has been a warning from the Under 4 rogue preservation channel. Hang in there and goodnight."
Gwen stared at the TV with confusion. "Pardon me, but what do they mean by body drops?"
"That is what we call the Pets dismissed from their duty to the slums." Daniel explained.
"Pets?" Gwen raised an eyebrow.
"Under 1 terminology is Poppet." Janice stated quickly. "You may know them by that name."
"Oh," Gwen looked at the TV with a blank expression.
Caleb stared at her for a second. "Where ya from?"
"Yes, maybe our families have met." Janice bounced happily.
"I doubt it." Gwen replied.
Daniel finally spoke up. He had been watching her movements. Gwen was very elegant. Poised and perfect in posture and speech. Even Janice did not have that kind of sophistication when she first arrived. He started to put the pieces together but something was wrong.
Caleb growled. "Look, don't be a bitch. I don't care if ya dont trust us, but we don't trust you AND we still let you in. So what is up with you?"
Gwen looked slightly puzzled at the question. "What is... up?"
"It means what is wrong with you." Janice added.
Then it clicked. Daniel was sure what Gwen was now. But something didn't quite fit. "You're from the Dome itself aren't you?" He asked.
She looked at him with slight hesitation. "Yes." She answered. "How could you tell?"
"Your mannerisms. And the fact you didn't care about the pets. When Janice first found out about them she wanted to rehabilitate them. But you just didn't give a damn." Daniel answered.
"It isn't not caring." Gwen said. "I just know nothing can be done."
Caleb growled. "You are a freak tool" Gwen raised her eyebrow.
"Caleb, quit using lingo she wont understand." Janice chided.
"She is though." Caleb pulled out his knife which as much bigger than the one Gwen had. She took a step back. Daniel stepped in between them.
"Stop it, Caleb." Janice said. "We don't even know what she did inside the dome."
"It don't matter!" Caleb took a step forward. Daniel however quickly reached out and disarmed his roommate.
"Caleb, knock it off." He said pushing his friend to the ground. He then turned to Gwen who had not even gone for her knife during the whole thing. "You don't want to hurt us. So what are you doing here?"
Gwen looked at her feet showing the first true emotion. Shame. "I was.... dismissed."