Author: artemis.ronan

Warning! Priority Transmission from the Oasis!

The vidscreen on the back wall flashes an ominous warning symbol over a bright red background, bathing Sedoy’s apartment in an eerie artificial glow.

Sedoy leans against her kitchen table and studies the screen.

She wipes a small chunk of partially digested kibble off of her lips, and swallows several times in an unsuccessful attempt to clear the taste of vomit from her mouth.

The screen flashes again, and when it comes back, the text beneath the warning symbol has been replaced by two simple words:

“Stand By.”

Iso and Reed exit their rooms, give each other a quick nod, and quietly decend the stairs outside their apartment building. The two figures walk away from the lone tower into the rapidly setting sun towards the so called ‘Nomad’s Paradise’.

Meanwhile, back in the apartment complex, Mavis and Sedoy prepare themselves for their first Oasis Rock show…

And the meeting with their mysterious new superstar client.

This is Episode 10 – The Rock Show.

In the basement server room of the Trickle Down Hydroponics station, one of the guards peers over Sedoy’s shoulder with interest as she roots around inside the central control server. The guard shifts his foot slightly, causing the nearby pressure sensitive LED tile to light up.

Sedoy whips her head around and glares at him.

Suddenly she turns back and, closing her eyes, reaches deep into the server grasping for something.

After a moment of digging, her eyes fly open, and with a sharp gesture she yanks a hunk of wires and circuit boards out from the dark metal frame, holding it triumphantly above her head.

This is Episode 9 – What Is Your Problem?

Reed stands alone in his bathroom, shoulders hunched over the sink. The water hisses quietly into the metal basin as he studies his reflection.

He scoops water into his hands and splashes it on his face, rubbing away the patches of dried blood with the slow, practiced demeanor of someone who has done this many times before.

He inspects his face again, nods to himself, and sighs.

Only one more thing to do before he can finally sleep.

This is Episode 8 – The Daily Grind.

The stench of fresh blood permeates the air around the VIP table of Flaming’s Real Steakhouse. Cries for help from the tweakers echo unanswered around the penthouse dining hall.

The three remaining Brokebacks stand confidently beside their seats, eyeing the ruthless efficiency of their recent mercenary hires with barely concealed amusement.

One of them shifts his cowboy boot slightly, out of the way of the steadily growing pool of blood underneath Reed’s victim.

The elevator chimes rhythmically as it slowly ascends the dull metal tower on the outskirts of the Oasis.

Inside, Sedoy, catches her reflection on the sheen of the glass and steel interior. She notices a few spots of Charles’ blood on her face, and absentmindedly wipes them away before checking her agent for messages from her new friends.

Nothing. That’s odd.

2 floors remaining.

She hopes this isn’t a trap.

1 floor remaining…

This is Episode 6: Raising the Steaks Part 2.

The city around ISO, Mavis, and Reed feels strangely familiar and alien at the same time. The usual sounds and smells an early evening metropolis seem… different in the dusty night air of the Oasis.

Piercing through the faint smog, the moon casts an eerie blue light on the buildings and vidscreens surrounding them.

Neon signs flicker to life as a couple of food carts set up shop nearby. The Oasis night life is beginning to stir as they head to the “steak” house for a meeting.