Tsss!
A mechanical hiss cut through the darkness, the sharp resonance left a cold chill in the night's atmosphere.
Kruuung!
Metal groaned as if in protest to the injustice it suffered.
The silhouette of an angular craft appeared as it touched down on the landing bay, a structure with a large flat metal surface, supported by hydraulic beams.
Spotlights flickered on. No alarm, no guards, turned out it was just a garbage ship. One might expect the space ship to be an abominable clutter of metal held together by hope,
but the design is quite sleek and clean with pulsing neon lines tracing it's edge. Considering it's role, it's quite a beautiful ship.
With another hiss, the hydraulics descends and lowered the ship to the first level of the facility--honestly a dumpsite.
The pressure kept easing as the ship was aligned with a conveyor port embedded in an extension ramp. The ramp extended as it opens the conveyor port to receive the cargo.
Whum! Whum!
Mechanical systems roared to live as if in anticipation to devour the cargo.
With a crisp mechanical whine and a depressurized hiss, the cargo bay of the ship opened and transferred all it's content to the conveyor port.
Everything feels normal, as it's a routine that occurs daily. The ship will always dump the garbage at various times daily, mostly at night.
After the first disturbance rang out, a hooded figure was already at the scene. The lighting reavealed a portion of his face, a soot caked mouth that barely gave a hint to his true skin colour.
"My goodies are here."
The figure muttered, a chilling smile as cold as glacier flashed across his face, teeth gleaming like pearls in the soft lighting.
"What am i going to get?"
"Some power relay unit will be quite nice."
He kept muttering to himself in excitement
Then he thought of his unlucky streak the past three weeks, and his smile disappeared, replaced with a sharp gaze.
The dump site is a large facility enclosed by a modular fence. Its a rectangular structure that consist of a bottom and top floor, with landing bays on the roof.
"Let's get to work."
He heaved a sigh and began walking towards the gate.
Aculux is a large city divided into two sectors--the upper and lower sector. This city features tall futuristic buildings and different vehicles you would expect to see in sci-fi concepts. Hover vehicles gliding gracefully through streets, warm neon glow accent on most buildings, and holographic display adding to the allure and aesthetics of the city.
Everyone one goes about thier daily lives in the upper sector. This is where human rights exist, because the lower sector is a different story entirely--at least from what the public knows. But who really cares, after all the lower sector is seen as a dumpsite and a slum where shady deeds goes on beyond the surface.
The government doesn't usually talk about the lower sector unless something major happens. But, like everywhere else life flourishes, here it's more like the survival of the fitest than any decent living.
Avalon turned eighteen this year, but not like he cares, what has that got to do with anything if you can't feed.
He has survived on repurposing scraps and selling his gadgets to a tech shop in that district.
Family? He has never heard such a word associated with him, neither does he care about his origin, to him, he just popped out of nowhere and got kicked out of the orphanage when they felt like he can fend for himself.
Avalon is always the first to arrive at the dumpsite, it felt as if his ear is designed to capture the mechanical noise.
When the other scavengers saw how much he can make from selling his gadget, the competition turned fierce.
They will pick up neat looking piece and sell to him at a rip-off price. He has to be cautious if he doesn't want to get ripped off again, that's why he has to be the first person to get here and archive the best units before the others arrive.
He stepped towards the gate as an old man could be seen dozing off in the guard's quarter beside the gate.
With a start, the old man suddenly jerked awake and glared at the young man with an irritated face. He is obviously pissed his sleep got interrupted.
"As perceptive as ever, old thing."
" Why don't you just let your bag of bones rest?"
The young man clicked his tongue in annoyance.
The old man just gave him a lazy look and went back to sleep, not in the mood to tolerate his antics.
Avalon reached into his pocket and took out a key card. He walked towards the gate and located a security terminal shaped like a diamond with blinking red and blue LEDs, a card slot is situated in the middle.
He was about to scan the key card, when a gruff voice interrupted him.
"Three minutes, that's all you've got."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Old man, do you believe i can take three days if i wish."
He said with a chuckle.
"Do whatever you want kid, but make sure you don't let your squad turn that place a mess."
"My squad?"
"Jiejiejiejieeeeeeeee."
"I am a lone alpha."
A bone chilling cackle rang out, as the old man felt a chill run down his spine. A laughter that can leave ghosts trembling in thier boots--if they have any.
Beep!!
With a mechanical click the gate trembled and slowly slided in two different directions, leaving an entrance in the center.
Avalon walked in, and without
hesitating he matched into the the structure, featuring a large entrance that's enough to fit two mega dump trucks side to side.
He took an elevator to the bottom floor, an underground chamber, absolutely enormous to fit 10 capital vessels and still have enough space to spare.
Scraps, divided into plots littered 30% of the space.
He walked to a compartment beside the elevator and took a complete set of bio hazard gear and began equiping them.