CHAPTER 1    THE HELL NAMED CHROME CITY

 

 

“Hey! Watch it!” A lady in her early twenties yelled at the speeding flying car that disappeared from her sight before she managed to finish sharing her piece of mind. She clicked her tongue and growled under her breath.

 

She almost collided with the flying junk and boy, is she furious.  And yes, she is.

 

Typically hotheaded spitfire, Tiffany Hwang.  Her family moved in Chrome City when she was 10. She hated it. She hated living in this City she calls hell. She wants to go back to West Gate, a quiet and peaceful community, living with simplicity.

 

Not like here, Chrome City, where everything is complicated. Even she became complicated. She got out of her flying car that was hovering about 30 centimeters from the ground and opened the trunk compartment to get the item that she will deliver.

 

“What you got there, punk?”  The owner of the Diner asked playfully as she entered the establishment.

 

“Beats me.” Tiffany shrugged and handed the wrapped item to the eager recipient. Its her 5^th and last delivery of the day. Mr. Choi, the item recipient, chuckled.

 

“Come on sit for a while, kiddo. I’ll make some choco coffee shake It’s on the house.”  Mr.  Choi briefly disappeared into the kitchen.  This is one of the perks of having patrons, she gets freebies. And Mr. Choi is her favorite client, she gets to taste the pricey bestseller from a famous Diner for free! Isn’t that great?

 

Tiffany took a seat on the table near the window. She watched the land cars with her chin rested on her palm.

 

“Whatcha doin’ here, slick?”She turned to the owner of the voice who is sitting across her. Her friend, daughter of the owner, asked her with a smirk.

 

“The usual, leaching on your expensive delicious drink.” Tiffany answered with a counter smirk. Her companion giggled.

 

“Hah! Just admit you’re here to see my Goddess-like beauty. You’re rotting your feelings for me. It’s not healthy.”

 

“In your twisted dreams, Sooyoung.”

 

Sooyoung stared at her intensely, she stared back with equal intensity. After a staring battle, the two erupted in laughter.

 

“You’re such an , Tiffany.”

 

“But you love this , right?

 

“Guess I have no choice. Basing on how curvy that is.”

 

“I’m not talking about my sinfully attractive body part, Sooyoung. Personality.” Tiffany deadpanned. Sooyoung laughed again.

 

“Well....that curvy is as curvy as that personality.

 

“You don’t make sense.” Tiffany said flatly.

 

“Are you talking about yourself?” Sooyoung scoffed.

 

“Here you go kids.” Two glasses of choco coffee shake landed on the table breaking the no sense conversation of the two friends.

 

“You kids seemed to have happy conversation...again.” Mr. Choi teased.

 

“Dad, we’re not kids anymore. Stop calling us that.” Sooyoung frowned.

 

“Sorry kiddo. Your old man can’t help it.” Mr Choi teased even more and patted both Tiffany’s and Sooyoung’s head like puppies. Then he walked away while laughing, ignoring his daughter’s grunts.

 

“You said you want to tell me something. Spill it out, kiddo.” Sooyoung frowned momentarily when she heard what Tiffany called her. Tiffany rolled her eyes and waved her hand lazily gesturing for her friend to continue.

 

“You know Titanum Prime?” Sooyoung asked with excitement.

 

“Yeah... I know what the that is.” Tiffany answered coldly then sipped on her delicious cold Choco Coffee shake.

 

“Hey hey. Down girl. Let me finish.” Sooyoung screeched. Tiffany nodded and put down her glass on the table. She stared at Sooyoung, waiting for her to continue the story.

 

“Well, I got accepted there.”Sooyoung looked at her expentantly, waiting for her reaction. Tiffany’s reaction time seemed to be in slow motion.

 

“What? You will waste money to have a clone?” Tiffany finally reacted.

 

“What? Wait. No! It’s not about that . Could you pull out your head out of your stinky once in a while?” Sooyoung scoffed.

 

Sooyoung continued her story with excitement. Tiffany wanted to act happy too, but she couldn’t. She’s bored out of her mind as Sooyoung fuelled her annoyance with good mouthing the wretched empire. Tiffany lost count on how many times she sighed within the span of Sooyoung’s story.

 

 

 

 

 

Tiffany dropped lazily on bed after a scrumptious meal and happy conversation with her family. Its her family that keeps her sane in this cursed City they lived in.

 

After a tiring day of work, she is always looking forward to see her family at home. Tiffany smiled. It is a little piece of heaven on hell.

 

She tapped her wristnet. Holographic images came out of the gadget. She placed her hand infront of the hologram and started to moved her hand. She navigated on the menu and entered the internet. Then she felt her eyelids grew heavy. She closed her eyes.

 

She opened her eyes when she heard a loud crash just outside her room followed by screaming. She panicked. Her family is in the living room.

 

But before she could even sit up from her bed, the door of her room smashed into pieces. A bloody figure stood at where the door was hinged a while ago. It is dark so she could only manage to see its silhouette.

 

Her heart pounded. She could smell the stench of blood all over the place.

 

“Who.. who are you?! What do you want? What did you do to my family.” I asked the person, gathering enough courage.

 

“Me? I didn’t do anything, sweetie.....” Tiffany’s eyes grew wide open. She scrambled to get out of bed. That voice...that sarcastic remark.. that endearment ... all awfully familiar. Tiffany heard her own voice through the other person... or is it a person?

 

She could see the other person’s smirking outline. She shivered.

 

“Who are you?!” Tiffany demanded.

 

“Silly girl.........” The lights went on and Tiffany came face to face with the bloody mess in front of her. The creature is not a person... well not yet a person. Flesh and bones.... and the flesh was just really flesh...no skin at all. The skinless bloody creature charged on her and yelled.

 

“I am.......you!!!”

 

“AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”

 

Tiffany jolted up on her bed. Panting hard. The holographic images on her wristnet is still on. She realized that it was a dream... no.. a nightmare. She dozed of while surfing on the net.

 

“! those clones!” Tiffany threw the first thing that she grabbed, her wristnet. She was breathing heavily as she watched the poor gadget hit the wall and fall to the floor in pieces.

 

After the staring battle with the crushed gadget with who knows how long, she started to calm down and relax,but did not materialized because she realized what she had been staring. And this ignited fury again. She ruffled her hair in frustration and yelled on the top of her lungs.

 

“Oh dammmmeettt!”

 

“Tiffany,are you alight? I heard you scream.” Tiffany’s mom asked from the other side of the door... which is pretty much still hinged on the jamb.

 

“I’m okay Mom, Sooyoung send me a morbid image. I got surprised.” Tiffany lied. She don’t want to worry her mother. Then she heard footsteps walking away from her door. She sighed.

 

Recovering from adrenalin rush, Tiffany opened the curtain blinds, she stared outside the window which showed the view of Chrome City’s dazzling evening lights. Two layers of highway for flying cars are just 10 meters from their apartment. Sound of honks and engines began to irritate her.

 

With a strong need to ease her stress, she grabs her coat and headed out.

 

“Where are you going?” Her father asked.

 

“Out to go buy a new wristnet. These things are damage prone.” She said to her father who only laughed at his daughter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Welcome------ oh...it’s you.” The young lady behind the cash register said when Tiffany entered the store.

 

“Ahh.... I suddenly feel so welcomed.” Tiffany darted. The other one smiled at her, quite blinding.

 

“Do you still have wristnet?”

 

“A gift or for an extra?”

 

“I wish the answer is one of those. I need a new one. Mine got busted.”

 

“How?...... this time?”

 

“Got too excited.”

 

“Again?” The cahier asked her while handing the cheapest wristnet to Tiffany. She stared at the haggard-looking Tiffany. She is certain that something happened with her friend.

 

“Quit staring like that, Hyoyeon. It causes little voices in my head to chant “kill that !”.” Tiffany said flatly.   

 

“Just making sure that you’re real.” Hyoyeon teased.

 

“What do you think of me then?” She spat with angst. She just reminded of her nightmare which led her in buying another gadget.

 

“Relax psycho. Better be sure I’m not bleeping with damned photocopy.”

 

“If I’m a photocopy then you should have known the difference already. You’re the psycho, not me.” The spitfire replied coldly while absentmindedly arranging packs of liquid cigars on top of the counter.

 

“Yeah yeah..got the point. But I heard that Titanum Prime is on the brink of achieving the Holy Grail. An insider told me.”

 

“An insider named Sooyoung.” Tiffany added. Sooyoung works for Titanum for about a week now.

 

“Well that’s full of . Damn tards on the loose again. We all know that they would come out with awesome stupidity, basing on how great they are. ”

 

“And even if they achieve bull, could I afford to order a copy of me? One Tiffany Hwang is already a handful.”

 

“Why add another one?” The cashier finished the costumer’s speech. Tiffany smirked.

 

“Exactly. And even if I have money, I’d rather spend it on other things.”

 

“Is it a done deal?”

 

“Yeah, slick. 200 Russ for you. You could dance to the tune of Macarena now.”

 

“And you better stop listening to century old songs, Hyo.” Tiffany handed Hyoyeon her payment.

 

“Can’t help it, slick. Been living in the West Gate for a long time.” Hyoyeon encoded the item and gave Tiffany 300 Russ change.

 

“Yeah.... I wish this ed Chrome is as simple as West Gate. Too much in here. Can’t even sleep in peace.” Hyoyeon nodded. She agrees about the difference between Chrome and West Gate...which is huge.

 

Tiffany bid her goodbye and walked out of the store while checking out her newly purchased wristnet. Her 4^th this month alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tiffany is busily wiping the collected dust on her flying car infront of their apartment. She has no schedule today because she decided to have a day rest. Jazz music playing on the background from her wristnet.

 

There was a honk and this made her look over her shoulder. Good call. There was a beautiful lady standing across the street. She drowned instantly.

 

Little did she knew that she was already staring intensely at the young woman across the street. She can’t understand why she seemed to be hypnotized by the beauty in front of her.

 

It was too late when she noticed the beauty standing infront of her too close for comfort. She was surprised when greeted by the young lady’s crotch almost in her face.  She wanted to hide in embarrassment, but as arrogant and egoistic that she is, she looked up and stared at the new comer with her trademark annoyed expression.

 

She noticed an ID clipped on the newcomer’s chest area. She caught the name written on it. Jessica Jung.

 

Jessica Jung....hahh.... simple name for an extraordinary beauty. She grunted when she realized what she just thought. She turned around and convinced herself to ignore this amazing distraction.

 

“Are you from around here?” Jessica asked the sitting girl. Her sweet voice didn’t helped on unknitting the other’s eyebrows. She felt rudely dismissed when the other girl turned her back on her and continued what she was doing.

 

“You’re from that ty place, aren’t you?” Tiffany asked flatly while wiping the hood of the flying car that she rented.

 

“ty place? Aren’t you from this ty place too?” The other one scoffed.

 

“Not talking ‘bout Chrome, sweetie. There’s a place more tier than this whole hell on the ground combined.”

 

Sweetie....endearment she used to scoff at her friends or anyone for that matter. But at this moment, she wondered why it sounded like a real endearment. She shook her head trying to shake off the thought.

 

“Ahh... you’re really from around here. Citizens of Chrome City are best known for their filthy mouths.” Tiffany heard the girl named Jessica’s sarcastic remark. Something sparked on Tiffany’s screwed up head.

 

‘Talking back, eh? Well lets see.’ Tiffany smirked and slowly stood up. With an arrogant smile, she turned around and faced Jessica.

 

“Hah! You want to know what I can do to you with my mouth?” Tiffany cocked her head and walked arrogantly at the seemingly surprised blonde. Tiffany enjoyed teasing the blonde. Unknown to her, Jessica found it interesting.... ally interesting.

 

“I need transport for some items. I searched for the transport service list and the transports were all packed up.... aside for the one that is available.”

 

“Well that available one is not really available. I’m out for the day.” Tiffany wanted to held her ground but failed misserably upon witnessing the blonde's y puppy face.

 

“Okay.. if you insist. But I will ask double payment. 400 Russ instead of 200, and that’s for the car only. 100 Russ in 50 kilometers and additional 10 Russ in every exceeding  kilometer. Item is limited to 50 kilos only, excess will be charged with 5 Russ per kilo... and ofcourse, the amount will be doubled.” Tiffany was shooing away the girl discretely. Sure, this girl is something but, she already had plans for the day.... sleep.

 

What Tiffany told Jessica was just bull. She increased the prices in several folds trying to change Jessica’s mind.

 

“Would you mind if I bargain with you?” Jessica asked her with a sly smile. Yeah... Jessica knew that the ruggedly beautiful young lady infront of her was just talking bull. She had to deliver those items immediately and bargaining with this single option is fun.

 

Tiffany Hwang. Transport driver number 45. Jessica smirked at the woman who’s back was facing her. She got the best bargaining idea.

 

Tiffany scoffed.

 

“And what do you have to change my mind? Cost is limited there, princess.” And then again, what should have been a sarcastic endearment became not sarcastic at all. Tiffany scrunched her brows. There’s definitely something wrong with her own tongue.

 

“How about... I’ll pay you triple.......” Jessica’s smirk not fading. And then she walked closely to the blinking Tiffany... dangerously close. She positioned her face right beside Tiffany’s face. Their cheeks touching. She could hear Tiffany’s ragged breathing. She liked it.

 

And then she whispered on Tiffany’s bright red ear.

 

“......and show me what can you do to me with your mouth..”

 

 

 

 

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