2137, June 27th.            5:13 P.M.

 

Times has changed.

 

The ancient civilisation fell down in 2025’. People went out of their houses, started to fight for their rights. Everyone wanted more rights. Civil war had began. It was the beginning of the end of the old world.

 

People were dying. Almost half of our population died. The government let out their drones and new high technology. Somehow they took control after three years spent of World War III.

 

Human kind was isolated into labels, the jobs they were responsible for were the class you belong to. New law wasn’t a law anymore. Democracy has been written long long before in the history, like old stories which are not told anymore. Your job is telling you and to everyone else what’s your social status. Elite is the highest one, they are the law.

 

The God who decides about everything.

 

They made a lot of rules, named it a “New Code.” No one follows them, everyone has focused on surviving. Just do what they tell you to do, and you’ll be fine. Among new, fifty rules, only one is worth of remembering. 

 

-elite owning Tech Companies make the order. They are the order you must follow.

 

That meant, that every single person below them, did count less. Some of them had nothing to lose, even their lives were worthless. 

 

 

Kim Minji stopped writing the note, she looked up and saw herself in the mirror. Long black hair, set to be free, waved by the wind. Tired, dark eyes which haven’t slept in days. Swollen lips after alcohol she drunk, one earphone in left ear. 

 

Neon lights surrounding her were only adding her beauty. Even if she looked awful, she was still one of the prettiest girls in this bar.

 

“What are you writing about this time?” Bartender Felix walked closer to her with empty glass in hands. Whenever he talked with clients, he always kept his mechanical hands busy with cleaning glasses. 

 

Minji looked at him. His jaw was sharp, but still made him look handsome. He was missing one eye, the other one was made from tech. It was supposed to be hard to look at someone, who’s eye is always lighting with red, but in this society it was... normal. Half of his body belonged to the robot. For sure, if Felix wasn’t a droid, he would be a handsome man. A lot of girls would dream about him.

 

If anyone had time for dating.

 

“Another diary page about our ed up society and law.” She took her glass with blue liquid and drunk all of it in one sip. started to burn, but it was okay. Alcohol was okay.

 

Felix smiled a little bit. “Whose do you want to kick this time?” He knew that Minji’s notes were always about one of the classes, labels.

 

“Lee Siyeon. The CEO of Tech Corp.” she murmured and looked around just to see who was in the bar with her. It could be dangerous to talk about someone from elite. They had spies everywhere.

 

Minji is detective. Her job was to keep the order, to make sure that no one breaks the law. Or to catch these who broke it. Even if most of the time elite gave her illegal quests, just to solve private problems. 

 

Thanks to her job, she knew how to recognise spy.

 

“What did she do this time?” Felix asked and moved closer, so they could chat in safer way. Less people would hear them.

 

Of course it wasn’t the first time when Felix heard about Lee Siyeon from her. CEO was one of the twelve the most important members of elite. Basically whole New Code was made with a thought how to keep safe their circle.

 

Minji rested her hand on the desk, next to her notebook. With one finger she was playing with her empty glass. 

 

“She gave one duty to one of her IT programmers and now she wants me to arrest her. All i was told about her job, was the fact that it errands for private stuff.” Minji moved her glass closer to Felix and waited for him to refill the glass with blue liquor. “Probably that programmer found something they shouldn’t have seen and i need to clean up Siyeon’s mess.”

 

Bartender took deeper breath and gasped. He moved away after noticing new client at his bar. “ to be you, i guess.” And left Minji to service the new costumer.

 

Minji didn’t care what kind of informations he knew about her. He was a droid with some human parts inside. He couldn’t be hacked because he still had soul. He was close to her, almost like a fiend. Her secrets were safe with him.

 

 

 

Below the elite are all IT programmers and part of police worker - private detectives. Their offices were in skyscrapers, almost on the tops of the buildings. They still had elite living right above their heads. They owned everything. Including the world.

 

The medium class are medics. They are the only class who is free to decide where they want to live. They got the privilege to this only because they were the ones keeping us healthy.

 

The rest of society was on the bottom. They all lived on the floors near to the ground. Low quality apartments. In places near to the bars like this one in which I’m drinking right now.

 

The lowest class was filled with simple cops, farmers, sellers, workers of the fabrics or droid-humans like Felix, made by Tech Corp. The useless part of society. 

 

They should be a spin of our world, since they have the most to offer, but elite decided that they mean nothing. And if elite said that, it had to be like that.

 

So, in the short: today’s society is scary. Nowhere is safe, but somehow i can manage to survive.

 

My name is Kim Minji, i am 27 years old. My status is detective. My job for this week is to catch my suspect, who is IT programmer and Lee Siyeon wants her head. Dead or alive. Doesn’t matter.

 

 

 

Minji closed her notebook, she was done for now. Maybe later she would add another note. She put own name there on a purpose, even if she could be in danger one day because of this.

 

Felix came back to her, but he didn’t say any word about the notes. He knew when she was done.

 

“New customer is the IT programmer. She shouldn’t be here, it’s not her place to be in.” He said and pointed with head on spot where programmer was sitting. Minji turned around and looked at the darkest corner of this bar. She noticed a girl hidden in shadow.

 

It was clear that she was running away or trying to hide.

 

Minji stood up and walked closer her. Girl had long blonde hair covering her face. Her shaking hands were struggling with turning off all of her electronic devices. Minji sat in front of her and just stared in silence. It took a while for a girl to notice that she’s not alone.

 

Her brown eyes looked at Minji and detective could swear that she saw this face somewhere. She silently took her phone out and checked a file of her suspect she was looking for.

 

Yes, that was her suspect. IT programmer just came right to her, her job would be done if she arrested her now. But it was Friday. She doesn’t work on Fridays.

 

“Kim Yoohyeon, 25 years old. IT programmer in Tech Corp. Boss Lee Siyeon.” Minji read out loud what she had on her phone screen. “What have you done, that Siyeon wants your head?”

 

Minji looked up at scared girl. Her eyes were scanning the room, analysing her chances of run away. Detective drunk Yoohyeon’s drink as it was her own.

 

“It’s my day off. I’m not gonna ruin my moment of freedom for you.” She added and hid her phone in the pocket. Yoohyeon didn’t know if she could trust her.

 

Blonde girl silently took her stuff into her hands and slowly prepared her body to run.

 

“Go on, I’m not gonna chase you.” And when Minji said that, blonde girl started to run away. 

 

Detective didn’t even turn around after her suspect. She really wasn’t in the mood to work on her day off. Getting day free from work was something rare.

 

Minji took off her headphone out of ear and hid it into other pocket, then she gabbed her leather jacked and moved to the exit.

 

Time to go home.

 

Detective chose to go less crowded streets to her apartment. It was easy to get lost on Main Street, there was too many people. It would take her much more time to get home than she wanted too. Minji’s sixth sense was telling her that someone follows her. She turned into a dark alley and hid behind the corner. One of her hands landed on her gun.

 

When her stalker went into the alley Minji jumped on him putting a gun to his head.

 

And it was Kim Yoohyeon.

 

“Why are you following me?” She asked without moving, gun was still touching her forehead. She saw how blonde girl started to feel anxious.

 

“Because y-you let me g-go.” Her voice was shaking. “I wanted to know if it’s a t-trick.”

 

Minji moved away and hid her gun. She turned around and started to walk into her apartments direction. Yoohyeon didn’t give up, she was still behind her.

 

“I’ve told you. I have day off, i don’t care what have you done to that Lee . It’s not my business. Not today.” Minji repeated knowing that programmer is next to her. 

 

Yoohyeon was walking now arm with arm with her, she was feeling more brave than earlier. “Will you help me to find some cave to hide in for the night?”

 

Out from detective’s lips went soft laugh. “Why would i do that?” She glanced at taller girl. She looked fragile, too fragile for this world. After seconds of silence she turned to the right and opened the door to her flat’s building. She knew that her suspect would follow her anyway, so she didn’t stop her.

 

Both of them climbed up to the sixth floor and Minji scanned her hand on the door key to her flat.

 

“I will tell you why Siyeon wants my death if you help me.” Yoohyeon quickly said before Minji closed the door in front of her face. “You seem to be a good cop kind. I will tell you.”

 

Minji looked at her and studied her face. She was scared, programmer was still looking around to make sure if they were alone one the hallway.

 

And detective disappeared in her apartment leaving the door open for Yoohyeon. She heard from the kitchen how programmer was locking the door on every single key. Black haired girl took two beers out of her fridge and sat on chair.

 

Her apartment wasn’t comfortable at all. Her furnitures were the cheapest ones, but she didn’t hate it. She used to spend her days 24/7 at her job, her apartment was just a place where she was sleeping from time to time.

 

Other girl joined to her and awkwardly sat in front of her. She opened the beer detective offered her. She took couple sips to fill her thirst.

 

“You should be more careful about things you are telling to strangers.” Minji said quietly. “You never know what kind of person you’re talking to.”

 

Yoohyeon nodded. She knew that other girl was right. Somehow she had feeling that she can trust this detective.

 

“What’s your name actually?” Blonde haired looked at older quite confused. She was at some stranger’s apartment and didn’t know her name.

 

“Kim Minji now, tomorrow detective Jiu.” Girl answered and sat more comfortably on her wooden chair. “What did you do to Siyeon?”

 

Yoohyeon took deep breath. “She asked me to fix her computer since i am the best programmer in her company. While i was fixing it I found some deleted file with informations about new weapon technology and list of people who are targeted as victims. The knowledge about it with details could cause little war in Elite’s circle. Siyeon would lose her power as member of elite.”

 

That made sense. Siyeon was the type who would do anything for power. Minji would rather not to think about that weapon. What kind of weapon? What for? No, she doesn’t want to know.

 

“No one would believe you if you tell anyone about this.” She said and drunk a sip of her beer. “Unless you have the proof or evidence.”

 

And reaction of blonde haired girl told her everything. Her body was stiff, prepared for danger. “I do.”

 

Minji as detective was trying so hard to hold herself before scolding her for talking too much. She really should be more careful about things she was saying out loud. Even if she’s talking to the police. Even police can be on elite’s orders. A lot of policemen was spying for elite, just to get bonus benefits. 

 

“Damn it Yoohyeon. You know our society, be more careful if you wanna live.” She cursed and stood up. She changed the topic. “I don’t have any couch so I will prepare you my bed to sleep, i will sleep on the floor myself.”

 

Talking about her job on her day off was kind of annoying. She walked out of the kitchen and Yoohyeon followed her. They entered to Minji’s bedroom. It didn’t look comfortable at all. Walls were grey, bed was old and broken.

 

But Yoohyeon didn’t say anything. In this society it was the standard of being normal human being.

 

“Why are you so careless?” Minji asked while she put pillows and quilt on the floor next to the bed.

 

Yoohyeon shrugged with her arms and sat on the edge of bed. “I don’t know. I guess i was raised in other way than you or other normal people.”

 

Detective was surprised by these words. She sat on other side of bed and listened to programmer. 

 

“My parents belong to low placed elite members. My life was full of joy and i never had to worry about anything.” Their eyes met. “How about you? Who were you in the past?”

 

Minji gasped with tiredness.

 

“I’m orphan, i was raised on the street. When i was fifteen i helped one cop to solve one case and they took me to the police academy for training.” Minji changed her spot and sat on the floor, on place where she was going to sleep that night. 

 

The silence between them was comfortable, as they understood each other. Even if they belonged to different worlds.

 

“Usually I’m not that talkative.” Yoohyeon quietly said and lied on the bed. “I think, you just have an aura of good person.” That made Minji laugh.

 

They were strangers. Yoohyeon didn’t know her past, not at all. She did a lot of mistakes to get to this point in her life. She has committed couple crimes to make sure to be on this label, class which would guarantee her safety.

 

“Go sleep, Yoohyeon.” Minji said and lied on her side with closed eyes. 

 

Yoohyeon turned her head and watched black haired girl. Detective was all relaxed, even if she had some stranger in her home. That was unusual and suspicious.

 

“Will you arrest me in the morning, detective?”

 

The question was heard for them both. And Minji needed a while to think about the answer.

 

If she arrest her, Siyeon will kill her. But Minji will get nice price, probably a lot of money for quickly done job. She wasn’t close with Yoohyeon so she had no regrets.

 

But on other side, she was getting sick of living in this world with New Code as rules they must’ve to follow. She could help Yoohyeon to hide, she would probably have to hide herself too. Maybe one day she would help Yoohyeon to show the evidence she had to the rest of the world.

 

Year 2137’ wasn’t easy to be lived in. She wished to change the society. Changing the elite would be the first step into it.

 

“I don’t know.” She answered with a smile on her lips, which Yoohyeon couldn’t see.