Another great Blifaloo short story! Enjoy!
Detective John Kade knew the city wanted him naked—stripped of secrets, exposed under neon and surveillance—but it would have to try harder. Neo-Victoria purred around him, all chrome curves and humid air, advertisements whispering promises like lovers who never intended to keep them. You probably believed them. John didn’t. He preferred the real thing: danger, close enough to taste.
Rain slid down his coat as he moved, the fabric hugging his frame in a way that made passersby glance twice. He noticed. He always noticed. Power wasn’t just something you carried—it was something people felt when you passed, something that made them uneasy in a way they couldn’t explain. If you’re thinking this sounds arrogant, congratulations. You’re paying attention for once.
The case was simple on the surface. Susana Lyttle, tech magnate, vanished from a penthouse sealed tighter than your browser history. No alarms. No witnesses. No body. That last part bothered people. It didn’t bother John. Bodies were optional in Neo-Victoria.
He ducked into an alley humming with residual heat and activated the implant beneath his collarbone. Data bloomed across his vision, intimate and invasive, sliding through his mind like fingers that knew exactly where to press. His secret pulsed there too, warm and dangerous: he wasn’t just erased from the system—he was the system’s first successful prototype. A human designed to disappear, to overwrite, to become irresistible to machines and people alike. You’re wondering why that matters. Hold on.
Movement. A presence. The air shifted in that way it does right before something pleasurable turns painful.
“Still chasing ghosts, John?” a voice purred.
The figure stepped forward, sleek mask reflecting the city lights, body language confident, almost flirtatious. The tunnels beneath the street vibrated softly, like they were listening. John felt a familiar thrill coil low in his gut—anticipation sharpened by recognition.
“Show me your face,” he said.
The figure obliged. The mask slid away to reveal Susana Lyttle, very much alive, eyes bright with triumph and something dangerously close to desire.
“You were built to replace me,” Susana said. “But I learned faster.”
The city shuddered. Systems rerouted. Lights dimmed, then flared. John understood in an instant: Susana had tried to merge with the city. Tried—and failed. What stood in front of her was a man hollowed out by ambition, barely holding together.
John stepped closer, invading her space, voice low. “You were never the upgrade.”
He reached out—not with a weapon, but with access. His implant sank into the city’s core, overriding Susana’s fragile control. Power rushed through him, intoxicating and absolute. Susana gasped, collapsing as the systems rejected her entirely.
Aboveground, Neo-Victoria stabilized. Clean. Quiet.
John walked away as sirens approached, coat damp, pulse steady. Case closed. City saved. Secret intact.
And you? You got an ending. Try not to look so surprised.
And now how about some rare and valuable CDs?
Or some rebus visual puzzles?
Or some good old boredom relief?
Or just good ole BLIFALOO!