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. He sauntered through the streets – slinking even. Strange squealing noises coursed through his ears. A building machine thrummed from a few blocks away. John thought of that woman in the leather jacket. About why he never loved. But his mind quickly returned to the task at hand – his investigation. John had a job to do and no extraneous thoughts were going to stop him. He wanted the thrill of a pursuit and the taste of danger.
Sensuous advertisements stood on top of the buildings. Luring his mind astray but strangely reminding him to stay focused. Where was she? He had to track her down and take her statement. 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. She had to be near.
The case was simple on the surface. Susana Lyttle, tech magnate, vanished from a high-end penthouse on the 253rd floor of the Siglama Building. No alarms. No witnesses. No body. That last part bothered people. It didn’t bother John. Bodies were optional in Neo-Sklibidi.
He ducked into an alley humming with residual heat and activated the implant beneath his collarbone. Data injected into his internal diodes alimenting his inner workings like food. A pulsing secret coursed throughout his inner being. His fingers found the controls inside his bag. He was the system’s first successful prototype! A human designed to disappear, to overwrite, to become irresistible to machines and people alike. Yes, oh yes, John was an android.
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-Sklibidi 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. Let’s hear it.
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!