#fluorescent vermin preview

[fluorescentvermin]

Chapter 10

Cona Security

Jasper

“Hello everyone! Welcome to Cona Security, and congratulations on becoming part of the team. You all did really well to get this far, here at Cona Security we take pride in providing the best service for online browsing security and you all stood out due to your skills and expertise”

My assistant, Emily, insisted that I join our onboarding for the new employees. But I was bored shitless. I could be doing anything else right now.

“As a part of your onboarding, we will show you around our company and give you a brief rundown of each department and their roles. Today will be a short day, but we expect you to be back here bright and early tomorrow to start your training” Emily spoke like she was reading a script. She’s always so formal, it’s eery.

“Let me introduce you to our owner and CEO, Jasper Connor! She has worked very hard to build this company from the ground up, so please give her your respect” just as I was about to fall asleep, Emily introduces me to these kids, forcing me to pay attention. Everyone’s eyes focused on me.

“Hello everyone. Cona Security has been in operation now for six years and it’s been an amazing journey. It’s amazing to see how far it’s come since then. Cona Security started out with just me as it’s only employee, and it has blossomed into the business you see today. I am forever thankful for the support of our clients, shareholders, and our operational staff. I look forward to watching you grow during your time at Cona Security” I was surprisingly good at being professional. A skill I had to learn quickly after starting this company when I was 17.

“Enough with the formalities! Let’s get to the tour, shall we?” Emily smiled politely.

We made our way through the office, showing the new hires the HR department where payroll and purchasing live, the staff room and the bathrooms. Then to the next floor for customer service, software and web development, the graphic design section and our second little staff room that was more of a recreational room. Every IT company needs to have some kind of room with ping pong tables and bean bag chairs for a relaxing energy. Then we moved on to the top floor with business intelligence, operations and security, as well as Emily’s office. My office is on this floor as well, but I didn’t want the newbies to be sniffing around in there, it’s my second home after all. “This is our last stop, this is where business intelligence, operations and security work. They’re the brain of the company, researching our competitors and trends to keep us ahead of the pack, as well as making sure our systems are always up to date. I don’t think I need to tell you what security is in charge of, I’m sure you can figure that one out” Emily smiled as she rattled on, letting the kids walk into the room filled with desks, computers and employees. There were a couple of laughs in the group as response to her joke.

“If you’re working in any of these roles, you’ll see me quite often. I tend to communicate with them frequently” I mention. I look to my employees sitting at their desks, a couple of them turned their heads to listen in.

“Make sure you guys look after the newbies, okay? We’ve all been new before and know how nerve wrecking it can be” I project, directing my voice to my seasoned employees.

“Yes, mummy” the resident shit stirrer, Arun called out, followed by giggles from the new hires and seasoned employees. Is this motherfucker kidding me? Disrespecting me in front of everyone is unacceptable.

“Emily, can you please show the new hires where their training will be held tomorrow? I need to have a chat with one of our employees” I instruct quietly. Emily nods and gathers the newbies, escorting them out of the office space.

“Arun, can you see me in my office” I call out. The office goes silent, as Arun gets up and solemnly makes his way to the front. I silently walk out of the office, crossing the threshold from their shared space to my private office.

“I-I’m sorry” Arun blubbered.

“Save it” I hissed.

I opened the door to my office, letting Arun walk in.

“Take a seat” I instruct. He does as I say and sits opposite my desk in the middle of the room.

“So, Arun, did you get that out of your system?” I snarl, walking to my desk. He doesn’t reply, only looks down at his hands that were fidgeting in his lap.

“Did you enjoy embarrassing me in front of our new staff? I have a reputation to uphold” I scold.

“Sorry” Arun mutters.

“Sorry isn’t going to cut it. I’ve been too lenient with you in the past, and this is the final straw” I growl.

“Come on, don’t be like that. It was funny” Arun defended.

“I’m afraid I do not share your sense of humour” I scowl.

“You walk around the office with your tits out every day. You think we’re not going to notice?” he argued.

“Excuse me?” I bark.

“How am I supposed to focus on my work when you’re flaunting your goodies all the time?” Arun pouted.

“This is disgusting behaviour. How dare you say that to me, I am your boss” I growl.

“I’m sorry, I’m just saying what everyone else is thinking” he scoffs.

“Your apology is not good enough. In what world did you think that was a reasonable explanation for your behaviour? Arun, you need to pack up your things, I’m going to have to let you go” I explain.

“What? You can’t do that! That’s unfair termination!” Arun shouted.

“Terminating your employment because of sexual harassment is not unfair termination, Arun” I scoff.

“Whatever! This company is shit anyway!” Arun pouts like a temperamental teenager.

“If you keep digging yourself into this hole, you won’t receive your paid leave” I warn.

“You’re an ego maniac!” Arun shouts before storming out of my office.

#fluorescent vermin #fluorescent vermin preview #fluorescent vermin chapter 10 #chapter 10 #Jasper Connor

[fluorescentvermin]

Chapter 9

The Vultures

Charlie

“Who’s Blair Nimble?” I ask Gage on our way back to their reclaimed factory.

“You remember when I was talking about the Vultures before?” Gage recalled.

“Yeah, what about them?” I encourage.

“Blair is also a part of that gang” Gage frowns.

“Okay, that’s not that bad, right?” I hope.

“Well, if you want to get your phone back, you’ll have to actually go in their den to get it. I don’t think she’d be willing to just hand it over” he hypothesized.

“How do you know her?” I pry.

“I used to be a part of the vultures. Not anymore, of course. I managed to get out” he explains with a melancholy expression.

“Wouldn’t that make it easier? You know what they’re like so, we can just go in and out” I reason.

“I know what they’re like, so I know it won’t be easy” Gage added. He said earlier that the Vultures were just pests. Petty criminals. Even though they’re a gang, maybe it won’t be that bad. Who knows? After all, I followed Gage to an unknown place, and I was safe. For now, anyway.

“Thanks, by the way” I let out.

“For what?” Gage responds.

“For helping me. I still don’t know why you did but I appreciate it” I ramble.

“Hey, it’s no problem” he smiled. Damn it, I thought he would tell me why he helped me. He talks a lot, but he doesn’t talk too much about himself. He’s kind of mysterious.

“So, why did you want a notebook?” he asks. Changing the topic from him to myself again.

“I have a lot of thoughts, sometimes I like to write them down” I lead him on, trying my hand at mystery.

“So, you’re a writer?” Gage continues.

“I’m a journalist” I let out.

“A journalist? What kind of journalism?” he pries.

“I’m not some kind of celebrity gossip writer if that’s what you’re thinking” I scoff.

“Good. I don’t get those people. Celebrities are just people, why make a big fuss over them?” he challenged.

“Exactly!” I exclaimed. That’s something I would say. Weird.

“What do you write about?” Gage pries further.

“I write the honest truth. It’s hard to find that, these days” I declared.

“Oh, really? I’d like to read some of your articles” he smiles.

We made it back to the factory, and as we made it through the door, two women greeted us from the couch.

“Gage! Where did you go?” a woman with shaggy lavender hair calls out.

“Just to the pawn shop. This is Charlie. I don’t know if Artemis said anything yet” Gage introduced.

“Typical Arty, saving all the juicy gossip for himself” the other woman scoffs but with a light-hearted nature. She had long grass green hair that she tied into a braid. Gage walked over to the couch, sitting next to them. I guess I should follow him. They start talking amongst themselves as soon as he sits down, so I walk over and join them.

“Charlie! I’m Nova, nice to meet you!” The woman with the lavender hair greets. She bows to me. What a formal greeting.

“Hi” I let out.

“I’m Percy” the green haired woman continues the formalities.

“Hello” I repeat.

“I would ask about the black eye, but you saw Artemis, so you’re probably fine now” Nova rambled. These two were the first people around these parts that weren’t wearing dark colours. Nova was wearing lots of layers of pink, purple and brown clothing, and Percy was wearing a flowy yellow dress with a jumper underneath. They looked like nice people, at least for now.

“So, what’s your story? How did you get stuck down here?” Percy pried, leaning on her hand.

“Um. My wife kicked me out” I explain.

“That’s terrible!” Nova cooed.

“No, it’s fine. It’s only temporary” I smile politely. Percy narrowed her eyes at me.

“Maybe you guys could help us out. Charlie got his phone stolen by the Vultures” Gage mentions.

“Good luck with that” Percy laughs. She seems like a strange character.

“Charlie can’t go anywhere without his phone. Not like, he’s addicted to it. He could be, I don’t know” Gage rambled.

“You don’t have to talk for me” I grimace.

“Oh, shit. Sorry” Gage retreats.

“It’s really embarrassing, but I don’t know anyone’s phone number off by heart. If I get my phone back, I could call my wife… Or my sister. Just let them know where I am and that I’m okay” I explain.

“It’s a stealth mission!?” Nova beamed.

“I guess so” Gage chuckled.

“Do you know who stole it?” Percy asks.

“Do you remember that guy I was talking to for like, 2 days?” Gage smirks.

“Oh my god, Shatlas? He stole the phone?” Percy gasps.

“No way!” Nova marvelled.

“What a coincidence, right? Well, either he has it, or Blair does” Gage continued.

“This is the only instance where I’d say I prefer Shatlas” Percy huffs.

“What are you going to do?” Nova asks with a frown on her face. Nova was like an excitable puppy.

“We’ll have to go in there and get it, obviously” Gage pouted.

“That could be a death wish” Percy mused.

“What other choice do we have?” Gage huffed.

“It’s okay. Maybe I don’t need my phone” I try to be positive, but thoughts race through my mind. I thought Gage said that they weren’t that bad and now his friend is saying that going into their den could be a death wish? What have I gotten myself into?

“I think you’re being a little dramatic, Gage. You can definitely handle whatever the Vultures throw at you” Percy reassured.

“Yeah! You’ve done it before; you can do it again!” Nova cheers.

“God, I don’t know” Gage sighs.

“You just got to go in there and show them you mean business. You’re built for this!” Percy mused.

“Oh! You guys need Vulture attire! Oh my gosh, I’m so excited! I’m going to go make Charlie an outfit!” Nova beamed before bouncing off upstairs.

“Wait a minute, what am I signing up to here? Why would I need a disguise? Is this really a stealth mission?” I panic.

“I think Nova is just excited. You don’t need a disguise really. Atlas already knows your down on your luck, even though it was his fucking fault” Gage assured with a huff.

“Charlie, if you go in there, it’s going to be really hard to get back out. They’re called the Vultures for a reason” Percy explained seriously.

“What do you mean?” I implore.

“It means you might be stuck down here for a while” Percy winces.

“How long?” I continue.

“It took me 5 years to get out” Gage huffs.

“5 YEARS?” I shout. This is insane. I can’t be stuck down here for 5 years! Even one year might be too much. This is a lot; I don’t know if I can handle this.

“Hey, it probably won’t take us that long to get out this time” Gage defends.

“I need a minute” I breathe. I walk out of the building to get some fresh air.

#Fluorescent Vermin #Fluorescent Vermin Preview #Fluorescent Vermin chapter 9 #chapter 9 #Charlie Miller #Gage Guzman #Perceus Drivas #Nova Mai

[fluorescentvermin]

Chapter 8

Big Jerry's Pawn Shop

Charlie

Gage escorted me through the city to be the best I could manage. I still felt a little sore and swollen but the medicine Artemis gave me helped a lot. It didn’t take us long before we got to the pawn shop. “Big Jerry’s Pawn Shop?” I read out loud. It looked eclectic and manic. There were mannequins in one window wearing some expensive clothes, and the other window was filled with big ticket items like guitars and other instruments.

“Yeah! It’s a cool place! I come here all the time” Gage beamed. We walked in through the glass doors and upon walking in, this place is even more cluttered than it seemed from the outside. There were shelves upon shelves full of knick-knacks, tables full of antique finds, clothes racks filled to the brim and more shelves covered in shoes. Behind the desk and display cases were televisions, real expensive ones. I worry about how much of this stuff has been stolen. There is no legal reason why a pawn shop this side of town would have such expensive goods for sale.

“Gage! My boy! You are a sight for sore eyes!” the sales clerk bellowed from behind the cash register.

“Jerry! Haven’t seen you in a while, my friend!” Gage beams, walking over to the man and shaking his hand. The man, who I assume is Jerry, looked real sleazy. His hair was combed over his bald spot, his skin was oily and he was wearing a white singlet top that was mottled with mysterious stains.

“I’ve been saving some vinyls just for you, my friend. I got Dark Ritual’s self-titled debut record” Jerry offered, wiggling his bushy eyebrows at Gage.

“Fuck, I’ll have to come back for it! I’m on a specific mission today Jerry” Gage let out.  I take a quick look around. I feel lost without my phone. When I’m trying to go to sleep, that’s when I get the best ideas. Normally I jot those ideas down in my notes app. Maybe I could find a notebook in here.

“What can I do for ya?” Jerry smiled.

“My friend and I are looking for a phone” Gage adds. He turns to me and sees me looking through the store.

“Yes, looking for an XPhone. The U70+ model” I pipe up.

“I got plenty of phones, XPhones are a dime a dozen these days. They’re all in the display case right here” Jerry gestures his hands around wildly as he talks, tapping on the display case he mentioned. I walk over and look behind the glass, and sure enough, there were plenty of XPhones. But they were all outdated by a couple of years at least, one of them in the case was over twenty years old. The U70+ is the latest XPhone on the market right now, none of these are even close.

“You’ve got plenty of U68’s, U67’s, but no U70+’s. Do you have any phones in the back?” I ask politely. Jerry looks me up and down, chewing on his lip.

“Maybe” Jerry let out.

“Jerry, brother, we don’t want your old stock. We’re looking for something that just came in, possibly this morning. You got anything like that?” Gage bargained.

“Possibly” Jerry hums.

“I’ll pay you top dollar, my man” Gage offers.

“Eh, what’s this uh… oo seventy plus look like?” Jerry asks and Gage turns to me again.

“It’s silver on the back with half of it covered by the camera module. The screen looks matte from the side” I describe.

“Matter of fact, I saw one of those come in this morning” Jerry lets out. Gage and I both breathe a sigh of relief.

“That’s perfect, can we see it?” Gage asks.

“I don’t know, still gotta price da thing” Jerry looks around. Gage sighs and reaches into his pocket.

“How about now?” Gage offers, sliding some chromes across the desk. Jerry picks up the cash and counts it in front of his face. Satisfied, he smiles and pockets the money.

“Tough luck kid, sold it just before ya got here” Jerry smirks.

“Who bought it?” I ask.

“Oh jeez, so many people come in and out of dis store. How am I supposed to know everyone’s name?” Jerry feigns ignorance. Gage slipped him some more cash. Jerry smiles again with satisfaction.

“It’s that Blair girl. You know her, short thing, hard body, crazy energy” Jerry describes.

“Wait, Blair Nimble?” Gage parrots.

“That’s the one. She comes in and buy phones and electronics off me all the time” Jerry talks a lot.

“Fuck. Okay, we can deal with this… Hopefully. Thanks for your help, Jerry” Gage looks stressed.

“Hey, Jerry. Do you have any notebooks?” I ask sheepishly.

“Blank ones? I don’t sell ‘em but since I like your friend, I could sell ya one of mine I got in da back” Jerry scratches his chin before going into his storage closet, leaving the door open.

“How much, Jerry?” Gage asks loud enough for him to hear in the other room, reaching into his wallet again.

“Actually, ya know what? Forget about it. I’m already making a profit here. Take it” Jerry smiles as he makes the short distance back, putting a notebook on the counter.

“Wow! Thank you so much, Jerry!” I beam. I take the notebook and hold it in my hands.

“No problem, kid. Ay, before you go, take Dark Ritual wit cha. I feel kinda bad I couldn’t help you out more with your phone situation. It’s the least I could do” Jerry offers, handing over the vinyl. Gage’s eyes lit up.

“Jerry! You sentimental kook. I owe you!” Gage beamed, handling the record like it was priceless.

“Good luck wit cha phone, kids” Jerry smiles, waving us out of the store.

#fluorescent vermin #fluorescent vermin preview #fluorescent vermin chapter 8 #chapter 8 #charlie miller #gage guzman

[fluorescentvermin]

Chapter 7

Soup

Charlie

I felt so refreshed after the shower, but my body still hummed with pain. Those guys really did a number on me. I also got to brush my teeth, Artemis gave me a toothbrush and toothpaste. It was good to finally get rid of the metallic taste in my mouth. The clothes that Gage had gave me were loose fitting but did the job. He gave me a thin stretchy turtleneck sweater, a loose knit jumper for extra warmth over the top, and a pair of pants that fit surprisingly well. The pants looked too big when folded but stayed up without a belt. I gathered my stuff and made my way back to the living room foyer. Gage said that’s where he would wait for me.

“Hey! Feeling any better?” Gage turned around when he saw me walking down the stairs. I made my way over to the couch he was sitting on.

“A little bit. I feel much better now that I’m clean” I let out sheepishly. It felt strange being here. I’m really glad that I found someone around here that would be so kind to me even if they don’t know me. I felt uneasy, but maybe it would be okay if I let my guard down.

“Hey, I made some soup. Are you hungry?” Gage offered with a smile. I was so distracted by the thoughts racing through my head, I didn’t notice my hunger pangs.

“You’re not trying to poison me, are you?” I ask. I still don’t know if I can trust him.

“No, I’m going to have some soup too. You can come with me to the kitchen and help yourself if it makes you feel better” he mentioned.

“Lead the way” I mumble. It was probably a good idea to keep this guy at an arm’s length. He got up off the couch and made his way into the room behind us. Like he said, it was a kitchen. It was pretty big, way bigger than the one in my apartment. There was a fireplace in the kitchen, which was strange to me. Why would they want a space heater in the kitchen? It must be their stove, as a boiler pot was sitting on top of it. The smell of wood burning was comforting. The counters were made of concrete and metal, and the floor tiles were terracotta. The vintage feel of this place is endlessly charming. Gage collected some bowls from an overhead cabinet and handed one to me before hopping over to a counter and grabbing a ladle. He made himself a bowl before offering the ladle to me. I inspected the boiler pot, looking inside of it. The steam from the bubbling liquid hit my face and I pulled back out of habit. I forgot that the punks stole my smart glasses, so I don’t have to worry about them getting fogged up anymore. The soup looked great, a clear red broth chock full of vegetables. I served myself a bowl and sat next to Gage at the wrap around counter.

“I hope you like the soup. My friend Percy made it” Gage mentioned.

“I thought you said you made it! How do you know what’s in it?” I panic. What if his “friend” is trying to poison both of us?

“Well, I helped. I cut the veggies. Let me know what you think of them, Percy would love to hear about another person enjoying her organic produce” he smiled between mouthfuls of soup.

“She grew the vegetables?” I replied.

“Yeah! We have a roof top garden. I’ll show you later if you want” he offered. Seeing Gage eat the soup gave me some security to trust him. I was hungry, who knows when I could get a nice meal like this again? I take my spoon and scoop up some of the soup before putting it in my mouth. This soup was delicious. It had multiple facets, with rich tomato flavour, herbaceous notes, and gentle spice from garlic and ginger. Carrots added sweetness, and celery added a savoury taste. There was even little pasta at the bottom, shaped like rice, that provided great chew.

“This soup is delicious” I beam. Gage chuckled shortly.

“I’ll send your compliments to the chef” Gage’s eyes crinkled from a wide smile.

“Minestrone, right? I’ve never had minestrone with this much depth” I exclaim.

“Is that the name? I’m not much of a cook myself, I wouldn’t know. Speaking of names, I totally forgot to ask for yours. I’m Gage” he introduced.

“I know. I heard Artemis say your name before. I’m Charlie” I let out.

“So, Charlie. Do you want to call your wife and tell her that you’re okay? You can use my phone if you want” he offered.

“Oh. I, um… I don’t know her number off by heart” I admit embarrassingly.

“Do you know any other numbers?” Gage asked. I shook my head.

“I normally have my phone, so I just call people through my saved contacts” I mention.

“Shit. That’s okay, I can just walk you home” Gage tried to come up with alternative solutions. I guess I have to tell him the truth.

“That would be a waste of time” I mutter.

“No, I don’t mind!” Gage smiled.

“I don’t mean it like that. My wife and I had an argument, yes, but she also kicked me out” I admitted.

“Oh my god, that’s terrible” he empathized.

“No, it’s fine. She just wanted to push me to get back on my feet. She probably just needs some time to calm down” I explain.

“Okay, well, is there anywhere else you could go?” Gage asks.

“No, I don’t think so” I sigh.

“Don’t have any family you can visit?” he continues.

“I have a sister, but she moved recently, so I don’t know her address” I mention.

“Without your phone, you’re stuck down here, huh? Well, at least for a little bit. You could stay with us for the week, and then you could go see how she’s feeling” he suggests.

“I guess so” I huff.

“Or, what about we try to find your phone so that you can call your sister?” Gage stipulated.

“That could work” I agreed.

“Do you remember anything about the people that attacked you?” he continued.

“Yeah. There was a bald person who had tattoos all over their face, a girl with red hair, and a guy with lime green hair. It was all kind of a blur. I know they were all wearing black with lots of spikes and patches” I recall.

“Lime green hair? Hold on, I think I know him” Gage pulled out his phone and began scrolling through it. Why would Gage know this guy? My alarm bells are going off.

“Found him! Is this the guy you’re talking about?” Gage asked, showing me his phone. Lime green hair, dark circles around his eyes with glowing green irises and enough piercings to make him look like a pin cushion. I didn’t remember the piercings, but that definitely looks like the guy who attacked me.

“How do you know this guy?” I ask. I really hope they’re not friends.

“I met him on a dating app, and as soon as we started talking, I hated him. He’s an asshole who only cares about himself” Gage rolls his eyes.

“So, he’s just an asshole? I could have told you that” I scoff.

“He’s, uh…. A special kind of asshole. He’s a Vulture” Gage winced.

“Figuratively, right?” I question.

“It’s the name of their gang. The Vultures are… pests. They don’t make a lot of money, so they resort to petty shit like beating up and robbing innocent people” he explained.

“A gang?” I think out loud.

“They probably just sold your phone to the pawn shop when they couldn’t unlock your phone” he rambled.

“How many pawn shops are there?” I ask.

“Only one” he answers.

“Well? What are we waiting for? Let’s go!” I shout, getting up from my seat.

#fluorescent vermin #fluorescent vermin preview #fluorescent vermin chapter 7 #chapter 7 #Charlie Miller #Gage Guzman

[fluorescentvermin]

Chapter 6

Clean Up

Charlie

It was hard to figure out why this random man wanted to help me. But I decided to ignore the voice in my head that was telling me that going with him was a bad idea. After all, maybe he could actually help me. I had no idea what else to do. I can't go home, I can't go to a hotel, especially now that my wallet was stolen. Even if they didn't care about credit score. Sadly, this was my only option.

"So, what happened? Was this just a random attack?" The blonde man was escorting me through downtown. We went down streets I’d never been before, and they slowly became dirtier.  I try to steer clear of this part of the city. The news always talks about how it's too dangerous for us working citizens, that the unemployed people are feral, violent, drug addicted maniacs. Sometimes I occasionally read the news from other sources, and I hope for my sake that they’re lying. If I am really getting patched up, it would help avoid any infection or airborne illnesses that could be around these streets.

"I guess so. I was looking for a hotel" I let out.

"Were you evicted?" He asks. He sure was curious. I should be careful what I say to him.

"My wife and I had an argument... So, I wanted to give her some space" was that too much information? Possibly.

"Ah. That sounds healthy. I bet your wife is worried about you" he empathized. He sounded sincere.

"I bet she is" I repeat.

It was awkward. As much as this guy looked scary, dressed in all black with patches on his clothes, he seemed like he had a good heart. I really hope that this isn't an elaborate scheme. He's a good actor if that's the case.

"My friend Artemis will look after you. Bit of a warning, he looks scary but he's a big softie. Emphasis on big though, he's like 7 foot tall and built like a brick shithouse" he rambled.

"O-okay" I let out.

Shortly after his warning, the blonde man stops in front of what looked like an abandoned factory. It had boarded up windows and the outside walls were littered in graffiti and posters.

"This is it! It's more homey on the inside, I promise" he smiled at me.

"Here? No, that's an abandoned building. Surely, you're not serious" I wager.

"It used to be. We keep it looking like this to avoid cops and other assholes" he explained.

"You're a squatter?" I ask, trying to find reason in the unknown.

"Hey, I wouldn't say 'squatter'. No one was using this place, so we moved in, cleaned it up, made it safe" he continued.

"I still don't believe you..." But I've got no other choice right now, do I? It seems like a 50/50 chance that he's telling the truth or lying. I don't have to commit, if it's not what he says it is, I can just run. Maybe I can get lucky and find a place to hide. Figure something out.

"You don't have to believe me. You don't have to come in if you don't want to" he smiled, giving me a chance to run right now if I wanted to. But that wouldn't help.

While I was standing there, trying to analyse this situation, the doors of the factory open and out comes a giant man dressed in black and grey. Is this his friend? He was right, the friend looks scary.

"Gage, you're here. Is this your friend?" The giant man approached us, his voice felt like a rumble. It was one of the deepest voices I’ve ever heard.

"Yes. He got beaten up by some thieving dickheads. Do you think you could patch him up?" The blonde explained. I guess he's not just a random guy anymore. He's got a name. Gage.

"That's... Unfortunate. Come in, son. Let me fix you up" the giant man gestured towards the doors. He wanted me to go first, but I didn't feel comfortable with that. A guy this size, he could easily corner me and stop me from escaping.

"Y-you first" I insist.

"Alright! That's fine with me" the giant man smiles. He makes his way to the entrance, and the guy that found me, Gage, followed him and made their way inside. I approached slowly. I analyse the windows. They're boarded up but the wooden planks don't completely cover the glass. It would let some sunshine in, but not enough to fully brighten a room. I tried to peak in through the parts of the window that weren't covered. Sadly, I couldn't make out anything. This is it, be ready for anything, Charlie. Don't even go in unless you're sure it'll be safe.

I take a deep breath to try and calm my nerves. Against my better judgement, I make it to the entrance.

Gage is holding open the door, enough for me to look inside. He wasn't lying, this place looked homey. This place had charm. Old, mismatched rugs sprawled out over the metal floor, and the entrance opened into a living room of sorts. There was a couch made from canvas material I think, a table that looked like it was made from a pallet, and a couple of kids playing with toys in the middle of the room with an adult supervising. Maybe this won't be so bad, after all, why would anything suspicious happen in a place with kids? I can only assume anyway. So, I walk in. Gage closed the door behind me, and I took careful notice to see if he would lock it. He took his hand off the door and walked away from it, leaving it unlocked. So, this guy wasn't lying about anything? I can't get my hopes up yet. I don't know these people; I don't know what they're capable of.

"I have a consultation room upstairs, let me show you the way" the giant man offered. I nodded, unsure what I would say anyway.

"Oh, Gage, do you have any spare clothes you could offer our new friend? I'm sure he would like to get himself cleaned up" the giant man instructs.

"I might have something, I'll have a look" Gage thought out loud, before running off and up the stairs.

“I always feel more like myself after I've had a shower. Follow me, son" the giant man smiles to me, before going in the same direction that Gage had. I followed suite, I guess I'm not backing out now.

We made it up the flight of stairs. It was a lot; I'm not used to it. I was already out of breath by the second floor. The man leads me down the hallway to his consulting room. Inside, it looked sterile with clean white walls and linoleum flooring. The room was more of an examination room than a consultation room, but I thought it would be rude to mention. The man instructed me to lay down on the examination bed in the middle of the room.

“Before we start, I feel it’s only polite I introduce myself. My name is Artemis” the man introduced, sitting on a stool with wheels.

“I’m Charlie. Nice to meet you” I responded formally. It will be nice to meet him if he actually patches me up and doesn’t steal my limbs or something like that.

“Welcome, Charlie. Now, can you tell me where you feel the most pain?” Artemis asked kindly.

“I know I have an open wound on the back of my head. It must have split open when it hit the wall. I also feel pain in my side, my neck and my left shin” I explain, pointing to each spot.

“Did they hit your face? Your eyelid is starting to swell” he examined.

“I guess so” I sigh.

“The wound on the back of your head should be easy to fix, but I’d like to take some X-rays so I can see if your bones were affected. You seemed to be able to walk properly, so I doubt there are any broken bones” he explained, looking at the back of my head where the split was.

“Are you going to steal my organs?” I blurt out.

“No, Charlie” he smiled. Artemis took some X-rays and looked them over. He says that I’m lucky, and that my bones are fine. He took me back to the examination bed and cleaned my wound before giving me a local anaesthetic and sewing my skin back together. Artemis carefully dressed my wound and gave me some painkillers. The rest of my injuries were all bruises, and he instructed me on how to look after them. After he was finished, there was a knock at the door. Artemis called out, telling the person to come in. It was Gage, he was holding clothes in his hands.

“Hey, how are you doing?” Gage asked, stepping into the room.

“Still hurts but the medication helps” I let out. Even though it all went smoothly, I still felt uneasy.

“You should try to sleep on your side or your stomach if you can. The wound will be tender for a couple of days” Artemis instructed.

“I bought you some clothes to change into if you want to have a shower” Gage let out, coming over and dropping them into my lap. I don’t know if I want to wear the same clothes as them, but like everything else that has happened today, I guess I have no other choice.

“Excellent idea. We’ll happily launder your clothes for you in the meantime” Artemis offers.

“Are you sure? My jumper is cashmere” I wince. I don’t want these guys to shrink my clothes in the wash.

“It’s no problem! We have wool specific detergent and only air dry” Artemis smiles.

“Okay. Well, thank you. That would be nice” I smile weakly. In all honesty, a nice hot shower sounds great right now. I feel slimy.

“Come on, I’ll show you where they are” Gage smiled, offering a hand.

#Charlie Miller #Gage Guzman #Artemis Gunderson #Fluorescent Vermin #Fluorescent Vermin Preview #Fluorescent Vermin Chapter 6 #Chapter 6

[fluorescentvermin]

Chapter 4

Help

Charlie

Are you okay?

The harsh light of morning sun hit my face as I came to. The first thing I noticed before I could even open my eyes was that my body hurts all over. My neck, my ribs and my legs all thrum with pain. My head is pounding. I reach to the back of my neck and feel that dried crusty blood had matted my hair.

"Are you okay?" I hear a voice in front of me. I try to open my eyes, but the sun blinds me immediately.

"What happened to you?" The voice asks as I blink rapidly in hopes of adjusting to the light. When I finally open my eyes, a man is crouching over me and all I can see is a balaclava mask and tired eyes. I remember where I was, what happened last night, and I scream.

"Hey! Hey, don't scream, it's okay!" The masked man tries to comfort me, his eyes softened. But I'm still terrified.

"Please! Don't hurt me!" I yelp, cowering. I try to move back, but instead I scramble against a wall.

"Shit, my mask! Sorry about that. I don't want to hurt you" he exclaims, pulling off his balaclava revealing a mess of platinum blonde hair.

"What do you want from me?" I shout.

"I want to know what happened! Are you okay? You don't look too good" the blondes voice sounded kinder without the fabric barrier.

"I-I... I had my phone stolen... a-a-and I got beaten up... I must have passed out right here. This is so embarrassing!" I mumble. I'm shaking like a leaf. The man leaned in closer.

"Can I take a look?" He asks, reaching out.

"N-no! Stay back!" I bark. My heart is hammering in my chest. I don’t know how many more surprises I can take.

"I know you're scared, but I just want to help, okay? I have a place that you can go to, we can get you patched up" he mentions, moving back to give me some space.

"W-what?" I stutter.

"I've got a place. I have a friend who's really good at cleaning wounds, we've got showers, food, beds even if you need to rest. You don't have to stay, but please let me help you get patched up" the man rattles. He looked like the same type of person who would beat me up and steal my belongings, so why is he trying to help me?

"How do I know you're not just going to hurt me o-o-or kidnap me?" I bark.

"I am not going to hurt you, and if you don't want to come, you don't have to. I'm guessing you're new around here?" He asks, looking at my clothes. My clothes aren't super expensive, but this guy looked like he was wearing trash. He was wearing a patched-up hoodie with one sleeve torn off and ripped jeans.

"M-maybe... What's it to you?" I defend.

"It's hard being stuck here. It's a scary place and I'm sorry you had to experience that firsthand. We're not all bad people" he emphasizes.

"Okay... You want to help me? Really? You're not going to steal my wallet and run away? Well bad luck for you buddy, because I have no money and my card doesn't even work!" I don't know what this guy's angle is. Why is he trying to empathize with me? It seems suspicious.

"Not to be that guy... But I think the people that beat you up probably already did that" he winces. My eyes widen. I didn't think that they'd rifle through my pockets while I was passed out. I put my hands in my pockets, and sure enough, they were completely empty.  They even stole my smart glasses! Is nothing sacred?

"How do I know you didn't take them from me?" I spit.

"Okay! Fair enough. I'll show you what I've got" he puts his hands up in defence before reaching into his pockets and pulling out its contents.

"I got my phone" he pulled out a vintage smart flip phone. I didn't even know those things still existed.

"My keys" a set of keys, actual keys. Not the electronic fobs or key cards I'm used to.

"My cigarettes and my lighter. it's a bad habit, I know. And in my duffel bag, I've just got my spray paints" he unzipped a duffel bag that was behind him. I didn't even realize it was there.

"That's everything?" I check.

"That's everything. You can look in my bag if you want. Nothing in my back pockets" the man drags his bag over, as well as turning around to show me his empty back pockets. I take his bag and rifle through it. I checked every pocket, every crevice. Nothing but spray paint. He was clean.

"So, you didn't steal my stuff... And you don't want to hurt me, kidnap me, take my money, or take advantage of me?" I question.

"No, I do not want to take advantage of you, or any of those other things" he confirmed.

"Why do you want to help me?" I pry.

"Because no one helped me" the man huffs.

#Bro help me out I need a more creative title for this chapter #plz tell me a better title thank you #fluorescent vermin #fluorescent vermin preview #fluorescent vermin chapter 4 #charlie miller #Mysterious man oooh who is he?? #chapter 4

[fluorescentvermin]

Chapter 2

You'll Figure It Out

Charlie

You’ll figure it out I was still shaken by what just happened. One day, our relationship is perfect, and the next, it’s broken and “can’t be fixed”. I’m trying to figure out what Ella was referring to when she told me she was unhappy. I can’t remember a single time where she could have even alluded to her unhappiness.

Maybe this is all a test, and she doesn’t really want to divorce me. I’m a good husband, I look after her. My only downfall is that I’m unemployed, at least I think so. It’s been difficult. I didn’t realise until after graduating from university that The Neo Journal would be hard to get into.

Maybe this is just a lesson that Ella wants me to learn. A wake-up call so I can get back on my feet and continue providing for her. I am a good husband; I want to continue being a good husband. I’ll figure this out.

But for now, I need a place to sleep.

I walk to the closest hotel from our flat and make my way inside. This hotel isn’t terrible, it can be a bit expensive, but I have the funds for it. The hotel lobby has a minimalistic design with white leather couches, plush carpet, a fun freestanding waterfall feature and marble flooring that continued up the concierge’s desk.

“Hi! Can I get a room for the night?” I ask politely, giving the concierge a smile.

“Just for yourself, sir? Or are you expecting company?” The concierge asks, tapping away at his keyboard.

“Just me. No company” I add.

“A room for one night would be $1,800. Because you’re checking in late, we’ll have to ask you to pay upfront. Is that okay, sir?” The concierge informed.

“Sure. That’s no problem” I smile.

“Perfect. The machine is ready when you are sir” the concierge instructs, holding his hand out to gesture towards the card reader. I thank him and tap my phone against the screen of the card machine.

“Oh, I’m very sorry sir. It says your credit score is in the negatives. I’m afraid I can’t accept your card at this time” the concierge winces.

“What? Why does that matter? I have the money” I furrow my eyebrows in confusion.

“I’m sorry, sir. It’s company policy. We’re a high esteemed establishment and we only accept payment from people with appropriate credit scores” the concierge explains. He has a look on his face that seemed like a mixture of disgust and politeness.

“When was that implemented?” I ask, still confused.

“Since the bill went through government to prevent money laundering and… unsavoury folks from tainting our economy three years ago” the concierge further explains with a look of judgement. I must have missed that article.

“I am not laundering money or an ‘unsavoury’ person, okay?” I defend.

“Sure, sir” the concierge smiles insincerely.

“Fine, I understand” I sigh, taking my cue to leave.

Unbelievable. The audacity. To even assume I’m either of those things is uncalled for. I’m an educated man, I’m just down on my luck is all. Maybe I can do an Infinite search for hotels that don’t care about this ‘credit score’ nonsense.

I search the internet through my phone for a reasonable hotel, deciding to go for a little walk as I do so. It doesn’t take long before I found a hotel online. It says specifically on its webpage that it accepts any credit score, whether good or bad. The only problem is, it’s a lengthy walk. About thirty minutes away. I could call a taxi, but they might deny my card also. Maybe walking could be good for me. I grab the address of the hotel from their website and put it into my Infinite Maps app through my smart glasses. My smart glasses are pretty nifty, they display a user interface onto the glass to integrate helpful information without affecting my vision. The directions are displayed onto my glasses, and I start my journey. A walk would be good, after all, it was a lovely night. The fluorescent lights of advertisements and neon signs lit up the dark sky. The cool air hit my skin as I walked through the city. It seemed quiet tonight, or maybe it was just the street I was on. I double check the map to make sure that I was following the navigation correctly. It was a bit strange that my navigation was sending me down an alleyway. Normally Infinite Maps only directs through main streets. I stopped at the entrance to the alley, it looked dark. There wasn’t much lighting up the path and I couldn’t see what was down there. I was nervous, but I swallowed it down taking a deep breath before continuing down the alley. As I made my way through, the smell of rotting garbage hit my nostrils. I use my free hand to cover my nose, but it didn’t help much. It’s fine, it’s not a lengthy alleyway, I just need to walk faster, and it’ll be over before I know it. I quicken my pace. It wasn’t long before I stepped in a puddle, soaking my socks.

“God damn it!” I curse, inspecting my foot. The water was gross, it left dirt stains on my sock.

“What’s a matter, pretty boy?” A mysterious voice called out from the shadows. My heart dropped.

“W-Who’s there?” I shout out, searching the darkness.

“Just your imagination” another voice escaped from the shadows. Fuck. Fuck this is bad. As much as I tried to find the source of the voices, I couldn’t see them. My heart was drumming in my chest. I had to get out of here. I make a break for it, running down the alleyway. Suddenly, a hand gripped onto my wrist, yanking me against the wall.

“What’s a guy like you doing in a shitty alley like this?” One of the voices showed themselves, leaning in to interrogate me. It was a punk, dressed in a spiky leather jacket and ripped jeans, sporting a neon green haircut. Two others got closer, another punk with a shaved head wearing a baggy shirt with patched up jeans, and a woman with red and white streaked hair wearing a filthy button up shirt and uneven pants. This wasn’t good.

“I-I’m just passing through. I don’t mean any trouble” I sweat. The punks were smiling sinisterly at me.

“Neither do we. If you hand us your phone” The punk with the green hair demanded, putting his hand out expectantly.

“W-What? N-No! It’s mine, you can’t have it!” I defend, looking to the end of the alleyway, hoping I can make a run for it. The punk with the shaved head grabbed my face, forcing me to look at them.

“Give us your phone” The shaved head punk demands, squeezing my cheeks. I couldn’t tell if they were a man or a woman, but their face was littered with tattoos.

“W-Will you let me go if I do?” I let out, hoping that they will be decent human beings.

“Sure” the green haired punk smiles. I sigh. I have no choice. If I don’t give them my phone, I could die. But if I give them my phone, I’ll be without access to my bank account, my wife, my family. I can’t think about that now. I have to think about my survival. With a heavy heart, I hand them my phone, making sure it was locked.

“Can I leave now?” I ask, the punk’s hand still gripping tightly onto my face. The green haired punk takes my phone and shoves it into his pocket.

“No” the green haired punk smiles, before the punk with the shaved head reels back and punches me in the stomach. I try to breathe but the wind was knocked out of me. I gasp, trying to take in air, and slide down the wall. Of course, they’d beat me up, how could I be so stupid? I flap around on the floor, desperately trying to breathe. Then one of the punk’s kicks me in the chest, and my ribs immediately hurt. I’m writhing in pain, when another kick lands against my shins. The pain is unbearable, I’m locked up in the foetal position. Another kick, this time in the head, and with the force of my head slamming against the brick wall behind me, I pass out.

#fluorescent vermin #fluorescent vermin preview #fluorescent vermin chapter 2 #chapter 2 #original story #cyberpunk story #Charlie Miller #Mystery characters ooooh who are they???

[fluorescentvermin]

Chapter 1

The Beginning Of The End

Charlie

Being unemployed has been difficult, but any other unemployed adult with no safety net would say the same thing. I’m lucky that my safety net is my wife, Ella. She has been my rock, supporting me through my job hunting. I can tell it has taken a toll on her mentally. I don’t mean to put extra financial stress on her, I’m trying my hardest. I’m grateful that I have someone like Ella in my life. Sometimes I think I don’t deserve her. She’s beautiful, intelligent, cunning and honest. I’ve learnt many lessons from her, she’s taught me compromise and how to be a better person.

It has been a struggle job hunting, there isn’t much out there to apply for that doesn’t require a university degree. I was an intern for a while at a tabloid publisher, but it was dreadful. The staff didn’t respect me, and I got stuck running around collecting everyone’s mail, making coffee and checking other people’s work for spelling and grammar mistakes. It felt as though some of my colleagues purposefully filled their articles full of mistakes just to give me extra work. My colleagues were scum, all concerned with themselves and their own bloated ego. Everyone was beneath them, and they were all obsessed with celebrity drama. I thought that starting my journey into journalism would help me advance with ease through the ranks, instead it crushed my soul into a paste. I couldn’t work there; my mental health was in peril. Even though it wasn’t necessary for me to bring my work home, it still affected me when I was away from the office. I was frustrated all the time, lashing out at Ella over small things. I didn’t like what that job was turning me into. Even though the money was okay, it simply wasn’t worth it. In the end, I decided that the wellbeing of my household was more important. So, why do I feel guilt over it?

I’ve been thinking that I should put aside my prejudices and apply for other news centric jobs that I would never think about applying for. Maybe if I focus on actual journalism, I can find a better workplace. However, the state of journalism these days is appalling, it seems as though no one cares about the Journalist’s Creed anymore. The news is filled with paid sponsorships, promoting useless garbage for the masses. If it isn’t thinly veiled advertising, it’s segments about current events that are greatly skewed by governmental impact to save face, focusing on things that don’t matter and hiding the truth. It’s the same for online news sources, I don’t understand why celebrity gossip is such a concern for our community. There are a handful of news sources that care about telling the truth, but even some of them fall victim to paid articles. I don’t blame them, without the sponsors there is little financial benefit to reporting the truth.

The only news source that aligns with the Journalist’s Creed is The Neo Journal. I’ve read their articles my whole life, and I don’t trust anything unless I have read it through them. The journalists they hire are highly respected and get themselves into dangerous situations just to report the truth. I’ve applied for them multiple times, however my lack of experience in the field has hindered my chances. I became a journalist to write the truth, but maybe I need to set that aside for a little while before I can achieve my goals.

Even so, I can’t bring myself to apply for any other journalist positions. I’m afraid that my mental health will continue to be affected writing shallow drivel about celebrities and whatever new gadget is available to purchase.

I went to the library today just to get out of the house. I looked at job sites for hours and applied to a couple of listings. It’s draining seeing countless emails saying that I’m not the right fit for this position or lack the necessary experience. I was excited to just come home and relax. I was especially looking forward to curling up with Ella on the couch and asking her about her day.

However, when I got to our front door, I couldn’t unlock it. My phone normally works, but when I tapped it on our electronic lock, it rejected me. I try multiple times, all rejected. I restart my phone and even after it rebooted, it still won’t scan. I made sure I had my NFC was on, and I have plenty of data, even if I wasn’t connected to our Wi-Fi. I pull out my back up key, an electronic fob. I tap it, and it still isn’t working. I have no idea what’s going on. This is embarrassing. Hopefully Ella is home. I knock on the door of my residence.

I stand idly waiting for her to come, but minutes pass by and I can't hear any movement in the flat. I knock again, louder this time. Still no sounds of shuffling feet or human existence. Maybe Ella isn’t home. I take my phone out again and call her and I can hear her phone ringing. She must be home. I sigh and knock even louder.

"Ella. It's Charlie. My key isn’t working" I yell through the wood of the door, knocking again. Finally, I hear movement. Shuffling feet grow louder, approaching the door.

“Good” Ellas’s voice was muffled by the door and the walls between us, surely, I was mistaken by what I heard.

“Sorry? I didn’t catch that. Can you let me in, please?” I yell again.

“I said good! I changed the locks” Ella shouted through the door.

“I wish you would have told me about that so I could have bought a new key” I yell and mumble at the same time. Ella forgets to tell me things sometimes, but she’s a busy woman so I don’t blame her.

“I don’t have to tell you anything” she yells.

“Ella, honey, I’ve had a long day. Can you please just let me in?” I beg.

"No, I don't think I will" She pouts, or I assume she is.

"Ella, I hear that you’re upset. I don’t know what I have done, but I’ll make it up to you. Open the door so that I can fix it"

“You can’t fix what’s already broken, Charlie”

“Broken? What are you talking about?”

“Our relationship, Charlie. It’s not working out anymore”

“Darling, we can talk about this. Can you let me in? We’ll have some coffee and talk about it. We can figure this out”

"I want a divorce, Charlie!" She shouts. My knees buckle at her words.

"A divorce? What? No! Can you let me in so we can talk?" I plead. I'm taken back by her words. I know things have been rocky but going that far is a bit extreme. We're supposed to be there for each other, and I've tried my hardest to be a good husband. I didn’t have the energy for this right now, my brain was fried. Not to mention the sheer embarrassment of our neighbours hearing our lovers spat.

"NO! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO SEE ME EVER AGAIN!" Ella wails like a banshee. Her voice piercing my ears even through the cover of the door.

"Ella, you're being irrational. Let me in, we'll talk it over. We'll think it through. I get it, you're angry, but we should think about something like that calmly with a clear and level head" I beg. I don't want to be without her. Even with the rollercoaster of emotions she's put me through, I still love her.

"I have thought about it, Charlie. I am level-headed. Our marriage hasn't been working out and I think it's about time we admit to that"

"Ella, I made a vow to be there for you in sickness and in health. I have been distracted and I admit to it. I'll do better, I promise" I plead, leaning against the door in my weakness.

"Do you know how many times you've said that, and nothing has happened? I don't believe you will do better honestly" she hisses.

"Ella! God, please! Can we talk about this in the flat? The neighbours can hear everything" I beg, cowering against the door.

"Good! Let the neighbours know that I have a terrible EX-HUSBAND!"

"Ella! Don’t be like this. Why is this the first time I’m hearing about this?"

"Don't act dumb! I've been telling you for years that I'm unhappy and you've stood by and done nothing! I've tried to fix us, but nothing has worked! I'm exhausted! I can't do it anymore!" Ella sounds so hurt and frustrated. I can't bear to hear her like this. I need to hold her and tell her that it'll all be okay. One day.

"Look, I'm sorry. Okay? We'll go to couple’s therapy. We can work this out" I try to bargain. Yet I'm confused, searching my brain for memories of when Ella would have genuinely told me that she was unhappy. She pouts constantly and judges me at times, sure, but I can't recall a single time she's said anything about trying to mend our relationship.

"Are you not listening to me? It's not WORKING!" Her voice raspy and desperate.

"Ella! This is ridiculous! Let me in!" my face feels hot. I can't tell if I'm angry, sad or mortified. Probably all three.

"No!"

"It's my home too!"

"Not anymore!"

"You're kicking me out??" I bark. Tears welling in my eyes.

"Yes! You're never allowed in the flat again!" She screams.

"Where am I supposed to go? You know I don't have anywhere!"

"You'll figure it out"

"Ella! Let me in!"

"No! I'm done! It's over" She screams, surely her throat hurts just as much as mine.

"What about my stuff? My clothes?" I ask. But she doesn't answer.

"ELLA!" I scream again, knocking on the door feverishly.

"ELLA! LET ME IN! WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS!” desperate wails followed by desperate knocking. Still no answer. Tears stream down my hot cheeks and I let the sadness take over.

I stood there crying, uncertain of what to do. The sound of a door opening down the hall caught my attention, and a head peeked out.

"Hey, could you keep it down?" The head shouted out.

"Don't worry, I'm leaving!" I scream with vitriol before storming out of the building.

Next chapter

#fluorescent vermin #fluorescent vermin preview #fluorescent vermin chapter 1 #chapter 1 #original story #cyberpunk story #Charlie Miller