Empire EQ: Yumi, #2

By Kaye Wagner

Nights of wild dancing, sunset dinners at luxurious restaurants, noonday shopping sprees at expensive markets and early morning walks across sandy beaches,life in Saga City is everything a girl can dream of, and for Yumi, that dream she created in her mind is lived out every day across the sprawling metropolis. In Saga, wealth is the greatest equalizer, and Yumi and her friends take full advantage of its pleasures. While Jay and Kara enjoy the city’s many opportunities to gamble and party, Yumi, on the other hand, relishes her little moments of bliss with the up and coming star of the city, Julian. However, these peaceful and dreamlike days within the wealthy metropolis are numbered as the looming threats laid out by the ‘Empire DJ’ and his violent rebels of ‘Empire’ cast a dark shadow on the glowing city on the hill—eventually forcing Yumi to confront a reality about the world beyond her fantasy, to make amends with it before the weight of her ignorance crushes her and everything she loves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pendown Publishing
• Release date: Oct 12, 2015
• ISBN: 9781519913845

Book preview

Empire EQ

By

Kaye Wagner

Text copyright © October 2014, Kaye Wagner

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All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission from the author.

Contents

Chapter 1: The Fantasy

Chapter 2: Bazaar Nights

Chapter 3: Gamers Den

Chapter 4: Her Wonderland

Chapter 5: Cyren

Chapter 6:  Daydreaming Beginnings

Chapter7: Nightmare Endings

Chapter 8: Forms of Fear

Chapter 9: Covered in Code

Chapter 10: Weird Creatures

Chapter 11: Adore You

Chapter 12: Queen’s Night

Chapter 13: Her Creator

Author Notes:

Chapter 1: The Fantasy

Let’s go!

Yumi shouted into a microphone as neon lights from overhead flashed continuously with the drop of a frenetic beat. Staring out into a crowd of uninhibited revelers, Yumi nodded her head beside a fully engaged Kara, who mixed sounds with her synthesizer and turntables, dazzling the crowd with the captivating music she produced. Nodding her head to the beat, Yumi jumped up and down across the stage, full of energy and life as the crowd cheered her and Kara on while the heart stopping dance song they played blared through the stereo system of the small dimly lit dance hall they all occupied. Yumi, standing behind a set of keyboards herself, began playing as well, hopping up and down as she did, hyping up the crowd with her movement and sound before the only words sung in the song came around again. As they did, Yumi grabbed the microphone and shouted in an almost sing song voice to the captivated crowd. Let’s go!

Yumi shouted as sweat dripped down from her brow to her tank top and unzipped white hoody. She then grinned as she glanced at the smiling Kara, whose hands adjusted nobs on her mixing board and turntable. Pulling her attention away from her console, Kara gave a thumbs up to Yumi before the elevated sound of the song began blending in with another until the beat broke down, letting Yumi sing a few words in an elegant voice over its smooth melody to the amazement of the crowd. This is your fantasy, and I’m her creator. This is our fantasy, and I’m her creator. She sung to the chants of the crowd before the wild beat returned in a warped fashion made by Kara’s mixing, eventually allowing the fully formed song to return, delighting the partygoers for a wild minute with its frenetic beat. As they danced to the music with reckless abandonment, the dim lights in the room suddenly turned bright, the flashing neon stopping while the music cut off. Everyone inside of what looked like a warehouse space glanced around the room in stunned silence before the yell of a fat man at the other end of the room caught their attention.

Okay, that’s enough! An older man dressed in a worn out workers’ uniform said wobbling inside the warehouse space under the bright lights.

Ah C’mon, Kara looked on in distress. Old man Cullins, I thought you said we could use this space until daybreak?

I did. The old man said moving towards a large rolling door, pulling it up and exposing the contained space to the bright lights of the midday sun. And it’s past daybreak and more like midday. You guys need to hurry up and get out of here—you can’t party all day and night, you know.

Why not? Yumi smiled through her exhaustion as she watched the crowd drag themselves out of the small warehouse and sneaking out through a torn fence then onto the pristine roads beyond. Things were just getting jumpy in here, Yumi sighed. And you know they say, a blacksmith can’t become skilled without smelting a few swords. And Kara and I need to practice with a live crowd, so, old man Cullins, let us smelt so more, why don’t you?

No, Cullins replied flatly. And I don’t think anyone says that. Nor do I think you make any sense.

I think I do. Yumi hung off the shoulder of a smiling Kara.

You don’t because blacksmiths don’t exist in Saga, Cullins said. Robots run the factories out here. Just look at the skyscrapers and you’ll see that. He said glancing out the open garage door to a distant view of the High End City skyscrapers glowing in the midday sun.

Yeah, Kara scratched her head. But weren’t those man made?

Yes, Cullins agreed. But machines smelted that steel, shaped those beams before shipping them off to the Lower City workers to fasten their bolts and do all the heavy lifting.

Kara tilted her head in wonder. Same for us, right? Except our musical equipment are our machines. But we do quite the light work with them though. She nodded in satisfaction before looking at Yumi. Good analogy Yumi, if I may say so myself. Made all the stronger with your point, Mr. Cullins. Good philosophizing with you. She said giving Yumi a smile and a high five to the discomfort of Cullins. However, just after their high five, Yumi looked on with surprise.

Wait! Yumi looked towards old man Cullins. You said it was midday already?

Yeah. And? Cullins replied as he began moving boxes in from his truck onto the storage space. And it’s about time you stop wasting your days partying it up every night and do something productive in the city. Old man Cullins said stacking boxes as Yumi began collecting her things around her while Kara looked on in confusion. I swear to our god Gorodin. Old man Cullins continued. If you keep partying like this, you’re going to end up like those spoiled rich kids smoking, popping pills, and snorting all kinds of things through the night. he said as Yumi grabbed the confused Kara’s hand, pulling her along while she straightened her hair before placing her straight edge snapback hat over it.

Nothing wrong with that. Yumi smiled as she rushed past old man Cullins. Whatever keeps the party going is fine with us. Cullins, keep an eye on our things, we’ll be back to pick them up later.

Hey! Cullins shouted as they rushed through the open warehouse door. You better comeback and collect your equipment or I’m going to sell them.

Do that, and Milk will have something to say about that. Yumi smiled to the grimace of Cullins before she spoke again. Don’t worry, he’s sleeping in the backroom, ask him for help and you’ll finish moving everything in no time. She said to the relieved sigh of Cullins as he moved inside the warehouse. Turning her attention away from him, Yumi rushed forward onto the smoothly paved foreground of what looked like a factory storage park with multiple warehouses filling out its large open spaces.

Hey, Kara said still confused by their frenzied pace forward. Where are we going Yumi? she asked while looking nervously back at the warehouse they exited. Why are you acting so crazy?

Don’t you know the time? Yumi asked as she rushed forward.

What about the time? Kara asked as they neared a pearl white Humvee at the end of one warehouse.

It’s game time. Yumi said. Julian has a game today, haven’t I told you about it?

Oh, Kara said nodding her head. His qualifying game or something like that.

It’s the last game of the season, Kara. It’s his biggest game so far these past four months.

Really? Kara smiled slyly at her words. I thought his biggest game was you. she chuckled. I was worried, you know. The first week we moved here, you were trapped in his loft every single day—while me, Jay and Milk had to fend for ourselves.

We invited you to stay. Yumi said annoyed as they reached the Humvee. And besides, Pippen took care of you soon after, he found you some low income housing beside the High End City Bazaar. Quite the upgrade from the Lower City, wouldn’t you say? Yumi said opening the driver side door, slipping inside as the engine turned on automatically—reacting to the sensor in Yumi’s mobile as a voice greeted her from the on-board computer.

Welcome, Yumi and Kara. What is your destination? The feminine voice said through the car’s speakers. Yumi touched the face of a screen before speaking. Manual Drive, please. She said to a beeping response from the car while Kara moved to the passenger side door, climbing her way in as Yumi hurriedly changed gears with a click of a button on the steering wheel, moving into drive before speeding forward down the open spaces of the warehouses filling out the concrete fairground. So, Yumi continued. Don’t complain to me about fending for yourself when I helped you a lot. She said steadfastly. And don’t blame me and Julian if we wanted some privacy for a few days.

Oh, Kara smiled knowingly. And how wild those days must’ve been. I swear you were walking like you rode a horse fifty miles for a whole week after your ‘private’ soiree between the sheets.

Shut up. Yumi punched Kara on the shoulder, annoyed as she pulled out and reached the front gate. I told you already, I slipped and fell on my back then, that had nothing to do... Yumi hesitated with her words for a moment before speaking confidently again. That had nothing to do with what we did or did not do for a few days in Julian the Great’s master bedroom. She said with a smug look on her face to the delight of Kara as she laughed aloud.

You so did it for five days and five nights straight, it’s written all over you, Kara looked on amused. Maybe inside you too.

Shut up. Yumi said embarrassed before glancing at the security guard by the gate, seeing him looking on awkwardly as if he had heard all of Kara’s boasting on Yumi’s behalf.

Embarrassed, Yumi nodded at the guard. Just taking equipment out for Mr. Cullins, Sir.

The blue uniformed security guard looked on unconvinced as he flipped through an entry log on a thin tablet. For ten hours you were gathering equipment?

Y-Yeah. Yumi said in hesitation. The load maybe small, but the equipment is delicate. It’s a... Yumi looked in the back to see boxes with the ‘@CyrenGroup’ tag on them. It’s an old motherboard, fragmented into pieces, very fragile and must be loaded with care or our bosses will chop our hands off if any piece is missing.

Hmm... the guard looked on with a curious eye. He then nodded his head slowly before opening the gate for the two of them, letting Yumi slowly drive them past the gate before she sped off down the road with a grin on her face, looking at the bewildered guard through the rear view mirror to see his confusion over their hurried pace.

Hah! Kara laughed at the situation, turning on the stereo system, letting a majestic dance song play over their getaway from the gate. You didn’t have to leave tire marks after your terrible lie. Kara said amused. He already opened the gate, you know.

Well, he knew I was lying so I can’t let him remember the faces of the people who just fooled to him.

How delightfully deceitful. Kara said in a haughty voice as she pulled out her own mobile, fiddling her thumbs across its glass screen. As Yumi drove down the wide-open highway streets of the outer edge of the Higher City, she glanced at Kara, wondering what kept her so engaged as her fingers glided across her mobile display.

Hey, Yumi called out to Kara as they sped down the open highway streets. What are you looking at?

Oh, Kara turned to Yumi, flashing her bright screen to her. Just checking up on some new equipment. This mobile is amazing—Jay has been showing me all of its features. He’s got me hooked on using the city’s ‘Meshnet’ to look up and order stuff online from all the stores downtown. she said as Yumi glanced at the front of her mobile to see a page with a list of musical equipment under the address ‘@MusicPalace’.

Yeah, Yumi smiled as Kara returned to scrolling through her page. It’s pretty handy, you can even order food through a restaurant’s account page. This city, Yumi looked at the nearing skyscrapers. It’s like we’re in a different world compared to every other broken town we’ve traveled through this past year. This place is just on a whole other level that it’s baffling sometimes to experience the variety of things you can do here. It’s amazing.

Hm... Still honeymooning, I see. Kara smiled slyly as Yumi admired her environment. Is that how you and Julian fed yourselves through your days of isolation? she said to the now bashful expression of Yumi. Eating in and sleeping in—oh, how luxurious. She giggled to the embarrassment of Yumi, who changed the subject as she looked at the vacant streets they were traveling.

T-These streets are so empty, right?

Please, Kara smiled wistfully. Don’t be embarrassed Yumi, I’m glad actually. She glanced at the soft expressions wearing on Yumi’s face. You’ve gotten a lot softer, a lot calmer since you met Golden boy, and that’s good, it’s nice to see you calm down for once—though you do seem to get a bit wild when we perform.

Well, Yumi smiled. I can’t help it, especially when I have Ms. DJ Supreme getting me all riled up with her mixes. If you don’t want me bouncing around, then stop making your set list so hyped.

You know that’s an impossibly, right? Kara haughtily brushed her hair to the side as the wind flowed through the roofless Humvee speeding down the road. But for real, Kara said looking at the empty streets as they neared the Main city. Why aren’t there that many cars around?

Oh that, Yumi said looking at the empty road around them. Cullins told me that this side of the Higher End City is where the factories, power generators, and utilities are located and managed.

Then where are all the workers?

Don’t need them. Yumi smiled. I remember Jay talking about how mostly everything in this city is automated or controlled by computers, along with most of the cars and construction materials being built by them, just like Cullins said. Yumi shook her head in slight disbelief. Seems wild, but when you think about it, it’s the only thing that would leave the left end of the highway empty while the suburban and merchant district on the other side of the highway has steady traffic going to and from the city.

Hm... Kara looked out the window with concern. I guess this is what the apocalypse will look like then in a city like this?

Yumi looked on with confused interest at her words. What are you on about?

No cars, no people, simply emptiness over pristine streets catered by machines for no one to travel on. she said seeing small robotic cleaners washing the streets as they passed by.

Dreaming up of the apocalypse, how nice. Yumi said reaching for the radio, turning off the samba song playing as she went to the local broadcasting channels.

Hey, Kara said annoyed. I was listening to that.

I want to hear the game—there should be a play-by-play over the local streams.

Whatever... Kara pouted as she listened over the select streams playing classical, jazz, and other formal genres of music she had no interest in before Yumi tuned to the local news, hearing a peculiar story broadcasting over its streams.

Today, a woman’s voice spoke from the stream. The CGDI, City Guard Detective Inspectors Unit, has been busy at work since the death of the rebel leader four months ago, detaining the remnants of the rebel faction and bringing peace to our streets. However, tension is still rising within the city as vandalism in the deceased leader’s name sprea—

Before the reporter could finish her words, Yumi switched channels, her nerves twitching at the slightest mention of what occurred four months ago. However, as she changed satellite streams, she heard another, more radical voice speaking through a pirate signal.

It’s been four months, a wild man spoke on the radio. And the City Guard has ramped up patrols, but they can’t stop the revolution, because they can’t find the revolutionary. Our Queen will rise, by day or by night, chaos will reign supreme in—

Yumi flinched again, quickly changing the stream, eventually finding the play-by-play broadcast. Can’t talk about anything new. Yumi muttered under her breath as she glanced at Kara, noticing that she was enthralled with her mobile before she returned her focus to the building traffic of the street, noticing that they were nearing the towering skyscrapers of the city.

Well you know, Kara said listlessly. It was pretty wild to have that voice speak through all the machines. That’s all they talk about online, the Empire DJ or the Queen Knight, they’ve basically become a ‘net legend’ on all the message boards.

Right... Yumi said startled and uncomfortable. But nothing has happened since—it was probably just some kid pranking the airwaves four months ago, hacking the city’s grid for kicks and giggles.

Maybe... Kara nodded in disinterest. Who knows? He may have come from the same bus as us as well—he was after all in Basilica when we left—probably wanted to work out his skills in a new city with his stunt on the main street. And how splendidly he did—he even had Jay looking like a child in wonder and awe of his skills. Kara chuckled as she scrolled through a message board on her mobile.

Yeah, Yumi smiled as she maneuvered through the growing city traffic, noticing the waving hand of a short girl with blond bobbed hair and a blue jersey on. Oh, there’s Jen. She said turning her frustration into impatience as she cut through traffic with the now disgruntled Kara.

Not her again. Kara said unenthusiastically. Why are we meeting her now? She’s just going to talk our ears off. We’ll be late.

Yumi smiled at her hesitation as she moved to the curb of what looked like the edge of the main street leading to the heart of the city where towering buildings began to hang over their heads like monoliths in the sky. I think you mean your ear. Yumi added. She only wants to study under the tutelage of the great DJ Supreme.

No, no, no... Kara shook her head. She’s trying to learn the ropes from DJ Yum Yum.

Hah! Yumi laughed. Learn what? How to hop and dance on stage, blurt out a few words, and tap a few keys on a synth? No, she’s trying to learn how to mix sounds on the ones and twos—she’s trying to become a DJ, just like you. She said parking at the curb beside a jumping Jen, who wore a big smile on her face with painted blue and yellow streaks on her cheeks.

Hey! Jen shouted in delight as she waved at Yumi. How are you?!

Fine, Jen. Yumi smiled in excitement. You got everyone set up?

Yeah! Jen said looking over her shoulder. Everyone is watching the game in the shop. Just as she spoke those words, loud cheers erupted from a small coffee shop filled with men dressed in blue and yellow colors of the Saga City Royals team.

Yeah! a group of five men stood up from their seats as they jumped up and down for joy. Yumi could hear the play-by-play on the radio tell the story of the wild cheers from the shop.

Goal!! the announcer echoed through the stereo system. Julian does it again! The Holy Striker with the cross kick pass to Ronin for the beautiful header through the goal post! Amazing, bringing the wayward Royals back into it with a game-tying goal with fifteen minutes remaining until extra time. Truly an amazing scene, a team down by two goals for fifty minutes to tie the game within two minutes. First Julian with a solo run down and dribble for a goal, then with an assist to his right hand man Ronin as this eight game winning streak no one saw coming at the start of the season hangs on tight for a dramatic finish. The Saga City Royals can see it, with their 10-5 record—a playoff berth dangles in front of them only if they can win this game.

Yumi grinned at the excited roars from the background noise of the play-by-play along with the rowdy crowd in the shop. She then quickly shouted out to the rowdy crowd in the coffee shop, whistling with her fingers loudly, quickly grabbing their attention. Hey boys! she shouted to them, standing up from her seat along with a smiling Kara by her side, the both of them leaning on each other seductively. Want to catch the thrilling end of the greatest game of your lives up close and personal? If you do, hop right in, we’ll take you on a wild ride there. she said pressing a button on the door, opening the cab of the Humvee. The boys in the shop looked at each other for a moment before rushing out of the clear glass doors of the storefront, moving at a quick pace to the cab of the jeep while they complained to Yumi.

What the hell Yumi! a freckled face red haired boy said leading the charge with snare drums in his hand along with his friends who held other band instruments with them. You were supposed to pick us up an hour and a half ago. He said climbing into the cab of the jeep with his four other band mates while Jen jumped into the back seat, a giddy expression wearing on her face.

Sorry Rory... Yumi smiled back at the group, looking at all their antsy faces. We kind of got caught up in a few things. Yumi blinked one eye at Kara, who smiled in kind before Jen jumped up in an energetic bounce.

Don’t worry. Jen nodded. We know you have shows to perform at. So exciting, Jen said with a light in her eyes. To move a crowd like you do, Yumi, it must feel amazing.

Yeah, well, Yumi reluctantly glanced at a vindicated Kara, who smiled back before slouching in her seat, clicking away on her mobile. That’s mostly Kara doing the mixing and playing of the music.

But you have such an important role, you bring the energy to the crowd, you give them something to look up to and say ‘wow, I want what she is having’. Plus you play amazingly on the keyboard.

Hey! Rory looked on annoyed. Let’s get a move on, the game is going to end! he said to the cheers of agreement from his band mates while Jen smiled blissfully back at Yumi.

We don’t mind waiting. Jen said to the annoyance of Rory.

Yeah, we do, Jen, and stop gushing over this woman like she’s a new trumpet you bought on sale at the bazaar.

"Oh, but that trumpet was so beautiful,