Refuge Zone: How It All Began
I live in the year 2110, and my name is Ava. I am a skilled virtual reality hacker and have made it my mission to uncover injustices, as the current legal system supports no one except the corporations. I use my skills to fight against the corrupt system.
My hometown is New Sydney, Australia, which is ruled by mega-corporations like MUKO after the corporate wars. The society has been divided into a caste system of social classes. The rich reside in luxurious skyscrapers, while the poor live in rundown slums at the edge of the city and can’t even find work.
One day, I received a secret mission from the underground organization ASA, which opposes the corporations. I was to infiltrate the headquarters of the powerful corporation „Shiro Hana,“ located on a remote island called „Refuge Zone“ in Glow City off the Australian coast, and steal confidential information. I was aware of the dangers this undertaking posed, but I was willing to take the risk and fight for justice.
I sat captivated by the window of the flying car that was taking me to the bustling metropolis of Glow City. The city’s lights reflected off the glass skyscrapers and bathed the streets in a neon glow. I could already hear the city’s soundtrack through my implant – a wild mix of electro beats, siren-like wails, and the dull rumble of industrial machines.
When the flying car finally landed in the futuristic harbor, I was greeted by a wave of hot, sticky air. The smell of burnt metal and destroyed electronics hit my nose. As I pushed my way through the crowded corridors of the harbor, I felt the city’s energy and chaos around me. People in all kinds of clothing styles rushed past me – from edgy cyberpunks in combat boots to extravagant fashion icons in bright neon colors.
I could admire the futuristic architecture adorned with innovative holograms and glowing billboards. Endless street canyons stretched in all directions between the skyscrapers, where the city’s shadows deepened. When I reached the airport exit, I stepped into the city’s glittering lights.
Glow City enveloped me like a veil of technology and future – a dazzling, surreal world that was both fascinating and frightening. My heart beat faster with excitement as I set out to begin my new life in this cyberpunk metropolis.
After a few days in the neon-lit cyberpunk city, it slowly became clear to me why I was actually here. The bright lights, the humid air, and the constant sound of car towers and crowds had initially overwhelmed me, but now I felt increasingly at home. I had settled into this world as a hacker to find out what happened to Kaido.
Thanks to my skills and connections, I managed to penetrate Shiro Hana and find a useful interface for the hacking deck. The corporation’s security systems were not that complicated. The building’s doors were also easy to open. Eventually, I found the secret server room. I established a connection to HiLink (Internet). When I found a safe spot in the metro tunnel, I hacked into the system. I found many shocking data about the corporation’s activities and the exploitation of people. People were kidnapped and used for experiments. Among them was the story of Kaido and the attack on the XLSS-9 space station in Dubai in 2049, in which Shiro Hana was involved and which led to a nuclear disaster.
Shiro Hana was a leader in the space industry and worked on an ambitious terraforming project on the Moon. The XLSS-9 space station was the heart of the project and housed a space elevator in Dubai, which allowed employees to commute between Earth, the station, and the Moon. The inhabitants of Refuge Zone lived in constant fear of Shiro Hana’s actions. The corporation controlled not only the island’s resources but also the survival of the population there. People who opposed Shiro Hana were often kidnapped or forced into labor in the corporation’s factories. Additionally, Shiro Hana divided the island into different zones, claiming it was for the population’s protection.
The Ghostrider named Kaido was a former Shiro Hana employee who turned against the corporation and joined ASA after learning about their ruthless actions.
According to the documents, the XLSS-9 space station and the space elevator in Dubai were targeted by Kaido and his team to gain control over them. Their goal was to break Shiro Hana’s power and change the balance of power in the universe.
The XLSS-9 space station was one of the largest and most important structures built by humans in space, with countless facilities and resources that made it a strategically important target.
I found a deleted entry that was very difficult to restore. It documented that Kaido did not destroy the station, but agents of Shiro Hana did, to frame Kaido.
When the attack began, there was a recorded dialogue that seemed manipulated. There were intense firefights between the attackers and defenders of the XLSS-9. The corporation’s security measures and defense technologies were impressive, but Kaido and his team were undeterred. They fought with great determination and willingness to sacrifice to achieve their goal.
Drones allegedly recorded parts of the conversation between the attackers and defenders:
Kaido: „We have to act quickly before they discover our tracks.“ His comrades: „I know, but the corporation’s security measures are really impressive. We have to be careful.“ Kaido: „We have no choice. We must get through, no matter what it costs.“ Defender: „Enemy contact! Enemy contact! Hold the defensive line!“ Attacker: „Take them under fire! We must advance to the ground station!“ Defender: „They are too strong! We need reinforcements!“ Kaido: „****Static**** Bomb is pl ****Static****. Let’s get out of here before it detonates.“ Ally: „I hope we have enough time to escape.“ Kaido: „We can do it. Get on the hoverbike and let’s go!“
A smaller nuclear bomb was planted at the ground station inside the Earth’s anchorage of the space elevator. After they fled to the desert on hoverbikes, they detonated the bomb, destroying the space elevator of XLSS-9. A rumble was heard.
Shortly afterward, the Dubai military forces arrived and thwarted further actions. Military commander: „Quick, secure the area! Have you identified the perpetrator?“ Soldier: „The perpetrators are fleeing with some hoverbikes. We’re pursuing them in the desert with our special forces.“ A few minutes later, a radio message came: „Unit neutralized, unit neutralized! The sheep is in the pen.“ The soldier: „Sir, the group has been intercepted and taken into custody.“ Military commander: „Well done. Hand them over to the Shiro Hana forces for further interrogation.“
Kaido and his people were apparently caught, arrested, and handed over to Shiro Hana’s forces. Was that a betrayal? According to the documents, they disappeared without a trace in the corporation’s catacombs. The XLSS-9 space station crashed into the Atlantic after a few close Earth orbits.
The documents didn’t reveal much more.
How did Shiro Hana know about the plan? I was shocked and left the metro tunnel and the city.
To this day, Shiro Hana has not been broken but is even flourishing because many super-rich people now want to live on the new Moon and Mars stations. I decided to make the information accessible to ASA and expose the corporation. But it is useless, Shiro Hana plans to build a new space station with an elevator on their island in 2110 and is looking for employees worldwide.
this is a small excerpt (c) Refuge Zone
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