With my metal feet planted atop this metal-framed building, my contract begins.

“Your mission is to dismantle the main factory of Soulweave Fashion. They lead a dark operation and its your job to put an end to it.”

I’ve learned over the years not to ask questions before the contract. Its all too easy to figure out the dark truths of this city with my own eyes.

Time to roll. I jump off of the edge of this building, and down unto the factory in question. As I glide down, I observe the structure in front of me. Its exterior is made up of winding exhaust pipes much resembling a human’s intestinal tract. The smog emanating from this construct is suffocating.

I waltz towards the factory, arms ready for any obstacle. The barbed fences surrounding the structure are easily passed by even simple cybernetics, the only reason to have fences in this age is to keep the unfortunate unenhanced folks out. The folks who would care about the atrocities regularly committed by the top of the food chain. Suspiciously, I don’t see a single guard in sight. It’s all too easy to just walk inside this operation kept top secret over the years.

Once inside, the workings of the factory are laid so bare I can hardly believe its been kept secret. I witness the chained, half-bodied workers processing product along the chain.

The operation is simple to explain. Healthy human bodies, freshly butchered, first have their skin sliced clean from the muscle underneath. The sinews across the human anatomy are harvested as the second ingredient of the company’s products. Once the blood is extracted from the carcasses, the rest of the organs are discarded, for they are worthless for weaving the high-fashion items Soulweave Fashion is renowned for.

As I begin to strut forward, ready to get started with the operation, I hear another set of imposing footsteps echoing towards me. I hear a familiar voice say, “Well well well… Long time no see, ‘Ms. Atelier’~!”

“You’ve got some nerve calling me by that name, silly boy. You picked up a security contract, Louie?”

“I see you yourself picked up a dismantling contract. What shall we do, Melody?”

We walk in a circle, like two predators ready to fight. Louie’s hand floats above the hilt of his blade, connected to a massive scabbard. I am ready to engage the weapons in my limbs at any moment. I activate the thrusters poking out of my soles, and rocket myself through the air towards Louie. From his sheath is revealed a weapon that looks to be the child of a shotgun and a longsword. His thumb caresses the hilt of the monstrous machine, while the blade & barrel sprout down from his pinky. The beastly blade protects the man from my very own blade, which is protruding out the side of my brick of an arm. The collision of our weaponry yields no harm to our bodies, but the force produces tremors that reverberate through the entire factory.

I speak to him after our first blow, “I can’t just kill a good friend of mine, but our contracts conflict. Whatever shall we do?” Louie responds, “Between you and me, we just need to put on a good show.” I was concerned about Louie’s pay, but he assures me that he has been paid upfront.

Louie holds his contraption in half-sword, guarding himself from bullets I release through barrels that emerge from my forearms. He is blown backwards towards a conveyor belt carrying soft, beautiful fashion pieces. Louie could be rattled a little bit by my weaponry, but it is clear to me he is exaggerating the extent of which he is affected as to enhance our play. I let one of my arms off-target so that a barrage of heavy bullets can be unleashed upon the conveyors. As I do this, Louie’s blade becomes secondary and the barrels connected to it threaten me. I am granted more time than a real threat would be given, enough time to unfold my arm’s blade in reaction. This allows me to make quick work of his bullets, which get sliced cleanly and lose all of their force. The dance of battle brings us back together, I am launched into the air by his blade hitting my leg’s own blade and I utilize this opportunity to create a rose of bullets that ravage this floor of the factory.

My mission is complete. With one whole floor of processing demolished, this factory will not find itself easily repaired. To create a conclusion satisfactory for Louie’s contract, I let him get one final blow to launch me away.

I return home to a messy, dimly lit studio apartment. The smell of welded iron permeates the air. I turn on the television news, to learn that with my contract had begun a revolution against Soulweave Fashion. It seems mercenaries and protesters alike are dismantling the factories dotting the country. My phone rings. Louie is calling.

“Seems like your contract was the first of many, Melody.”

“Lucky that you went up against an old friend.”

“Say, why don’t we get coffee sometime, could use a more mellow hangout after our exhausting dance.”

“Sounds good, Louie. I got plenty of money to spare after kicking your ass. See you around.”