RB Chapter 121 City 72

September 30th, 2199.

A cavern whose walls were flashing with multiple colors existed beneath the ground. Magnificent and stylish skyscrapers sprung up from its ground like mushrooms.

Some were built in such ways that it made you wonder, how gravity wasn't causing them to crumble to the ground. There was one in the form of a cone, its tip, being the one meeting the ground.

Multiple lively advertisements were being broadcast into the sky in the form of 3D holograms. They, and the lights of the buildings and vehicles were the cause for the multicolored lights lighting up the cavern walls.

Among this jungle of sky scrapers, four stood out from the crowd. They were the crowning jewels of the city, having the most stylish designs and being the tallest of them all. One of them had the familiar 3D black diamond hologram spinning above it.

Many people, some dressed like hunters, and others, luxuriously, littered the many streets in this skyscraper jungle. They weren't the only two classes of people though! There was a third type, dressed in long white lab coats.

This underground city, was named 72, as if trying to undermine its magnificence. But it was so prosperous, that the nearest city above ground, Kampala city, would look like it was built for peasants if placed side by side.

Kampala city only had one advantage over it, that was the access to the sky, being able to see the change in the weather and time.

Two figures, looking worse for wear, appeared at the edges of this prosperous city. One, a male teenager with dark blue eyes and a missing arm, the other, a woman who appeared to be around the age of 25 with light blue eyes, a normal looking face, but with mounds of flesh at her chest, so huge that the fur clothes were having trouble restraining them. Even the passerbys were giving her bountiful chest second looks.

But she wasn't fazed by their lust filled gazes, instead, her entire attention was taken by the teenager standing next to her.

After a long, somewhat perilous journey, Eric and Chloe had finally left the wilderness behind and appeared in this city after a few weeks.

Their bodies were caked in dust and dried blood. It had been days since they last took a shower.

"I need a bath." Chloe said after smelling herself and seeing the passerbys giving them a wide berth, intent on avoiding them. Some even held their noses upon approaching within a few meters of them, before hurriedly running away.

Eric, on the other hand had a faint blush coat his cheeks. This was embarrassing to him.

"Yeah, we need to hurry and find somewhere to stay." He said.

"I also need my arm 3D printed." When he said that, his embarrassment gave way to excitement. Having to rely on only a single arm for fighting and daily activities had been straining him. Now that he could regain his arm, he became happy.

His smile was infectious, causing even Chloe to become happy.

"Let's go see my friend. He will take care of everything." Chloe's eyes lit up and she led the way. They were moving deeper into the city.

"This city is magnificent! The last time I was here, I didn't have the chance to take it all in." Eric commented while following behind her.

"Of course it should be! It was built by the Black Diamond Group, and they are also its managers." Chloe answered naturally.

"Ah! Its designated name is just a number, so, they probably own more cites like this one, how terrifyingly wealthy?" Eric was shocked.

"They are, but they aren't the wealthiest group." Chloe said, turning to look at him.

A hovering platform, carrying a person passed by their side. Many such platforms were ferrying people across the entire city. The technological advancement here was years ahead of Kampala city!

"Which group are the wealthiest?" Eric asked. They had stopped in place.

"The Black Diamond Group has a core specialisation, and that is biological research. Every one of the four super organisations has a core field that they specialise in.

The wealthiest organisation specialises in money." Chloe continued.

"Lion Bank." Eric revealed. This was the one organisation that everyone on this continent, unless you were a barbarian, had heard about. It was the only bank on the continent and had branches in every city.

"Yes. I heard a rumor that their headquarters are located in the southern part of the continent, in the territory that used to be known as South Africa." She provided a bit of trivia.

"They are so rich that their estimated net worth has surpassed the 100 trillion mark." Even Chloe the battle maniac had a note of envy creep into her voice when she revealed that.

"Yeah!" Eric subconsciously only uttered that. He had been dazed by that amount of money.

After a few minutes, they resumed their journey. Eric didn't ask about the other two groups as that information was currently irrelevant to him.

-----

After around almost 30 minutes of walking, they arrived at one of the buildings close to the center of the city and rode its elevator. 

Eric was curious about Chloe's friend, but he didn't ask. He chose to wait and meet the person for himself.

The elevator stopped at a certain floor. No one was around when they alighted and they made their way through the corridor silently.

Chloe stopped in front of one of the doors and waited. Eric was puzzled, but he too, did the same.

A chime rang out, after about 15 seconds. The entire apartment had an AI which had recognised Chloe's biological signature and notified the owner through the chime.

"So, its the little girl, Chloe. What brings you here this time? Did you lose an arm, a leg, or could it be that a hole was punctured through your stomach. How long are you going to keep fighting ferociously? You should settle down, find a man, and have a bunch of babies!" An elderly voice rang out from the speaker.

The words, especially the latter, caused Chloe to blush furiously. 

'Old maaaaaaaan!' She shouted in her mind. She didn't dare to turn around and look into Eric's eyes as he would be able to see her expression.

'She gets wounded that frequently? And with such major injuries?' A worried expression appeared on Eric's face. 

The door opened, and an old man about 50 to 60 years of age, dressed in a black suit, with a white lab coat on top appeared in their view.

He was tall, head full of black hair with a few strands of gray standing out here and there.

"Elder! Why did you have to say such a thing when there is another person here?" Chloe complained as she jabbed at the elder. Her face was burning, both with fury and embarrassment.

"I see, I see. So, you brought a boy over. But isn't he a little too young for you?" The old man asked with a cheeky grin. Since his body didn't back up a single step from Chloe's jabs, he must have been an expert.

Eric didn't notice that as even he, too, was blushing from the old man's words.

"Old maaaaaaan! Do you have a death wish?" Chloe shouted. Good thing that the apartments were soundproofed, as otherwise, the shout would have prompted the other neighbours to open their doors.

"Hahahahahahaha...am just joking with you." He said before moving aside and letting the two inside.

"You are lucky, I was just from work. If you had come yesterday or tomorrow, you wouldn't have found me?" The elderly man brought up the rear.

"What do you mean old man? You usually sign off from the job at 4:00pm. What happened this time?" Chloe asked curiously, plopping herself onto a sofa.

"It was an interesting research direction that was and is, going to take up my time. You know company policy, I can't tell you." The old man didn't even frown when he saw the woman sitting down.

"Can't you first take a bath?" He asked.

"I will, but I first have to introduce you to my...my..." Chloe was lost for words. Her face was also gaining a tinge of red.

"I am her friend, Eric Masanyalaze." Eric introduced himself. He had just joined the conversation because it had been inappropriate to interrupt them. Also, he had been appreciating the interior decor. It was a mix of whites and blacks, and it had a lab-like aesthetic.

'I never knew that scientists could also have a taste for interior design.' Such a thought passed through his mind as he regarded the man in front of him.

"Masanyalaze...mmmm...so he's related to you? But you were never one to associate with your fellow clan members." The man's gaze turned back to Chloe.

"He's...important to me." She answered after a pause.

"I see...so you brought him to me because of his arm?" The elder asked while he inspected Eric's right arm.

"It looks like some weeks have passed since you lost it." He commented while examining the left over part.