《PROJECT CYPHER》* Chapter 7 – 211
Advertisement
A distinct click is heard as a calm, but firm women’s voice answers, “9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”
"I heard a gunshot coming from my neighbor’s house across the street. The lights are off, but Mr. Skinner’s car is parked in the driveway,” A woman nervously breathed into the phone. “Oh, my god, do you think they will come here next?” The neighbor shrieked shrilly in a panic.
“Ma’am please calm down. Nothing is going to happen,” The operator sternly said as she pinned the location of the call from the phone line being used. A quick glance confirms the address of the house directly across from the caller, 127 Penny Lane. The 911 dispatcher types the information rapidly onto her screen with the added status code 211, robbery in progress into the dispatch information screen.
“Oh, god. Oh, god,” the neighbor muttered on the phone.
“Ma’am, the police are on their way,” The operator calmly said as she sent the information. “Ma’am, I need you to stay on the line with me until the police arrive. Can you do that?”
“Yes. Yeah, okay,” the fearful female neighbor stuttered.
“Thank you. Now can you tell me anything more about Mr. Skinner? Is there anyone else in the house with him?” The operator asked.
“No,” noisily sniffed the female neighbor. “His wife, Linda and I are good friends. She said she was taking the kids to the movies and afterward to dinner. She and the kids shouldn’t be back yet. And I didn’t see her minivan in the driveway either.”
“Okay, good,” The dispatcher said as she typed the added information. The operator continues to ask questions as the minute's trickle by until the police officers arrive.
*
The warm corpse is slumped against the counter as a gaping gunshot wound leaks fluid from the opening in the forehead. Humming under her breath, #017 turns away from the still corpse and heads up the stairs to the family safe. It was amazing what access to the internet allowed one to find out over the course of a week. Class schedules, electricity and house blue prints, registered safes, and so much more useful information.
Advertisement
#017 returns her gun back to her hoodie pocket and grabs the black leather gloves from the hoodie pocket. Now what was truly amazing is just what a hoodie pocket can hold, truly a wondrous feat of the 21st century. With that thought in mind, #017 pulls on the black leather gloves and types in the eight-digit password, 0121-1128. The password was the month and day of Professor Skinner’s children’s birthdays.
The safe clicks open as she turns the knob and glances inside. #017 lets out a soft whistle at easily spotting $100k in cash. “A safe’s password really should be regularly updated. It’s especially dangerous to use personal information as a password,” #017 mumbled out loud, before glancing at her watch.
Emergency services should have already been called by a neighbor. The police officers should be arriving in two minutes, she thought to herself. #017 walks out of the room and into the children’s room. Her eyes fall across a worn purple backpack with a sparkly unicorn engraved on the front of the back pack. #017 nods in appreciation of the fashion statement, before grabbing the thoughtfully empty backpack.
#017 swiftly strides back to the safe and slides the cash into the backpack. Leaving the jewels and other valuable information in the safe, #017 runs down the hall and leaps. She soars across the flight of stairs, before landing loudly on her feet. She scrambles across the wooden floor and heads out the kitchen door. The wail of sirens can faintly be heard in the distance, swiftly enclosing.
#017 closes the glass door but does not lock it. She swiftly glances about for a projectile and finds a nicely shaped Feng-Shui stone. Swiftly #017 grabs the stone and hurls the round stone through the glass door. The glass clatters loudly to the ground leaving a wide gap through the glass screen.
Advertisement
Taking a moment, #017 carefully weaves her hand through the crack, unlocking the door and kicking it wide open. Satisfied, she turns around sprints across the wide-open lawn. #017 eyes zero on the trampoline a few feet away from the wooden fence. She tucks her elbows and dashes for the trampoline. #017 leaps into the air and bounces playfully on the trampoline with a wide grin on her face.
The sirens grow louder in the distance as #017 sighs at the impertinent interruption. Concentrating, she bounces in place for a second, before leaping upward with all her strength. With the grace and strength of an Olympic gymnast, she vaults and twists through the air. The height is not enough to clear the fence as #017 falls face first towards the pointed fence.
#017 uncrosses her arm from her chest and stretches her hands straight forward. The fence digs into her palms as she remains in the air doing a hand stand on the fence. Grunting, #017 moves her weight to her feet tilting back and pushes herself off the fence. A neat backward flip is made in the air as #017 lands straight on her feet with her hands held triumphantly in the air and her face scarce inches from the wooden fence.
#017 hums to herself, before ducking around the bushes as two police vehicles dart past the towards the house, #127 Penny Lane. Not hearing any other follow up sirens, #017 darts across the open street only taking her eyes off the road to glance at her watch. She nods to herself, she was still on time.
Further down the street, the Aurora City Transit Bus turns the corner. The bus roars forward towards the empty bus stop ahead. #017 darts forward as though her life depended on it, which it did. Not even realizing she is out of breath, #017 comes to a breathless halt under the bright blue bus stop sign.
The roaring Transit Bus comes to a screeching halt just a second after. The bus driver a friendly mocha skinned man flashes the hooded female passenger a glistening smile. “Come on, board,” The bus driver confidently said.
#017 nods and takes out a prepaid bus card and swipes it through the bus scanner as she climbs up the steps. The bus is thankfully empty as she takes a seat next to the emergency window. The bus driver closes the door and pulls away from the curve. The bus roars forward and heads onward on its route.
Advertisement
Return of the Tower Conqueror
August 8th, 2026 -- the day seven mysterious Towers appeared around the Earth, changing the life on it forever. Cain had already lived through it once, experienced the irreversible changes that the world underwent seemingly overnight. Now, for him it is twenty-five years later, while for others it is still three months before the Towers are to appear. Having stolen the Timecube and used it to reverse back the timeline, Cain is now back before it all began -- with the sole difference of already knowing what will happen. Nobody had managed to discover the mystery behind the Towers even twenty-five years after their appearance, but with the fresh start and advantage, Cain plans to unearth the story behind them, and whoever, or whatever, put them on Earth.
8 145Ætla Verǫld
AV Online was just a flash in the pan—a harsh, experimental land which lost most of its players in mere weeks. Only the dedicated few remained, carving out their destinies in corners of the vast abandoned world. Lily Quinn wasn't one of them. With a career worth millions in the esports world, she didn't have time for a game like Avo—but when an exclusive beta test for the new version showed up on her doorstep, she couldn't say no… as much as she wanted to. Literally hooked into the simulation, Lily reluctantly entered a world beyond anything she'd ever dreamed of. Accompanied by seven other beta testers desperate to save their beloved game, Lily dives into a vibrant, beautiful world, where mystery and adventure waits around every corner. Despite her reservations, Lily finds a joyful escape in Avo, shattering her cold, hollow reality. It was just a game though… until the group discovered they couldn't log out. Trapped in a game with no rules, and surrounded by cutthroat players eager to kill for a quick windfall, Lily and her ragged band have no choice but to fight their way out, or die in a game that has turned all too real. Hi there! I'm setting off on yet another adventure, come join me :3 Unusually for me, there's only one perspective this time, and it's quite a bit more action-oriented than I usually write. Don't worry, though: everything's still as character-driven as always, and I never get tired of writing dialogue. Just to acknowledge it up front: this story is heavily inspired by EVE Online and the many stories generated by that world. However, since this is a fantasy setting, not sci-fi, don't expect any real parallels. Chapter publish rate for this one will be whenever I write them, as with Epilogue. I don't expect to move as fast here though, since it's not for NaNo. The plan is chapters somewhere in the 4k-5k range, and hopefully frequently. The Last Science takes priority as always though. Special thanks to Reaver and Ace Arriande for pushing me to get this going, and to all my fellow writers whom I've stolen from been inspired by. You're all wonderful people and I love you Quick reminder: Patrons get to read ahead of what's published! Also, try my other works: The Last Science — A Tale of Modern Magic Epilogue — A Post-Fantasy Psychodrama What are you still doing on the synopsis? Get to reading! Cover art (fullsize): Forgotten World Coliseum, by taenaron (Tobias Roetsch), modified by Etzoli. This story has not been posted or published anywhere else besides RoyalRoad.com, at this URL: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/22103/atla-verold
8 213Walking The Jiang Hu
Ip An, an ordinary village boy suddenly gains the chance to enter an immortal sect by his grandfather on his deathbed. However, once he reaches the sect it is revealed that he isn't able to cultivate! Despite this he is unwilling to back down and wishes to simply make his grandfather proud. Soon, he becomes content with just practicing the mortal martial arts with his strangely eccentric, and mysteriously strong teacher. However, one day he offends a senior's nephew and is consequently sent to the frontlines of an inter-continental war that has been occurring for several centuries! Can Ip An, a mere mortal, survive or even thrive amongst countless war-crazed and bloodthirsty cultivators who could squash him like an ant? [participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge]
8 100Infinitium, Book 1
From a Universe devoid of magic Johnathan finds himself poised to confront an enemy so vast that Gods have fled before it. By accident, divine edict, or fate he is forever changed by the actions of another. Johnathan must learn all that he can so that he can eventually help save the multiverse itself.
8 169You're A What - A OHSHC FanFiction
(Y/n) and Haruhi are mistaken for boys when they meet the Ouran High School Host Club. All they wanted was a quiet place to study but instead, they found this.
8 200Out of Place
TRIGGER WARNING: SUICIDE, SELF HARM, AND VIOLENCEHave you ever been out of place?Well, what happens when you spend your whole life trying to get back in place, only to realize that you don't even know where your place is anymore? Do you find a new place? Or continue searching for your original place forever?And what happens if you have no place at all? What then?Contains DimentioXMr.LSome characters and ideas belong to @LuigiDaisy2 and @SilverStarWarrior
8 205