Rowdy Dead Productions

By David C. Daoust

 
Her stride was that of a woman on a stroll. Granted, it was a bit late at night for a stroll through the city, but she wasn’t exactly visiting the lower districts. This particular walk was across the higher fair, a long way away from the crime ridden slums she was so familiar with in her youth.

Down there, back then, she wouldn’t dare walk so boldly in the night air. Too many hungry thieves looking for an easy meal; not to mention all the creeps and pervs that liked the way she looked. That was when she was little orphan Jane, pickpocket, thief, scavenger; whatever put food in her belly. Now she was Maile Purloin- steady royalty checks raised her out of that mess, even if she was still not entirely on the up and up. She was older now, to boot. The creeps and pervs weren’t quite as interested in grown woman—this did not stop her from making sure they regretted ever crossing paths with her.

A lot of the problems she had when she was so young, had spun to her advantage as she grew up- filled out.

Charismatic, they said.

She managed to stay bright, even in the darkest corners of a city wrought with greed and desperation. But those dark corners also gave her an edge. An edge that could cut through what other people said was right or wrong.

Maile Purloin was going to have food in her belly, same as little orphan Jane, all others be damned.

Her time as a thief led to her meeting all kinds of different people. People she was either stealing from, or stealing for. Bernard Vice show’d up, changed a lot of the groundwork for everyone. He had coin, and did not mind spreading it around. Coin wasn’t so unusual in Pinnacle City, but it was unusual for it to be spread around the lower districts. Mostly they just had scrip. Scrip had a way of losing its value in the wrong person’s hands.

Working for Bernard allowed her access to bigger takes. She had to up her game to burglar, but she was lithe and had a way with locks. She got to see the higher fair. Life was a lot different up there. She found she was just as popular; her charisma seemed to carry over.

Her biggest take, to date, was the job that led to her becoming Maile Purloin. Creeps and Pervs were everywhere, but the ones with money would do anything to keep it from becoming common knowledge- but the real appreciation came from the parents- when she turned his ass in. Those grateful parents got Jane her new life as Maile, with all those steady checks, which moved her up out of that old life of sliding through windows and doors, and up into the new life of signing a fraudulent name.

Seemingly, just in time, as Bernard Vice moved his operations. She couldn’t sing, she couldn’t dance; she skipped the whole ‘moving to Half-hull thing’, which all her girlfriends jumped at.

Maile was not who she used to be. That didn’t mean she didn’t know what she was doing. Her stroll came to an abrupt end as she arrived at her destination. She turned on her heel and craned her head up to take in the sight of the highest floors of the skyscraper that towered over her. ‘Theo-BOLD games’ was stationed within. It’s system servers allowed access to gamers, all over the Onion, to a little game called Arachnoid, which threatened to hurt at least two little girl’s lives, that she knew of. ‘You can’t take on the Blue sisters, and live to tell the tale,’ she thought with a smirk.

Maile jumped a bit when she heard the vehicle door open behind her. She was caught unaware thanks to the upper-class vehicle being so well maintained, it was virtually soundless as it pulled up behind her, but doubly so, as none other than Colin Vice stepped out of the overly long vehicle.

He was accompanied by two men in sharp business suits. Maile was smooth enough, not to allow her surprise to show in her mannerisms.

“Oh good,” Colin said as he took her arm, “You found the place.”

“Are you kidding?” she rolled with it, lightly laughed and asked, “How could I miss it?” Her bright eyes greeted the two men to his right and left as she gestured to the sheer size of the building before them.

“This is Maile Purloin,” Colin said to the man next to him, “She’ll be accompanying me.”

“I’ll phone ahead,” the man nodded as he reached within a breast pocket for his phone, before taking a short walk away for privacy.

“If you’ll just follow me, Mr. Vice” the other man said as he led the way into the building proper, with a glance back he noticed the couple had not followed, “um… when you’re ready.”

“You turn up in the strangest places,” Colin stated as he embraced her.

“Me?” Maile laughed into his neck, “What in the worlds are you doing here?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Colin answered, “Glad you’re here though, I think I can put you to work.”

With that Colin released her, and led her into the building.

“The mysterious Colin Vice,” Maile whispered, “Strikes again.”