Plugged in
You jacked in the chip to your neural interface, and a high-res map and navigation overlayed your retina, guiding you through the skyscrapers and neon. On a dirty corner, you found a man. He wore black leather and shades, holding an electronic pad.
But when you asked for proof of ownership, he just sneered.
“Don’t be a jokester, kid. This is the underground housing market. We don’t do that kind of red tape here. You want this place or not?”
His words made you uneasy, torn between doubt and desperation. Without any evidence, how could you trust this stranger? But then you thought of the dismal apartments you had seen so far, and the pervasive sense of hopelessness. Maybe this was your only chance.
“Okay,” you said, trying to sound confident. “I’ll take it.”
The man nodded and led you through a narrow and dimly lit alleyway.
The alleyway was filled with electrical wires, discarded electronic equipment, and neon signs, emitting a mix of future and past atmosphere. You heard the revving of motorcycle engines, the hissing of air conditioning compressors, and the bustling of people, while feeling the air tainted with the scent of oil fumes, moisture, and pollutants. Parked along the side were all kinds of motorcycles, some of them were high-tech modifications with laser weapons, satellite navigation, and hacker systems installed on them, while others were old and dirty, piled up with debris, rust, and dust. The air conditioning compressor was exposed and emitting a hissing sound, occasionally spraying out a burst of cold mist.
As you followed him, you wondered what kind of storm you were getting yourself into.
插入
你決定冒險地將晶片插上神經接口，一張高清的地圖與導航立刻投影在你的視網膜上，跟著指示你穿過了一座座摩天大樓和霓虹燈。在一個髒亂的街角，你找到了一個男人。他身穿黑色皮衣，頭戴墨鏡，手裡拿著一個電子板。
然而，當你詢問產權證明時，他只是冷笑了一聲。
「別開玩笑了，小伙子，這是地下房屋市場。我們從來不會做這種多此一舉的交易。你還要這個地方嗎？」
他的話讓你感到不安，陷入猶豫之中。沒有任何證明，你如何能夠相信這個陌生人呢？但是你想到目前所見的那些悲慘公寓，以及那種無處不在的絕望感。也許，這是你唯一的選擇。
「好吧，」你說，試圖保持著自信。「我要了。」
男人點點頭，帶著你穿梭在一條狹窄而昏暗的小巷中。
小巷裡充斥著電線、廢棄的電子設備和霓虹燈的招牌，散發出一種未來與過去的混合氣息。你聽到了機車的引擎聲、冷氣的壓縮機的嘶嘶聲和人們的喧鬧聲，感覺到了空氣中混雜著油煙、水氣和污染物的味道。旁邊停滿了各式各樣的機車，你看到了旁邊停滿了各式各樣的機車，有些是高科技改造過的，上面安裝了雷射武器、衛星導航和黑客系統，有些則是老舊而髒亂的，上面堆滿了雜物、鐵鏽和塵土。冷氣的壓縮機裸露在外，發出嘶嘶聲，不時噴出一股冰冷的水氣。
當你跟著他走時，不禁感到懷疑和恐懼，不知道自己正在捲入一場什麼樣的風暴之中呢？
