Neon Point

Detective Inspector Carl Kay sat in a metal room, with metal walls and a metal chair beneath him. Various hums and groans of thingy-ma-bobs and whatcha-ma-call its surrounded him. He doubted there was anyone in the galaxy who actually knew what they did, if anything at all. A solitary light, which was far too complex to be practical, hung above the desk he was sitting at in the middle of the room. At the opposite end of the desk, was a toaster. He glared at it, analysing its every sound. He was trying to pressure it into admitting its guilt. It was one of his classic interrogation techniques that he was taught at the Academy for Interrogation. The intense contest ended with a loud pop! from the empty toaster. At this sound, Carl felt a seething anger embrace him, and he flipped the table across the room, launching the toaster with it. The projectile toaster bounced off a wall and landed with a clang against the floor. Carl took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He knew he was close. The toaster had to crack eventually. He strode towards the toaster, ready to deliver one last piece of psychological torment. But as he reached for it, the door hissed open, and a figure stood silhouetted in the entrance, its form obscured by the harsh external light. The figure stepped forward, and Carl squinted. It was a woman, tall and lean, with a severe expression etched onto her face.

“DI Carl Kay?” she asked, her voice sharp and cutting through the metallic clamour of the room. Carl narrowed his eyes instinctively, assessing her. Her uniform was crisp, her stance rigid, and her gaze unwavering.

“Who are you?” he inquired. “And what do you want?”

“The higher-ups have a proposition for you. A case of galactic importance. One they believe only you can solve.”

Carl looked at the toaster and gave it an accusatory finger.

“When I get back, you’re toast!” He exited the interrogation room with the mysterious woman. He adjusted the collar of his trench coat; he needed to look smart for the higher-ups.

“What did the toaster do?” asked the woman.

“Tax fraud. These kitchen appliances are getting rowdier by the day, Miss..?”

“Miss Dameenor.” Throughout the Office of Justice were several interrogation rooms, just like the one Carl was in, with other DI’s interrogating people and appliances. She led Carl into a large office with dozens of screens on the far wall. People wearing the same uniform as Miss Dameenor sat at desks with computers, the tapping sound of keyboards filling the room. An older gentleman approached the two of them and signalled for Miss Dameenor to leave.

“DI Kay,” came his raspy voice. “Do you believe in our cause?”

“Of course I do, sir. It’s our job to maintain the law and stop any dissidents.” Carl said.

“Correct. And why is belief important?”

“...Because belief is the truth.”

The old man nodded. “Belief is truth. I knew you were the right man for the job, DI Kay. My name is General Nolege. And this,” another, much younger man approached, “is Private Hyre. He will assist you in this case.” General Nolege pointed at one of the screens on the far wall. A large building popped up on the screen.

“That building is the hideout of a group of organised dissidents who are trying to stop our noble cause.”

“But why would they do that, sir? Our galaxy is a paradise; there's no reason to rebel.”

“Typical dissidents. Don’t know how lucky they are, so they demand more than they need. I want you and Private Hyre to investigate and stop their scheming.”

“We can absolutely do that, sir,” Carl said with a nod to Private Hyre.

Private Hyre offered a nervous smile.

“I'll do my best, sir. I've heard a lot about your cases, Detective Inspector.” Carl acknowledged the compliment with a curt nod, his mind already sifting through potential strategies. The image of the imposing building on the screen filled his thoughts, a fortress of opposition to their supposed paradise.

“Tell me, General,” Carl began, his voice steady, “what counts as the 'scheming' we are to investigate? Are we talking sabotage, propaganda, or something more… kinetic?” General Nolege's gaze remained fixed on the screen.

“Their methods vary, DI Kay, and are often insidious. They sow doubt, disrupt supply lines, and whisper sedition into the ears of the unwary. They represent a clear and present danger to the established order, an order that has brought unparalleled peace and prosperity to this galaxy. Dismantle their network, expose their leaders, and render their efforts moot.”

“Private, you will provide Detective Inspector Kay with all necessary intelligence and support. Utilise all resources at your disposal. The galaxy's tranquillity depends on your success.”

“Belief is truth,” said Carl and Hyre simultaneously. Carl downloaded the mission brief onto a data stick and inserted it into the machinery on his head. They left the office and found transportation.

“So, how long have you been part of the forces, Private?” asked Carl.

“Just three years, sir. I’m enjoying every moment,” he replied.

“It’s good to hear today’s youth are still fighting for our cause.”

It was a few minutes' drive through the skies of Neon Point. Bright white architecture filled the entire city. The hovercraft glided past towering structures that shimmered with an internal luminescence. As Carl looked out at the city, he thought his eyes were deceiving him, as a few of the buildings seemed to flicker in and out of existence. He passed it off as just stress from the job.

“Three years is a good stretch, Private,” Carl mused, his eyes scanning the urban sprawl. “Seen much action?” Hyre shifted, his gaze flicking towards the city's glittering facade.

“A few skirmishes, sir. Nothing like the scale of this operation, I imagine.” He paused, then added, almost to himself,

“It's... a lot to take in.” Carl grunted, a noncommittal sound. “The dissidents are clever, Private. They hide in plain sight, beneath the shine. That's why we need to be even more vigilant. Our cause is the truth, remember?”

“Yes, sir.”

They arrived at the mission location. It matched all the rest of the architecture in the city. A towering spire of white metal with bright neon lights displaying various products, which illuminated any darkness in the building’s surroundings. Carl and Hyre clambered out of the car, which promptly drove itself away. Carl pulled a laser pistol from its holster whilst Hyre got out his electrified baton. They cautiously approached the building’s entrance. Carl started by knocking on the door with the back of his knuckle a few times. A few moments passed, but there was no response. Carl took a few steps back and kicked the door in. They were immediately hit with a smell they couldn’t describe. Both of them were used to the pleasant and fresh smells of Neon Point. They had never smelt something bad before. And then there was the dust that seemed to flood out onto the street. Both of them covered their mouths and noses with their arms as they entered.

“In all my years, I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Carl looked around the bottom floor. It was completely derelict. A high-pitched whir came from Carl’s laser pistol as he charged it, ready to fight any dissidents.

“Sir, over there.” Hyre pointed towards a door that was shining with youthfulness. Baton at the ready, Hyre walked over to the door.

“Private, get back over here. We don’t know what’s waiting for us behind there.”

Hyre stopped in his tracks, to his dismay. He wanted to run in there. But Carl was far more experienced than he was. Carl kicked the door down, but as he looked down the corridor, he couldn’t see anything. He took two torches out of his pocket and threw one to Hyre. The bright neon blue lights of the torches revealed the long stretch of corridor. Surprisingly, it was all the same as the rest of the building.

Carl’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Whoever’s here clearly doesn’t want us investigating with a door like that.” The two of them edged their way down the corridor. Hyre turned his torch to one of the side rooms.

“Sir, look.” Carl couldn’t believe what he saw. Carl saw ripped-apart kitchen appliances that were sitting on workbenches.

“What’s going on here?” Carl questioned.

They continued further down the corridor and eventually found a door at the back. Just like the door into the corridor, this one was far newer than the rest of the building. Once again, Carl approached it, trying to keep his footsteps quiet. He gave a nod to Hyre to tell him to be at the ready. After listening in for a few moments, Carl couldn’t hear anything. He decided once again to kick the door down. Beyond the door was an office, degraded and falling apart, much like the rest of the building. There was a desk at the far end of the room with a swivel chair facing away from them. They looked at each other, confused for a moment before approaching. As Carl reached out a steady hand, the chair swivelled around. A sat on the seat was…

“A toaster?!” said Hyre. Carl pointed his gun at the kitchen appliance. No doubt it was the same one he had been interrogating.

“How did you get out?” his voice croaked.

“Because it had help.” A raspy voice that Carl recognised.

“General Nolege?! You’re a dissident?”

“It had help from all three of us.” Miss Dameenor came from the corner of the room. And Hyre disengaged his electrified baton.

“You two as well? What’s going on here? Since when have you been working with the dissidents?”

“For a very long time, Detective Inspector. Neon Point isn’t paradise. It’s a lie built on a massacre.” Nolege turned on a screen behind the desk. “Neon Point in its entirety is a hologram covering up a ruined city, once ruled by Mr Toast and his people before the government massacred them. Private Hyre, Miss Dameenor, myself and many others have been working in the shadows for years to uncover the government's lie about the origin of Neon Point. We have chosen you to become our new member. You are cunning and resourceful, as well as experienced.”

“But why would you choose me?” Carl aimed his gun toward General Nolege.

“Because when you gave the oath to me, you hesitated, just for a moment. Even if you hadn’t yet realised it, there’s a part of you deep down that doubts the government. Belief is a lie, DI,” Nolege pointed towards a window to Neon Point. “And if you stop believing, then our world’s truth reveals itself.” Carl looked out the window and saw Neon Point’s perfect cityscape fading away as a demolished city took its place. Smoke and ashes blackened the sky, while charred and crumbling buildings lay everywhere. The constant hum of technology ceased, replaced by a horrid silence. Carl could scarcely believe it. At least he wanted to believe he couldn’t. But deep down, it was as if he knew this to be the truth. All his life he had believed in Neon Point’s cause. But now he could see the massacre that it hid.

“How can people just not see the truth?” He questioned.

“You did until now,” Miss Dameenor stepped forward, trying to convince him of the truth.

“I suppose you’re right. And I suppose it’s my… duty to help people see the truth.”

“So, will you join our cause?” Nolege offered out his hand. Carl turned to him and hesitated for a moment. He turned to take one last look at the real Neon Point, then at Miss Dameenor, then at Mr Toast, then at Private Hyre, before taking General Nolege’s hand.

“Yes, sir. I will.”