#luvshock

A E S T H E T I C S

The Network was one of the world’s best known ‘myths’. A website on the deep web where clients can put up job offers, requests services and set up bounties for just about anything. Mercenaries, assassins and dealers from around the world use this site as a way to better expand their markets. At least that’s what the rumors say. Some say the site is fake, that it’s too convenient and big of a way for criminals to enable themselves to do the worst. Some say the FBI would be all over it or the CIA or whatever government team decides the penalty of cyber crimes. School children say they’ve seen the site to impress their friends, fanatics say they were personally assaulted by the site and claimed it to be a ‘cult’ or an ‘organization’.

Although to those who actually know of The Network, they would know those accusations were false. If anything, The Network was like a criminal’s craigslist. The site did indeed exist on the deep web and anyone serious about crime knew that acclimating to the database was their best chance of getting any work. No more shady business, though that’s the name of the game for ECHO. The woman who ran The Network. No one knew her face, name, voice or even gender. They just knew her as the creator. ECHO. An echo in cyber space. It had a nice ring to it, she thought.

But in recent years, ECHO decided to expand to perimeters slightly. With off-grid spies in hand, she has subtly kept records of contenders to acclimate to The Network, for-hire mercenaries who go page to page getting jobs, arms dealers set up in a small shop downtown. Assassins in yakuzas seeking to make extra pay. She had basic files on all of them, courtesy of her agents. However to get the full picture, they themselves must fill out an application to The Network, offered by her’s truly.

It would be considered suicide to show one’s face when they sit at the top of the world. But ECHO craved excitement in her life. She always had since she was but a little girl. And that’s what’s lead her to the position she was in right now.

Approaching the in the dark alley way, ECHO’s faintly glowing blue eyes were reminiscent of someone she held quite dear. Though in an odd business way.

     “Why do I hafta lead some kid around the place? Why me? I thought you lot didn’t trust me with newbies!” Jamison groaned, sighing like a slighted teenager. He only half-listened when Winston explained something about them having a lot in common, and hauled himself up to stand. “Yeah, yeah, alright, I got it. Where’d ya say? Hangar One?”

Upon receiving an affirmation from the gorilla, he rolled his eyes, hobbling off to the meeting point. What is he gonna be like? Some scrawny lil’ newbie, I bet, fresh outta trainin’. Be runnin’ with their tails between their legs soon as they see me. Ain’t gonna’ be strong, an’ tall, an’ dressed like a punk an’ missin’ a-