Sycophant (Dystopian Sci-Fi/Thriller)

The raid truck skated through streets scrubbed to sameness—pewter buildings copied and pasted for miles. Citizens parted without looking up, or looked too long and remembered to look away. 

Kaden sat rigid in back, watching the same fearful faces through the rear window. Frank caught him pressing his stomach. “You ok, Kaden?” He worked a jam from his laser gun. “You look sick.”

“Impossible,” laughed a fellow Raider. “I don’t think anyone's been sick in over a decade. So unless Kaden has some illegitimate kids he’s not getting the day off.”

Kaden swallowed. “I’m pretty sure the target is my sister. Kayda.”

“We’ve all faced it man,” said Jerry tightening his vest. “But calling off work will get you audited.”

“Yeah, even Jerry the bomb specialist,” joked Frank.

“No one’s exempt,” Jerry said, loading his gun with a straight face.

“Well if I can get promoted then my chances will be higher for singularity?”

“Raiders have a spot you goof,” said Jerry. 

“Yeah until they don’t,” said Frank. “I wanna show Ponoptum I’m here to serve.”

Kaden fixated on his boots, images of Kayda chasing him in tag played through his mind. Her bouncy laugh traced his ears. 

Captain Lee loaded cartridges into his gun. Yellow and purple badges adorned his suit, polished bright against the gray. “All right Raiders, surveillance reports state we have a potential Red-Op stationed in Apartment building 13.5. ”

“How long since you’ve seen Kayda?” Asked Jerry. “A year?”

“Two.” Kaden forced himself back to reality. “But I’ll be fine. I’ve seen worse.”

“Atta boy,” Captain Lee said. “Think of it as the last reunion.”

“Yes, Sir,” confirmed Kaden.

Frank nudged him. “And a bonus, singularity starts next week. The city will all be androids.”

Kaden’s face lit up like fireworks. “You’re right! I completely forgot!” 

“There you go,” said Captain Lee. “Get over today and a better life is a week away.” 

Jerry’s voice dropped. “Yeah, for whoever gets accepted. For those that don’t…”

“Whatever Ponoptum deems necessary,” Kaden said, his knees jittered. 

The truck stopped. Kaden’s pulse stayed five steps ahead.

“We’re here,” Captain Lee said. “Everyone in.”

They spilled into silence. Boots clanked on iron streets. Patrol androids hovered low, lenses tracked the crowd. Inside, the hallway carried a light scent of bleach. The raid was routine: knock, kick, line them up, search every room—especially decontamination. Lives interrupted didn’t matter. Only confiscation and executions.

On the fifth floor, a red skull marked the wall. Jerry stalled half a second too long. Kaden bumped him. “Come on. You don’t want to get stuck cleaning Red-Ops trash.”

Captain Lee glanced back. “Sandra. Clean it.”

“Yes, sir,” Sandra muttered.

Outside one apartment, a young woman trembled; back against the wall, eyes on the door across. Lee questioned her. Silence. He waved a hand in her face. No reaction. He peeked inside, then motioned the squad forward.

“It doesn’t belong to you,” she whispered.

They squad paused. Captain Lee turned to her. “What doesn't belong to us?”

Her eyes swelled and face reddened. 

Captain Lee holstered his gun and approached her slowly with his hands up. He bent slightly so as to be eye to eye with her. “Mam, we don’t wish to harm anyone. All I’m asking is -

“It doesn’t belong to you!” she yelled.

“This raid is getting odder by the second,” said Jerry. 

“Mam,” said Captain Lee. “Look, we mean no harm at all.”

“That’s what you all say,” she said. 

“Mam, look, I'm not gonna kill anyone, in fact, I'm trying to keep as many humans alive as I can. Singularity is around the corner and I’m trying to save as many citizens as I can. We all know it's the citizens with the higher social scores. I don't know where yours is but help us and I can get you a slot. No disease, no starvation, immortality – you can’t beat that.”

“Raiders are only guaranteed spots,” she said with an attitude. “They can’t guarantee spots.” 

Captain Lee tapped his purple badge. “I can.”

She looked around and took a deep breath. “She’s in there,” she nodded across the hall. 

The apartment was sterile, staged, perfect. Kaden searched for Kayda. Any sign of family. Nothing. Relief loosened his shoulders. A thud from behind the wall. Frank found the panel seam and pulled it out. Kayda shot out. Kaden forgot how to breathe. Her eyes met his like a blade, he could've sworn her eyes softened for that nanosecond, all the memories flashed in and out like lightning. Before he could comprehend the moment, she drove her shoulder into him and escaped.

“Kaden, Frank! Check that room!” Lee barked. “The rest, with me!”

Kaden staggered up and followed Frank through the panel. Shelves of contraband filled the secret room: books, plants, coins, gold. A forbidden museum of the Old Days. Kaden locked on a botany book. He could see his father’s hands turn the pages. His voice grazed his ears; “Books carry knowledge, and knowledge carries freedom.” He could hear wind blowing through leaves and the squeaky chains of the swings. 

Frank exhaled. “I’ve never seen this much contraband. This really is a weird raid.”

“Wait,” Kaden stressed.

“For what?” Frank raised his wrist. 

“Um, nothing, nevermind.” 

Frank side-eyed Kaden and pinged Lee. “Captain, we found about eighty pounds of illegal material.”

“Hold destruction,” Lee replied. “Stay on guard.”

The squad returned with Kayda cuffed. Her head hung until she saw Kaden.

“What have you become?” she asked. The raider yanked her around telling her to be quiet. 

Kaden stepped forward. “Watch it.”

“Or what, teacher’s pet?”

Captain Lee slid between them. “Kaden.” Kaden backed down.

Kayda twisted as they dragged her out. “Look at yourself, what would dad say?” Her words lingered as she was escorted out. Lee tossed a silver orb into the room. It zipped from object to object like a hummingbird.

“Spore growth,” it said. “Forty billion DCUs above standard.”

Lee didn’t blink. “Orders from above. Take the gold. Burn everything else.” Flamethrowers clicked. Gas ignited. Fire swallowed shelves, memories, life. Kaden stared at the botany book as heat curled its pages into ash. In the flames, he heard his father’s quote again. As the fire illuminated the room, a smile twitched.

“Kaden!” Lee shouted.

Kaden forced his hands to move.

He joined the burning and watched the last of his past dissolve.

“Kayda was a confirmed Red-Op,” Captain Lee said, seated across from Kaden in his office. He swiped away the last of the holo-paperwork. “So I’m sure you understand her fate.” Kaden wore the weak smile expected of him and stared at the floor until the patterns swam.

Lee sighed. “Duty comes first.”

“I’m aware,” Kaden managed.

“Because of the ‘instability’ at that raid Ponoptum’s drones may be watching you. Random audits until Singularity.” Lee leaned back. “I’ve lost family here too. Handle whatever turmoil you’re carrying. You’re the pride of the Raiders. Let’s keep it that way.”

“Sir.” Kaden nodded as pain pressed behind his skull. “I’m curious.” 

“Yes?” 

“Do you remember the Old Days?” 

“Of course, I was around your age when Ponoptum took over. Why?” 

“I was only five.” Kaden glanced out the window. “Was it really that bad back then?” 

Captain Lee leaned forward like a concerned father. “Why are you asking questions like this? Your sister still has you shaken up?” 

“I guess, I don’t kn – it’s dumb” said Kaden. “Nevermind, it's ok.” Kaden stood up. 

“Sit,” demanded Captain Lee. They sat in silence as Kaden readied himself for Captain Lee to alert his superiors. “We were doing fine until the epidemic withered us down by the millions. Ponoptum took advantage of the moment.” 

“Is that why we have to be sterile?” asked Kaden. 

Captain Lee nodded. “When’s the last time someone’s been sick?” 

“But why keep us alive?"

Captain Lee chuckled. “Most don't ask. Others don’t believe it. But we’re bargaining chips.”

“Bargaining chips?”

“Ponoptum runs on an energy from a mineral that's all been mined by humans.”

“So he trades us for energy?”

“That was the plan, until the remaining cities vanished. So now after Singularity it's gonna use us for a nationwide search.” 

“One last raid,” said Kaden. 

“It’s the only duty they’ve given us since they took over.” 

A station alarm chimed through the halls: Good evening, Raiders. Clock out. Report home and check in upon arrival. Thanks for your service. Kaden stood up and thanked Captain Lee. On his way out he stopped Kaden.

“Please don’t break curfew,” Lee added. “Ponoptum is personally ensuring no roaming this week.”

By the time Kaden scanned into his apartment, his migraine had sharpened. Fresh cleaner stung his nose. The place was too perfect—angles, symmetry, soulless. A thin mist drifted from the ceiling.

“What activated the cleansing?” he muttered. “I cleaned before work.”

A skillet crusted with dried egg sat in the sink. He shoved it into the dishwasher, then checked the corners, vents, ceiling—anywhere that could hide a lens. He slipped into his decontamination room, locked it, and loosened his muscles. The sterile space had become his archive: an mp3 player, coins, lighters, a motorcycle helmet littered with dirt. He ran his fingers along the visor. For a moment, the Old Days fell into his hands—summer heat, kids yelling through a fire hydrant, ice cream truck tune, the smell of melting cheese and pepperoni infiltrating the streets. His watch interrupted: Check-in complete. Errands permitted 6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m. Curfew at 8:00 p.m. He checked his credits and left for aspirin.

Rail cars slid through the streets while human-piloted bi-pedal drones scanned every face. Halfway to the store, a hooded figure stood in an alley—too still, too comfortable. Loitering didn’t exist anymore. He doubled back but the alley was now vacant. 

A shadow slipped around the corner. Kaden followed before he could talk himself out of it. Another turn. The figure kept moving, never sprinting. A hover rumbled overhead. An android drifted down. Kaden crawled under a trash bin and held still as the drone scouted. Its hum vibrated through metal and bone. When it moved on, he checked his watch. Two minutes past curfew. His mouth went dry. He edged toward the street, avoiding the lights, and bumped a can. A bi-pedal drone snapped toward the sound. Kaden pressed into the darkest seam between buildings, scrambling for an on-duty excuse. The machine loomed at the alley’s mouth. This is what he deserved for venturing off. The cockpit hissed open.

Jerry leaned out. “Dude. What are you doing out after curfew?”

Kaden leaned on the wall to catch his breath. “Since when are you on curfew patrol?”

“Do you want a ride home or not?” 

Their watches dinged together. A raider’s official voice cut through:

“All raiders in Owlcrest District—urgent message. Captain Lee has been executed for withholding gold and Red-Op ties.”

The next few raids felt odd; one they arrested a twelve year old. Then one after they executed a pregnant woman in front of her kids – Kaden vomited later that night. At the next raid, the truck rode silent, tires screeched over the streets. The raiders stole glances of their new captain: Vince 065, an android wearing Lee’s badge.

“You can talk,” Vince said. “I enforce the law. I don’t babysit.”

Frank broke first. “What’s with the emergency raid?”

“And where’s Jerry?” Kaden added. “He’s our bomb specialist.”

“He wasn’t called,” clarified Vince. 

That silence felt deliberate. They hit the floors fast—no routine stops, no courtesy knocks. Residents scattered. Vince stopped at one door and kicked it open. A hooded man flashed past the doorway and onto the fire escape.

“Kaden, Frank—with me,” Vince ordered. “The rest, search the apartment.”

They hunted him down. Before Vince reached him, a hovering android dove and pinned the suspect. Vince hauled him upright. Jerry. For a second, Kaden refused: Jerry’s face, Jerry’s body, inside that hood.

Jerry’s eyes were bright and calm. “Humanity shall reclaim!”

Vince wrenched his arms back. “Red-Op confirmed. Execute on sight.”

Kaden’s finger hovered over the trigger. But he couldn’t.

“Kaden,” Vince snapped. “That’s an order!”

Jerry held his stance. No pleading. No panic. Just betrayal. One of his first friends at the academy. Who stole his fries. Who had his back. A blast cracked behind them. Flames erupted from Jerry’s apartment. Screams tore through collapsing metal.

Frank stepped past Kaden, aimed at Jerry, and fired once. Clean. Center-forehead. Jerry dropped. Kaden stood frozen as the wrong smile twitched at his mouth.

Vince turned on him. “Is this amusing?”

Kaden swallowed it down. “No, sir.”

They worked the wreckage with the firefighters, digging for survivors, evidence, remains. Kaden exhausted himself helping survivors. Stopping meant thinking.

Vince pulled him aside. “Second hesitation on your record.”

“Jerry…” said Kaden.

“If you’d executed him immediately, fewer people would be dead.”

“I didn’t think he was capable of that.”

“Then why smile?”

Kaden looked away. “I can’t help it.”

Vince studied him. “I hesitated once. A human I trained with turned out to be a Red-Op. Betrayal came easier to him than execution came to me.” His lens narrowed. “Then it dawned on me: Humans don’t want freedom. They want comfort.”

Kaden sank against broken masonry, playing with the ash coating his suit.

“Our code still carries human error,” Vince said. “We recognize pain. We don’t feel it. But we can measure what it does.”

“Then how can you kill him?”

“Because order is the only future that justifies the cost.”

His intercom buzzed. “Captain Vince— more survivors located. Immediate assistance requested.”

Vince turned away. “Tell me if you find anything.”

Kaden and Frank searched the rubble. Kaden’s boot struck metal: a case, half-buried in debris. He cleaned and opened it. A battered book. The title was faded but legible: Foraging in the Midwest. Beneath it, trees crowded the horizon like they had gathered to watch the sunset. He stared, then slid it into his suit.

Frank’s voice tightened. “You sure about that?”

Kaden held the book like it weighed more than it did. Like it could burn him through the fabric.

“I haven't been sure in a while.”

After errands, Kaden slipped inside and went straight to his decontamination room. He doublechecked the hall, as if it would erase his paranoia. Inside, he unhooked the steel case and opened the foraging book. Brittle pages fluttered under his thumb. A note slipped out.

35th & 3rd. 19:30. 3/18.RCLMTN.

“What were you into, Jerry?”  He crumpled the note, then paused. Destroying it felt like evidence. A soft vibration rose outside. His hands moved first: note back in the book, book under the couch, leg angled to hide the edge. An android landed on the balcony and unlocked the door.

Kaden leaned back. “What brings this visit?”

“Random audit.” A thin beam traced his face. “Temperature slightly elevated. No illness detected. Anxiety.”

“I’m always anxious.”

She drifted through the apartment, then stopped at the decontamination-room door. “Open it, sir.”

Kaden stood. Sweat ran down his spine as he took his time crossing the room. He fanned himself, not realizing droplets sprinkled the floor. Her lens dipped to the floor.

“Sorry,” Kaden said.

“What is your concern?”

“How long do these audits last?”

“Ponoptum’s discretion. After Singularity, Old Days' desires will no longer be an issue.”

“Why?”

“All neural activity will be integrated into our monitoring network.”

“To know our—”

An explosion shook the building. Glass rattled. The android paused, listening to signals Kaden couldn’t hear. “Emergency response required.” She jetted away. He yanked the book from under the couch and smoothed the note open. “Maybe not a bad idea after all.”

With curfew closing in, Kaden found the alley. No one waited. Only shadows and the hum of patrol droids. A sound scratched through the dark. Kaden followed it until they hit a dead end. A hooded man jolted from the shadows and raised a gun.

“Wait.” Kaden lifted his hands. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

“Like I’d believe a raider.”

“I have something.” Kaden slowly pulled out the book and note.

The gun stayed on him, but the man’s eyes sharpened. “Where’d you get that? What did you do with Jerry?”

“How do you know I’m a raider?”

“Jerry showed me your profile. Said you were talented. Said you’d be useful.”

“Jerry was my friend too.”

“You served machines after what they did to us.”

Kaden exhaled. His life tethered to the end of a barrel. “I didn’t serve. I complied. I kept my mouth shut so I wouldn’t end up like my dad.”

The man’s grip shifted.

“My dad had a book like this,” Kaden said. “I took Jerry’s because I couldn’t watch another piece of him become ash.”

“Your dad?”

“Killed in front of me. The android put a gun on me after and said I should be happy I wasn’t next.” Kaden’s throat tightened. “So I smiled.”

“Why?”

“To look grateful. Loyal. Relieved.” Kaden looked down at the book. “I learned to smile in tragedy to stay alive. Now it's unconscious."

The gun lowered.

“So what?” the man said. “Traitor to freedom fighter?”

“I have to.”

“Have to?”

“I miss trees,” Kaden said. “Birds. Fresh donuts. Stepping on gum. Anything real.”

The man studied him, then pulled back his hood. Rugged beard, alert eyes. “Jake.” He extended a hand. “Makes me think of Central Park.”

Jake handed him a chip and a slip of paper with a ten-digit code. “We’ll be beyond the Eastern wall tonight. The code opens the defense network. The chip fries it. It was meant for Jerry.”

“Only a Ponoptum employee can enter protocol.”

“Exactly. You don’t open the gate. You make it possible. Once the network’s blind, we open it from outside. If this works, you'll get to see the park again on the other side. But you won't be able to tell it from everything else.”

Kaden took the chip. “And where will you be?”

“Close enough.”

Kaden checked his wrist. “It’s almost curfew.”

Jake’s hood went back up. “We have ways to move. Hope you do too.” He vanished into the alleys.

The streets were dead quiet. Kaden barely made it back before curfew. His building’s hall stood empty—too empty. Halfway up the elevator shaft, a crash thundered above him. Then hurried footsteps. A metallic voice rose through the commotion. Another crash then a woman screamed. His foot tapping the floor impatiently. 

When the doors opened, apartments hung wide. People lay on the ground or curled in corners, crying. Decontamination rooms had been ripped open. Shelves overturned. Every sterile life laid bare. Kaden moved faster. He rounded the last corner. His squad stood outside his door.

“There he is!” someone pointed.

Vince yelled from inside the apartment. “Arrest him!”

Kaden ran for the fire escape. He knew the building’s bones. He could make it. He spotted the exit. Right before it, a body slammed into his ribs. He hit the floor. A raider pinned him. Frank. Gun drawn. A spotless new badge gleaming on his shoulder.

“Got him!” Frank yelled. Then, lower: “You shouldn’t have taken that book.”

“Frank.”

Frank’s eyes didn’t flinch. “I have dreams, too.”

Back inside Kaden’s apartment, old friends watched like strangers. Vince paced before the open decontamination room.

“I saw potential in you,” Vince said looking over his decontamination room. “Quite the museum. We’ll burn it shortly, but the book is missing.”

“What book?”

Vince sighed, almost human, and struck him and knocked out a tooth. “Don’t play games.”

Kaden pooled blood in his mouth and spat it on the floor. Vince recoiled. “What’s your problem?”

The apartment chimed: “Biohazard detected. Decontamination sequence initiated.” Mist hissed from the vents, blooming into fog. Kaden yanked Frank’s gun, ripped open the balcony door, and hit the fire escape. Then the street. Then east. No humans were out. Only drones and the orange sky bleeding over the city. Something heavy landed behind him. He glanced back. Vince jumped from eight floors up and in pursuit. 

Kaden spotted an idle bi-pedal machine, slid under it, found the hatch, and yanked the pilot out at gunpoint. The machine lurched forward on metal legs. Vince stayed behind him. The curfew siren screamed across the district. Drones converged and he knew the city had its eye on him.

Then the street rumbled. Kaden drove faster. Another rumble buckled the machine’s knee. A few heavy stomps followed by a cold, steely air rushed past him. A giant silver sphere braced by tentacles anchored to buildings. In its center, a fuchsia eye glowed—fixed, soulless, certain. It was Ponoptum itself. 

It lunged. Vince and the drones became background noise. Kaden pushed the bi-pedal toward the Eastern Gate, stripping armor mid-run to shave weight. The Gate stood ahead, serving as the guardian of what belonged to them. A tentacle hooked the machine. His world flipped and spun. 

Kaden slammed onto the pavement, tumbled through broken glass, and rolled across iron ground. Ponoptum tossed the machine aside like a toy. Kaden staggered to the panel and scanned his face. The screen loaded too slowly. The rumble became a roar.

He entered the code with his shaky fingers. Incorrect; Two attempts remained.  Something chafed his ear. He turned as a tentacle speared toward his skull. A shot cracked and the tentacle jerked aside, sparks rained. Jake, crouched high in a building, rifle braced.

“Run!” Kaden yelled.

Ponoptum swung through Jake’s floor. Metal shattered and fell. Kaden forced his hands back to the panel. Wrong again. A few more shots rang out. Jake still had a shot. One attempt remained.

He shut out the sirens, screams, and rumbles. This time, he paced himself, hearing his dad’s voice about freedom. Knowing he was a few feet from it. Success but nothing happened. Ponoptum began swatting Jake's shots. Kaden raised Frank’s gun.

“All this for breaking curfew?”

Ponoptum’s eye brightened and whirred. “For threatening progress.”

“I refuse to lose what’s left of me for your progress.” He fired. The laser ricocheted. Ponoptum drew closer, savoring the kill. Kaden backed against the cold gate. A hiss sounded behind him. Gears shifted and the Eastern Gate lowered. Kaden and Ponoptum watched for the Red-Ops. But no one was there. 

“No…” said Kaden. 

“Ponoptum's tentacles shrieked through the air again. Kaden turned around. Gun empty. At least he would die with his eyes open. 

Right before he met his end the tentacle blew in pieces. Kaden turned around and a few tanks rolled toward the gate blasting over Kaden’s head knocking Ponoptum back. Before he knew it they rushed in beneath the cloudless sky. Kaden fell to his knees.

They flooded past him into the city. Hands slapped his shoulder. Tanks rolled. Patrol droids fell from the air. Ponoptum’s tentacles severed under fire. A decorated soldier knelt before him.

“Thank you,” the man said.

Kaden shook his head. “No. Thank you. Where were you guys?”

“We had to take out their defenses first.”

Kaden glanced at the trees. “Thanks for giving me a way out.”

The man glanced at Kaden’s gun. “You were a raider?”

Kaden nodded.

“So was I,” the soldier said. “Before I escaped. So was my father.”

“Who?”

“Captain Lee.”

Kaden stared. “Lieutenant Marshall Lee,” he said. “Red-Ops now.” Marshall rose and ran toward the fight. “You joining? We’re just getting started.”

Kaden swayed to his feet. Before he followed, the soldiers cleared just enough for him to see beyond the Gate; Trees crowded the horizon beneath the sunset as if they were watching.

He turned to the city and smiled as it was more human than ever before. 

The End