V.E.M.S: Micro

In the town of Brimstone, the sounds of grunting fill the empty Stygian Theater. An age-old battle is taking place between the actress Syd and her archenemy: a zipper. She struggles to get the corset-style vest, adorned with multiple single-board computers, to fully close. The zipper holds its ground, unwavering against the “light creamy mountains” in its path. The closer it gets, the higher the mountains rise, making its journey nearly impossible. However, that’s how the costume is designed—to accentuate and enhance Syd’s already large breasts. Great for ratings, horrible for getting ready on time for filming.

"This costume needs a redesign!"

Syd takes a deep breath. She swells her chest, exhales sharply, and yanks the zipper up as fast as she can. It finally clears the hurdle.

“There!”

Two single-board computers that nestle on the chest of the costume spring off, crashing into a collection of books in front of her. Syd shrugs, grabbing the vivid purple wig that has miraculously survived the chaos. She throws it on, tucking away her brunette hair, and completes her transformation into Nerissa, Courtesan of the Uranet and host of Nerissa's Caustic Cinema.

She checks her smartwatch: 1:15 PM. Today’s shoot was supposed to begin at 1.

“Not like Jules to be running late, Guess I’ll do some research.”

She pulls out her phone and opens an old issue of her favorite zine, Dreadistary. The zine focuses on monster sightings in a certain town in the Pacific Northwest, but Syd isn’t interested in those. The real meat for her is the horror movie reviews that fill the rest of the zine. They are a goldmine for finding new movies for the show. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a new issue in over a year.

Syd’s eyes widen as she spots the golden phrase she is looking for:public domain.

“Wait! Bloodfalls Massacre is in the public domain!?”

She grabs the nearest notebook, her pen dances across the page as she jots down the information. The director’s daughter has convinced her dad to put the film in the public domain, sticking it to the production company that has weaseled the rights to Bloodfalls Massacre 2–5 from him. They have even rebooted the franchise, starting with a loose remake of 2, modifying the characters enough to be unshackled by his vision. Syd shakes her head, a smirk playing on her lips.

“Jules and Lou are going to love this!”

The door swings open, startling Syd. She looks up to see Jules standing in the doorway, a stack of papers in hand. Jules has waist-length, damaged black hair that frames her ivory skin, and her loose white vest and shorts reveal faint blue veins that match her piercing eyes. Syd wears a warm smile as she greets her.

“Hey, Jules.”

Jules drops the stack of papers in front of Syd.

“Views are dropping massively. We can barely afford food for the next month.”

She flops onto the floor behind Syd, her body curling into an ‘n’ shape. Syd flips through the stack of papers, her initial skepticism fading as she sees the numbers. The viewership data, spanning from the first episode’s launch in October last year to July 2025, shows a gut-wrenching decline. Thankfully, their reliance on public domain horror movies has stretched their food budget as far as it can go. Jules arches her back dramatically, letting out a scream of agony.

“Enough of this public domain schlock! We need horror with a bite! Something to help punch up our jokes! Anything fulfilling!”

Syd turns to look at her friend, her heart breaks at the sight of Jules’ despair.

“If we can barely afford food, we can’t afford the rights to any film we please.”

“We could provide clout instead of money.”

The moment the word clout leaves her lips, Jules seems to regret it. The shine in her eyes vanishes, replaced by a hollow look. Syd returns to the stack of papers, hoping to find something—anything—that can help. Her eyes land on a proposal from Degrade, a newly formed TV station that is shaking up the industry. Skimming through the offer, she sees that they want the license for the show, with some on-brand integrations, in exchange for a massive upfront payment and fewer censored edits.

“You thinking of taking the Degrade offer?”

Jules covers her eyes with her hair before loudly voicing her disapproval.

“Please! I’ll never sell out to those crypto dorks.”

“It is a good offer, though.”

“You’ll regret the money when they have you dress up in tighter outfits for NFT photo-shoots.”

Syd’s nose wrinkles, and she recoils as if she’d just smelled something foul. The sight of her disgust sends Jules into a fit of laughter. She pulls more of her hair over her eyes before continuing.

“I kinda was considering it. Caustic Cinema got us control of the Stygian, the life we have in Brimstone. Didn’t want to toss away the money. But I know we’d both hate it too much.”

“Lou might enjoy it."

“That soulless puppy.”

Jules retreats into a fetal position and cutting the conversation short.

Syd adjusts her outfit, trying to make her breasts more comfortable. The movement reminds her that they are supposed to be filming now.

“No filming today?”

“Too depressed,”

Jules flips over to face Syd. A single blue eye peers out from behind her hair, searching for hope in Syd’s next words.

“Unless you found a more recent film?”

Syd hands Jules her notebook.

“Bloodfalls Massacre! That’s in the public domain?!”

Jules hops up to double-check the notes.

“Only the first one,”

“80s, in color, dumb teenagers, predatory adults, a decent amount of kills. Is that the one with an abundance of nudity?”

The franchise plays in Syd’s head as she tries to figure out which one Jules is thinking of. These types of cheesy movies are more her field of expertise than the social horror Jules prefers. After a moment, it clicks.

“That’s Bloodfalls Massacre 4: Valley Fest.”

“So not much to edit around. Not the bite I’m looking for, but…”

Jules trails off, her eyes scanning the notes Syd has written from the Dreadistary article. A small smile creeps onto her face.

“This revelation is prime for material!”

Syd feels a wave of relief. For a moment, she has managed to ease Jules’ worries. Jules pops up from reading, her energy renewed.

“Wait, do we have a copy of Bloodfalls Massacre?”

“Pretty sure I do. Give me a sec to clean up, then I’ll check,”

Syd bends down to gather the scattered papers. As she tries to tidy the mess, her eyes catch some scribbles on the back of the stack. She recognizes Lou’s messy handwriting.

“Did you look at the back of this? Lou left a note.”

We found a bunch of old PC towers. They’re in the building behind the theater. Maybe something you and Syd can salvage for the show?

Jules turns her attention back to the notebook, pulling a pen from her hair and starting to write. Syd gathers the last few scattered books and packs them up neatly. She hops up from the desk, curious about what movies they might find in the PCs. As she leaves, she notices Jules hasn’t budged.

“You’re not coming?”

Jules looks up at her, confusion etched on her face.

“You think the old execs who bummed around here really kept film backups? All you’ll probably find is weird fetish shit!”

“Wouldn’t hurt to check it out,”

Jules shakes her head, returning to her writing. Realizing Jules isn’t going to join her, Syd decides to kill two birds with one stone. She grabs the set of keys from her desk and tosses them at Jules. The jingling of the keys alerts Jules, and she catches them without fail.

“Fine, I’ll go check if there’s something salvageable while you check if I own Bloodfalls Massacre,”

Jules sways her head in approval, finally moving from the floor. They split up, Jules heads through the front of the theater while Syd goes out through one of the old doors marked “Exit.” Deep down, Syd knows Jules is probably right, but the thought of finding undiscovered movies is too irresistible to ignore.

The afternoon sun assaults Syd as soon as she steps outside. Blinking through the brightness, she sees the building is not far from the theater. She quickly jogs over, hoping to avoid the sweat that is already pooling in her suit—another con of the costume: it can't handle the summer heat.

The stench of stale plastic hangs heavy in the air, almost choking Syd as she opens the building door. Inside, sickly yellow PC towers lie scattered across the floor, their tangled wires and dusty casings creating a chilling atmosphere that makes Syd feel uneasy. She hesitates for a moment, feeling the sweat slide down her back, before stepping inside.

Closing the door to keep the heat out, Syd is left in total darkness. She mutters in dissatisfaction as she fumbles along the wall, searching for the light switch. When she finally flips it, only a few bulbs flicker to life, their dim glow barely illuminating the room. Syd’s face goes blank as she watches the bulbs struggle to stay on.

“They couldn’t fix the lights in the building?”

She walks along the makeshift path that has already been cleared, gently kicking aside PCs to give herself more room. The sheer number of them is impressive—stacks of towers form small mounds, their dislodged panels spilling out old wires like entrails. It feels less like a storage room and more like a decrepit technology graveyard.

“This is definitely more than just studio execs’ PCs,”

Syd ducks under a pile that had tipped over and joined with an adjacent stack to form a makeshift arch.

“Probably editors’ and VFX workstations!”

Her mounting excitement gets the better of her when she slips on a loose wire and crashes into a pile of PCs. A wet, congealed substance clings to her arm, and she recoils, whipping the grime off with a grimace. She double-clicks the crown of her watch to activate its flashlight mode, the dim light illuminating a few feet in front of her. It isn’t much, but it will save her from another grime attack.

The path opens up into a more spacious area where the piles of PCs are smaller and scattered. Syd pauses, realizing she doesn’t know what to look for. Obviously, the ones with wires sticking out are no good, but any of the others could be viable. She walks past a small makeshift circle of four PCs surrounding a tower in the center, deliberately ignoring it—until the light reflects something that makes her eyes sparkle.

It isn’t as yellowed as the surrounding PCs, but that isn’t what catches her attention. It is the fading stickers from the popular 80s horror series Pumpkin Patch that make her feel like she’s found a winner. She leaps toward it, kicking over two of the surrounding PCs to make room for her prize. Syd grabs the tower, only to have it slip out of her hands, leaving a slimy residue on her palms. She retches, trying her best not to add to the sickly shroud that already surrounds her. Shaking it off, she takes a deep breath and picks up the PC again. This time, the cooling touch of metal and plastic eases her discomfort.

It isn’t long before she notices a blue light focused on her watch. Its deep hue completely washes over the dim white light, snaking up her arm and stopping to focus on the single-board computer on her hip. Syd’s blood runs cold as she frantically searches for the source of the light. Her heart races until she spots it near the back exit of the room, almost hidden behind a completely destroyed PC.

It is different from the others—or what you’d expect a PC to look like. The classic rectangular silhouette is nowhere to be seen. Instead, it is cylindrical, more compact, standing like an ominous shrine of the future amidst the decaying past. The blue light intensifies, illuminating not only Syd but the entire room. A single thought runs through her mind as she shields her eyes from the intense glow:

Why is this one still plugged in?

Opening her eyes, Syd sees that the blue light has stopped. Not only that, but the room is now fully lit as the struggling bulbs have finally started to work. She gets a better look at the strange PC. It no longer has the ominous aura it has before. Instead, it looks like a prop from a science fiction movie, its chrome case warmed by a faint red light that makes it seem almost harmless in the corner of the room.

Syd hesitates for a moment. The strange PC looks like a better treasure trove than the one in her hand, but the memory of the blue light sends shivers down her spine. She decides to leave it alone. Turning quickly, she prepares to leave the storage room. She walks a little more carelessly now that she can see further ahead, but an uneasy feeling begins to swell inside her.

Not only does she feel like she is missing something, but there is an irritating pain in her right hand—a warm, burning sensation that seems to engulf it. She puts down the PC to check for any cuts where grime might seep in, but there are none. As she rubs her hand, she glances at the mess in front of her and the entrance. It is only when she sees the wired entrails of the PCs scattered everywhere that it dawns on her.

Syd turns around and looks back at the chrome PC nestled alone in the corner.

“Wasn’t it behind a broken tower?”

Immediately, something grabs her left hand. She turns to see a hand made of wires, its cold, metallic grip tightening around her wrist. She stares in bewilderment as a force pushes the maze of PCs against the entrance, barricading it. The tremendous force causes one of the three lights to go out. Shards from the towers fly toward the hand, coiling together to complete its humanoid form. Discarded side panels mold together, forming a trench coat around the figure.

Syd tries to free herself from the figure’s grasp, but the wires are entangled with her watch. The figure flicks its finger, signaling a PC to hurl itself directly at her. The impact knocks the wind out of her, sending her flying free of the humanoid’s grip. She lands a few feet away as the PC continues its trajectory, crashing into the wall with a loud thud. The impact knocks out the second light, leaving only part of the storage room lit.

Numerous white and red composite ports rush into the figure’s empty sockets, forming eyes—eyes that stare directly at Syd as she writhes in pain. She struggles to catch her breath, panic flooding her body as the dim light makes it harder to see the figure.

The figure walks slowly toward her, each clatter of its footsteps instilling fear. It holds out its hands, signaling shards of RAM to cobble together into a serrated knife. A harsh voice, lost in digital noise, escapes from the figure:

“We were supposed to rule Hollywood together.”

Syd freezes, her mind racing to make sense of the words. Then, with a surge of adrenaline, she bolts for the back exit next to the strange PC. She only gets a few steps in before wires trip her, sending her crashing to the ground face-first. Stars obscure her vision until the sight of the figure’s mangled face causes them to scatter.

A horrible smile appears on its wire-filled face. Grime pools between the haphazardly placed USB ports, forming teeth that it wipes away in excitement. It rips one of the single-board computers from Syd’s costume and gently slides it into its chest. The figure quivers as its frame seems to bulk up from the action.

"But then you ran to the first director who looked in your direction."

The figure begins to slide the knife up Syd’s costume, the sound of fabric tearing echoing through the storage room. Syd tries to fight back, but she is helpless, pinned down by the figure. Her left arm is outstretched, held in place by the wires entangled with her watch, while her legs are bound together, preventing her from kicking. She frantically looks around for something to use as a weapon, but her blood runs cold when she sees her right hand. It has become a wild jumble of pixels, the burning pain now subsides.

“Not a…”

A sharp nick cuts off her words as the blade slices her chest. The figure uses extra force when the knife reaches Syd’s chest, the dullness of the RAM blade struggling to cut through the extra padding. Blood flows from the shallow cut as Syd begins to lose hope. Scenes from her life flash before her: meeting Jules when they are nine, Jules begging her to star in a middle school film, her mom and Jules comforting her as she watches her favorite movie at sixteen. Tears well up in her eyes as she thinks this might be the end.

The faint sound of banging stops Syd’s tears instantly. She concentrates on the noise, trying to pinpoint its source. With each bang, it grows louder and louder until she realizes it is coming from the entrance of the building.

It must be Jules and Lou!

The thought gives Syd a glimmer of hope. Now, all she has to do is survive long enough for backup to arrive. But when she sees the knife pointed directly at her chest, she knows she has no chance.

Unless…

She looks at her right hand again, staring hard to find something that resembles her finger. When she spots it, she concentrates on trying to move it. The figure reels back the knife as Syd desperately wills her finger to twitch. Suddenly, she sees it move. She lets out a gasp as the figure prepares to stab her.

“In the end, you’re not cut out for the business,”

It drives the knife down, but Syd grabs its hand just before the blade can plunge into her chest. The figure is taken aback by her strength and struggles to complete its action. Using all her might, Syd pushes the knife further and further away. Her breath becomes ragged as the banging grows louder and louder.

Just a bit more…

That is all she can think about as she holds the figure back. Visibly enraged, the figure roars as wires protrude from its chest. The shrill squeal shatters Syd’s eardrums, but she continues to hold it back. The wires rip off the last of the single-board computers, dragging them back to the humanoid. Its eyes roll back as it quivers, bulking up again with newfound strength. The figure overwhelms Syd, but by then, it is too late.

A thunderous boom shakes the entire storage room, extinguishing the last of the light. PCs rain down, freed from the barricade they have formed. The clattering noise pulls the figure’s attention away from Syd. In the midst of the chaos, drenched in sunlight, a figure enters the storage room.

The humanoid leaps away from Syd, ready to fight whoever has interrupted its killing. Clutching the fragments of her costume, Syd’s hope is replaced by confusion. The silhouette is much larger than Jules and wields what appears to be a massive hammer. Syd knows nothing like that exists in Brimstone.

“Man, that’s one nasty virus,”

A gruff voice bellows from the silhouette who is revealed to be a woman. As the woman steps into the light, her appearance becomes clear. She is incredibly muscular, looking like a hero straight out of a comic book. Her piercing deep blue eyes and shining blonde hair give her an almost otherworldly presence. She lowers her hammer, revealing that it is almost as large as she is. The woman notices Syd and flashes a bright white smile.

“Don’t worry! I’ll kill it in a heartbeat!”

The words are lost on Syd against the ringing in her ears, but the woman’s thumbs-up reassures her that help has indeed arrived. Stunned by the size of the hammer, the figure signals for more broken RAM to raise its knife to match. In an instant, it lunges at the woman, attempting to slice off her head. Effortlessly, the woman spins the hammer and blocks the attack. Her warm smile turns to a playful grin as the figure’s eyes bulge in confusion.

“You’re pretty strong for an anomaly,”

The figure jumps back, crouching like an animal backed into a corner. Wires rip through its trench coat, searching for any PCs that are still intact. It hurls five of them at the woman, waiting a beat before charging at her. The woman spins the hammer, shattering each of the PCs as they approach.

After the beat, the figure absorbs the shattered PCs, growing larger in mass. It prepares its knife, now in the shape of a machete, to attack the woman. Unexpectedly, the woman lunges at the figure, swinging the hammer down and completely destroying not only the machete but the figure’s arm as well. A horrible shriek comes from the figure as it slowly backs away from the woman.

Grime falls from the figure’s face as fear begins to grip it. It looks around, desperate for something to use, but there are no PCs left. Trembling, it believes it is out of options—until its eyes land on Syd, frozen in awe. She has been holding her torn costume together with her left hand, her smartwatch now fully exposed.

The figure grimaces at the thought of using her watch as a last resort. It is a treat to savor after killing Syd, but it is the only way to ensure its survival. It sends most of the newly absorbed wires to its legs, its mass tripling as it prepares to pounce on Syd in one fell swoop.

Unfortunately for it, the woman sees what it is about to do.

“Oh no, you don’t!”

The woman twists the handle of her hammer, causing the head to glow with a fierce light. She charges at full speed, twisting her body for the final attack. With a mighty swing, she brings the hammer down on the figure, crushing it completely. The impact shakes the ground, drowning out the figure’s shriek.

The woman smiles with satisfaction as she slings the hammer over her shoulder. She glances around the storage room, her eyes lighting up when she notices the chrome PC, untouched by the chaos. She turns to Syd.

“Look, you—”

She starts, then gasps. She hasn’t gotten a good look at Syd before, but now she does. Shaking her head, she approaches Syd, who is still sitting on the floor, clutching her torn costume.

“Wait, are you Nerissa from Caustic Cinema?!”

The woman asks trying hold back her excitement. Syd’s eyes widen in shock.

“Y. Yes,”

The woman’s eyes light up even more.

“I’m a huge fan! Can I get an autograph?”

Still stunned by the fact that her savior is also a fan, Syd breathes a sigh of relief. At least there is a way to repay her.

“Do you have a pen?”

The woman scrambles around, pulling a notebook and pen from her back pocket. Syd reaches for the pen but freezes halfway. Her right hand is back to normal. She stares at it in confusion, slowly turning it to make sure it is really healed. She realizes she’s been staring too long when the woman gives her a questioning look. Syd smiles sheepishly before grabbing the pen to sign the notebook.

Thanks for saving me. From Nerissa.

She pauses, realizing she doesn’t know who to make it out to. Then she remembers hearing the word “virus” over the ringing earlier.

“Should I make it out to Virus Buster?”

The woman’s eyes light up even more.

“YES!”

Syd finishes the autograph, and the woman holds the notebook as if it is a golden treasure. Then, as if remembering something, the woman leans closer to Syd’s ear and whispers,

“Hey, I know it’s the backdrop of the show, but you really shouldn’t mess with Uranet servers. Nothing but trouble.”

The revelation hits Syd like a tidal wave, leaving her speechless. The woman leaves the storage room, still admiring the autograph. She did a little jump, unable to contain her excitement.

“Best job ever!”

The roar of a motorcycle fades into the distance as a desperate scream echoes through the storage room.

“Syd!”

Jules bursts into the room, her face pale with worry. Right behind her is Lou, who stops in confusion as the sound of the motorcycle disappears.

“What the hell is Stars and Stripe doing here?”

“Shut up, Lou! And help me with Syd!”

She circles Syd, checking her for injuries. The sight of the blood and the marks from the wires drains what little color Jules has left. What worries her most is how unresponsive Syd is. She hasn’t even noticed Jules, despite her frantic circling. Jules tries to see what Syd is staring at, but there is nothing unusual among the scattered computer parts.

Suddenly, Syd grabs Jules, causing her to jump. Syd’s grip is uncharacteristically strong, and Jules can see her skin beginning to bruise. The warm, familiar look in Syd’s eyes is gone, replaced by a distant, calculating gaze. Jules worries that Syd has been traumatized by what happened, but it is the opposite. Syd’s mind is racing, trying to process the discovery and the concerns Jules has expressed earlier.

A mad smile spreads across Syd’s face as she reaches a conclusion. Jules’ unease grows until she hears a stunned gasp from Lou.

“Holy!”

Jules looks at him, confused, until she follows his gaze back to Syd. Her eyes widen as she realizes why Lou has gasped. Syd has used both hands to hold Jules in place, leaving nothing to hold her costume together. Her supple breasts are exposed, their warm vanilla hue glowing in the dim light of the storage room. Even the slightest movements - like Jules turning - cause them to bounce gently. Totally distracting Lou.

Jules' face turns red with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. She can't believe he is more focused on gawking than checking if Syd is okay. Just as she is about to yell at him, Syd pulls her closer and locks eyes with her. The warmth Jules remembers from Syd's eyes and smile is back, easing her worries.

“I know how to save the show!”