Stray - Entry 11: Midtown

I emerged from the vent into a dimly lit hallway lined with pale tiled walls, their surfaces cracked and stained with age. Old consoles were dark and silent along the sides. I followed the corridor upward and climbed a set of stairs until the space opened into a wide chamber. A silent train car sat on the tracks, its metal dulled by time. Built into the tiled walls around it were rows of empty chairs.

The sight stirred something deep within B-12.

“Look, this is a Subway Station. I had completely forgotten this kind of transportation existed. You could ride to anywhere in the city. People used to take it to go to work. I used to take it too. Every morning, after saying goodbye to my family at home. But they're gone now. It was so long ago. They wanted to see the Outside, but does that even matter anymore? What happened to them? What happened to everyone? Anyway...we're near Midtown now, let's find Clementine. We have a picture of her, we can show it to some of the Companions around here. Maybe they'll point us in the right direction"

We continued upward, climbing another long staircase before slipping beneath a metal fence blocking access to the rest of the subway. A faded sign hung crookedly from it, which B-12 translated:

“Metro is closed due to pandemic restriction, please do not enter, any violation of rules can result in heavy prison sentence."

Beyond the fence lay a secluded metro vestibule, quiet and forgotten. One of the Companions had turned the space into a makeshift home. Books were arranged carefully along a bookshelf. I could feel B-12 linger there for a moment, drawn to the memory of reading.

As we prepared to slip beneath another fence and exit the vestibule, a sudden burst of movement caught my attention. A Companion sprinted across the open space, a flying drone hovering aggressively behind him. We watched as he stopped, slowly raising his hands before turning to face the wall in surrender.

I stepped forward cautiously and then I saw it.

A large sign plastered nearby bore a face I immediately recognized. B-12 translated the warning beneath it:

"/!\ WANTED /!\ 'CLEMENTINE' TROUBLEMAKER / OUTSIDER / REBELLIOUS/!\ PLEASE REPORT ANY SIGHTINGS /!"

Nearby, another sign gleamed brightly, polished and corporate:

"Don't worry about trash, Neco Corporation© takes care of everything!"

The truth struck me all at once. We were standing at the top of the elevator shaft that led down to the Slums. Yet a sign had been posted across its entrance:

"Access to lower level is restricted due to Organic Life Hazards. Please keep out of this area."

I froze.

If access was restricted… why were Companions, my friends, forced to live down there?

As I moved past the elevator, I noticed the Companion who had been chased earlier. He was now being questioned by a law-enforcement Companion known as a Peacemaker, while the armed drone, the Sentinel, hovered nearby, watching silently.

Was this the oppressive force Clementine had warned about in her journal?

When we finally stepped into Midtown itself, I couldn’t help but stare. Towering buildings blazed with neon signs, glowing advertisements, and endless streams of artificial light. Businesses lined the streets. Music spilled out of entertainment venues. On the surface, the city felt alive, vibrant, energetic, dazzling.

But beneath it all, something felt wrong.

We passed the massive Neco Corporation factory, where I met one of the workers, Garay. He spoke casually, almost proudly.

"At Neco Corp we work all day long to gather the waste and send it downstairs where they recycle and repurpose it."

Downstairs.

Did they really not know what they were doing to the Slums or had they simply chosen not to look?

As the neon lights reflected in the puddles beneath my paws, a cold realization settled in. Midtown wasn’t just brighter than the Slums.

It was built on them.

We arrive at Midtown’s circular central plaza, dominated by a towering blue hologram of a Companion that rotates slowly in the air above. Radiating outward from the plaza are brightly lit venues; a clothing shop, several restaurants, and a nightclub. As we explore and speak with the Companions here, B-12 can’t help but reflect on his memories of being human, fascinated by how these robots have kept civilization running by imitating work, leisure, and social rituals.

The citizens of Midtown are clearly better off than those in the Slums. Their clothes are cleaner and more expressive, their conversations less hurried. Their interests seem focused on art, fashion, music, and personal fulfillment rather than mere survival. Yet beneath the polish, something feels carefully managed.

Just off the plaza, we encounter a heavily guarded area sealed off by Sentinels and Peacemakers. No one is allowed to pass. Several Companions quietly warn us that even minor infractions can lead to arrest and years of imprisonment. As they speak, I sense the unease simmering beneath Midtown’s bright exterior, a constant tension between the citizens and those who enforce the rules.

From our conversations, we learn that Clementine is believed to be living in the Residence. The address written on the back of the picture gives a floor and apartment number. Apparently, her trouble began with questions about old technology, about the city’s systems, and about her relentless desire to leave. Curiosity, it seems, is a crime here.

The Residence building sits just off the Central Plaza, a stark concrete structure devoid of neon or decoration. On the first level, three rowdy Companions loiter near the entrance, taunting the security cameras while one of them blasts music from a large boombox. I slip past them and climb the stairwell to the third floor, scanning the doors for apartment 5.

I don’t have to search for long.

One door stands out immediately. It is boarded shut, its window covered, police tape stretched across the frame like a warning. This has to be Clementine’s apartment.

Indeed, it is.

Thankfully, a narrow gap in the window remains, just wide enough for me to squeeze through.

Inside is one of the coziest places I have encountered in my life. I slip into the kitchen first, where warmth seems to linger in the air. The main room opens up beyond it: a small table sits among cushions on the floor, surrounded by stacks of books and clusters of plants carefully tended despite the city outside. A large cabinet is packed with trinkets and scavenged curios, and perched on top of it is a makeshift tent, like a small refuge within a refuge.

I move slowly and cautiously through the apartment, my paws barely making a sound, when suddenly a Companion bursts out from an adjoining room, gripping a lamp like a weapon and raising it to strike. I leap backward instinctively but the Companion hesitates, then lowers the lamp. As the tension drains from the moment, recognition hits me.

It’s her. Clementine.

She studies me carefully, head tilted, eyes searching.

"I thought you were a Sent– Nevermind. Who are you? What do you want?"

We show her the picture from Zbaltazar. She stares at it for a moment..

"Wait, so Zbaltazar finally decided to send someone? I guess you are my new recruit. You're not very big but you must be resourceful if you made it through the sewers. I've been looking for a way to the Outside ever since I left Antvillage. But the Sentinels are always watching. Now that you're here you can help. Follow me."

She leads us into another room, her workspace. A computer hums quietly on a desk, and the walls are covered with notes, diagrams, maps, and scraps of old technology. Everything here points toward one goal: escape. Plans, routes, contingencies are all carefully assembled in her search for the Outside.

"I've been working on plans to use the old subway for awhile now. I even have the keys to start it. All we need is an Atomic Battery to power it. I know Neco Corporation has one secured inside their factory. I have a contact who can help us infiltrate them. I don't know his name. He's the robot with a bomber jacket and a gold chain. Take this message to him. Someone small and swift like you should have no trouble sneaking inside the Factory. One last thing, don't hesitate to ask around for help. This city is full of information. Just stay clear of the Sentinels."

As she finishes, she presses the message into my vest. The path forward is dangerous, but for the first time since reaching Midtown, it feels like reaching the Outside is possible.

We exit the apartment and begin searching for Clementine’s contact, asking around Midtown for any leads. Our inquiries take us into a small shop, where we stumble upon an unintentionally amusing sight: a Companion angrily berating the shopkeeper over a faulty part they’d purchased… even though the shopkeeper’s battery had very clearly run out, leaving him slumped and unresponsive behind the counter.

While exploring the cluttered shop, we discover a digicode safe and the combination to open it. Inside rests a cat badge, which I proudly add to my harness.

We continue questioning Companions about a robot matching Clementine’s description until a well-connected local, lounging outside a restaurant just off the central plaza, finally gives us a name. The Companion we’re looking for is called Blazer, and he’s often seen hanging around the Neco Factory.

As we head down an alley beside the factory, we spot a Companion who fits Clementine’s description perfectly. He’s standing beneath a flickering light, quietly reading a newspaper. When he notices us, he immediately tries to shoo us away until we deliver Clementine’s message.

“Oh, you're with the Outsi... My contact? Let me brief you about the Atomic Battery .The battery is powering the Neco Corp factory right there, but this whole area is restricted and heavily guarded. They check every person who enters and turns away anyone who is not a worker. Here's an idea. Go get me a Worker Jacket and a Worker Helmet while I stay here to check for a good time to enter."

His words stir a memory. I recall Garay mentioning that his vest and helmet weren’t just clothing, they were also security clearance. I also remember seeing that same vest displayed in the clothing shop near the central plaza.

Outside the clothing shop, we meet Camok, who proudly informs us that this is the trendiest shop in Midtown, but he warns that the shopkeeper is notoriously grumpy. Camok lingers near the front window, admiring the mannequins dressed in the latest fashions. Among them is exactly what we need: a Neco Factory vest, displayed in plain sight.

I understand what she meant the moment we meet the shopkeeper, Ozi.

"Are you one of those young punks listening to loud music all day? Don't touch anything, don't make any noise, don't ask for a credit."

With no way to pay, it’s clear Ozi isn’t about to let us stroll out with that vest. I begin prowling the shop, pretending to browse, when I spot a boombox tucked away near the changing room. An idea sparks.

I slip back outside to the group of rowdy hooligans loitering near the residence and paw at one of their cassette tapes. One of them looks down at me and replies,

"I could give you one, but you'll have to do something for Jeanma, Miko and me. The Sentinels have installed 3 Security Cameras to watch over us. We don't like that at all. Can you get them off our backs?"

I answer with a meow and get to work. I dash up the stairs to the floor above, leaping onto each camera in turn, tearing them loose from the wall and sending them crashing to the ground below.

When I return, the group cheers and happily hands over one of their tapes.

I race back to the clothing shop. With B-12’s help, I slip the cassette into the boombox and hit play. Loud music floods the shop.

I pad back toward the front just in time to see Ozi clutching his “ears,” retreating toward the changing room to investigate the noise, exactly as planned. The moment he’s out of sight, we snatch the worker vest from the mannequin and bolt for the door.

I tear down an alley, bounding up window awnings and air conditioners until I reach a barred window. I squeeze inside and land in a bare, sealed room. A motionless robot lies on the floor. The fenced exit is locked.

This isn’t just a room, it’s a jail cell.

As I approach, we realize the robot is dead, its body long since powered down. Clutched in its hand is a police badge, which we quietly take.

When we return to the central plaza, we spot Ozi again. This time he is deep in conversation with a Peacemaker.

Across from the clothing shop sits the hat store. A delivery vehicle is parked beside it, a companion standing impatiently near the open tailgate. In the display window, I spot exactly what we need: the Neco Factory worker helmet. But when I try to slip inside, the shopkeeper, Hator, quickly blocks my way.

“Nobody can enter the shop while it's being restocked."

I turn to the delivery robot by the truck, which is piled high with boxes.

“I’ve been waiting for ages for Stuplachee to get back and help me restock these hats! The boss is NOT happy. If that guy’s slacking off at the Bar again, he has another thing coming!"

The bar is just across the street, so I head inside. Two companions are absorbed in a game of pool near the entrance, and beyond them stretches a long bar crowded with robots chatting and drinking. Stuplachee isn’t among them.

Past the bar, though, is a more secluded room. There, slumped over a table, I spot a companion wearing the same uniform as the delivery robot outside. This must be Stuplachee.

I scan the room and notice a crate of bottles perched on a high shelf directly above him. An idea sparks. I leap up and paw at the crate until it tips and crashes down onto the robot. Startled awake, Stuplachee jolts upright, checks his watch, and stumbles toward the exit. I trail after him.

Outside, his partner points angrily at his own watch and immediately starts unloading boxes from the truck. Stuplachee joins in, hauling boxes into the shop, still not fully alert.

I watch as the boxes are carried past Hator and stacked inside. Another idea forms. When both companions turn their backs, I slip inside one of the hat boxes just as Stuplachee picks it up and carries it into the shop.

Once the coast is clear, I pop out. With B-12’s help, I snag the worker helmet, then disappear through a vent before anyone notices.

I race back to the alley near the Neco Factory, where Blazer is waiting. We hand him the vest and helmet, and he quickly changes into them. Then he tells us to climb into a Neco Factory box. He will use it to sneak us past the Companion guarding the entrance.