"You can't win. You can't break even. You can't even quit the game." -Ginsberg's Theorem
"Ginsberg never met a Samurai."
"Ginsberg was dead before the Samurai showed up"
"Who is Ginsberg?"
"Ginsberg was a friend of the Demon Murphy."
"What is a Demon Murphy?"
"Who wants to deal with this innocent child?"
"The Demon Murphy is the one who is often quoted as saying: ANYTHING THAT CAN GO WRONG, WILL GO WRONG."
- An online discussion 2034
*****
I readied the M1911, and made sure that I would be able to draw the machete if needed ,and that the rifle was slung on my back out of the way, as the next encounter would be too close to be trying to bring the three, almost four feet long rifle, around to aim. According to the cameras one of the 3s was in a room down the hallway to the right as it had left the lobby through a different hallway. I decided to put the M1911 away in favor of the more silent machete and carefully made my way to the door of the room. With there being no camera in the room I had to look around the door jamb to see where it was. Have I ever mentioned that their three hinged jaws are fucking disgusting and ugly as sin up close? With a quick movement I activated the blade and lopped off its head. I took a moment to collect myself. May I say that I love the fact that the machete cauterizes as it cuts? No Antithesis blood or gore covering me in the aftermath is nice.
I looked down the hallway physically and it was still clear, so, I checked the cameras to see where the rest of my prey were. The 4 was still in the lobby and the other 3 was in an office area off of the reception desk. I found a route to enter the office without having to go through the lobby and headed that direction. The route took me three rooms down the hallway I was currently in. I opened the door and crept in quietly trying to keep the element of surprise, only to see the 3 turn my direction and lunge at me. I swung the machete at it as I tried to dodge out of its way and took off one of its front legs. It crashed into the wall of the hallway I had exited and after a satisfying crunching sound it was VERY slow to struggle to its feet. I walked over and put it out of our world's misery. I checked the cameras int he lobby again and found that I could not see the 4 anymore. So, I asked Mara:
"Where did the 4 go and how do I stop these things from sniffing me out?"
It is still in the lobby it crawled up the wall near the door that the 6 had broken through and is currently hiding in the blind spot in the corner where the walls meet the ceiling. As for them 'sniffing you out' the power armor will stop that; if you want something before that, there is the option to replace your skin and make it so it doesn't give off any scents. The replacement will be harder to damage and faster to heal. It will cost 580 points. Speaking of other ways to make you harder to kill and more deadly to the Antithesis you can also replace your skeleton and muscles for 800 points. You can also replace your nervous system for 900 points. There is no real point in getting the nervous system upgrade without getting the bone and muscle upgrade to take advantage of it. The bone and muscle will benefit you without the nervous system upgrade as it will make your bones stronger and your muscles denser meaning with less muscle mass you would be able to do everything you do now, and, as you continue to strengthen yourself through exercise, you'll be able to do much more than you can now. Add the nervous system upgrade on top of that and you'll have faster reflexes and speed in close combat. The power armor is designed to enhance your baseline strength and speed so getting these before you get the armor will make the armor all the more potent.
"Add them to list of things I want. Leave the augs at the top of the list as those will make life simpler for me in the short term." I said as I took my glasses and cleaned off the sweat that had dropped onto the lenses.
"I was also wondering, if I get augs, would I still be able to use the surveillance hacking program my mother gave me?"
Yes, that can be transferred to your augs. Though I would recommend spending the points to get a Vanguard version, so when you use the program, it can't be tracked back to your mother.
"Shit. Fuck. Will they track her down for what I've done with it so far?"
No, the corporations will most likely not track her down, as you haven't yet used her program against a corporate system yet. That will change if you use it to aid Haley Marselle.
"Right, Jean's daughter. Can't forget about her, either. Need the augs first if I want to do anything anyway. I have the points to get the augs, so I guess I should be finding someplace to get them installed, right? God damn it! I just can't win! There's always something else that needs doing."
Your ammunition supplier, Winston, has a rather impressive defensive perimeter set up, for using nothing but human technology. However, that must wait as you currently have two families waiting for you to give them the all clear to head to the shelter.
"Good to know that maybe I can win. Pickup more ammo, and get a place to install the augs. First things first, the 4 in the lobby. Once I clear the 4, should we call them and travel with them, since the prey seems to be getting more active around here?"
That would probably be the best course of action at this point as the 9s have moved again. One has gotten closer, the other has moved towards the shelter further away. Also, I've spotted a group of Antithesis consisting of a 5, two 4s, eight 3s east of here heading northwest that will likely end up between you and the shelter, or chasing you, there depending on how fast the families travel.
I walked back the way I came, approached the lobby, and entered it on the opposite side of the room from where the 4 was waiting. I put two rounds in it with the M1911.
"Call them and have them meet me here in the lobby." As I waited for them to get here, I started unloading bullets out of a rifle magazine and topped off the M1911's. I didn't deactivate the stealth when they entered, as the less I footage of me that needed to be altered or erased the better. The two groups entered at the same time. They seemed to know each other as they were chatting about how the kids were doing, how their various jobs were at handling things like this. They stopped and looked confused when they realized that no one was apparently there to meet them.
"I don't mean to shock or alarm you but I'm not out for fame or fucking glory, so I'd rather not show my face to you all." The mother of the two kids frowned at that which confused me until she asked.
"Would you please watch your language around the kids?" To which my only response was to laugh. Her frown turned even deeper. Once I calmed down, I asked a question of my own.
"What? Are you going to ban them from getting augs so they can't access the internet and ban them from watching tv? Last time I checked most cartoons have worse than what I just said even though being designed for children." Her frown lessened a bit at that.
"You are right, but that doesn't mean I want people swearing around them all the time, and reinforcing that it's okay." I didn't laugh at that it was a somewhat reasonable request.
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"I'll do my best, but if things go sideways out there, watching my language will be at the bottom of the list of things to do." She nodded at that. One of the three ladies was glaring in the direction that my voice was coming from.
"So, were you the one who visited the stairwell earlier?" Her face went bright red and looked away.
"Look here's the deal. The... antis are getting more active around here as time goes on so, if you want to get to the shelter I suggest leaving now. I'll travel with you to keep you safe until you get there." The father spoke up then.
"Isn't the shelter closer to the epicenter of the Incursion? Are you sure it will still be standing when the rest of the Samurai finally beat this back?" Both very good questions.
I know that you wished to pick up ammo from Winston but, some things have occurred elsewhere in the city that require your attention sooner rather than later. Once you are done, you will most likely have a second Vanguard to help watch over the shelter. Luxury Furs Company has stuck its nose where it does not belong, again. They just kidnapped a new Vanguard off the streets a few miles north of here and have hidden said Vanguard in the same location as Haley.
I was unable to keep my cool or watch my language at Mara's pronouncement.
"THOSE MOTHERFUCKING ASSHOLES! WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY THINKING? KIDNAPPING A SAMURAI IN THE MIDDLE OF A GOD DAMN INCURSION?!"
This outburst made everyone else jump, and looks of fear spread on the adults faces and the children started crying. I was too angry to care. I did make an effort to calm myself, so I was not yelling at the top of my lungs. When I spoke next, there was an edge of barely contained rage that made it clear that anymore arguments would not be advisable.
"You may have noticed that I just got some rather... distressing news. I will take you to the shelter. When I take action it very well may end up being the only structure that will remain standing in the area after I'm done fighting the antis AND a corp."
The adults didn't look good as the blood drained from their faces. No one argued in the face of my now silent rage. We proceeded north to the shelter. Mara pointed out the 9 when we came across it and I shot it from one hundred yards out. I had the group wait in a small shop off the street when it came time to confront the group that had come up from the southeast. It had grown in number by a considerable bit. It was the work of a minute or two to clear them out. The actual danger to the people came not from the antis but other people as a group of five boys with nothing but handguns approached the group.
"Hey! You sweet fucks! You wanna strut through our turf, you gotta pay the toll!" I didn't have time for this.
"Mara can my armor handle taking hits from their guns?"
Yes, but I do not like the implications of that question.
I didn't respond I just started to walk toward the street toughs.
"Get your asses out of the way or die."
"Who said that? Do you know who you're fucking with?" During the exchange of words, I had gotten around behind the toughs. I placed a hand on the shoulder of the one who had done the talking.
"No, the fucking question is do you know who the hell you're dealing with?" The "tough" wet himself, screamed and generally just embarrassed himself. His boys weren't very smart as they spun and tried to shoot me. Which was justification to act. I didn't kill them, but I did remove the hands holding the guns with the machete. I dropped stealth before speaking.
"Now I suggest you go and get some medical treatment and behave yourselves."
I looked over at my charges. "I think it's time to get a move on."
I reactivated my stealth, and we moved on. The adults were not looking good after that display of violence, which confused me, as they are from the outer city. From what I had seen on my previous trips, what had just happened was actually pretty tame, compared to some of the things that I'd seen, that other residents of the outer city hadn't even blinked at. We arrived at the shelter finally, after a few more encounters with antis that had not proved to be any challenge. I had Mara send a message to the shelter to have them open the doors and let my charges in. One of the three ladies who lived together stopped and looked back. I recognized her as the one I had scared in the stairwell.
"Thank you!" she said which got the guards to look at her strangely. From their points of view, she was thanking empty air. So, I decided I owed her for the scare.
"You are welcome, Megan." Not dropping stealth, which got the guards looking all over the place, and not at her. I left, and found a place nearby that was clear of antis and spoke to Mara.
"I need augs ,and a way into the corps systems that can't be tracked back to my mother. I also need more than a rifle, handgun, and machete if I'm taking Luxury Furs Company on its own turf. The last company I took on was smaller and I made them fight me on a well-prepared battlefield of my choosing.
I would have suggested either doing this at the shelter or at Winston's place as the installation of the augs can be rather painful. However, time is not on our side, and a short-term painkiller from the medical catalog will be sufficient to keep you capable.
Optical and Auditory Augmentations Package purchased
Migraine Blocker purchased
Combat Rations Class I catalog unlocked
Combat Electrolyte Replenishment Drink purchased
Cyberwarfare Class I catalog unlocked
Cyberwarfare tactical suite MKIII purchased
Points Remaining: 1,100
Four boxes appeared in front of me. Mara instructed me to open and use them from left to right. The first one on the left contained a single pill in it, which I washed down with the drink in the second box. The third contained two syringes of some kind which I was instructed to inject under one eye and the other behind the bottom of one of my ears. I felt throbbing pressure, that was unnerving but not painful, behind my eyes and ears. I lost my vision, and the world went quiet for a second or two, then, when it came back, I had overlapping heads-up displays in my vision. I removed my glasses, and the overlap disappeared. The amount of Information presented in my vision was staggering compared to what my glasses could display. I was also hearing more sounds than normal, like I could hear a rat scurrying around inside a wall. The augs in my eyes provided an outline of the rat in my vision. It took some time to tweak the settings, so I didn't hurt myself listening to myself speak or firing the handgun, but could still hear the rat. The last box had two discs labeled eye and neck I placed them where indicated and after a few seconds a cyberwarfare menu appeared in my heads-up display.
I'm looking forward to seeing want we can do, now that I don't have to wait for you to finish reading to react to what I say.
"So do I. What should I get next? The skin hardening, nervous system, or the bone and muscle upgrade?"
I would actually recommend the power armor first. The other upgrades have a buildup time of two weeks or more to be completely effective. They would put you out of commission for a couple of hours during initial installation as well. You can use the power armor as you are. The other upgrades will make what you can do with the armor more impressive, but they aren't required. What happened to 'be the best you can be without technological help'?
"The rules changed when it stopped being about my personal survival and about all of humanities survival. Can you refresh my memory? What is the power armor capable of?"
The power armor, that is available for one thousand points, will allow you to pick up and throw a hovercar. It will make it so the Antithesis can't smell or hear you as it is sealed at all times. That is how quietly it moves. If you activate stealth, no one, human or otherwise, will be able to see you. It has a temperature control system, so you could stay in a walk-in freezer or a fire for hours, and be fine. The only fire from human weapons you should avoid is artillery and tank fire. It comes with retractable chainsaw blades from the arms. It comes with an extra-dimensional storage space for the weapons you are currently using as they are too small for the hands of the power armor to use. You can buy both a rifle and smg each for fifty points.
"I thought you said the armor would cost nine hundred points?"
I said that was the cheapest power armor which you could buy. You could still buy it if you want to, but it doesn't come with the temperature control system. The "safe" house that is housing Haley and the kidnapped Vanguard has just gotten reinforcements.
"Get the armor for a thousand and the smg only for now."
Sasquatch power armor purchased
Sasquatch smg purchased
Points remaining: 50
The armor appeared before me. It stood 9' tall. It was covered in a woodland camo pattern. Its legs were rather strange, there was a thigh and a joint like a knee. So far, so good. Then the "shin" ended in another joint that bent the opposite way of the knee just above the feet. The back hinged open and formed a set of stairs so that I could enter the armor. I placed my weapons in the storage area. Then I entered the armor, the back closed, and the stairs melted away to form a nice, padded area. The armor came online, and I picked up the massive smg.
"Mara with the new cyberwarfare stuff would it be possible to empty the company's bank accounts?"
Yes, but doing so might tip them off to the fact that they are under attack, and they might choose to eliminate those that could testify against them.
"I know. That's why I want you to do it once we have already engaged the bastards." I started making my way toward the safe house, unaware that the damned Demon Murphy wasn't done screwing with me yet.