Ripper hated entering cyberspace. Once he was in there, fine. But that initial sensation? He always had this irrational fear that this would be the time where his crimes would finally catch up to him and he'd be met, not with the wonderful, glittering sights of Aug-World, but with the slavering maws of a Takemoto hunter AI.

He exhaled deeply, when he arrived safe in the Artem of Aug-World. Then he scowled. There were things to love about the cyber overlay, but this was not one of 'em. Back in the real world, his body was stashed in an underpass of the mag-train, half-hidden beneath a layer of refuse so he wouldn't be taken advantage of by roaming scavs or goblin gangs. But here, the vision was brilliant. The underpass around him gleamed a brilliant white, and when he exited the tunnel, he was greeted with the scent and sight of a carefully cultivated lawn of flowers. Fucking flowers! In meatspace, it was a landfill, strewn with garbage and smelling like shit, exactly like the handful of homeless who lived there. But Ripper understood fully well why they'd make the fake Artem look like this. It was easier to ignore how much your day had sucked, if you could end it walking through paradise.

Truth be told, Ripper wasn't just having a sucky day. It was more of a shitty life. Born to a bunch of piece of shit addicts in the middle of the slums of Neo Argos, his path had pointed one way right from the get go. His choices were mostly between a life of abject poverty, slaving for the corpo fucks in the upper tiers of the city, or aiming straight for a short and violent life in the underside of the city. Well, one thing Ripper decided from early on - he wasn't one for ending up poor. Regardless of intentions, though, his path to becoming a crime lord was filled with obstacles. Because Ripper was neither strong, nor scary enough to make an impression and forge a territory for himself. He was clever, though. Shrewd, some said. Backstabbing little shit weasel, others claimed. But Ripper knew he was brilliant. Otherwise, he would never have made it as far as he'd done, armed only with his brains and a trash-tier hacking mod.

Oh, he'd done all right for himself, with what few options he had. But his luck hadn't held. His first crew imploded from internal differences, or whatever you'd call it when the leader blew his brains out on a Char high. His second crew managed to get themselves into a running struggle with a scav gang refusing to respect their boundaries, ownership or superiority. He'd barely gotten out of their last raid alive. Since then, rumor had spread that Ripper was bad luck, that he was somehow part of the reason why things had gone to shit for his former gangs. Since then, he'd gotten by working the occasional for-hire hacking job, tearing through crap security on worse jobs and being paid a pittance. He'd also received his nickname. Earned it proper. Ripper, cause that was what he did best. Sliding in, ripping the info from the system and leaving without getting busted. Sure, the systems were the worse for wear afterward, and they'd know for sure they'd been attacked, but by that time he'd be long gone. Ripper was good!

He looked around as he floated along the lanes of Aug-World, looking at all the fake glory of the city. Grimy, crime-ridden alleys and streets were bright, clean and offering every service and experience known to man. 'Ultimate Mem-core Lounge. Get drunk and live the life you desire!' 'The Mod Library. Try out every existing mod in Artem!' 'Full Spirit Renewal. One hour of luxury will clean your mind! Full satisfaction or money back.' Pfah. Everything available here in Aug-World, for sure. If you had the credits. Ripper wasn't a no-lifer either. He knew that the legal services in Aug-World were but a drop in the ocean. The real good stuff was to be found on the private servers. Real death matches. Mem-cores of corpo bastards indulging in depravities you'd never think of. Synth whores built to cater to your every whim, even the ones you repressed. Everything served to you with a cocktail of mind-altering drugs. He'd heard it all over the years, from gangers and scavs who binged and spent all their hard-won credits in a day of drug-fueled binges. But Ripper didn't indulge. No, Ripper was smart.

He let his fingers slide over his windfall. The thing that was going to turn things around for him. It was barely noticeable. A tiny white line along the forehead, where the flesh carver had dug in. For everybody else, it'd look like... a wrinkle, perhaps, or just another scar along with the large number he'd already won through a hard life. More expensive flesh workers would be able to do a better job, probably, leave everything looking like before. Ripper didn't mind, though. He liked having a physical reminder that he'd done it. He'd stepped above his station and earned the necessary base in order to take a step up and grasp the glory he deserved. No, the glory he was owed!

Brain Augmentation Mod

Tier: Two

The Galbatron 2001-A brain mod is an improvement to the old and well-known 2000 model, famous for its integrated tier two RI, (Restricted Intelligence) and twenty percent enhanced processing power compared to generic models. The new 2001 model includes added Aug-World compatibility, increasing the speed of the user’s interactions with certain Aug-World interfaces by up to 85%

This model makes for an excellent choice for any up-and-comer who needs that extra juice to be able to make their mark on the world.

(Before installing this mod, the user accepts compliance with the Galbatron 18.3 EULA, available with any Galbatron stores.)

Perception: 11

Mental Power: 11

Durability: 100/100

Cost: 2.8

That was it. He'd always been smart. Every single test had said so, right up until they'd kicked him from the programs for no fault of his own. But with the +2 increase to his Perception and +1 to Mental Power he got from the mod alone, he would be able to force his entry to so many systems that used to be closed to him. That was before taking into account the assistance of the RI and the added power and speed in Aug-World. At this point, he might even be able to face off with weaker AIs and get away. Keeper guide him, he was a powerhouse!

He sped up as he floated at speed over the streets of Artem. He was aware that moving like this practically wasn't necessary. For a single credit, he'd be able to instantly move to where he wanted to go. Still, Ripper was frugal - and he liked taking in the sights. It reinforced his world view. Helped him focus on the important details. On his right, a mega-mall exploded into light and sound as he stepped near, blaring projections and sales pitches at him, in an attempt to make him stop and spend his credits. The gorgeous, scantily clad twins promised to bring him whatever he desired. Behind them, a full-facade video showed a handful of racially diverse Artem City Enforcers, extolling "Join up as an ACE. Help keep Artem clean! We need all talent!" That brought a wicked grin to his face. His life had sucked, but he'd never stoop low enough to become a pig. Yes. This was what he needed. The reminder that the city wasn't here to help him. That the lies were everywhere. There was no mercy here, and it was him against the world. Just like Ripper liked it. And he was about to get his due.

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He sped up now, rose higher in the air. On all sides, the city stretched. Glorious, brilliant colors stretched everywhere, with inhuman constructions and glittering illusions covering every corner of the eye. The skyscrapers were even more impressive than they were in meatspace, physics-defying architecture challenging the heavens all around him. Even the apartment complexes, those looming arcologies, each housing hundreds of thousands of people, looked impressive in here. In real life - yeah, it was a different situation. Beyond everything, of course, the inner city rose, the towers of the megacorps looming over everything else, telling it exactly like they wanted to. "We are better than you. Stronger than you. You'll never rise to our status." Ripper laughed to himself. Well, they'd see about that, wouldn't they.

His flight slowed down now as he approached his target. The Aug-World version of the flesh carver was impressive. There was no denying that. Two massive projections out front were showing off implants and mods, inviting him to come check out their lists and prices. The name was less ostentatious. Chuck's Chop-Chop Shop. Bent in neon over the facade of the shop, the sign had plenty of hidden gory details, of people getting limbs cut off and reattached, mods pushed right into the bodies. Chuck had an... interesting personality. He also bragged a lot. But, from what Ripper had experienced so far, he didn't lie. This meant that, right now, there'd be a full inventory of tier two and three mods in the back, ready for the taking. Ripper only needed to access the server and open the back door, and then his backup would be able to move right in, shoot anybody defending, and empty the shelves, while he erased any proof they'd ever been there. With a full set of tier three mods, he'd be able to take on anything.

Ripper walked in like he owned the place. Which he could, because he hadn’t done anything wrong yet. The air smelled wrong. Clinical, with a floral undertone. Nothing like the blood tang present in the real shop. With a sneer, he moved straight over to the access point in the center of the column, ignoring the many mods floating around him, trying to draw his eyes. Then he activated his mod and dove right into the access point.

The server was hidden. Of course it was. They'd be stupid to have the heart of the building out in the open for anybody to see. But even back when he had his old trash-tier brain mod, Ripper had seen the glaring security issue. The access point wasn't fully separated from the server. In fact, any moron with the right knowledge and tools would be able to use it to grasp access to the server itself.

It was defended, of course. Even as Ripper sent his mind delving into the streams of data running from the access point to the server, he noticed alarms and security systems waking up and going up all around him. With his new mod, that was child's play, though. He sent targeted nano-programs at the security systems, while continuing his relentless dive straight for the heart of the system. The alarms he let blare. Who cared if they knew somebody had been here? Ripper was not known for subtle.

There it was. Riding through the data streams, he saw it now. In Aug-World, it was shaped like a massive steel lockbox, wrapped in colored wiring and glinting lights. Alarms and more defensive systems, ready to fire at any intruders. Ripper flexed his mental powers and unleashed a barrage of data at the main server. He laughed in exhilaration, as the explosions engulfed the lockbox in a fiery glare, overloading every single defensive system at once.

Glory was his. He felt it. With a brief pause as he watched for anything unexpected, he commanded his new RI to run a tiny program, an invention of his own, which used his keystone mod’s processing power, amped by the new brain mod, to slam its way through the access requirements of the server with brute force. Ten long seconds later, he was in and the doors unlocked.

He sent a brief message to Tennga. "We're in. Move!" Then he closed the connection, She'd be moving in, firing on anybody in the shop, and then she'd be off again, stolen hover-car ready to take off with their loot. He smiled and returned to the server, engaging the surveillance cameras, preparing himself to crash the entire system and rip out anything that might help Chuck catch him. He grinned maniacally, as he executed the program. This was his favorite part. He loved watching systems get torn to bits around him as he left. Ultimate proof that he could do it. He could rise up against the powers oppressing him, take what he was owed.

The system remained unchanged. Unharmed.

Frowning, Ripper mentally repeated his command for the program to run. But he was torn out of his confusion, as glaring sirens engaged all around him.

A robotic voice exploded through the room, overpowering any other noise. "Alert. Intruders detected. Engaging anti-intrusion system."

What? But he'd already ripped 'em all to shreds? Faltering, he looked around. Then he saw the form fading down through the roof of the chop shop and his mind went blank.

It was shaped like a wolf, if the wolf was twelve feet long, cybernetic, and bristling with sniffer programs and weaponry.

"AI. A fucking defensive AI!" The thoughts sent jolts of fear through every part of his being, but his enhanced mod was already helping him move past the shock. The solid feel of Aug-World was fading, the walls of the chop shop growing opaque and distant as he slowly returned to the real world.

He tore himself back to reality and opened his eyes back in meatspace. Kicking away the refuse covering him, he started running within seconds. A corpo-fucked AI! No wonder Chuck didn't mind bragging about his accomplishments, if he had an Articial Intelligence defending him. But at least it hadn't managed to get to him. Also, a low-tier AI wouldn't be able to hunt him down, as long as he made himself scarce right away. Ripper knew how to hide his scent. His feet carried him towards safety, even as he was considering his next steps. Run an anti-detection script. Done. Lie low with Mella. No, Glaive. Mella was still pissed with him. Tennga was probably already dead, but that wasn't his problem. Every man for himself in Artem. She'd known that. Next to him, a couple of scavs were looking over, but he kept running, hoisted his old slug thrower to disabuse them of any bad ideas.

The world turned on its axis. One second he was sprinting, the next he lay on the ground, pain blooming from several places at once. Weakly, Ripper raised a hand to his face and felt blood. His face was hurting. Ribs too. Felt like he hadn’t defended himself from the fall. But the real pain was fading from his neck, from his keystone mod. It felt like he'd taken a bat to the neck, and now his entire body was buzzing. His fingers couldn't move right. Then the pain returned. His body seized up again.

When Ripper came to, his keystone mod was talking. Yelling, actually. Turned up to the highest volume, the sound hurt his ears as Ripper's mod kept blaring the words. Around him, people were moving closer, making sure not to get too close. He fought his way to his feet shakily. He was lying in a puddle of something. He'd pissed himself at some point. Finally, some of the words were getting through to him. "-ZEN REGINALD VOLGER. YOU HAVE BEEN FOUND GUILTY OF MALICIOUSLY ATTACKING CORPORATION-OWNED PROPERTY."

Corpo-owned? Oh no. Fuck no! He stumbled along. His weapon forgotten, tears streamed down his face. Words spilled from him, jumbled. "I didn't mean... how could I know? I'm sorry. I'll make amends. I'll-" In that moment, even though he had logged out of Aug-World, Ripper saw the wolf. It ran through the air, aiming at him.

The announcement continued, uninterrupted. "FOR YOUR CRIME, THE GOVERNMENT OF ARTEM HEREBY SENTENCES YOU TO DEATH BY ELECTROCUTION."

His knees gave way under him and he fell to the ground. What use was running? He'd seen this before. Tears streaming down his face, he spat the words on his mind. "I just wanted what was owed to me, you fucks."

Pain spread from the keystone mod in his neck. Soon, Ripper was no more.