“Geez, my head.” I utter, rubbing the sore spot on my head.
Looking behind me at the previously straight piece of metal of the dusty bunkbed a deep sigh escapes my breath as I wake up from my drowsiness.
“Someone’s gonna have to fix that.” My gruff voice airs as I feebly try to bend the metal back into shape only managing to turn it the other way around. I pop my head above the rim trying to see if my bunkmate already left.
“Sure hope doc ain’t takin’ this outta my pay.” I say, seeing only disheveled sheets in his wake.
Dejected, I continue on with my morning routine, taking a cold shower followed by brushing my teeth until sparkling. A big toothy grin matches my bulky demeanor as I look into the mirror opposite of me, looking about as ready to perform as a bouncer in any local back-alley nightclub as your friendly neighborhood bully. A few scars still mark my face from previous scraps in life and whatever else I’ve been through by now.
I hold my chin and tilt my head from left to right, looking for any stubble which might’ve sprung up to mark my face, finding my appearance suitable for today’s tasks. After finding some equally satisfactory clothing to wear, namely some jeans, a white shirt and a dark blue jacket, I proceed out of my room through the automatic door taking care not to bump my head.
Scratching the top of my head while walking through the hallway I try to ponder about what to have for lunch today as several people try to dodge the bulk of my body moving through the hallways to the lab.
Looking outside through the windows lining the hallways of the high rise building reveals a bustling city waking up, with early risers starting to show activity through their emergence from local residences out to head for a regular work day.
City lights replace themselves with the rise of the morning sun as I try to ignore the gawps of the other occupants standing in the doorways of their rooms or holding still next to the wall.
“Like any other day.” I manage to mutter under my breath, in faint hope of difference.
Soon enough a large metal door approaches my sight. As I get close I press the button on the wall staring up at the screen above the door. ‘Floor 154’ it reads, as I stare at the small metal sign next to the screen displaying ‘Floor 235’.
Once more today a sigh escapes my mouth while I stand patiently waiting for the elevator to arrive. Being used to standing around makes this task easier than It should have any right to be as I slowly start tapping my feet after three minutes. Footsteps slowly encroach from behind me as a familiar scent enters my nostrils, relaxing my muscles from their tense disposition at the approaching sound.
“Tough morning, pal?” I hear from behind as I look to my left to see a sharp dressed man standing next to me. From top to bottom, his business look shines from every pore of his body. You wouldn’t be wrong to expect someone like this at the economic council’s headquarters itself.
Accepting the coffee he offers I remark, “Unlike you, yeah. How do you manage this hell anyways? Waking up at six is a living nightmare. Not to mention the waiting times for the elevators, never liked heights anyways.”
A sharp ‘ding’ announces the presence of the elevator as the doors in front of us open, revealing a classy interior of beige and several colors of wood matching the rest of the building. “Timing, my friend. Don’t worry though, you’ll learn after a while.” He says while stepping into the elevator. I barge myself inside after him taking a deep swig of the black brew to refresh my morning self and manage to mash the correct button this time, noted in bright red with the word ‘LAB’ on it.
“So,” He says after a much necessary wake-up silence following the vertigo of going down, “what’s with the blueberry outfit?” A heavy frown marks my face as I turn towards him. At least, after having successfully not spat out my coffee all along the expensive walls, one pay cut is enough for now. “What do you mean blueberry?”
“Well, you know, just look at you.” He remarks, gesturing with the silver flip comb in his hand before proceeding to brush his slick hair for the possibly hundredth time this morning.
I take a quick look at my clothes before uttering “There’s nothing wrong with these clothes, the hell are you on about.”
“Whatever you say blue.” He says, proceeding to comb his hair while looking at his reflection in the elevator door. “So that’s how it’s gonna be today huh, I see how it is.” I growl, shifting my weight towards him, as the doors finally open revealing a busy floor of stalls filled with people dressed just as clean as my friend next to me. Looking up I see the screen has changed to ‘Floor 52’.
“Good luck at the morning test blue, I know you’re going to need it.” He quickly manages to say while waving back before getting lost in the crowd of people shouting about what I presume to be various sales and marketing strategies.
“Tch, blueberry.” I grumble to my lone self in the elevator as the doors close again and once more the vertigo of going down fills my stomach. I stand around for a second before starting to softly kick the wall of the elevator while managing to finish my thoughts. “I’ll show him who’s a damn blueberry after I-“
The elevator once more releases a loud ‘ding’ signaling my arrival at the lab. Followed by the opening of doors and a dense mist leaking through the gap.
“The hell is up with this stuff anyways, who the hell installed smoke machines in this place.” I say waving it aside to clear my vision while moving through the doorway.
“It’s disinfectant, I figured you would know this by now.” A cynical voice answers past the dreary fog clouding the hallway forward.
“Whatever you say doc, still just looks like you’re tryin’ to imitate a haunted house down here. Especially with all the props you got goin’ on here.” I call out while walking through the strip curtains revealing the laboratory in all its glory.
A mish-mash of tools line the walls to the right. From standard scissors, scalpels and stethoscopes to heavy-duty circular saws and power drills. Beakers filled with all sorts of chemical mixtures sit on a large row of tables to the left of the entrance, filling the room with scents long since burned into my nostrils.
The back is occupied by a large blast door that protects the warehouse, filled with all sorts of machinery, tech and chemicals.
In the center of the room sits a large coffin-like pod filled with a strange blue fluorescent fluid and surrounded by all sorts of cables and gadgets hanging around it. At least, it looks like a coffin to me and it sure as hell feels like it’s gonna be the end of me one day.
Next to the device sits a short old codger in a floating seat typing away on his holographic keyboard.
“Enough standing around Jack, get in the pod already so we can get the daily check-up done already.”
“Sure thing, just try not to blow me up or something.” I say as I take off my jacket and shirt and step into the pod, leveraging myself into the blue fluids. The cold stings slightly as I unceremoniously dump myself inside, the fluid slowly surrounding me as doc starts injecting some of the cables into specific parts of my body.
“Ha. Ha.” His snarky voice replies to me. “I’ll try not to.” He says as he jams one of the syringes particularly hard into my arm leaving me staring at him with a knowing glare.
He smiles brightly at me as he continues on with his job, slowly whistling a tune while doing so. “Besides, if anything could blow up our creation at this point what would be the point of making it?”
“Creation, huh.” I say, staring at the roof of the device above me slowly lowering itself to cover my body.
“Yes well, it’s still a work in progress but we will get there. Eventually.”
The pod seals shut with a loud hiss as I try to test some of my muscles while Howard starts vigorously typing on his keyboard trying to make sure everything Is in good condition.
“Alright, Jack let’s start with the basics.” I hear through a speaker inside the pod.
“First off, let’s make sure your chemical compositions are in correct order.”
What follows his statement is a rush of adrenaline unlike any other. Receptors I would’ve never dreamed of existing before the changes set off like a light show in my head. Hot and cold merging into a burning hell followed by sweet bliss covering every inch of my body, switching around to incredible pain and back.
“Brain activity seems to be in check, status is A-OK.”
I clench my teeth, making sure not to make a peep of noise unless I wanna have doc start laughing at me like the first time, as my body slightly convulses from the overload of senses.
“Next up we’re going to test your memory, make sure nothing’s gone all fuzzy in there.” He says as my brain finally gets some rest from the endless disco it endured previously.
“Name?” I hear almost accusingly.
“Jack Woodhick.” I say as I manage to relax my body.
His voice softens as he proceeds through the following questions. “Past profession?”
“Lumberjack.” my voice sputters out with spite.
“Current Profession?”
“Bodyguard.” I answer back, thinking of my following mission and how to best avoid it until the last possible moment.
“Next task?” He asks, the pod already opening up above me signaling the tests over.
“Beating the hell out of an old midget.” I manage to say while yanking syringes out of my body, having done their job of filling me with the required chemical mixtures.
“Close enough, don’t forget to be there on time for once. I’d like to say you know how to delay until the last minute but you’ve gone well past that at several points.”
I manage to shrug off the blue goop covering my body while once again donning my clothes. I flex my muscles for a second to test out their capabilities and find myself more than satisfied with today’s dose.
“Any changes from last batches?” I ask while doing a quick session of shadow boxing, throwing jabs at an invisible opponent.
“Nothing too major, we’ll have to find a large breakthrough if we want to get any further with it from now on. Besides, doing something like that before we leave on this mission for a while could put us at great risk.” He says as I take a look around once more at the lab around me.
Most of the usual mess is still around, but it’s accompanied by a multitude of large boxes stapled with large symbols of ‘FRAGILE’.
“To see you get out of this lab for once, truly a miracle wouldn’t ya say?” I ask while giving him a fine grin.
“A nightmare more like, to think I’d have to come with you is ridiculous. What is up with today’s employers, can’t handle a simple injection pod for the life of them.” He grumbles while I look at the self-built pod that still sits in the center dripping a few fluids from syringes.
“Not sure everyone has a doctorate in drug research like you doc.” I say while giving a slight shrug at his pensive glare.
A sigh is his answer as he continues packing up some of the boxes through heavy-duty machinery which moves at the wave of his fingers across the holographic keyboard. “I suppose you’re right about that much.”
“You might want to check up on your bodily modifications as well before leaving, don’t want to leave any stone unturned.” He says while staring at his screen, too busy to spare a glance.
I give him a wave before leaving through a side door leaving me standing in an old alleyway with nothing but what appears to be a wall behind me.
I inspect my boots to make sure I didn’t step into anything and get into my average ‘tough’ look, in other words, I put my hands in my pockets. Just to make sure I don’t have any straggling thugs trying to steal my stuff.
Steady steps lead me through the underbelly of the city, allowing me a quick glance up at the flying cars and trucks floating still ahead.
“Who would’ve thought, all these years of progress, and even with flying cars we still have traffic jams.” I shake my head, hearing the honking of horns slowly fade while moving deeper into the edges of the city.
The heavy thudding of footsteps hitting old pavement echoes through the barren alleys. Only a few folks can be seen walking around, covering their faces under trench coats and masks as they skitter away into the dark. Nowadays, walking outside is almost considered taboo in this city except for either the unlucky fellas in the gutters or those outside the walls. I still find it calming my mind after all these years though, shuffling through these streets.
Electric lighting covers broken down bars and shops. The sun nowadays doesn’t reach places like these until midday considering the skyscrapers fill whatever space is left.
“The hell has been goin’ on with Jeremy lately anyways. Been asking about the mission’s he’s been sending Gregg ‘n me on but bastard just won’t spill the beans. Whaddya mean you can’t disclose information like that, damn near crippled us last few times.” I grumble to myself.
“Ugh, that coffee sure didn’t fix my thirst” Rubbing my throat still leaves an ache to cure.
Slowly I make my way towards a familiar place on these old trodden roads. My footsteps trace long remembered paths, ground down from use.
An old sign appears before long, calling out my favorite bar in the entire city. Worn down wood doors and lazily patched up walls greet me as I step through the doorway. Nails pin down anything in sight, a measure put into place after the first few scuffles that happened in this place. Having an angry and drugged up hunk of beef beating up drunk bar folk is one thing, having him do it while tossing around the entire store’s supply of tables and chairs is another.
I slowly take in the smoky air of the place, seeing the same old customers once more. We don’t share many pleasantries besides a passing glance as I take my seat at the bar, the tattered leather of the stool feeling just right. I unconsciously stroke a crack in the bar near my right hand as the bartender rolls up to me.
“Same old?” He asks, already reaching for a whiskey bottle.
“Hmph” I breathe out with a grin, tapping gently on the oaken wood.
Before long a rock glass appears before me, with a single large ice cube in the center. 45 ml of Scotch whiskey and 15 ml of Amaretto join it to form a perfectly stirred golden drink with rustic red notes swimming through it.
“Heh, it never really left your blood did it?” He asks me while swiping the rim with his cloth, making sure it’s just perfect.
The slightly sweet and almond taste fills my mouth as I take a moderate sip from the glass, nostalgically savoring the drink as I work my way through it.
“So how’s it up top?” The bartender asks while he continues cleaning a glass.
“Boring, as always.” I reply, reminiscing of times long past. “Jeremy is still a stuck up cunt with his silver brush too far up his ass, and doc’s about as loony as any other doctor in the underbelly.”
“Hah, ain’t that right. Might as well wipe your mind where you’re always welcome bud, just try not to break my bar completely from all the boredom would ya?” He says gesturing towards the cracks.
“I’ll try, no promises though, got a new dose 20 minutes ago.”
“Hell, that guy still pumpin’ ya full huh. Well just don’t get into any fights, you know what you’re like shortly after.”
“I probably won’t until later today.” I say, thinking of the mission coming up ahead while slowly sagging onto the bar.
“Gotta guard some missy, can’t recall the name. Says we’re headin’ to the outlands.”
“The outlands? You better watch your back while you’re out there you hear me? I don’t wanna see ol’ steel getting lost in the middle of nowhere.”
A slight chuckle of alcoholic breath fills the air. “Gettin’ lost is your biggest concern for me, eh?”
“As if I can worry about anything else with a body like this.” He says, punching my arm.
Only a slight sting ails me, showing more so his strength than mine.
“I’ll make sure to bring a map.”
Both of us have a good laugh at that one, even some of the other people listening in on the story. Not that it matters to us, we’re all the same down here anyways.
“Not sure how long I’ll be gone.” I say as the mood slowly dims down.
“Don’t worry, we know of the escapades you go through. This ain’t our first rodeo, remember?”
Smiling, I manage to hoist myself up off of the stool after taking a large swill of the remaining liquor. “Yea, suppose I know that much.”
“I’ll see ya around pops, keep the hold safe while I’m gone would you?”
“Hold up, I got something for ya before you leave.” He says, ducking down under the bar trying to reach for something out of sight. “Here, this might be useful for you.”
He puts an old cut short shotgun on the table, long out of use in today’s era. “The hell kinda shotgun is this?”
“A double-barreled sawed-off, figured you might want some extra bang for your buck while out there. These were banned a long time ago but nowadays I doubt anyone really cares. Normally this used to blast a person’s arm off if they tried to one hand one of these, but I figure you might just pull it off.”
I pick up the old piece of weaponry and inspect it. Opening the latch shows two shells already loaded inside.
“Thing about a sawed-off is that it’s just about worse in every aspect except for one thing.”
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Which would be?” I say while looking at the side, engraved in silver is the initials H&H.
“Concealment. The one usefulness of ruining a beautiful piece like this is being able to hide it just about anywhere because of its size. As I said though, it kicks like a mule and shoots about as straight as a drunk in the women’s restroom.”
“Oh, and don’t forget, here’s an ammo belt to keep handy.” He says while handing me an old leather belt filled with shells. “If you need any more at some point you can probably find some at any gun store, if they still sell ‘em that is. Otherwise just visit an antique store, perhaps some old fella still has some lying around.” He remarks with a chuckle.
“Thanks Bert, I won’t forget your help. Good luck around here.” I say as I finally get up to leave, packing the sawed-off under my jacket and donning the belt.
“You kick their ass out there for me would ya?” Bert manages to call out to me before I start making my way outside. “Make ‘em remember the name!”
A few slight nods at the other’s in the bar is all before I exit the place, at long last filling my lungs with fresh air rather than dusty smoke.
“Well, one more stop before I can’t delay it any longer I suppose.” I say to nobody in particular as I contemplate on which direction to go for my next destination.
After a hard thought battle between a walk through garbage central filled with all sorts of scumbags and rodents or the park, I make my decision to take it easy for today.
The steps outside of the bar creak as I start heading over to the modification shop while getting a slight jog in to have some morning exercise at the park. It’s mostly empty when I arrive, as usual. The fences surrounding it have long since turned into a rusted green, the lack of gatekeeping only allowing the vegetation within it to bloom even more as it spills out of bounds.
Overgrown canopies cover my head as I keep walking through the woods, making me think of days long gone. A slight pang of pain hits my head as I try to reminiscence even more, quickly making me shake my head and focus on my run. Before long though, footsteps are heard through the distance. I think about stopping but figure that it won’t change my route no matter what, so I think different of it.
Assuredly, the footsteps close in and a figure emerges from the bushes on my right. Rather than some beggar with a knife like I’d expected to play with, a young lady in tattered clothing with red hair jumps out from the bushes looking just as surprised to see me as I am to see her. Our inevitable collision leaves her bouncing back onto the dirt road before quickly rolling into a crouching position, leaving me to stare down at her.
“Hey uh, are you alright?” I ask while looking where she came from, 2 more sets of footsteps closing in.
“Who the fuck are you!?” She manages to yell at me, brandishing a short fancy pocket knife at me.
“Call me.. Blueberry.” I manage to say before hitting myself on the head in my mind.
“Blueberry, what the hell kind of name is that?” she asks in sheer confusion. “Are you some kind of vigilante superhero or something?”
“No, it’s just.. ugh, quick question, those your friends?” I say pointing in the direction of two people in the distance dressed in all black dashing this way, trying to hide my embarrassment.
“Fuck no! these fucks just tried to kill me!” She blurts out, switching between pointing her knife at me and her apparent adversaries.
“Twenty thousand.” I say, standing with my arms crossed looking down at her.
“Huh?” She stumbles out while giving me a bewildered look.
“Twenty thousand.” I repeat while pointing at the two assassins approaching “Twenty thousand credits and I’ll bust their skull wide open.”
“Do I look like I’d accept extortion such as that!?” She says with a faux glare, raising her knife.
A quick glance at the blade and her clothing reminds her of the situation. One more worried look at the now very close gunmen seals the deal.
“Tch, fine!” She says before trying to hide in some of the nearby bushes.
“And don’t leave, you still gotta cough up those credits after I’m done.” I say as she stops trying to sneak away.
The first assassin jumps out of the bushes halfway after I’m done having my talk. A military knife soon finds my neck, drawing blood as he slices into the synthetic fibers of my skin.
“You sure are serious, aren’t you.” I say taking hold of his arm, imagining the panic on his face under the visor he’s wearing as he finds the wound too shallow.
The sound of bones crunching soon meets the air as I strengthen my grip on his arm. Even from under the mask a bloodcurdling scream fills my ears allowing me to smile in glee. A quick kick to his knee leaves it shattered and crumples him onto the ground as I let him fall.
Two bullets shortly after hit the side of my head leaving my focus on the other. “Hey, buddy, quit that will you and get over here so I can beat the shit out of you.” I say while cracking my neck.
To my surprise, he holsters his pistol. But just as I was about to expect a proper fight he speeds up and tries to rush past me, clearly intent on simply finishing the job. Adrenaline kicks in as chemicals start working in tangent inside my body, speeding up my perception past normal capacity.
Shock clearly fills his eyes as mine track his. Before he can realize his mistake I thunder in his direction. He manages to dodge my grab on his arm by barely lifting it out the way, as I manage to graze the side of his body with my hand. The first and last mistake he’ll ever make.
I clench as hard as I can and grab hold of the side of his torso, easily crunching two of his ribs between my fingers. The vertigo of being swung overhead leaves him stunned as his body crashes into the dirt floor. A dry heave can be heard from under the veil as his chest caves in, knocking the breath out of the assassin. A quick stomp on his neck leaves him paralyzed from the waist down, gurgling on his own blood.
I hear coughing coming from his still living companion, as he limply tries to crawl away. “Who’d imagine..” He manages to weakly mumble out while more coughing fits leave blood soaking the soil. “That they’d have a slosher on their side.”
“Hmph, not just any slosher.” He turns around as I start closing in with thudding steps. “Remember the name, it’s-”
“Blueberry!” I hear a shrill voice sound behind me interrupting my speech.
“Huh?” My body turns to the lady now standing up behind me as I stomp on the head of the assassin. “Aww heck.” I blurt out, turning back while trying to get brain matter out of the sole of my boot.
Slowly she manages to walk up to me brushing off a cap she appears to have lost in the scuffle before we bumped into each other. The symbol on the front leaving its status very clear as she dons the hat before pointing one of the largest pistols I’ve seen yet about 2 inches away from my face.
“Aww heck.” I manage to repeat, raising my hands before a cacophony of screaming starts arriving.
“How dare you blackmail a commanding officer of the law! I could have you hanged within two instants! You shall come with me immediately to the nearest barracks for an inspection!” She shouts, pushing the gun further into my personal space with each sentence.
“Look miss uh,” I say trying to peek past the rails of the gun at her nametag, “Miss Rosethorn, I’m a professional bodyguard so call it a temporary assignment.” Showing her a pass I always have handy in my back pocket.
She snatches the card out of my hand before glancing over it, trying several well-known and less well-known checks for falsification while she’s at it.
Finally after testing probably every measure she could think of she gives an exasperated sigh before handing it back. “Fine, but don’t let me catch you doing something like this again.”
“What, saving a young lady from trouble?” I say while trying to give my best dashing smile.
If the harsh frown on her is any indication it isn’t working then the gun halfway up my nose sure is. “Fine, I get it, no more helping people desperately in need of help for financial compensation.”
“You mean blackmailing.” She answers back with a strict voice which I gladly ignore.
“So what about these two here?” I ask motioning towards the two corpses lying on the ground. A symbol on their shoulders catches my eye before I turn back to her. The hell do the Antrades want with her?
“I’ll handle those two, that’s none of your business. We split up here and will never have to meet ever again you hear me?” I simply nod at her suggestion but an odd yet annoying inkling has me feeling that’s not happening.
“And the credits?” I finally manage to ask with her gun no longer trying to prod my brains out.
A fierce glare is my only response before she stomps off radioing in what I assume to be reinforcements. I take this as my cue to leave as I give a simple shrug before hurriedly making my way down the road towards the shop.
“No skin off my back I suppose, a damned thorn in my side more than anything.” I murmur to myself as I continue with my morning jog.
Sure enough, before I even leave the park several military vehicles start flying overhead, rustling the foliage with their passing.
Continuing on with my journey, I finally manage to clear the park and reach civilization once again. Feeling the hardness of brick once more beneath my feet leaves me almost relieved, signaling my escape from a sticky situation. Thankfully the modification shop sits right outside of the park’s south entrance on the corner of the street. A small inconspicuous doorway made out of rickety wood opens with a creak when I slowly make my way inside.
Dust and mold meet senses as I make my way through the abandoned building. Glass cracks underneath my feet while I make my way further inside.
Behind a broken down display counter a rug easily lifts up revealing a cellar door underneath. Lifting it uncovers a small hallway lined with neon lights leading deeper underground. “Last stop.” I tell myself, taking a deep breath before plunging myself to my apparent doom.
Closing the hatch behind me I stroll deeper down the corridor. It isn’t long until I’m met with a large entryway, closely resembling a safe. Only an eye scanner sits on the side in the small room before the door.
“Back are you?” I hear from above as I approach the device.
“Don’t bother with that thing, I’ll let you in.” The voice says through the speaker installed on the ceiling.
Slight surprise pops up on my face before I shrug to myself and lead myself inside.
“So what’s the deal this time? Ruptured skin, defective receptors, lack of hair growth?” The woman starts rapid-firing questions at me before I make it halfway through the doorway.
“None of those I’m afraid. Just a regular check-up before my next mission.”
“You’re so boring you know that?” She says, putting away what appears to be some kind of giant needle filled with who knows what.
“So what’s with the courtesy of letting me in so easily?” I ask taking a seat in one of the old barber chairs around her shop.
Her lair is covered in all sorts of a mess but much less organized like doc’s place. Heaps of tools and boxes of what I assume to be synthetic body parts are strewn all over the place.
An examination lamp almost blinds me as I try to cover my eyes from the harsh lighting. “Well, you’re kind of my only customer nowadays anyways. Most people seem to have left the premises or died horrible deaths.” Her high voice peeps with joy at me while moving around rummaging through the piles of debris.
“Here we go this should do the trick.” She pulls out a large monitor I’ve become rather familiar with over the years. She slaps a few patches attached to the detector by wires and turns the thing on, leaving her staring at it intensely for a short few seconds while electricity courses through my body, feeling like in an invigorating bath.
“You’re all good!” She squeals at me promptly ripping off all the patches.
“That’ll be five thousand credits!” She follows up immediately afterward making me almost vomit in my own mouth while trying to scratch the itch of irritated skin.
“Put it on my ta-“ I cut myself short remembering my previous streak of self-indulgence throughout the past week. A quick inspection leaves me pleasantly surprised with 20000 credits and a few extra to spare in my bank account. Remembering a previous encounter reminds me to quickly have some more booze before I start regretting prior actions. “Yeah, put it on my tab.”
“Will do! Anything else you up to lately? It gets rather lonely down here with my only friend being amputated body parts and bottled hearts! This one time I even-“ Phasing out the chatterbox from my perception leaves me to contemplate my next action. I could try and skirt the deadline even more by having a final stop back at the bar, or mayhap I should take a stroll through the gutters to see if I can find some extra pocket cash lying around at the bottom of a different bottle.
“And that’s how I lost my license to legally operate on non-sentient objects! Not that that ever stopped me! Are you still there Jack? You still haven’t heard of my escapades in the recent foray of developing walking heads!”
The headache I’m gaining from being near this woman is probably the nail that drove me to finally decide to head off anywhere but here.
“I’ll see ya around Mina, take care.” I manage to fit in between her non-stop barrage of talking.
“See you, Jack! Remember to stop by here and now! I’ll show you my latest projects then, you can drive the car with arms!” She happily mentions while waving goodbye as I walk once more through the corridor to the outside world.
“Crazy bitch,” I smirk to myself looking at the small changes I feel in the layers of my skin. A small test with my nail leaves not even a scratch left on my arm. “Sure as hell is a genius when it comes to body tempering though.”
Leaving the building has me covering my eyes from the sun shining down upon me. “What time did I need to be there again?” I ask myself while trying to get accommodated to the rays blinding me.
“Pretty soon.” Someone replies to me from close by. I turn to the side to find my partner leaning against his car.
“What’s up Gregg, what brings you here?”
“Your job, that’s what. You’re almost late and I can’t have that when you’re meeting the captain.” He says, stepping into the glossy black vehicle hovering slightly above the pavement. “Get in.”
Knowing my friend well I make sure not to make him wait. Cramming myself into the passenger seat is a bit of a squeeze but pushing it back allows just enough room for my legs to fit in.
“So where are we heading anyways.” I ask while trying to fiddle with my safety belt after it fails to automatically adjust.
“Kernok station, it’s on the east wing. You should really begin to remember these kinds of things.”
The flying machine quickly lifts off settling in on one of the routes designated on the dashboard. Meanwhile I try to ignore his accusation by staring at the floating cars and trucks passing by.
“You ready for today’s mission Jack? Had all of your assessments, gear, coffee and whatever else?”
“Check, check and double-check. Also got me a neat pick up on my way here.”
“And what would that be?” He asks, taking a turn to the left while speeding up between towering pillars of glass and steel.
“A surprise tool that will help us later.” I say while giving a cheeky grin at his smirk.
“As long as it’ll blast some of those fuckers to bits I don’t care what you bring, just don’t take me down with you.”
A guffaw escapes me at his bold claim. “I’m afraid it’d be only you going down even if I’m the one holding the grenade.”
“You got me there pal.” He replies, shaking his head at my hubris.
“Any information I need to know before we finally land?”
“From what Jeremy told me, we’re to keep an eye on someone from high up.”
“How high up we talking” I ask at his focus on driving. Gregg’s never one to keep information like this.
A defeated sigh escapes me at his silence. “Give it to me straight.”
“We’re talking council officials here.”
“Son of a-!“ I nearly yell out before stopping myself from breaking my pal’s window. “I told that motherfucker not to do this kind of shit again, does he not know how high-target people like that are nowadays?”
“I feel the same way Jack, but the contract’s already in place.” He mentions with a dour look.
“Fuck.” Is all I can utter as I try to calm myself down and not march over to Jeremy’s office while making hell break loose.
The dashboard gives a short beeping sound before a feminine voice speaks over the intercom. “One minute until arrival at destination Kernok station.”
“Well, you heard it, get ready for landing.” Gregg says while starting to check over his equipment as the autopilot takes over.
My preparation exists out of a quick rush of adrenaline filling my body, testing muscle reflexes and control. One last peek at the shotgun under my jacket and testing the tightness of my belt leaves me satisfied as we close in on the station where a massive glass dome stands with a sandy path towards the gate. A convoy stands In front of the massive gate leading to the wasteland outside, consisting of a variety of military Humvees and large trucks standing on the sand filled strip between the dock walls.
“Hey, Gregg for what reason don’t we just fly over all the trouble out there in the outland anyways? Let’s just pass those walls.” I point towards the high walls blocking our view of the desert that lies beyond, sarcasm dripping from my voice.
“I know you aren’t exactly thrilled about the next mission Jack, but plummeting to my death once we pass the electric field isn’t exactly my favorite pastime.” He tells me while giving me a sidelong glance.
A simple shrug ends up being his only answer. To think we’d disagree for once.
Only one pure white lorry doesn’t carry any significant weaponry, and if the large amounts of experimental drugs and my pod getting loaded into it are any indication that’s probably where I’ll find doc.
The rest of the convoy is getting set up in a column formation, with the civilian, merchant and other important vehicles surrounded on the left and right by military.
Up until now, everything seemed pretty average for a convoy going out into the outlands, but one sore spot seems to be our destination. A huge red-black train-like construct comprises the front half of the convoy, with guns on top more fitting on a battleship than anything else. The front holds a heavy plow, as wide as three of the cars next to it. These cars consist of black cruisers made from state of the art materials if the commercials are anything to believe, fitted with large top-mounted railguns.
“You know Gregg, if they wanted to be subtle this seems to be anything but.”
“Could’ve fooled me.” He remarks back with a grimace on his face.
“At least they’ve got security down, ain’t that right?”
Looking at Gregg makes it clear he’s having the same grim reminder as me of its status of a double-edged blade.
“We’ll be fine, when they’re bringing this much firepower on top of us in there nothin’ can stop us.” I state while trying to relax my nerves.
“My question is just, what are they bringing all this firepower for.” Gregg mentions back, leaving a frown upon both our faces.
“Well, that ain’t our job to know.” I declare as I start bracing for our landing when we near the side of the station. “We just gotta make sure the target isn’t gettin’ her ass handed to her.”
Landing on the ground finally gives me some relaxation as I once more stand on solid ground. A young escort in military uniform immediately stands before us giving a salute as he begins to speak. “Mister Jack and Gregg I can assume?”
“At your service.” Gregg replies as he salutes back, leaving me standing with my arms crossed behind him.
“Follow me sirs, right this way.” He says as he turns around while heading towards the station proper. The insides show it to be a semi-sphere on top and a cylinder on the bottom half where escalators bridge the gap between the floors while large elevators carry heavy loads up and down.
Military personnel and civilians can be seen traveling to and fro the building trying to get their tools and luggage packed as we head down via an escalator.
“We are currently headed towards your target, who you will protect with your life.” He says, stressing the last part excessively for my taste.
“That we will, is there anything we should be mindful of during the journey?” Gregg asks trying to garner any extra information before we start this secretive case.
“You will be informed of any necessary information during the briefing, so don’t worry.” He mentions as we step off of the escalator onto the bottom floor.
Dodging our way through hovering cargo trays and luggage carts finally allows us to step outside through a glass sliding door.
As I look behind me sand that gets blown through the door gets sucked through a grate in the ground making sure the floor inside is as clean as can be. “Nifty.” I murmur to myself while catching up to the other two.
Making sure to walk straight trying to keep up appearances allows me to look over their heads at the escorts further up. The backline consists of the usual company found in a motorcade like this, but the further I look to the front the more atypical it gets. Regular outfitted soldiers turn to what I assume to be special ops and government agents.
“Somethin’ smells real fishy about this job Gregg,” I tell him while he converses with our guide. “keep your eyes peeled.”
“Jeremy set us up with this mission for a reason, so I’m not worrying too much.” He says back as he takes a look around himself. “But I’ll keep it in mind.”
Passing by the side of the convoy and saluting guards finally allows us to reach the large bunker on wheels.
A low whistle leaves my mouth as I take a once-over of the land made battleship. “Where’d you find a thing like this?” Looking at the side of the train the word ‘Stigma’ stands in bright red.
“I’m afraid most of that is confidential information, but what I can tell you is that it was gifted to us for just this mission by a very generous donator.” He returns with a proud smile.
“Figures.” Gregg says glumly, wording my thoughts exactly while giving the machine a look-over himself.
We make our way inside through a stairway attached to the rear end of the carriage.
The insides are filled with hallways and stairs leading up and down, signs leading towards mess-halls, engine rooms and barracks. Dim lighting covers the personnel working over different parts, making sure everything is in order.
“You guys are bringing a whole fort huh?” Gregg remarks while we slowly make our way to the front.
“We have to I’m afraid, we don’t want to take any risks out in the open.” Our guide returns.
Halfway through traveling to the front the overall look of the vehicle changes dramatically, from steel and pipes to luxury tapestries and mahogany wood. A small bar catches my eyes and I give a wink to the bartender as he gives me a quick wave before continuing to wipe his counter.
All sorts of luxuries fill the latter half of the Stigma, from chandeliers hanging on the ceilings to small gambling halls. Along the way taking a quick peek into one of the bedrooms shows large double beds and floors made of fanciful carpets.
A small object scurries past my legs, forcing my gaze downwards to whatever just passed me by. What greets my sight is a small robotic semi-circle hovering on the ground, seemingly sucking up the filth left behind from my boots. “They sure got everything around here don’t they?”
“What’s your name anyways? Don’t think I caught it.” I ask while holding my hands behind my head. Having all this extra space because of the size is comfortable at least.
“You can call me Lieutenant Thomson, but most people call me Tommy.” He says while guiding us past a small gym.
“At least you guys aren’t all stuck up pigs about courtesy around here.”
“Ha! I suppose you’re right about that much, but try and put your hands behind your head like that while in front of miss Rosethorn, and I’m pretty sure the captain will have your head on a spike before it’s even over.” He says while giving me a meaningful grin.
“Uh, yeah.” I chuckle, lowering my arms while trying to laugh away my discomfort.
“Wait, Rosethorn?” I manage to ask before we enter through the door to a room filled with a large oval table made of obsidian covered with holographic maps, surrounded by military personnel of all ranks.
“Blueberry?” I hear before anything else as I take a quick look at the person sitting at the head of said table. Sure enough, there sits a young woman with the same features as earlier this morning. Bright red hair, black leather jacket, A hat with the high rank of captain on it, and a menacing glare to finish it all up in a neat bouquet.
“Aww heck.” I repeat myself, as even my partner gives me a scrutinizing look.
“Acquaintances?” He asks me with mirth.
“Let’s leave it at that.” I tell him back as I make my way into the room, heading to one of the empty seats as far away from the front as possible, followed by my friend.
It isn’t until I manage to sit down that our escort finally gets over his confusion and introduces us to the room. “My lady, I am here to announce the arrival of your bodyguards for your journey.”
I’m pretty sure that if eye lasers had been invented by now, there would be a solid hole drilled through my skull at this point. I fear that that time isn’t too long from now, though.
“Oh I’ve noticed, Thomson, but are you sure we checked the quality of our hires before we picked them?” She asks as Gregg takes the seat next to me.
“Yes ma’am. We’ve done rigorous amounts of background checks on all affiliates and have found these two to be the most capable.” He tells her, giving a salute while standing so straight I’m pretty sure even a steel beam would become jealous.
“First off we have Gregg Lane, one of the top marksmen in the country. Known to have finished at least 200 missions so far, consisting of assassinations, assaults, and escorts with a success rate of over 98%.” He says, gesturing towards my colleague.
“Next we have Jack Woodhick, known for his incredible strength. Having previously been caught for coinciding with unlawful groups, he has since been retrained into a slosher of experimental design by non-other than Dr. Catalyst. His record consists of mostly protection missions with a 100% success rate.”
“Why don’t ya tell ‘em my whole life story while you’re at it.” I mumble to myself while trying to dodge the stares in my direction.
“Right. Mister Woodhick, you and I will have a bit of a private conversation after this is over, do you understand?” Miss Rosethorn declares while the others try and get back on track with their conversations.
“Sure thing.” I murmur while stretching my back.
The sound of a bullet whirring past my head and breaking an expensive vase behind me stops my movement in its tracks.
“Do. You. Understand?” She asks with a menacing smile through the silent atmosphere, holding a revolver that’s still glowing from its discharge.
A flat expression meets hers as I slowly turn towards her.
“Aye aye, Captain.”