Chapter 57: Gun X Bet

3:47 PM

July 30th

Ripley

I could see Diamante scoffing as soon as he entered the gym’s firing range, while the selections of guns were limited here, the virtual targets made good enough practice for the peashooters we had — as Diamante liked to call them.

“I didn’t come all the way here just to see Ripley score a 23% on an Iron I Difficulty.” He turned to Mirage, who made a rare appearance at the gym. She had to be here for what I was about to do.

“Relax.” I gave a glum smirk as I hosted the pistol into position. “I’ve improved.”

Mirage played along with my arrogance, giving a nasty glare to Diamante. “I bet you twenty Bronze, he’ll score a 70% on whatever score you set for him.”

Twenty Bronze… she was betting 100k Shardyne on me? Suddenly, my hands felt a bit clammier holding up the pistol.

Diamante clicked his tongue. “30 Shards and he does Iron III.”

I turned to the man with an offended gawk. “Iron III? I can do better than that!”

“Bitch, you couldn’t hit a single target at Iron IV. You really think you’ve improved that much in a week?” He sized me up, and kudos to him… he was quite larger than me. “Fine, Iron V. I’ll enjoy the 30 Shards, use it to buy a nice lunch.”

Topaz snickered up behind us all, his silent presence once again shaking me up. “Can I join in? I’m betting on Ripley winning.”

“Tch, I’m enjoying a really nice lunch then.” Diamante crossed his arms, awaiting me patiently to fail.

Too bad that wasn’t going to happen. We’d tested out my Thought Multiplier, Mirage and I, only to discover it was… indeed a combat booster. Not exactly, it didn’t magically make me a good shot or drill ten years of martial arts into my head, I was very much still a novice street brawler in terms of fighting experience.

What it did improve was the psychological aspect, every memory of every shot I’d ever taken would compound into my focus all at once and I did notice that it left subtle returns in muscle memory and general realizations about how to improve, incrementally enhancing my abilities.

It was more of repeating my best shot many times over, rather than becoming a better shot.

“COURSE.” The speaker began. “IRON V DIFFICULTY. BEGINNING!”

My thoughts coalesced into one.

Thought Multiplier: ‘Shardware Usage’ X ‘Firing Range: Iron V Course’

There was also the matter that I had cheated. Since my memory would greatly improve upon using the Protocol, I had simply tried my hand on all of them once before. Up to Iron X.

Red targets in the shape of humanoid figures began moving in and around scattered virtual boxes and columns, some zipping around to mimic Shardware and Mutations of Iron V grade. That was my second key, I had a pretty good idea of what an Iron V Shardware could do, and by linking that thought in the multiplication I was innately aware of the distance and strength they could each go.

My breathing evened, my stance widened, my eyes settled comfortably on the iron sights that dwelled on the first head. My squeeze of the trigger was immaculate, and the recoil was expected but not fought against, the first red target popped.

Diamante’s robotic voice squealed like a pig being speared through. “H-wha-Ripley? No. Nuh uh. He hit a shot?”

Six heads went down, my memory of the course playing out exactly how I remembered it. The first round ended with a hundred percent accuracy. Was it okay to feel proud? Because I was feeling damn proud!

The next round was much of the same, I shot knowing exactly where each target would go and my body executed the preprogrammed movements effortlessly. The third round was also flawless, and by the end of the fourth round I’d only missed three targets.

Then came my issue, you see the time limit for the Multiplier was approximately anywhere between 30 seconds to two minutes depending on how much I was actively manipulating the thoughts it gave me. With Shardware as a variable, I could even stretch it out to five minutes of sheer productivity, something I linked to my familiarity with the topic.

Unfortunately, my expertise with guns was sorely limited. Landing me at around 45 seconds of perfect aim. The remaining fifteen seconds of the fifth and most difficult round was to be done without the Multiplier.

Or at least, that’s what one would think.

‘Shardware Usage’ X ‘Firing Range: Course V, Round 5’

I could just reapply the Multiplier the second it ran out, more on that, I could change it. Narrow it down even more to provide me the most specific utility, in this case every single one of the zipping and dodging figures moved squarely into my deadeye.

“COURSE END.” The machine spoke. “RIPLEY DONOVICK. SCORE 72/80, 90% ACCURACY. SHOTS FIRED, 80. NEW BEST SCORE… RANKING… 91.”

Before I could even let the gun down while it was still smoking, Diamante grabbed me by the shoulders and lifted me up to eye-level. “What the hell! You never showed that to me! You lost me 300,000 Shardyne! Fuck that, you think you’re hot shit! Look at this!”

He grabbed the gun out of my hand, ordering the course to repeat as it scanned him.

A minute of gunfire later…

“COURSE END. DIAMANTE. SCORE 80/80, 100% ACCURACY. SHOTS FIRED, 52. OLD BEST SCORE: 100% ACCURACY, 48, RANKING… 1.”

“SEE!” He screamed. “That’s how you do it!”

Topaz picked his ear. “We get it, you’re a sore loser. Now pay up.”

“Fuck you!” Diamante said… while he transferred the money as Topaz and Mirage jingled to a synced moment where they somehow hummed the same tune together.

Topaz snickered at the shared symphony, before giving me an apologetic look. “Ah right. Ripley, learn this hum, it’s what we do when Di gets mad! It goes like this; di, didi, dideeee, didi. He gets even more pissed whenever we do it.”

“I do not!” He screamed at us, all pissed.

A newer laugh joined up, Missy turning the corner as she too hummed the tune which sent Diamante cannoning right after her. “You too!”

Huh… I smirked. “Di didi, dideee, didi.”

Topaz shook his head. “No the third dideeee has to be longer.”

“Dideeee?” I teethed awkwardly and Topaz gave the most taunting of a thumbs up I’d ever seen. Diamante’s cold metallic eyes shone at me like crimson stars cursing me.

“I give you… BUGs… I give you the Data Mimicking Armband… I give you a goddamn gun and this is what I get?!” He seethed, approaching me with heavy, menacing stomps that ended with him staring straight down at me.

Then it fractured, he somehow looked disappointed as I waved at him nervously. “Tch, not even a quiver? A month ago, you were shaking!”

“I’ve overcome my fear of death since then.” I remarked, sending him a screenshot of an update to my Pysche that quite literally stated so.

“You damn Pysche weirdos.” He scoffed. “Welp, I’ll take my loss graciously… but seriously. How in Haithama’s nutsack did you do that?”

“Uhhh… I combined two thoughts together to become one thought. So shooting at the firing range was about as equally proficient as my understanding of Shardware, but that’s also kind of an understatement of how it actually works… I’ll just send you the pic.” Not that it would help.

He glanced down, then back up at the heading, then scanned it down again. It did not help. “What the shit is this?”

“Thought Multiplier.” I casually remarked. “Who cares about how it works as long as it does.”

Mirage then slid to my side. “Tell them how you got it, Ripley.”

“Oh, you do the honors.” I laughed, already looking for my exit to pull a Topaz and disappear.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“You misunderstood.” Mirage’s eyes turned crimson, and Midnight spoke out of her as that grip of her metallic claws fastened me into place. “It wasn’t a question. Tell them how you got it. Ripley.”

“So you see, it’s a funny story.” I regared them.

Fuck. “I may… or may not have… it’s a possibility, a slim one… that sort of exists… in the realm of probability…”

Missy said it as it is. “What dumb shit did you do? Diamante… he has all limbs, right?”

“Might be missing a brain cell.” Diamante tapped my skull… it fucking hurt.

So I regretfully… said it. “…that I consumed… fourteen BUGs… in… one sitting that may or may not have in…cluded half… of a Broooonze… one?”

Diamante and Missy met each other in a gaze of utmost stupor. It was Missy who spoke. “Oh he definitely lost more than one braincell.”

———

9:12 PM

“Alright, Rip.” Missy hurried me into the basement of an old bar in by a place called Green Valley, the sloping hills of this region made most of the houses… trailer homes. This, remarkably, was a bar named ‘Carol’s Coral Corral’ built into an old fueling station that apparently was once a bunker in the Fourth Swarm.

Said bunker turned out to be Missy’s home.

We were all gathered here, including one other figure I didn’t recognize. They wore long shadowy garbs that didn’t hide the slender but hefty metal carving beneath it, I couldn’t help but stare. It was clearly based on Yuzhou tech, using their blueprints as a building base but everything about it could best be summed as archaic.

The curves were unnatural, almost supernatural and disobeying the laws of physics with how the metal in them was distributed. Some parts should have compressed the others, and the ankles in particular were too thin in my opinion to carry any weight, yet as they moved… the stranger appeared to almost be floating as his steps were silent. Not to mention, those two freaky scabbards resting on his hip. Who needed two blades?

“As you’re aware, Ripley. We’re holding a heist on a Yuzhou facility, specifically their Shandian branches.” Missy clicked her fingers to get my attention, pointing to a table which glowed with a large map of Westcrook’s innermost areas. Three glowing spots shone in interest. “We’re after two things, number one. Information regarding Yuzhou’s plans in New California for the Fourth Swarm. Number two and more important, a piece of tech Yuzhou’s coined… Goliath. Estimated as a high Silver Tech, possibly Gold. You and Mirage performed the Data Delve that got us access codes and map layouts for several of the facilities, and Topaz helped us get specific info on where we might find these items we seek alongside police contacts on Yuzhou’s payroll.”

She then raised up her hand. “Before you ask questions, let me lay out the whole picture. This plan has been in motion far before you joined up. A year ago, we came in contact with The R0N1N, an international mercenary of the Gold Grade. Tier III. R0N1N specializes in anti-Yuzhou raids, he holds… a great amount of vehemence for them. His reasons are his own, but should this plan succeed, his money is not. Fifteen million split between me, Diamante, Mirage, Topaz… and Quartz who you haven’t yet to meet. Unfortunately, it’s not an equal split, we’ve all carried our weights and it’s being distributed as such. We’ll wait until the actual mission to see how you fare, but at minimum you’re gonna earn 400,000 Shardyne.”

“Six-hundred.” I planted my feet, gaining a smile from her.

“600,000. Very well. The plan began with intel gathering of general Yuzhou and Shandian distribution throughout the city. Although you may hear that Muramasa Dynasty are the enemies of Yuzhou, the truth is far more complicated than it seems. Ms. Himiko is known to have some leeway with their Princes and Princesses, in particular one known as War-Watcher. Yes, that same Ms. Himiko who tried to purchase the MAL your Implant came from. Not much is known about who she actually is in the Yuzhou hierarchy, but she’s a predator who lurks among the wolves of the criminal world. She has the money to throw around for it as well. Recently, Muramasa groups under War-Watcher’s command have been delving into the undercity, harvesting any remaining MAL colonies living there. Our info says they found a new Warp Material, and sold it to Ms. Himiko which perturbed the creation of Goliath.

“You might have heard of the hotel raid Muramasa performed two weeks ago, unofficially it was R0N1N and Topaz who caused it. R0N1N contacted a more… extreme group within Muramasa who hold their orthodox views, paying them to raid the hotel and cause mass panic. This was to find Muramasa-conspirists within the police ranks, of whom Topaz has identified three. And as a side-goal, we sent them after a high-ranking but affiliated Shandian exec to the facilities we are attacking. This, to sow discomfort between the two groups but also provide us with the known locations where Goliath has been transferred. It went… a little bit overboard. This Muramasa group was very much in the extremist zone, and War-Watcher took advantage of that to influence their actions.”

The masked man seethed. “They got greedy and took many more hostage with bombs, then lied and said I offered them five million when it was a tenth of that. All to get a higher bargain from the police, I had to intervene so that they didn’t interfere with the plan.”

So this was the-

Missy continued over me. “R0N1N’s appearance sent Yuzhou and Muramasa into high alert. We believe they're ready to move Goliath soon, based on reports of them scheduling a Mass-Aerodyne to land in Westcrook’s loading facility early september. On the other hand, they also had to keep quiet about the R0N1N, there are many anti-Yuzhou groups out there and… he’s somewhat of an uncomfortable flagbearer. It’s worked in our favor, we’ve had Mirage spill rumors about his appearance around the net, and it’s sowed enough conspiracy that they throw out their forces into the shadows. Diamante also pulls off a fantastic R0N1N impression when he needs to, so we’re letting them believe this is a guerilla war.”

The masked man spoke once more. “Transporting reinforcements over the Pacific will be difficult since The Typhoon is stirring awake for the Fourth Swarm. They won’t risk a MALtitan waking up for what could amount to Silver.”

Okay, so I’m right in thinking that this guy was the same one I saw in that video of the hotel-

Missy spoke over my thoughts once more. “Since these three facilities could be housing Yuzhou’s newest pet, we’re expecting high security. So it’s a covert mission, that means we’re outfitting you in a stealth suit. We’re going to strike on 30th August at 0230, in and out before dawn. Easily, we can expect multiple Silvers in each facility with a Bronze to Iron ratio of around 1:4, I’d wager most of their lower class guards are high Tier I, with an elite 30% at Tier II and a scattering of Tier IIIs throughout the facility. That’s not accounting for any additional security countermeasures like turrets, sentries, and exo-suits they could deploy. Then we have to also establish the Muramasa threat, assuming we secure such a technology, Muramasa and their police contacts will have us hunted down to smithereens. It’s pivotal your identities remain a secret, so manufacture a mask to your liking while Mirage forges a new Little-Requiem-linked Sigil for you. She’ll allow you access to their Iron and Bronze grade systems, if a police scans you they won’t get anything out of your Bioshard Frequency but what we want them to know. Also, your boss has allowed some clemency for this time period. I'm paying you your salary while he only handles the bonuses if you decide to stay late for work. Catch all that?”

“Huh?” I most certainly did not.

Missy sighed, flicking me a file that had a long script of dialogue… It was a transcript of this very speech. I scrolled through it, confused by a whole lot of new terms thrown out… could the police just scan my body and figure out my identity? When was it ever logged? What the fuck was a bioshard frequency?

Clicking the word, apparently it was some chip they put inside anti-cancer vaccines from when we were born. What the fu-

“Ripley.” Her voice grabbed my attention again. “This is a dangerous job, more dangerous than anything you've ever done, and might do for the next few years until The Swarm. There’s a good chance one of us might not walk out of there, and a very high chance it will be you. This is the kind of job that if you pull off, get’s your name recognized. Whatever you decide it to be. Don’t be rash about accepting this, we all know the risks we’re going for, and knowing them… we fight. Talk to your mom, tell us what she says. This is a job where we’ll be faced down in a pit match between the cops, gangs and corporations. Public enemy number one. Even after this mission, we’ll be attacked, mercenaries will be on our tail. So far, the reason we’ve limited our contact with you is because if you’re a known associate of ours, you’ll be taken in by all sorts of fiends to get at us once this mission is over. Especially me. And I’m sorry Ripley, but I won’t put myself in danger to save you.”

I didn’t pull out my casual disservice of an ‘I understand’ because for once, I could recognize that I was in over my head. That this wasn’t something a Gold Implant could carry me through.

“I’ll talk to my mother.” I said firmly. “She’ll hear everything you’ve said to me today. And… how prepared do you want me to be?”

“What?” Missy said confused, but a wary smile drew up.

“How far do you want me to progress? Tier II? 40% of the way there… a hundred percent?” I was serious for once, and it seemed she recognized it.

“80%, any less and you’re out for the count. That's okay with you?” She turned her eyes to the stranger.

“At minimal… he won’t be too much of a hindrance.” He shrugged.

“By the way…” I raised my hand. “That is The R0N1N? Right?”

The stranger turned his to me, then to Missy, then back to me… then once more back to Missy. “He figured out my identity. Should I proceed with killing him?”

What?

Missy shook her head. “No need. He’s a clever one.”

“Clever?” I was dumbfounded. “This guy walks around looking like an off brand Muramasa high-tier, complete with two scabbards on his hip?! How could he be anything else?”

“I am discreet.” The R0N1N reflected me in his mask’s hollow eyes, it looked like a devil… but vaguely asian.

“Bullshit you are! You’re basically screaming to everyone that you’re a wandering mercenary from the East!” I raised my hands up and down the man… “Maybe you just need one of those really flat straw hats, that would complete the look.”

“Is that something people from my region… do?” He tilted his head down, and I saw a slight peek of jade green eyes peering from within the gap.

Was he serious, was I being tested? Was I being racist? “Have you never watched the Cyborg Samurai trilogy?”

“Ripleeyyy!” Topaz called out with a song in the tone. “You’re being racist!”

I raised my middle finger out to him. “Shut the fuck up!”

Topaz had a shit-eating sneer. “Rip, riprip, ripriiiip… nope, doesn’t have the same flair. Carry on!”

He stepped into a shadow and I swore to god he vanished from my sight, one day I was going to catch that motherfucker. For now, I turned my attention back to Missy and the three facilities pointed out on the map. “Okay, yeah, one question, which one of these are we hitting?”

R0N1N stepped up, pointing to the West-most one… the one that had details as the most highly guarded of the bunch. Then… Missy pointed at the other two. She grinned. “All three. We’re splitting into three groups. Me and Topaz; Quartz, Diamante and Mirage — and you and R0N1N. Don’t worry though, I’m taking a paycut and hiring two mercenaries at Silver Tier II to help mine and Di’s group.”

“Okay… so…” Hold on. “It’s just me and R0N1N?”

The shadowy man in question looked at me with disinterest. “No… just me. You’re my Shard Op’, you’ll handle repairs.”

Hearing those words, my heart froze.

Topaz for some reason appeared out of the shadows with one of those old analogue cameras, but if I was making a face worth capturing... It was one of love.