R4 awoke to the smell of coppery smell of blood. With her first breath she realized her mouth was full of something hard. She lashed out at the bonds that held her, only to realize they were her bed sheets. She coughed, and immediately spit out a dozen teeth across her capsule. The rest dropped out a moment later.
“Red, what the blood?” R4 ran her tongue across her new teeth. A few were still working on poking through her gums, but most of them were there. “Red, why am I spitting out my teeth? These ones don’t even have fillings.” She felt a twitch in her mouth, before her tongue involuntarily flattened. She felt something happen, “Red?”
“New data has been recorded and has yet to be processed for resale… I mean studied.” R4 sighed, pushing her way out from her blood stained sheets. Her clothes, which she had not bothered to change out of after finishing her work, were now stained with blood in a striped pattern. In frustration she put her hands to her heads, finding shoulder length red hair streaming down.
“Ok, I’ll use one of my questions. What happened last night?”
“After completing your gig, for which you have been paid 1,400 credits, you went to sleep and underwent several rounds of AI driven improvements, bringing your Force, Mind, and Aptitude to human maximum. In the process your muscles were dissolved and regrown, causing moderate blood loss, and you underwent several instances of ischemia across several parts of your brain, which have been repaired. I have placed several memory games on your phone to ensure no damage has been done, which you should do while washing your bed sheets. Also I have compiled several new gigs.
R4 drew a few looks from Jun and Hon as she stuffed her clothes into the washer, and her bed sheets into the trash. Both men were dressed in bright colored shirts, Jun in yellow Hon in red, and black gym shorts. Two of the three washers were in use
“R4, you ok?” Jun asked.
“Fine, why?” R4 asked. She checked her clothing to make sure she didn’t have any blood on it. Since her good skirt was bloody she wore black gym shorts and a pink shirt with a faded design on it.
“Well we haven’t seen you in 2 days.” Jun replied.
“Must have been one nasty period, that’s a lot of blood.” Hon commented. “Coach stocks iron supplements and pain relievers at the canteen if you need them.”
“Dude, not cool.”
“What did I say?”
“Don’t mind Hon, he’s an idiot but he means well.” Jun covered. “And, well, you did lose a lot of blood there.”
R4 downed her third bottle of water of the day, and felt a dizzy spell coming on from it. “Yeah, not sure why. Got caught in th’ fightin’ o’r in the Deep Fish turf an’ got a couple bounties an’ exp.” Hon and Jun shared a concerned look. “What?”
“Exp, you mean, like from an AI?” Jun asked, and R4 nodded. “I thought you were a remote.”
“You sure are jumping in with both feet.” Hon added. He gestured to her clothes, “First blood sacrifice?”
“I’m guessin’ there’s somethin’ I’m missing,” R4 asked, filling her water bottle from the wash sink before draining half of it. She felt a little more dizzy, and her stomach let out a loud growl. “I think I will grab some of those pills, and some food. You know if that hot dog vendor is still out there?”
“Don’t buy from him, his stuff is trash.” Jun spoke up. “He gets his stuff from a crate Gentek misplaced years ago, I don’t think it’s safe.”
“Come on, we were about to go get breakfast, I know a great place with synth eggs so fluffy you’d think they’re from real eggs.” Hon added. “Seven types of bacon, six types of sausage, and more protein shakes than I can bench.
“Sure, though, I’m not exactly dressed for it.” R4 replied, gesturing to her shorts which went half way down her thighs.
“Don’t worry about it, you look great in those shorts and it’s not like the NGPD enforce the decency laws anyhow. Don’t ask how I know.” Jun elbowed Hon. “What?”
“Jus’ let me change into somethin’ quick, oh, and do ya’ know someplace I can get some new sheets?” R4 asked, “I kinda’ ripped through mine.”
R4 quickly found a pair of dark shorts, and her favorite yellow sun dress. She had modified it so it had sleeves, which were pink as she had an old pink shirt she wanted to reuse at the time. As she put it on R4 noticed it was a bit tight around her chest, and while she remembered it being below her knees the last time she wore it, it was above now. She thought, “When was that… wait, is this my old one? She examined the stitching, and found several pink and red flowers stitched into the breast. “Yep, I remember this.” She grinned, and pulled at a bit of the ribbon on the left hip. Immediately the right side of the skirt fell apart exposing three quarters of her thigh. “Good for runnin’ or impressin’, depending on the mood.” R4 replied, smiling at her mother’s words. “Somehow I think this is a bit more than you meant.” R4 quickly readjusted the ribbon, pulling her skirt closed again. It was a bit tighter than intended, but she could still run. She next added her Mars Corp jacket. Now that she was out in the lights she could see it was black with red shoulders and accents. It didn’t exactly match but, “Second chance armor goes with every outfit.” She zipped it up, then put up the hood. Immediately the hood closed off, a translucent cover dropping down and sealing. R4 quickly put it back up, lowering the hood.
Sorting through her shoes she had one pair of black and white sneakers and one pair of black work boots. There were also the blue and red NOKE shoes, but they were currently in the wash. She went with the boots, finding them sturdy and well worn. Finally, while storing away her extra shoes and a few options she hadn’t gone with, R4 checked her banking app.
User Rachel “R4” Smith
Balance
incoming/outgoing
notes
25069
+1400
Repair machines at The Pain Train
23669
-1000
Yu’s Salvaged Parts
24669
-200
Hot Lee’s Hot meals, Chipz Chipper Meals, The Roosting Whale’s Wale dog warf, Noodle Shop 43
24869
-1100
The Pain Train Locker+membership+capsule (1 month)
25969
-30
Hawt Doggs meals
25999
-1
Sitting fee
26000
+4000
Get out of here psycho
22000
+1000
Investigate unknown murders
2000
+20,000
Investigate strange symbols
“That’s… woah. My dad was right, you can really make it big here.” R4 said to herself. “All it took is almost dying twice, no, three times. “
[[Displaying on sale cyberware in your area]]
“Close window.” R4 replied, putting down her phone. “I need to earn enough for tuition first. On that note, do I not get the bounties for the Iron hand I…” R4 froze, her pulse skyrocketing. I almost had time to stop the next message before it sent.
[[A new job has been picked just for you.]]
Routine maintenance work
Team size: 4
Hazard: 1 (meetup)
Company: Veritable strategic solutions
Contact: Laura Mamik
Reward: 400 credits
Looking for skilled self starters for a fast paced opportunity. Potential applicants should have a background in mechanical engineering with experience with computers and biological processes being a plus. Veritable Strategic Solutions is looking for some contractors to do work within a remote server room. Must supply your own tools. Materials will be supplied. Expected time: 4 hours plus travel.
The first subversion
Team size: 1
Hazard: blood spots
Company: Fangs of Mara
Contact: The Red Queen
Reward: 5,000 credits and 500 exp. Also an increase in standing within the Fangs of Mara and potential cyberware.
A remote Gentek server room has recently been flagged. For unknown reasons they are using an outsourced company rather than their own people. The Red Queen wants to know what they found. Those 400 credits are pretty small, especially if it’s shared among four workers. Why not pad out those earnings with a side gig?
R4 didn’t see the messages. She began breathing hard, her brain chemistry going berserk. She began to shake, her hands going to her head, her teeth beginning to twitch. Her eyes went wide as adrenaline levels skyrocketed. She felt her hands going through flesh and bones without issue, she felt the heat of the flames even as she disregarded it to slay the source. Her thoughts cycled back. Her claws came out, cutting into her own head.
[[Ravager Isopod override: Initiating calm protocol.]]
R4 felt her fears and doubts begin to vanish. Her breathing steadied, she blinked, and noticed the blood on her hands. “What?”
“You had an episode, and extended your claws while gripping your own head. I understand you may not like your haircut, but there are better ways.”
“That’s not,” She noticed several locks of hair falling to her bed.
“I know. Records indicate slaying fellow humans, even in self defense, can cause long lasting injury to the psyche. In FRAME terms, it may cause temporary or permanent damage to Resolve, Empathy, and Mind. This, in turn, makes it easier for some individuals to continue killing. Several studies have attempted to link low empathy with Cyberpsychosis.
“Have they?”
“Inconclusive. Many studies have been biased, taking a stance and trying to prove it. Some studies have shown that interacting with friends and coworkers have positive effects on empathy and healing damage to empathy. Others show that low empathy is beneficial in a corporate setting. Many of these studies were funded by Gentek and Lok-1. The public studies show notable differences based on the raw data. Data indicates that, despite Tier 1 and 2 individuals being able to wreak havoc, there has been only 1 that arose within the Solarian Theocracy.”
“I remember that.” R4 spoke quietly, her eyes going blank. Inside her mind was filled with visions of a mountain that had once been a man, and a rotary cannon that had once been an arm. She had heard guns before, she had been hunting with a shotgun and a pistol, but this sounded more like a saw. She crept towards her brother, a source of unyielding strength and steadfast resolve, only to see... A second application of calm protocol was applied. “Thank you Red, I needed that.”
“I’ll say, your heart went from 60 to 180 beats a minute. Should I stop?” R4 shook her head. “In the last year 125 cases were reported in Nu’Grav. Within the Elarian Basin there were 245 cases last year, though they are 10 times the size. No cases have ever been reported by the Third Chiniric Empire. Ever. They are a worker’s utopia and such maladies are a symptom of the underlying corruption of other countries.”
R4 took a few more moments to collect herself. “So, when were you planning on telling me about calm protocol?”
“Switching protocols requires specific cyberware to prevent long term damage. I will denote a few options once they appear.” Immediately R4’s phone buzzed. “The above job is for a few nights from now, I recommend preparing for it.”
“Got it, thanks for the heads up.” R4 hung up before giving her outfit another once over. “Still not sure how I feel about you messin’ with my head, but… wait. Do I really think that, or are you still messing with my head?” R4 considered the thought. “Bleeding Havoc, I am not thinking about this right now.”
Giving her outfit one final look, R4 slipped out of the bathroom to meet Jun and Hon. Both were waiting outside of The Pain train.
“Huh, R4, how old did you say you were?” Hon asked. Jun put his hand on his forehead and winced preemptively. “That dress makes you look maybe 18.”
“Well I made it when I was 14, and just kept altering it as I grew. I meant to bring a different one, but I left my other dress at home and it’s this or work clothes.” R4 replied. “Have you seen the prices they charge on cargo? I’m lucky half my tools made it.”
“It looks fine, though it definitely paints you as a remote.” Jun replied. “Come on, let’s go. They stop serving breakfast at 10.”
The walk was short, though as they passed the hotdog salesman he shot Jun a rude gesture, who immediately shot him a rude gesture back. “Still mad?” Hon asked.
“That he gave me food poisoning that didn’t pass for three days?” Jun replied. “Not mad, but I still don’t like the man. I’m not sorry I got his entire supply seized. I’m not sorry you beat up the brutes he hired to intimidate me and lost him his deposit.”
The place Jun finally led them to was a small hole in the wall between a McKingburger and a Waddle House. The former was all lit up in reds and yellows and showed a regal figure made from neon warding off a dragon that bore a duck’s bill with a blade made from a French fry and a shield made from a pickle. The latter had a giant neon duck swimming through holographic water and occasionally clothes lining a petty king who, despite his fine red robes, was in a rowboat.
“Is that?”
“Corporate rivalry. Oh yeah. Both sides have been trying to buy Cookie out, and they keep outbidding one another, so he’s just doing his thing and waiting until retirement.” Hon spoke up.
As they approached the door R4 noticed a group of men and women exiting. Several looked hungover, and a few were still tipsy. The women all wore dresses and skirts, none of which were longer than the knee. The men’s outfits actually varied more. Some wore professional dress, most wore more aggressive casual clothing. One wore nothing but tattos and a pair of shorts.
“Hey Hon!” The shirtless man called, flashing Hon some sign.
“Skinner, how’s it hanging?” Hon flashed a corresponding sign and immediately their conversation was lost in jargon R4 thought was about body building or murder, she wasn’t sure which. It was rapidfire and far too technical for R4 to follow.
“Jun, who’s this?” A woman asked. R4 immediately sized up the woman as she did the same. They were about the same age, though that’s where the similarities ended. She was taller, 210 at least, with frizzy black hair and skin darkened by dye or birth, with neon blue streaks running down from her eyes. She wore a blazer and yoga pants, as well as what R4 was pretty sure was a sports bra someone had put neon LED’s and lace into. She was not overly muscular, but she was athletic and had an aura of menace around her as if she was a snake about to strike.
“Morning Rain, this is R4. We were just about to have breakfast.”
“She looks… Seriously, this is it?” R4 watched as Rain stepped forwards and took her hair in her hands. “This is the girl you’ve been hanging with? What is this hairstyle, and where’s your flash, do you even have ink? Jun, I know you have no standards,” She gestured to Hon and Skinner who were both flexing, and somehow Hon had managed to lose his shirt already revealing several silvery surgery scars which were made even more obvious by the black tattoos highlighting them, “But I don’t even know where to start with this one. Who did that hairstyle?”
“The Dimdwell.” R4 replied. “I’ve been growing it out until I can get it done properly.” Rain removed her hand, and it flopped down over R4’s face until she parted it again.
“Oh this is just a disaster, 403 urban lane, there’s an autobarber that will fix you right up.” She ran a hand through her own dark locks. “No match for a real stylist, but sugar, I know you ain’t got the credits for that.” R4 just smiled and nodded. “Skinner, stop flexing, we have work at 9 and I don’t need you hopped up on 5’s."
“You’re still using 5’s?”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
“Hells to the yeah, still trying to unlock the secret 25th hour though.”
“Preem Dude, if you manage you got to tell me.” They chest bumped and Skinner followed after Rain.
“Friends of yours?”
“Rain and I are on again off again.” Jun replied. “She probably thought you were my new project.”
“Am I?” R4 asked warily.
“Eh, probably. We’ll see. You seem to have a handle on things, and Coach likes you. Now come on, I’m hungry.” R4’s stomach growled loudly. “Seems you are too.”
The diner was dark, and several men and women were trying to recover by pounding coffee and other things on the bar. Jun and Hon found an open booth. “Inside or out?” Hon asked R4. She gestured for him to elaborate. “Inside no one’s going to bother you while walking, but outside you can leave if things go lopsided faster.”
“Outside.” R4 replied. She sat down and within moments Jun and Hon had their phones out. Each scanned the QR code at the table. R4 looked towards the screens above the bar, but could not accurately read then, so settled for using her phone. As she did she noticed the tables were simple steel, and the seats were likewise cheap padding. As she sat down the booth color changed from green to red, the appearance of the material actually changing. She touched the material and found that, while it was somewhat soft, it wasn’t that comfortable. Enough to work for a short time, but definitely uncomfortable enough that no one would stay too long or try to sleep on them.
A low snore from the booth beyond theirs corrected her assumption.
“So, what’s good?” R4 asked, scrolling through the options.
“Five egg bacon omelet.” At the words R4 could swear she smelled frying grease and salt. It made her mouth water and she felt her tongue almost slither out of her mouth.
“Triaple waffles.” The smell of sweet syrup and baked confection immediately flooded her nose. Jun turned his phone around. R4 saw the symbol of the Triaple leaf, which resembled three maple leaves extending from a single point. “It’s not imported from the Triaple isolationists, but it’s still really good.”
“Might as well have cake for breakfast.” Hon replied. “You want muscles, you want protein. Five Egg bacon omelet.”
“What about this fruit and yogurt?” R4 asked. At her words she could swear she smelled strawberries. “With oatmeal in it, sounds like something I’d eat back home.” Her stomach growled and she purchased it with a click.
“That won’t fill you up, you’ll be hungry again before dinner.”
“Oh, this is an appetizer.” R4 replied. “That five egg omelet looks good.”
R4’s yogurt came first, along with drinks. R4 got hot chocolete, Hon had grapfruit juice, and Jun had OJ. “You see how they misspelled the juice?” R4 nodded at Jun’s words but she was already half way through her yogurt. It was a little heavy on the oatmeal, and tasted a both sweeter and blander than she had expected. “It’s so they don’t have to use actual juice, they can use chemicals that mimic the taste. It’s still good, even if it’s fake.” R4 nodded as she finished her food. She eyed the last bit of yogurt in the bottom of the cup it was served in, a sleek and steel device about 20 centimeters in height. In an instant her tongue darted like a snake and scooped the rest into her mouth. She immediately looked up, but Jun was on his phone texting someone and Hon was flirting with a woman who now had enough black coffee in her that she felt she was good to go home. With a final goodbye she hefted her black and silver purse and was off.
Her secret safe R4 excused herself to the bathroom. Her tongue still felt a bit off, as if it was swollen and just a bit too big for her mouth. As she entered the ladies room all noise seemed to stop, as if it were sound proofed. She noticed this room was white and sterile a low beeping sound alerted her to a machine in distress. R4 pushed open one of the stalls and saw a drunk woman curled up with an ovoid black cleaning bot who was flashing a red light.
“Um, miss?” R4 approached, noting the woman had thrown up but the bot had already cleaned it and her face, though she was sporting red marks from whatever abrasive or brush the robot was using. Immediately R4 checked the scene, seeing if there were any needles or other dangerous objects, and found nothing. R4 felt her stomach growl, despite having just eaten. Her teeth felt longer for a moment, her tongue filling her mouth. Quickly she knelt down. “Miss, Miss can you hear me?”
The knowledge came to her immediately, pushing aside her hunger. Hours of training, weeks of experience, all in an instant. R4 couldn’t recall the faces or the dates, but she had done this dozens of times before and muscle memory came smoothly. She checked that the woman was breathing, she was, and pinched her hard on the shoulder. She could feel the subdermal armor, and more she could feel the way the skin resisted indicating the woman was first tier. R4 quickly took out her phone and opened her [[my mesh]] app. Opening a screen by muscle memory she held her phone next to the woman’s shoulder.
[[Caution: User is not registered as a medical provider. Available information will be limited to emergency use and is subject to review.]] R4 accepted and quickly read out the information from the woman’s biomonitor. “Ok, heart rate normal, BAC is not too bad,” She paused as the woman twitched. “Hey, hey, are you alright?”
“What time is it?” The woman asked, sitting up. “And why does my face hurt?” The tiny cleaning bot beeped at her again.
“I think you tried making out with that cleaning bot.” Immediately the woman jumped up, flipping the poor little machine over. R4 righted the machine and it got back to work. “Wild night?”
The woman blinked twice, letting R4 see her bloodshot red eyes, before brushing off her short black dress and adjusting the silver buckle on her. “Something like that.” She staggered towards the door, letting R4 notice that her short black dress had been ripped in the back. Her right sleeve was down to her wrist, while her left one had been ripped off at the shoulder. “Shoot, where is my purse?”
“I don’t see one.” R4 replied.
“****” The woman swore before staggering out.
“Hey, are you sure you’re,” R4 froze as she saw the woman tear into the bartender, who handled it without raising an eyebrow.
Finishing her business quickly R4 returned to her seat where Hon and Jun were watching the woman in black continue to berate the bartender.
“Should we tell her he’s the day shift?” Hon asked.
“Hon, even a fool may be perceived as wise so long as he holds his tongue.” Jun replied. A few moments later she whipped around in a move that made her short hair fling out in all directions. “Oh dear, seems trouble is looking for us.”
“You’re Jun “Weaver” Silk right?” She asked, but it wasn’t a question. “I want someone to find my purse.”
“I’m sure I can find someone who’s good at that, I have three names in mind right now, but let’s talk price. Ah, and it looks like the food is ready, Hon would you fetch it?”
After a quick shifting of seats R4 found herself between Hon and the wall, while Jun was between the woman who identified herself as Mia and the wall. R4 listened as they negotiated price and the details of the purse. The key issues were 1) the purse had to be returned in generally good condition and 2) it had to be unopened. The first issue was absolute, the second one was not.
“I didn’t have anything important in it, a bit of cash and a few id cards. The important thing is the bag itself is a Lok-1 Infoseal first edition.”
“What’s so special about the first edition?” R4, finishing a bite of her swarm special omelet. It was a bit more than the bacon special, but rather than vat grown bacon it was farmed locus and spinach. She added a hefty amount of mustard to it, and had folded a napkin tucked into her shirt so she wouldn’t get any on her.
“The first edition didn’t sell well because Mitian released a similar product at the same time. The Mitian Vault handbag had the ability to securely transmit signals from inside the bag outside, which the first generation Infoseal didn’t. That meant the second generation had a similar, and even more complex, port. Thing is, one of my rivals had one, and someone figured out how to hack it and remotely wipe the data of anything inside it. 20 hours of archived footage for a 4 hour special due in 7 days, gone in the time it took to get home.” She smiled wickedly. “Poor fool nearly lost his job and never tried laying a hand on me again.”
“And the first generation doesn’t have that vulnerability. Why not just remove the port?” R4 asked. “Or get one that doesn’t have it.”
“Because the Mars Corporation Shielded satchel looks brutish like everything they make. Just look at your jacket.”
“I like my jacket.” R4 mumbled.
“So bag is a must, contents secondary. Ok, I’ll send out some messages and we should have it back shortly.”
“Wait, was it black and silver, with a little black ribbon?” R4 asked, earning a look. “That woman talking with Hon had one like that. I thought it strange because she was wearing a purple and orange outfit and it looked out of place.”
“What? Yingur that *****!”
“So we have a lead. I’ll update things and get the word out.” Mia had stormed out before he finished speaking. “Talk to you soon.”
“So are you going to be getting cats out of trees next?” Hon asked.
“No, I’ll be subcontracting you to get a cat out of a tree.” Jun replied, taking a bite of his waffle. “And say what you want about small gigs, they’re usually pretty fast and the credits add up.”
They paid and were gone shortly. R4 noticed that the bar accepted cards, Jun paid with a gesture towards the machine and Hon paid using a fingerprint. The next stop was at a small bazaar Jun knew about.
“Everything’s so colorful.” R4 commented, examining fourth different shades of sunglasses laid out by one of the vendors. She looked up at the cloudy sky, “and it’s outside like the farmer’s markets back home. I didn’t think Nu’Grav would have something like that.”
“Of course we, Hey!” Two children ran past Jun, only for Hon to reach out with the agility of a striking snake and grab one of the children. “Drop it!”
For a moment R4’s picture of Jun changed. Gone was the easy going fixer, his voice was cold and dead. The child dropped something small and metalic, and Hon let go. Immediately the child vanished into the crowd as Jun retrieved his billfold. “Sorry, little scamps.” R4 casually put her hands in her pocket where her phone and wallet were kept. “They know some of these merchants don’t accept cards or bio print, so they try to swipe cash when they can.”
“That’s a good way ta’ get a lashin’”
“Or worse. Guns aren’t allowed in the pop markets, but that just means you’ll get kicked out if you pull one. The PD looks the other way on these markets, but if something goes down they’re more than happy to start writing citations.”
R4’s first stop was an odds and ends store that held all sorts of strange things. Cooking ware, knock off bags, and a few other things. While they were colorful and variable, R4 didn’t really see anything she liked. Another shop had several small hologram projectors, each about the size of a deck of cards.
“Miss, watch this.” The shopkeeper, a plain looking man in a white shirt and slacks spoke quietly. He pressed a button, and a poodle appeared above the card. “Sit.” The animal sat up. “Speak.” The dog barked.
“Ooh, it looks so soft an’ fluffy.” R4 reached out, and her hand went right through. “Bah, I can’t touch it.”
“It is a hologram Miss, but it is still programmed for companionship.” The man replied. “Far more affordable than a real dog, especially with the animal tax.”
“I don’t suppose there’s a robotic dog that’s similar?”
“Not this week.”
R4 considered it, yet the price was 600 credits so she declined, moving on. The next stall held several mood altering devices, which when applied to the neck would apply certain codes to one’s cybernetics to alter one’s mood. The man working the stall was wearing one that was blue with small coconut trees on it.
“Even in the heart of this city I still feel like I’m on vacation.” The man replied when asked.
“Sounds addictive, and dangerous.”
“Just don’t use them during a fight, or,” He glanced around before fetching a black collar with red spikes, “You could use something like this. It alters the fight or flight response. Rather than running away it give you an edge in a fight.”
“Hizik, are you still selling that dog collar?” Jun asked, turning away from a woman who was selling strange holographic spheres that projected images of flowers and other natural scenes.
“Hey, it works.”
“Yes it works, the last person you sold one to got in a fight with 10 other men and tried taking them down with a broken bottle. They had guns, and body armor.”
“Yes, but he still got two of them. The guy fought like a cornered rat, I saw the CCTV footage.”
“They were NGPD officers asking directions. Even following the primary rule of not talking to the PD that’s a bit excessive.
“I’ll take it.” R4 replied, paying 600 credits for the device.
“R4, what are you doing?”
“I’m interested in how it works. I’m not much of a fighter,” R4 purposefully ignored her phone buzzing in her pocket disputing her claim, “but if I can figure out how this thing works I might be able to defend myself . Jus’ the other day I ran inta’ some gangsters in gas masks, an’ the Iron Hand after were even worse. Somethin’ ta’ give me an edge could be th’ difference between makin’ it an’ not.”
“R4, if you’re in a fight with the Iron Hand running is the right choice, not fighting. They’ve got solos all the way from tier 1 to tier 4. Getting in a fight with them is a bad idea.”
“Though my cousin over there,” The shop owner pointed, “Is selling skill chips. If you lack the time to learn a skill the hard way, just plug in a chip and become a competent fighter within minutes.”
Immediately R4 went over to check them out. They were each about the size of her thumb, and plugged into a port that would be installed on the user’s neck. Of course, the man selling the chips did not have one of said ports.
“They’re installed in clinics, but they start at Tier 1. The chips themselves are tier 0, but if there’s a skill you need but just don’t have, these babies are what you’re looking for.” He held up one. “Want to read a book in the native language but don’t have time to learn it, this chip has Spanish, English, Chinese, Japanese, and even the dead language French.”
“Do you have one that would let me code?” R4 asked.
“In any programming languages you’d like. I’ve also got some technical skills if you don’t want to hire a tech,” He eyed R4, “Though given your frame I would recommend it regardless.”
“I’m sorry, come again?” R4 asked.
“I mean, it would not do to stain one’s lovely hands with oil and grease,”
“Ya’ think jus’ ‘cause I’m a woman I can’t fix my own stuff?” R4 exclaimed. Her skin went red and her pulse spiked. Long claws extended beyond her fingers, transparent but dense enough that the air around them rippled.
“N-no need for that.” The salesman backtracked. “I’m just saying, grease is hard to get out of a good dress, and you surely know how to dress. Yet if it is of no matter to you my cousin over there has several pattern and styles you should definitely check out. If you tell them I sent you they will give you a discount.”
R4 glared at the man, but put her claws away before stalking off.
“Please refrain from using your claws in a setting like this.” Her phone trilled. “We do not want the ravager prototype to be associated with unhinged killers any more than it already is.”
“Already is, wait, the Lopside and Ratface?”
“Failed experiements, connection was lost soon after they reached tier 1. Currently Gentek has the corpse of Ratface and has been examining it. That data would be enlightening in refining the process.”
“So that’s what you want.” R4 mused, and the silence was the only answer she needed.
“It may also save you from the same fate.” R4 stopped mid step. The thought of becoming like Rat Face, or worse Lopside, sent a chill down her spine. “Due to the sensitive nature of the Ravager experiments it is my hope it will be on a remote server, such as the one we would like you to gain access to.”
“Fine, I’m in.” R4 replied.
“Hey, R4.” R4 looked up, her mood for shopping tainted by the recent thoughts. “Check it out, the latest in Tech wear.”
It was covered in dodads and gizmos, all kinds of sensors and wearable screen. A large helmet protected the Tech’s most valuable asset, while thick gloves with retractable tools protected their second most valuable.
“Um… what?” R4 asked, examining the outfit. It looked like it was made from vinyl or rubber. It was a strange green and looked quite loose. Wires ran across the suit in a mishmash of colors with nearly incomprehensible design. As R4 studied it she began to get a sense of the device. “Is this power armor?”
“Similar,” The merchant, a heavyset and short man with a bushy beard and mustache both in gray replied. He turned from another piece of equipment he was working on and brushed his gloved hands on his synth leather apron. Adding his skull cap and goggles R4 couldn’t help but imagine the man as a dwarf blacksmith. “To cut down on weight only the arms are reinforced, and mostly just to exert extra forces when dealing with stiff bolts. The wires are color coated so you may reroute power as needed in case of damage.” He quickly reached for another outfit. “We have it in feminine as well.”
R4 looked at the second outfit. While the first set had long sleeves and pants, this one resembled a leotard. “Where are the legs, is this a swimsuit?”
“Given the amount of electronics I wouldn’t try that Miss. They’re water sealed, but it’s still pretty heavy.” He shrugged. “That’s fashion though. I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to be worn with these knee length insulated stockings.”
“Hey, are you going to buy that?” A man in enough electronics to fill a hardware store asked. R4 stepped back as the man bargained with the shop keeper, before passing over several hundred credits and leaving with the outfit. “My wife is going to love this.”
“And in fact, his wife did not love it, and he ended up sleeping on the couch.” Jun narrated watching the scene.
“Or she did, and they worked late into the night on their latest project.” Hon countered. “There’s all types.
“You know, I’ve sold one of the male versions and five of the female. Good thing all sales are final.” The shop keeper commented. “So that was my last one of those, anything else catch your eye?”
R4 examined the man’s wares. She picked up an extra set of overalls in a dark gray, a few tee shirts that were cheap enough she wouldn’t mind if they got torn up, then something caught her eye. “What’s this?” She asked, drawing a black dress from a hanger.
“That, that fell off a truck.” The shop owner replied. “Smart weave silk, made by Mitian. Not sure about the design though.”
“What’s wrong with it?” R4 asked, holding the dress over herself. The dress was black, but had a green circuit weave that seemed to come up from the hem of the skirt and slowly congregate at her waist. It had short sleeves, which also had the circuit pattern, and a modest V neck that showed no cleavage. At her touch her My Mesh let her know it was compatible, and R4 had a small surprise.
[[My Mesh: Non-cyberware]]
Mitian Circuit Princess Dress (T0):
From the Royalty line, a simple dress for when you wish to walk among the mundane yet maintain your elegance. Cyberweave allows the dress to change at your whim, for when you want to go from Daddy’s princess to Daddy’s little girl in an instant. Requires a Mitian T0 or greater battery. Armor rating 1
Note this is last year’s fashion. Please discard and see your local merchant.
N/A. It’s just a dress. A nice one though. Not everything has to be bioware.
On a completely related note you need a new tool arm, preferably something with spacial compression.
Also you might be able to work some magic on this, just saying.
“Is it supposed to link to my Mesh?” R4 asked.
“Mitian stuff tends to, wouldn’t surprise me. 200 credits and it’s yours.”
R4 bought it without a second thought. She quickly stepped into a changing room and slipped into it. She stepped out of the changing area and did a quick spin. “What do you think?”
“Not bad, you actually look over 20.” Jun replied.
“Could use a little cleavage.” Hon replied, earning Jun a look. “What? It could.” At the words R4 felt her dress shifting, the V of her neck descending, then the cut altering so the dress now had shoulder straps, which angled into a far deeper V. “Exactly, your dress agrees with me.”
“What the?” R4 looked at herself at one of the mirrors in the changing area. The dress looked good on her, and she adjusted her hair to examine it. “I mean, I guess I kin’ see it. Would be nice if it asked me first. I don’t want someone ta’ suggest it turn into a bikini,” At her words the dress started to shrink. “No, no, undo.” The dress continued to shrink, until it was a one piece swimsuit with a thigh length skirt and a very open back. R4 blushed at the looks she was now getting. “Full dress please.” The dress complied.
“Huh, a multiform dress. I should have charged 3 times that.” The shop keeper replied. At his words the circuit pattern faded from green to gray. “Oh, right, that’s why.”
“What?” R4 asked. She examined the dress, and finally found a small powerpack behind one of the shoulders. She pulled, but it would not come free.
“That’s Last year’s fashion, they don’t make batteries for it anymore. Also the battery on that one is jammed. You’d need to take it to a tech to get it out.”
“So I’ll take it out and recharge it.” The man winced. “It’s not rechargable is it?”
“That’s a display battery. You can recharge it, but it’s got enough juice for about 5 minutes and that’s it.”
“At least it’s got an armor rating, I’m sure that’s going to be useful at some point.” She paused. “Or does that require power too?” The merchant’s face said all she needed to know.
R4 continued to browse, yet she didn’t really see anything else that caught her eyes. A few of the merchants were selling cyberware, but without a reliable way to install it R4 didn’t see much point, despite the trilling of her phone. Finally she found a shop that did interest her. The merchant had styled his cart with a flag of red and white stripes with a ring of white stars in a blue field off to one corner. The man wore a white wig and tri cornered hat, long blue pants with synth leather chaps, a blue shirt under a tan vest bristling with guns, and long leather boots that had a pair of pistols sticking out of them. “Howdy Miss, see something you like?”
R4 eyed his wares. “That’s a lot of guns.” Beneath the glass were dozens of firearms. Pistols, rifles, shotguns, she even saw a submachinegun peeking out from beneath a folded flag.
“Yes Mam, my great grandfather came all the way from the mighty country known as the United States to share the greatness of our founding fathers. Their first law being freedom of speech, and the second being how they kept their speech free. Iron, as hot as can be. Can’t walk two steps without running into someone who’s packing, so that someone had better be you. What can I interest you in? You skilled with pistols, rifles, shotguns,” He winked, “Maybe a little something heavier? From that dress you look like a webwalker. I’ve got just the thing.” He quickly produced an odd looking pistol. It was black and green like her dress, but had a small monitor rather than a scope. “This little weapon scans the area in front of you. If it detects a wireless signal it highlights it. Great for figuring out who’s trying to hack your system, or finding a system to hack. It can shoot bullets, or send high frequency signals to give your own hacking attempts some real kick.”
“I’m not a Walker, I’m a Tech.” R4 replied. Immediately the little gun was off the table and some manner of half baked monstrosity was before her. “I said I was a tech, not a miracle worker.”
“Now see, yes this was once a shotgun that took a little too much gunpowder, but now it’s a project. Five different barrels of different caliber. Load it up with whatever you want. Grenades, buckshot, rifle rounds, the sky’s the limit.”
Error: Overlapping signals and components make identification of this object impossible.
This is junk. Your life expectancy has shortened just getting near it, and only partially because the power supply in the support is leaking
“Hey ya’ Gonk! What’s the big idea breaking out unshielded thorium?” R4 exclaimed jumping back. Immediately all the surrounding eyes were on the man.
“Oh, quit your whining, it’s barely leaking as much as sunlight.” The shop keeper replied. “What do you say, everyone in Night city has a gun.” As if to prove his point a gunshot went off, making R4 jump.
“Oi, Hands off me wee men ya tin fingered Mambie!” A thin balding man in a powder blue bulletproof vest and Hawaiian pattern overcoat with matching swim trunks with screamed. His table was covered in miniatures for a board game R4 didn’t recognize.
“Oi, Henderson you Gonk, what part of No gunfire did you miss?” Someone angrily yelled. Henderson just scratched his graying hair, tucking his shotgun into his Hawaiian pattern overcoat and adjusting his aviators.
“What part a’ Me an’ Bessie’ are never apart ya’ Mambie’ Headed Lug?”
“You know, your accent and his are pretty similar.” Jun said. “Alright everyone, Since Henderson here set off the starting pistol we’ve got about 10 minutes before the PD show up. If you’ve got a license make sure your wares are up to snuff. If you don’t, time to pack it up.”
Like magic the merchants seemed to evaporate, carts folding up and being wheeled off, or folding into backpacks and vanishing into the crowd. A few more sturdy carts remained, but a third of their stock vanished from sight. Jun led Hon and R4 away quickly, but not so quickly they didn’t see a NGPD motorcycle fly past them
“Well, that’s that. What do you think about your first pop market?”
“I like it, reminds me of home.” R4 replied. As if in refutation to her words there was a loud BOOM from behind them. “What the?”
“Don’t look,” but R4 had already turned back to see what the commotion was about.
Apparently one of the shop owners had been a little too slow to pick up his stall. Now he was surrounded by a dozen officers, each of whom were outfitted in black combat uniforms and wearing silvery masks.
“Uh oh, that’s the silver squad. R4, we’ve got to run.”
“What do you,” Hon threw R4 over his shoulder and took off
“Hey! Halt!” R4’s bones went cold as she heard a whistle being blown. Quickly Hon and Jun split up.
“Shoot, shoot, shoot.”
“What’s going on, who were those guys?” R4 asked.
“The silver masks, they’re a Tier 2 taskforce that comes down here some times. They know we can’t fight back, so they hand out tickets and beat downs with impunity. We’ve got to hide.”
“Cover me for a moment.” Hon gave R4 a strange look as he set her down, which turned to embarrassment as she removed her dress. With equal speed she swapped back to her old one, quickly tightening the belt and shoving her previous dress into a pocket.
[[Dimentional pocket cyberware sale found]] R4 ignored that and quickly ran a hand through her hair, cutting it short with her claws. “How do I look?”
“Like you got in a fight with a wildcat?”
“But do I look different enough that the PD might not recognize me?” Hon shrugged, turning his own jacket inside out. “Let’s keep moving, no need to tempt fate.”
“I know just the spot.”
Hon quickly led R4 through a number of back alleys, and past several tough looking groups who all eyed her, then eyed him and thought better of it. R4 eyed the toughs, most bearing blades and firearms.
“Shoot, I should have grabbed a handgun from that merchant.”
“Feeling exposed without some iron?” Hon asked, patting his holster.
“I mean, a little. Back home I had a shotgun and a pistol I used for hunting, but I’ve never actually shot a person. I’ve got my claws, so I’m not exactly defenseless.”
“Claws, you mean those little blades in your hands? Those aren’t going to do any damage in a real fight. Even if they were bigger and stronger, melee weapons are both harder to use and do less damage than guns. If you want to do some damage you’re going to want a real knife.” At that Hon pulled a large blade a quarter meter long. “Take this mini-gladius from the Mars Corporation. Small enough to use in a close up fight, big enough to actually do some damage.” It crackled and sparked. “Also electrified.”
Slipping past another group of thugs, this group wearing gas masks while they played some game on a strange orb like device, Hon gestured for R4 to be quiet. Immediately he crouched, and R4 followed suit.
There was a low BANG and a wire fence went flying, propelled by a human body that hit the far wall of a building with a low THUD. Hon quickly found a dumpster to hide behind and R4 joined him. Around the corner a black suited officer in a silver mask strutted forwards, his mask sculpted into a horrific smile.
“Well top of the morning to all you Tier 0 scum.” He announced in a sickly sweet voice. “So, who wants a beating?”