After more or less reaching the point where I could use the extra hand, I decided that it was high time to participate in a new skirmish for the Commission Hub, it is either that or I won't have the credits to get a bed for the night.
Popping my head over to Alicia’s cockpit I said:
“I heading upstairs for a bit, getting us a new job. Don't wander off ok?”
After seeing her nod I smiled and got out of Fea and after telling the engineer assigned to me to get started on getting her field ready, I made my way through the busy hangar to the elevator.
For some reason he got really pale whilst talking to me, I hope he doesn't get ill mid-repair...
After taking the elevator up to the busy Commission Hub lobby I was greeted by the brighter than average lamps hung from the ceiling, I immediately went to the Hub terminal, placed along one of the walls of the stone and metal accented entrance.
As I headed to the terminal I already knew exactly what kind of a job I wanted and found a decent one fairly quickly.
”Haul valuable cargo”
Distance: 155 Km
Target: Auroran Arcology (X-102-117 Y-926-25)
Estimated foe: 0-20 lesser 0-1 Medium, Low conflict chance
Merit: 4 Profit: 120 Credits
Yes, a job to head back to Aurora, it is my home after all. Lee must be getting quite worried at this rate, I could head over the mountains this time as Fea has a solid 21 hour operation time, but there is also something I must do along the way in the tunnels…
After accepting the hauler job I informed the local engineer assigned to me to make sure Fea is ready in a few hours, after this I helped Alicia get ready to travel.
Soon enough, I left the safe concrete walls and steel defence towers of Ìrota behind us and embraced the desolate world I had grown used to oh-so-long ago, much like Aurora, Ìrota is built upon the ruins of an Old-world city and uses the husks of taller buildings for AA-emplacements, it also has a 5 km area that is always under surveillance, as such there was not much difference from my usual routine.
Passing through the extended ruins of what was once a prosperous maritime city, I headed back to that place again, the train network.
Soon enough I reached its entrance, inside one of the larger buildings in the middle of the old city, one of the few remaining accessible train network entrances left inside the city and surrounded by the ruins of what might once have been a busy plaza. However I chose to focus on the task at hand and so once again descended into the abyss.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
‘Why am I heading back to the train network?’ Because I have to get the other security drone, so that I can give it to Alice.
What? You thought I would get her a Walker later? Do you even know how pricey it is to transform a person into a Walker pilot? Depending on the specimen and the service provider that costs somewhere between 1000-2800 credits, you know?
I did say technology to weave bio material to technology is no longer available for Walkers. Why would you expect a similar job done in reverse to be cheap?
Eh, ‘why is it possible for Walker pilots and not Walkers?’ It seems I may have confused you again, normally Walker pilot type “Weapons” (like I call my kind) of the post-Old Gov just get a few implants to link their nerves to a Walker, the surgery is not nearly as invasive or likely to cause rejection syndrome than binding slabs of meat to machinery in a way that it doesn't just die, or bio-engineering the flesh to be able to repair the machinery over time.
Hm, what did you ask? ‘Am I also a normal person equipped with just some implants?’ ...
…
*Bang* A bullet hits the hull of Fea.
...Enough thinking. Time for combat.
As I think that I slam the spike of my shield to the floor, rooting it stuck just in time to stop a charge from a Berserker.
I drive the bayonet on my rifle through its gut, like meat on a stick, turning it on automatic I let loose, essentially eviscerating its torso, causing its other body parts to scatter on the floor, now useless.
Swinging Fea’s other hand to clear the blood and guts from the barrel, I take aim and begin reducing my enemies to stains on the floor.
Allowing the war to take over, I drown the unwanted emotions in my heart.
Author's note:
only one chapter today and tomorrow, we shall see if I will pick up the rate after that.