Joshua saw the face of his sister, but he turned away swiftly. He couldn’t bear looking at the person he loved the most. Like a torrent of never-ending sand, the weight of Joshua’s sins poured onto his hands, until he’s left with nothing but undeniable pain. Jenny, Joshua tried to mutter his sister’s name, but he felt weak – totally worthless against the weight trampling him down. After a brief struggle, Joshua saw Jenny’s face once more.

Then he woke up – the dull, brown ceiling greeted Joshua’s eyes. The dynamic, hyper-regulating AC system spurned, eventually cooling down the room. Still, Joshua’s sweat continued pouring. What are you up to, dear sister? Why can’t you be like other ladies? Why’dyou have to wage a silent war? These questions assaulted Joshua’s mind, but at least they turned his attention away from –

GOOD MORNING, TRUTHSEEKR.

Joshua’s vision almost blurred, and he saw the white, chicken-scratched letters floating in the air. His chest pounded heavily, and he remembered his new debt. One bullet, maybe, one bullet to end this fucking –

DON’T YOU DARE, TRUTHSEEKR.

Death is an old concept to the ones bound to the Relic. Just like you – bound and controlled, forevermore.

Kill yourself and you’d find yourself near the statue once more. In pain. Then the cycle continues. Such is the price you pay.

DAY REMINDER: Visit FOX and learn additional information

POSSIBLE REWARDS:

[THINK WITH A RESOUNDING ‘YES’ TO AGREE]

[YOU CANNOT DISAGREE. AT LEAST FOR NOW]

YES! Joshua clenched his right fist, agreeing with the mysterious system. A techno-beep echoed, and the letters disappeared. Taking a deep breath, Joshua wondered if this AUTOGRID system will help him find his sister or, at the very least, enact vengeance against his rivals. Somehow, vengeance is no longer Joshua’s top priority. What the fuck will happen now? Will this system kill me? How is this even possible? Joshua took another deep breath to repel the questions assaulting his mind.

TRUTHSEEKR – Joshua smiled as he remembered his moniker. It was given to him by the big boss, Icelander, after accomplishing a risky mission. Up to this day, Joshua is still wondering why he received that moniker – his life is not about truth, just lies and more lies. Fuck this, Joshua thought, and focused on just washing his face. The cold water relaxed his thought-rampage, even for a few seconds. Then Joshua saw his face in the mirror – his aquiline nose, brown eyes, and half-messy black hair seemed unnatural, like red stickers against a white wall. Or perhaps, Joshua felt unnatural because his features reminded him of his lost sister.

After a rather short bath with a few minutes of jerking off, TRUTHSEEKR steeled his mind for bizness. He remembered the boons offered by the fucked-up techie-weirdness system. Ballshooter, Joshua couldn’t get the name right. Yet, he can envision the gun, Ballshooter, as something smaller than a forty-five. Fuck, it can only shoot five balls!

[BALLZ-SHOOTA LOADED]

[BALLZ AMMO: FULL]

The boldface letters appeared again, followed by two beeps that almost grated Joshua’s mind. Yet, as whacked-out as it can be, Joshua’s right hand felt the weight of something – a small pistol.

“The fuck,” Joshua muttered upon seeing the small pistol. “Should be p –

[PURPLE MOD, LOADED]

Other mods can be found through exploration, TRUTHSEEKR.

“This is all fucked up.” Joshua recoiled as the black pistol suddenly became purple. For half-a-second, he wanted to experiment and shoot his temple off with the pistol. Maybe this is all just a whack-dream, a fuck-all.

But then again, it’s all about bizness. TRUTHSEEKR is back in the game with his purple pistol that can shoot five balls. Should find a way to increase ball-fucking-ammo to ten or twenty, Joshua thought.

Like a marksman, Joshua aimed the Ballshooter at an old vase, not so far away. The vase is a fragment of an old reality – a not-so-gentle reminder of Joshua’s past as a cat burglar. More than that, Joshua thought as he felt the resistance of the Ballshooter’s trigger. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

The muzzle roared, sending forth a ball projectile that shattered the vase into pieces. TRUTHSEEKR noticed that the pistol is not as loud as a regular sidearm, as if it is half-silenced. Four balls left, TRUTHSEEKR accounted – as if he’s calculating to use the remaining balls for the rest of the day.

Stolen story; please report.

+o+

The cab ride to Fox’s estate was too comfortable, almost boring. As a professional gangster, TRUTHSEEKR expected conflict at every possible turn. The alleys are supposed to be crawling with thugs, cyber-junkies, decisive hackers, and modern eco-warriors. But lately, the City Government expanded their zones of control, affecting businessmen and criminals alike. Great time to be a citizen, Joshua smirked. He doesn’t believe in a life of citizen-ness, but he couldn’t deny the modern liberties of normalcy.

Modern surgeries, for example, are almost always free. Medical servitors can run dangerously accurate procedures now, but professional oversight is still needed. At least, that’s how TRUTHSEEKR understood it. He only saw a medical servitor once, and he marveled at how human-like it is.

Bad future still, Joshua remarked mentally. He observed the bleak streets filled with puddles and filthy trash. On almost every street, there’s a gambling area – complete with neon signs and holograms of vivacious ladies. Laundromats are as common as snack stores, creating a depressing collage of survival amidst the rising techno-landscape.

Joshua Arcascos and his ‘artistic side’ always loved the deep contrast between the fucked-urbanscape and the techno-corporate spires of the city. It’s as if the city is giving hope while turning a cold shoulder at the same time. Indifference is the cost of free surgeries – this is nothing but bizness.

It’s a good thing that Fox’s estate is not similar to the modern hubs of techno-corporatism. Or at least, that’s what Joshua’s artistic side thinks about it. Fox’s estate isn’t too big or fancy – just a brown slab of faux-wood, adorned by pointy crimson roofs. For a second, Joshua thought that the roofs change color with every angle, but he dismissed it as a trick of sunlight.

The courtyard is also simple – no unique hedge-structures befitting a rich tycoon, just rows of green-ness and cobbled paths. But what made Joshua smile is the central fountain statue. The statue resembled the intertwined forms of three naked women. Two women statues are sucking the tits of the middle one, and the middle one releases water through her pleasured moaning mouth.

“That is art.” A deep voice shattered Joshua’s artistic appreciation.

“Boss Fox,” Joshua shook Fox’s hand and pulled closer for a shoulder-hug. “They don’t make masterpieces like this anymore.”

“Eyyy, true. Sorry, I didn’t suit up – them juicy vines, I gotta work them myself.”

Joshua just nodded. It’s already normal for him to see Fox topless, because he’s always fond of working on his experimental crop farms. But mostly, Joshua couldn’t do anything about it – gangsta superiors are always right. Even if they’re balls-wrong, they’re right.

“Walk with me, boy. I hafto show you my new crops. You see, I managed to blend eggplants and tomatoes together. Still not perfect. Isang banyera, that’s all I have.”

“That’s a lot already, boss. Lordkapo Ice will probably help you fund that project.”

Fox smirked. “He might. You know him, always minding business, right?”

“Right on.” Joshua replied. He noticed a group of people escorted by armed men-in-suits. The hedgerows blocked the view before Joshua could see further.

“How are you holding up? AUTOFUCKINGGRID embedded deep in your brain?”

“Fucking me up.” Joshua shook his head. “Boss Ice told me to reach out to you.”

“It will fuck you up, but not too long. Y’see, this is a blessing. The Shifting Face is outta-this-world, and it’s only exclusive to us. You get me?” Fox stopped walking.

“Out of this world, yes. But –

“No buts. The Shifting Face is a Relic, you see. Recently activated, so it’s not like a big weapon or whatever. But the odds are with us now. We’re the only Relic-holders in the city.”

“Why did the Relic chose me? I’m just an earner, for heaven’s sake.”

“Icelander chose you.” Fox resumed walking. “Our leader has his own…motivations. We’re all bound to the Relic.”

“Even you and Icelander. What are your tips for me, boss?”

“Hah! Don’t forget Darts – fancy moneymaker of Mandawood! I bet he’s using his Relicky charm to collect thirsty babes. Good for him.”

“I have to meet him again.” Joshua smiled, remembering his old friend Darts. “The last mission we had was life-changing.”

Eventually, Fox reached the first of his experimental gardens. The vines are a big mess, tangled with each other, and the protruding eggplant-tomatoes are oozing with visceral fluid. Fox grabbed one of the abomination-fruits and handed it to Joshua. The latter accepted, but every shred of his being wanted to resist.

“Uhh, creative.” Joshua commented. The ooze slowly dripped from his fingers to the ground.

“Bite it.” Fox said, almost in a commanding tone. “Trust me, boy.”

Joshua sank his teeth against the squeaky soft skin of the damned fruit. He wasn’t sure if he tasted tomato or eggplant, but it mattered a little. The taste hit the delicate balance of sweetness and tanginess, and Joshua felt relieved. He took several more bites until the whole fruit is gone.

“Goddamn, what a rush. Sarap ah.” Joshua said, wiping the ooze on his pants.

“I’ll send you a box later, once it’s okay for production. So, going back, just remember that whatever blessings you have now is part of a system beyond our understanding. But it’s for our benefit, y’hear?”

“Yeah. So, I just have to follow it?”

“In a way. Our tech department, them techboys, are trying to figure out if we can adjust the system. You know, make our own conditionals.”

“I thought we already control a chunk of the AUTOGRID?”

“That’s the old chunk. The AUTOGRID SILVAN is a new ball game. But our past position in the AUTOGRID is still useful. That’s tech-stuff, you don’t wanna get involved with that.”

“I need to, boss. If I am to further understand and serve, I need to master the SILVAN.” Joshua said.

“One way or another, you must face destiny, right? Follow the prompts of the system. Get the rewards. That’s what you need to do…for now.”

“If you need me, I’m ready for more missions.”

Fox snapped his fingers – a small portion of the air-space distorted. After a few seconds, a brown notebook appeared. Fox leafed through the pages without touching them, like some sort of a videogame wizard.

“Ah, yes. A secret cargo of Waylor Twift holo-spheres arrived in Point Das. Storage fifty-nine. This is a 134 Gang-bid, but what the hell? What’s theirs is up for grabs. Get the spheres. Kill any resisting thugs, okay?”

[POINT DAS RAID – MISSION REGISTERED]

Joshua nodded as the letters appeared briefly again. Excitement soared through Joshua’s veins, and he remembered his helplessness when he was ambushed days ago. Now that he’s back from hell, he’s ready to strike back.

But first, a drink. A good drink has always been the key to a successful kill. Or maybe my data is wrong, but a good drink is still nice to have.