Once I crossed into the Arasaka Waterfront district, I was near a Megabuilding labeled 11.

I slowed down. Traffic was present but minimal, so I could take my time.

I began spotting Maelstrom graffiti everywhere. While the tags invoked a sense of dread, I didn't think much else of it. Just a gang trying to be intimidating.

When I saw my first 'Strom "gangoons", I realized Sinnamin hadn't overblown how repulsive they looked. The gang tags were partially descriptive.

I found a small parking lot with other cars. Slipped in between two larger vehicles. Since I was taking both Probes I hoped any thief or scrapper messed with them before the Galena.

Scuff and Fix seemed almost buzzing with excitement as I told them the plan. Their beeps were aggressive.

"We can do it. Eliminate enemies." "We will destroy the ugly ones."

This gave me pause.

A consequence of fusion? Something that happens to Probes over time? Maybe, if you let them fight a bunch, they become like this?

Am I a bad person for using them like this?

I've never been one to worry about morality. I just try not to be a dick.

So in those terms, killing people, admittedly grotesque people, to take their shit, sounds like a dick move.

Or is this a, one dick cancels out another, kind of situation? (AN: I know it's stupid and silly but it made me laugh as I wrote it.)

I growled, don't know, don't care. Purge the unclean.

Wait.

That didn't sound like me. Was it this place?

I found I had been moving the whole time I was thinking. Now the time for moral quandaries had ended.

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

I had been noticed and certainly I had something worth taking. Maybe it didn't even matter and they just wanted to start some shit.

Their red eyes gleamed in the dark. They had found prey.

Damn shame they didn't notice my friends.

"Hey, whadda we have here?" (AN: Intended.)

"A poor lost Ganic is need of help."

They laughed. Their voices were grainy and distorted. It grated on the nerves, almost as much as looking at their faces hurt my eyes.

"Maybe we throw im in da box and watch 'im squirm."

"Could just cut off his arms, and watch him bleed out."

"Nah, we take him home and play, pin the Chrome on the Ganic."

I had already pulled my Omaha, but I wasn't quite pointing it at them yet. Safety off.

"Oh is little Ganic scairwd, we're sorry. We just wanna help."

They started spreading out, not a dumb move. Except the two spreading to the sides now had tagalongs hovering just behind their heads.

The fact they had pulled their weapons, told me they felt in control. Like nothing I could or would do mattered in the slightest.

That really pissed me off. I don't think I've been this kind of mad before. Like magma coursing through my body.

"Hey why's the chump glowing?"

No more, I'd heard enough.

"Now!" I snarled as I raised my iron.

Two zaps rang out as did two deafening cracks.

Three bodies hit the ground.

I stared at the corpses for a minute or two. Processing.

I took the time to top off my magazine. Not thinking about, just a reflex, that I shouldn't even have.

I didn't feel like morals mattered anymore. I was glad we killed them.

My BTC shivered,

[ Adjusting...]

[ Gained skill Firearms at Rank 1 ]

Oh, okay. I guess that was good.

Well, time to get to work.

Three more of those crooked chips. Sinnamin said those can be anything from Cred Chips, Skillsofts, or even just secured data. So potentially valuable. Into the backpack.

Even if I could pull the data off the chips right now it wouldn't do me any good, without my own interface and cred chip.

Which reminded me, I pulled out another can Cirrus Cola. I shrugged and tried it. Off brand Coke maybe with some lime or lemon in it. Not as bad as NiCola that was for sure, but not that good either. The future was disappointing me in a great many ways.

I noticed Scuff and Fix scanning everything including the corpses. I guessed they were curious little robots.

Only one of the "gonks" had a gun. A big ass revolver, into the backpack with that too.

Their blades looked like garbage to me, so I didn't bother.

Shit only $200 this would take a while. Nothing else worth "klepping" on the bodies.

I did go poke around where I first saw them. I found a whole bunch of junk. I wasn't sure what a lot of this was for. Cables and microchips. A Radio looked cheap though. "Food" and "drinks" of various descriptions. A couple of inhaler looking things. If I had got the context right these could be either medicine or drugs. Into the backpack.

Seemed to be the lot of it. I sighed.

No one said it would be easy.

Back to hunting down another group I suppose.

Very disappointing.