Cyberpunk 2766AD

I wonder if this will work.

I have the Enforcer car set on ‘screaming blur autopilot’ (my term, not a technical one) and have some wires bared. I’ve already made sure that the craft isn’t broadcasting my location…now to make it disappear from sensor sweeps as well.

I hook the wires around the metal fitting around my lower leg and fire up my personal cloaking device. On any sensors that track heat, motion, or electronic pulses, the hover just vanished.

Checking out the windows like a normal driver I make sure that nothing lethal is headed my way and plug my hand in.

A sickening drop into cyberspace and my stomach roils, shoulder on fire…I search spinning maps, forcing them to slow, finding the doctor I need.

Dammit. Back to the slums.

 

The turbolift came to a sudden halt. Zu stepped out, looked around and made his way down the various alleys. He hated the slums, he wasn't used to them. He was a criminal, sure, but one whose jobs paid enough to have him living one level from the top. On the list of things he'd enjoy doing, walking through the damp and sweltering slums wasn't even on it. He kept moving until a voice went off in his head: you have reached your destination. Zu was getting tired of the robot woman's voice. When this is all over, I'm getting a sexier voice.

He knocked on the door and an eye slot opened. "Who're you?"
"I'm here to see Dr. Fillon."
"Who's that?"
Zu got close to the door. "Look I know he's f***ing here," he hissed. "I'm one of the freebooters and I'm having a real bad day."
The man behind the door looked at him and then shut the slot. The door opened and Zu walked in. "Sit down on the couch, doc will see you when he can."

Zu nodded and sat down on the couch, thinking about what to do after this.

 

I hear Spence grumble in the back about how he is going to cause me some very much undesirable physical harm. The person he landed on is singing the same song as well. Both seem to want me, us, well, me mostly... dead.

What is she doing?

That thought screams through my mind as I watch the Enforcer double back and head down.

Only good thing about this is no one asks where Enforcer cars are going as long as they are leaving them alone, so we have a level of impunity in broad sight.

I glance over at Kiara and she has that 'What the (profanity) are you doing' look on her face. I fully understand that feeling.

 

"Finally."

Jimmy sat down on the bench outside of a nasty burger emporium. He was beat. He was so tired that he didn't even want to eat anything, but he needed to. He wasn't starving in the literal sense, but he had definitly gone longer than he should have without eating, and more important, drinking. Before he could get too comfortable he got back up and went inside.

"I'll have three number two's meals, and two large drinks."

 

I take control back from the autopilot. I’m firmly back in the world though feeling a bit nauseated from exiting the net and from the pain in my shoulder.

I check all around me and curse.

There is another Enforcer on my six. What the hell? I can only think of one reason why Enforcers would be chasing one of their own. They know that I’m not sending out a beacon and I’m off-sensor but they have a visual.

They're just checking up to see I haven't stolen or hijacked the craft. Ummm...yeah.

Turning the craft up on its stubby left wingtip I cut the engines and let it fall, scudding down and sideways at the speed of free-fall. I see the other craft overshoot me and I gun the engines, whipping into a tight turn and fleeing in between two buildings and under a bridge.

 

She vanishes from sight. I want to scream at something. Anything. But I got nothing.

I call dispatch and they can't locate her. That dose not surprise me.

I slam the break and bring the car to a halt. Kick the door open and hear the metal crack a bit.

She got away! How freaking hard should it have been to catch a Runner!

I let out a bloodcurdling scream like a devil that just lost a prized soul and twist the steel tube handrail next to me into some warped thing that would pass for contemporary art.

What is she doing?

Spence climbs out and lets me know things are not settled between us. I tell him take the car and red headed chick and have a party on my credits at the hotel, and that things ARE settled between us.

I have a friend to hunt down and kill.

I mean... find... yes... I mean find...

I fully understand now how mothers who have misplaced their children can start to desire doing them body harm.

 

I keep flying hell-bent for election, threading through the buildings and shooting between suspension bridges at completely unsafe speeds. I’ve lost them but I don’t trust it until I’m several towers away.

Then I loop back, lower and lower, keeping under as much cover as I can find, sinking into the bowels of the city.

I land the Enforcer hover on a low rooftop, only four stories above actual solid earth and slide it into an old parking complex so that it is hidden unless you walk right in on it. Checking my defenses once again I climb out, scan the area …magnifying…sweep…clear and head down the steps.

I did all right, he’s only two doors down.

Going to the trash-strewn doorway I knock on the door. The slot opens and someone snaps, “Who are you? What do you want? Go away.”

I just look at the eyes framed in the gap, my golden eye flexing the robotic pupil.

“Holy S***!” The slot slams shut and the door is jerked open.

“You should really wear a hood or something.” Says a slight man with whispy hair as he yanks me through the door.

 

Zu looked up briefly and then looked back at the mag wide-eyed. This just keeps getting better...I slip into Fillon's office at the same time she does, he thought. And suddenly the place is worth 105mil. Zu kept his face away from the door as he got up and made his way to the bathroom. He washed his face repeatedly with cold water before looking at himself in the mirror.

"I'm boned for sure," he muttered quietly.

 

Gleeson took another gun from his desk and placed it under his sock. The gun was an old shooter six barrel. He looked back out of the window.

“Do you know Dekker I feel a storm coming tonight.”

Dekker smiled.

“What now Serg?” He asked.

Gleeson watched as the clouds formed outside and the rain began to fall heavily down across the whole city of New Los Angeles. He took some aftershave from another set of draws parked in the corner and doused himself. He also reloaded his standard issue. And then a knock at the door startled the pair.

A man attired in a black suit entered. He removed his red shades and looked around the small claustrophobic office ending his gaze on Gleeson.

“And you are.” The Detective Sergeant asked.

“I am Adam.” Replied the man.

“And.” Quizzed Dekker rising from his seat.

“I work for Sekki and wondered if you chaps could help me. I’m looking for Colonel Kagen I believe he’s in this precinct right. Which level?” Adam asked.

“2000.” Replied Dekker.

“Many thanks.” Adam said closing the door as he left.

“What the frag was that all about.” Asked Dekker.

“I think we’ve been made. Get to a flyer and quick. Anyone asks we’re taking on the Neuro case. I’ll meet you on third ave on the Ferensway district. Say five hours time.”

Dekker smiled and tucked a small shotgun in his long coat then left the office and strolled across the empty level passing the empty desks. After all the whole precinct was still at the Downed Hot banana.

Gleeson opened his com again and waited for Henry to answer again.

“Sergeant what now.” Asked Henry in a grumpy tone.

“I think I’ve been made. Look the girl’s location is Ferensway Hotel fifth district. The nano tracer code is ***** got that.” With that Gleeson pulled the com out.

A minute later he left the precinct and began heading for his flyer parked on the street level outside.
He couldn’t fail to notice a tall brute well packed on muscles attired in a red waist coat over a bare chest and boasting a tall red Mohawk with a visor covering his eyes.
Odd he thought and sat in his flyer. He turned the key and the thrusters hovered to life giving the vehicle a kick forwards. With that He took off down the road. Still keeping an eye on the tall brute through his reverse mirror

 

Adam returned to Gleesons officer and looked through the blinds into the pouring rain watching Gleeson disappear into the distance.

He turned to his Com unit and plugged a small box into it. The box began recording past calls Data secure and unsecure calls made in the past 48 hours.

*****​

Across the whole City of New Los Angeles thunder boomed across the sky followed by lightening and a downfall of rain that showed no signs of relenting.

 

Well d*mn. Ghost woke me up out of my nap, shouting Tolva's name. I have no idea why I was asleep, I guess I ate too much. I thought she was still in the bathroom, but Ghost nixed that idea pretty quick. Ghost drags me along down the hall, down the elevator, and out to the street, where we catch a quick glimse of Ghost's appropriated enforcer car whizzing away full speed. We spot another enforcer car parked kinda crooked just a few steps away... shotgun-man is leaning over, peering in. We both charge over... I'm fully awake now, and starting to get mad, and apparently Ghost feels the same way. He yanks a dead body out of the driver's seat, and after jumping and sliding over the hood like I'm in some bad car-chase movie, I do the same thing on the passenger's side. Ghost looks up at Spence and says something to him that I don't catch... a second later he grabs him by the scruff of the neck and literally FLINGS him into the back seat. I hear two grunts when he hits, so I look back, and tail-girl is back there too, bleeding all over everywhere. Great.

We take off, screaming across the sky with everything the car has, and as we fly, I fill Ghost in on what happened while he was out and about pretending to be an enforcer, or Vornn, or whatever... He definitely doesn't look pleased when I get to the part about the tracking nanos.

Suddenly Tolva's car in front of us cuts a tight left turn and drops away like a stone. The move is so unexpected, Ghost overshoots her. By the time he has us turned around, she's gone. I think I hear the steering wheel cracking in Ghost's hands, he's gripping it so tight. A quick call to dispatch reveals what we both already knew... she's nowhere to be found. Ghost slams the brake so hard I think he put his foot through the floor and throws the door open. I hear something crack. He bellows his rage into the sky, and I watch him turn a nearby steel railing into a pretzel with his bare hands. Holy s***, I knew he was strong, but I had no idea. To tell the truth, I want to do the same thing.

Where is she?

 

“You probably shouldn’t have come.” Dr. Fillon is examining my shoulder.

There is a twist of intense pain that scatters my thoughts for a moment. When I get them back together I tell him I know that.

“I don’t want to be here.”

I feel woozy. The crazy hijinks in the car seem to have ripped something open or made it worse somehow and the pain is intense.

He grunts at the shoulder and looks at me accusingly.

“This is irreparable. Why didn’t you get this tended before?”

“What’d…what’d I do?” I ask thickly.

“The plasma burst,” he says, stripping off a pair of latex gloves with an irritated air, “can continue to burn…like fire smoldering the edge of paper. When this was stitched up it just made it worse. It’s eaten down into the muscle now.”

“Ugh.” I reply intelligently.

“Who stitched this? A doctor should have known better.”

“A mortician.”

He just laughs and I wish it didn’t sound slightly sadistic. I barely feel the hypo he shoves into my vein before everything goes black.

 

Rain. Not acid, but real pure rain water falls from the sky and rolls down my face and I can only wish that I had tears to join them.

Looking over at Kiara and letting out a deep breath "We need to find Jimmy Kiro, the boy with the prosthetic leg"

She gives me a look like I am creeper then normal. She is not wrong. Some singsong voice doing the sirens call is ripping through my head like a missile into an outhouse. _ Humm can't ponder too much about that but the visual image is funny.

I let it bring a smile to my face.

"His wanted profile mentioned that he breeched security in some prison, so he must be a hacker of some kind, I just hope it is the kind that can find us Tolva"

"We need wheels" I grin at Kiara and she nods back "With a roof" and she lets out a minor snort as we walk though the rain towards a cluster of parked cars.

 

Vornn slowly makes his way to the higher parts of the city. The rain bouncing of his cloak while the wind flaps it from side to side gives the impression he’s a shadow moving through the lights. His eyes glow ever yellow through the constant pour of rain. He looks to the street. The Mid section of Banana way has been completely closed down Enforcers patrolling the are block any transport trying to enter.

He stops to the sound of a chime from within his cloak he tucks his hand in and pulls out a small Communicator. He flips open a small communicator and watches as a hologram of Mr Evan appears fuzzing in and out of clarity from the pouring of the rain.

“Vornn its Tolva or at least we think so. “

The hologram fades again and Vornn replaces the Communicator back inside his long flapping black cloak. Just for a moment his Eyes become extremely bright before suddenly returning back to the normal glow.

 

We stand in the rain for a few moments... both of us staring silently at the sky. Then, out of the blue, "We need to find Jimmy Kiro, the boy with the prosthetic leg." What the f***? I shoot him a look, but he has a very strange expression... slightly distant... almost like he's not really here. He mentions something about the kid's security profile and hacking and whatnot. Then, in an instant, he snaps out of it and looks normal again... well, normal for Ghost, that is. He looks me in the eye and says "We need wheels." and grins at me. I nod back, still a little uncertain about the whole thing, and turn to look at the bunch of hovers nearby. "With a roof." he adds. I scoff. Duh, of course. It's raining. This time I'm not so lucky: I have to break a window. A few moments later, we're on our way... and Ghost is getting soaked to the skin on his left side. D*mn.

 

My world seems calm for the moment. But I have no idea how to find Jimmy or Tolva. I am glad that Kiara is still with me. I half with Tolva would show up dressed like Cypher or something and say 'boo sacred you'

Why do I even want to go after this Jimmy guy, I mean I could find Tolva other ways. There are other people that know how to find her., I would walk right into the Enforcers base.

My Mind near rips out of my head as that singsong voice resounds though me even making my teeth hurt.

By the time I can open my eyes again and come to the world around me Kiara is screaing every profanity known to man and maybe making a few of them up as she lets out a scream that could emasculate a charging rhino. Which is odd because sonics can not be used to cause emasculation... And.. and.. Oh right... I have a broken stealing column in my hands.

Which might not be so bad If I was not going to crash right into some fast food establishment called Nasty Burger.

Next thing I know air bags and securifoam are my world. My world is dark and makes me feel unclean.

Busting from the car by putting my fist out where the window should no longer be I climb out of the car and pull Kiara to freedom.

I wish I could capture this moment.

There he is looking up at us with the burger still in his hands.

"Hello Jimmy Kiro" I comment coldly as I begin to walk towards him.

Something is wrong with me. very wrong with me. That singsong voice starts to fill my head and my world seems to blur. I feel like I am being put in a jar right this moment and Someone else is taking control of my body, someone I don't like.

Let me Out!

 

He decided that he couldn't stay in the bathroom forever. Afterall, he thought, I have to look somewhat different from when she last saw me. He relieved himself and then when back out to the waiting room and sat down. It was just him and the doorman.

"You missed your turn," he told Zu. "Fillon wi-"
Zu finished the doorman's sentence for him. "See me when I can, thanks."

He picked up a magazine and tried to read it. Zu opened up his panel and activate the mp3 player. Instead of listening to music, he amplified the hearing. He tried to zone in on what was happening in the other room, but all he heard was whistling and metal tinkering. He deactivated the mp3 player and looked around nervously. He was starting to get antsy. Every time there were two or more freebooters in the same area, things didn't go so well. Zu kept looking at the door, wondering whether or not he should come back later. He shook his head, opting against it, and attempted to read the magazine some more.

 

Fox tells the cloaked man "I have a better idea than going back to the hotel. I'm going to a certain doctor. Hold on, this is going to be fun." She steers the car down into the slums. Fox stops it infront of a door with a slot. Fox gets out and knocks on the door. The slot opens and shuts quickly. She door opens and her and Spencer quickly go inside.

 

When Jimmy was done with his meal he walked outside. It was raining, but none of it was reaching the street where he was because it was in the shadow of the next platform above it.

It was funny how this city was built. Instead of towering twelve mile-high scysrapers it was built in a haphazard, thrown together manner. There were towers to be sure, but they were more like open pillars with platforms strung between them, and on each platform people had built whatever sort of buildings and roads they wanted. It was like there was something about human nature that forbade them from closing themselves inside a building forever, no matter how big it was. He glanced up at the underside of the platform above him. What was up there?

After a moment his stomach growled again. He was still hungry went over to the edge and peered over the railing at the blackness below.

"All right you idiot, it's time to find someplace to sleep," he muttered to himself. Mabey there was an alleyway somewhere that was out of the rain he could get in.

His stomach decided that it wasn't quite done eating, and it let him know that with a loud growl.

"Shut up."

That did nothing for his stomach. It wasn't having any of that, so he sighed and went back inside.

"Give me another number two please."

The cashier gave him a strange look, probably wondering where he was putting all that food. Oh well, it didn't matter because she was ugly anyway. He took his tray over to a table and dove right into his burger. Man it was disgusting. He looked up just in time to see a hover car come crashing through the front of the building.

"Mother ****ing bastardized son of a bitch!"

 

Zu's eyes went wide. Now there were two more freebooters. Great 215 million now, let's just have ourselves a big f***ing family reunion at Fillon's. He dropped the magazine and stood up, his nerves getting to him.

"What the hell are you two doing here!?"

 

"What do you think I'm doing here. I need a doctor thanks to that crazy ass yellow eyed bounty hunter. What are you doing here?" says Fox, as she glares at the man.

 

"Forgive me" I wish I could say more then that as I jump down moving in ways I would not normally allow myself to move and grab him by the throat lifting him off the ground. The force knife comes to life in my right hand.

'I do not want to do this!' I scream but no sounds come up. I feel like a chilling cold is filling me as the singsong voice returns and drowns out the sounds around me. "Jimmy Kiro" it sings again and again in a maddening endless loop.

'I want to die!'

 

"What do you think I'm doing here. I need a doctor thanks to that crazy ass yellow eyed bounty hunter. What are you doing here?"

Zu shot the glare back. "Well if you're here to see the doc, the line starts behind me," he said. "He's in with another patient right now."

Zu tried to calm himself, but it was becoming pointless. He made for the door and, upon opening it, saw the hover parked right outside. He slammed the door and turned around. "Can we try to be a little more conspicuous here?" He shook his head. "Over 200mil sitting in one room, and they leave the car right outside the door."

 

When the man lifted him up Jimmy began to feel a pressure in his stomach. He didn't like this, not at all. The pressure built up and strained against the hand around his throat until it could not be held back any more, not even by the hand at his throat. Four burgers an friesand sixty two ounces of soft drink streamed their way out of his mouth and gushed all over the face an open mouth of the screaming man who was holding him up in the air.

 

Fox sits down and waits for her turn. "Hey, no one is going to see an enforcer vehicle and think that it means that freebooters are in the building. Just sit down and relax."