Cyberpunk 2766AD

Scanning constantly, I see no one who is interested in me on my way back to the hospital tower. I don’t want to go inside the hospital in case I’m recognized from my little escapade there so I once again go around the back way and find what I’m looking for.

I engage my sensor dampeners. Only someone with regular human vision will be able to see me, and even that with a shimmer around me. Bionic eyes can be fooled, as can sensors attached to the building.

A running jump brings my hands to the folded fire escape ladder and it yawns toward the walkway as I clamber aboard.

Once I’m up to the landing I pull the ladder up behind me as quietly as possible and run lightly up the stairs. They end at the top floor of the hospital although the building continues on for many more floors above. There is nothing there but smooth unclimbable wall and a window.

And the damn window is locked. Naturally.

Peering through the window I see patient recovery rooms with charts in racks outside each door. An extremely old lady in a wheelchair is sagging outside one of the rooms and an orderly is walking down the hall.

I wait for the orderly to disappear into a room and then smash the window with my boot a few times.

When the orderly comes running back out I stand quiet aside from the window, listening to the exclamations and the fear. Nobody will want to come to investigate; they’ll go get help first.

As soon as the orderly is in the room, presumably to make a distress call, I slip in through the broken window and hurry down the hall.

“Always nice to have comp’ny,” the old lady mumbles as I run by.

By the time security comes to check out the mysteriously broken window I’m long gone, finding an exit and running up some stairs.

I emerge into a sterile white hallway and ignore the people in white coats who are ambling around with clipboards.

“Stand back!” I warn them, running for all I’m worth with the pulse gun, “There are felons in the building!”

They nod, mouths agape, and stand back. A few dart into their labs and bolt the doors.

Ten seconds later I’m in the turbo lift, heading up four hundred floors.

 

The brain splatter across the wall tells me all I need to know. But this place is way to bloody for just one guy to get the ax... or what ever he just took. Either way, this place is a dead end.

Now what?

I need to find Kiara and Tolva.

The image screen shifts to the 'Oh-dark-hundred news hour' cute name for the six am news program. The more plastic then real female gives the cameras that fake smile and starts to droll off in her rather sweet but almost monotone voice "In news a fugitive was seen at the hospital... Witness say an unidentified bounty hunter was tracking one of the known freebooters in the hospital, reports of an assaulted medical doctor correlated with the Bounty Hunters claim. We can only hope that justice will be served."

It seems I am going to the Hospital.

 

5...
...4...
...3...
...2...
...1

Zu had finally reached the top floor. He was out of breath and flat out exhausted. He sat down for a moment to collect his thoughts and his health. Next building, he thought, I'll bring the food and water. Zu didn't have enough fingers and toes to count how many floors he stopped on to get something from the vending machine and grab a couple of big gulps from the water fountain.

He stood up, gave himself a good stretch, and grabbed the door handle. He pulled the door, but no budge. He tried again and again, but the door would not open. Zu stood back in disbelief and quietly cursed to himself. He pulled his gun out, aimed at the door handle, but didn't fire. He didn't want to attract attention. He knew he'd just have to go down one floor and use the turbolift to the top. But still, he thought, it would've been nice to exit out the door after all those f***ing stairs.

Zu sighed and began walking down to the previous floor.

 

I arrive at the Hospital, ditching the car two blocks away and huffing it. Just as I hit the parking garage that Singsong voice comes back in full tilt.

My mind erupts with some name and a number I need to contact. Staggering to one of the public phones I slam the com button and the screen appears, I recount the number and then the screen shifts again to some women wearing a modest but business like suit give me a look like we do not take your kind here.

I want to hurt her in many strange ways and I do not know why.

I tell her to let me talk to Mr. Evans. She asks my name. I tell her that the freebooter Ghost sent me and if she wants to keep her job she will get Mr. Evans for me.

A few moments later a clean shaven man with neat brown hair sitting at a large desk smiles at me "This is YZ-22273-R, located at the New Universal Enlightenment Hospital."

 

The technomancers begin mounting in force on their luna bikes. Large bikes with large stubber guns on their sides and a twin booster exhaust on either side of the rear wheels. All the technomancers had bionic left arms and induction status. Many had metal craniums or have a flesh face and have a cybernetic face. Some had wires running from their heads into their spines and into weapons that replaced their hands. Others were heavily armoured men. They carried the name technomancer because of their high tech status. Winrik the tallest of them had a steel jaw that was far bigger than it looked the teeth razor sharp.

All the technomancers wore black and red colores. And all were armed with big barrelled guns from rifles to pistols. Winrik carried a fat looking Plasma Gun strapped across his back. He sat tall on his bike riding through the empty morning streets of the upper parts of the city. The spaghetti roads ran high in between buildings and some running through buildings. And it was here the technomancers drove.

Sekki had hired them to hunt and hunt they would do.

*****​

Detective Sergeant Gleeson chimed the door to the AG-Systems Small Logo Tech Premises.
Henry Collins opened the door he was dark skinned and tall. He wore a black shiny suit and was accompanied by three AG-Systems storm troopers. The three men were armed in black armour and wore bulky helmets with red visors. The three men were amred with a new design in laser weaponry.

“She’s been on the move Detecitve Sergeant.” Henry said.

Gleeson nooded.

“She has and seems a little wild and very untrust worthy. I think were good but I sent Dekker to tail her anyway.”

“Good well Its time I met her I think.”

“Shall I bring her here.”

Henry smiled and removed his black and silver shades.

“Yes.”

*****​

Sen Markus and Roxy leaped across the buildings roof tops closing in on their targets. While Gogul carrying a double headed large Axe drove a large truck through the main streets clumsily loud he also searched for the required targets. And then he caught site of something.

*****​

Zarkiel stood from his prayer and turned to leave the church determined to make the sinful repent.

*****​

Vornn stood tall on the edge of a gremlin gargoyle watching Tolva from afar. His eyes glowing wildly as he did. His cloak flapped about in the higher winds. Created from the large Oxygen filters for the higher region

*****​

Adam smiled at his driver as a blip came onto his scanner. He’d located dying nanites.

“Take me there now.” He said in a soft voice.

 

Mr Evan smiles and puts his phone down.

he places a call to the police Enforcers Colonel Kagen.

Kagen answers.

"We have a location. coming in. Our contact will call you. Once he does. unleash as much as you can on the information he gives you."

 

I pondered the unsubtlety of my current situation as the turbolift did its best to push my stomach down to my toenails. Anything could be waiting for me at the top floor. Probably law enforcement if the hospital staff had gotten themselves at all straightened around.

Which is why I didn’t set it for the top floor.

I let it stop 400 floors up instead of the possible 602 and the doors slide open.

“Hey YOU!” Shouts a voice before I can step out. There are running footsteps as I hurridly hit the ‘door closed’ button, “Stop!”

A sweaty young man in a gray suit with a micro-tie slots himself through the closing door.

“I said hold the lift.” He complains, “Maybe you didn’t hear me. I have an interview on 599 with Allen, Torquin, and White.” He’s chattering in a high state of nerves as he checks his time piece, “God, I’m late!”

He chatters incessantly on the way to 599 and by the time we get there I would like to shoot Alvin J. Parker, law graduate, just to shut him up.

 

We reached the hotel without any further incident... Fox tries to make small talk... makes some comment about not biting. Hmph. We leave the car, undamaged, with the keys still in it a block and a half away. Maybe the guy will just think he's going nuts and he forgot where he parked. One can only hope.

Fox insists on carrying me this time... It annoys the crap out of me, but I tolerate it. The walk back to the car at the doctor's office was rough, a walk from where we left the car to the hotel would have been just as bad, and she's right, I need to rest... or try to. For no reason I can readily identify, I have that feeling of impending doom... like I'm waiting for the other boot to drop. They get me settled comfortably on one of the beds...Jimmy is laid out on one of the other beds... he's not likely to be going anywhere for a while either. Just then, Fox's stomach let out an impressively loud rumble. Fox makes some comment about not eating since the shuttle, and takes a step toward the phone, I guess to call for room service. I actually feel a little hungry again myself... what the h***? I just ate.

Without warning, and nearly simultaneously, Fox and Jimmy let out surprisingly similar bloodcurdling yells; the former keeling over and falling flat, the latter writhing on the bed till he fell off the edge. I jumped up as quickly as I was able, but all I could do was watch in horror as Fox's foot, and Jimmy's arm dissolved away, as if being eaten from the inside, leaving nothing but stumps. SH**! The nanites! I examined them both... they were unconscious,but not bleeding. Thank the gods for small favors. "Spence! Help me get 'em on the beds... They need it more than me right now." I figured I could just crash on the couch, at least I could walk. Spence did most of the work, I was still a little short of breath and whatnot. Ok, don't panic, don't panic. Tolva's not here, I have two seriously screwed up people in need of medical attention... well, three counting myself, no doctor, and no hackers to find one. I took a deep breath and picked up the phone.

"Yes, hello? I'd like two of everything on the appetizer menu sent up immediately? Thank you. Yes, there is something else. The man who's paying for our room... Mr. Gleeson, yes...Could you call him for me? Yes, I really need to speak to him right away. Thanks."

 

By the time the com screen goes blank I hear sires around me. Guns drawn and pointed in my direction. "Come with us" they order and I place my hands behind my head and give them a sweet smile.

They cuff me and haul me to the station where I am dragged into a small room. I ask them if this is any way to treat a woman like me and some psychotic female enforcer flips tells me to spill what I know. She goes on to explain that she knows I am an informer for Sikki Corp. When I tell her I do not know anything she turns on a vid screen of 'madam XY and her latest subject'.

It Seems Peter liked the video so much it hit Netspace. Who would have thought it, by the feed back of the video I am a star in my own way.

She scowls and tells me what I did was Illegal, Transsexual androids are illegal, and so is posing as one. Then she gets right into my face and tells me I am looking to be on the receiving end for a long time.

That singsong voice seems to grow louder, I can not even make out what it is saying. It is not a name but some endless chant. 'kill them, kill them all'

Stripcuffs are designed to hold a human in place, but then again I am not even remotely human.

The Chant grows into my head and I want to stop it. Maybe prison won't be that bad, I might even meet up with Kiara and Tolva in the big house.

But you know, I really would like some measure of self control once that whorish singsong voice starts off. The next thing I know I am watching the head of a woman formally known as Detective Brekkon fly though the air. Two enforcers charge the room with guns ready. Silly Humans. Even when I was in control, when I have fail safes to slow me down and limit my output you would have had no chance.

I get a moment to muse about that as I watch one of them bounce off the wall and the other fly though the reinforced mirror into the viewing room. It is seems when I have control of the situation I can't sacrifice speed for accuracy.

Yet now I do not seem to be limited by such issues as I toss the left arm of the enforcer though the air and pump several rounds into his skull while firing up though his chin.

I watch the enforcers take position behind the desks and open fire. Another problem I had was that I could not willingly let myself get injured. I could not punch something hard enough to break my skin or anything like that. Yet here I am putting my fist into this poor saps chest though his body armor and watching my skin coil back up my arm like I just popped a glove off.

Odd. I will have to see if Tolva can stop my safety's if the time comes.

sixteen seconds and twelve bodies later I can feel blood dripping down my wig and water is gushing all over the floor from my injuries.

Well lucky them. I too two bullets into my left bicep and I ripped the skin off my right arm. I am such a fright.

Ok I don't get it. If I am in the form of a Guy, I think like a Guy, now I look like a woman and I am starting to think like a woman?

On the plus side I had Peter put in some flow stoppers to prevent one hole from emptying the whole system, I still have my curvy body and large ample breast. And for the life of me I have no idea why that suddenly matters.

I head off down to the weapons supply and the guy behind the cage puts a round right into my chest.

There went my ample breast. I look up from the wound and let out a low growl "Oh pumpkin, you shouldn't have"

Which is odd that anyone would use the term pumpkin as a from of endearment. I mean calling someone a big orange gourd just sounds so loving, don't it? Which brings me to pumpkin pie, who would look at this thing and go that would make a great pie.

Well by the time I pondered that thought it seems the sociopath in me took the chance to dismember the poor fellow by pulling him though the grate.

I want to puke so bad I end up crying silently to myself.

Last time I had some control this time I have nothing, just watching myself do things I might normally do if the situation demanded it, but this is insane. I just killed them, slaughtered them for no motive at all.

That singsong voice fills me again. There is more to do.

Not without a fight you psychotic android ...brain ...subliminal ....programing...thing... Well ok I don't have any good insults, but I am still not giving up my body with out a fight!

 

Staying in the same tower as the hospital isn’t a great option for me and I think I really need to go to a different building.

Once Alvin is in his interview and the receptionist of the firm is unconscious in a broom closet with her mouth taped shut Sally went home early today I slip out of the private entrance to where the lawyer’s rides are.

Niiiice hovers. Easily worth a couple of million credits each. Sleek, stylish and all in utterly boring colors to make the statement that money doesn’t matter if you have lots of it.

I’m not as skilled as Kiara at boosting cars and I don’t feel like taking a lot of time. My boot shatters the window and I slide inside, stopping the alarm before it starts whooping. I hate hot wiring so I feel all around for the keys. No luck.

Grumbling a little and poking my head up constantly to look out and make sure I’m alone I finally get the thing started with a minimum of electrical shocks to myself and slide down the ramp to the busy layered freeway.

Making a left I skim the craft toward the Hoboken Building and another set of turbo lifts.

 

Fox manages to sit herself up and looks at what used to be her left foot. She can feel her nanites rushing through her body, towards her foot. The quickly start rebuilding it. "So for the next day, I guess I'll have a missing left arm and foot. Well, damn it. I guess whoever did that attack didn't expect me have my own nanites." Fox looks over at Kiara, who is on the phone. "It looks like someone fond us. Do you know anyone who could hide us better?"

 

After a few moments of blood soaked skinless hands fumbling for keys I get the cage open.

I am not a battering ram! I at least got that under control. It seems I have no say in what I have to do but I have some minor control in how I do it.

I heft up the Midi Gun and strap a standard issue heavy assault repeating rifle, sometimes called a machine gun to my back and stuff several clips of ion charged hollow core exploding rounds into my pockets. Why on earth would the Enforcers need rounds like this? You know what, I don't want to know. I look at the hole in my chest about the size of a large man's fist and feel the green fluid pour from my mouth. I am so pissed that this over-ride program is abusing me I want to give a kick down. We only have one body you psychopath!

A quick wash off in the shower and ditching the wig I grab a police uniform, and riot armor, then head out.

Now I am a flat chested female enforcer looking all tough in mt riot gear all I need is... Oh there it is... I pull the glasses off of Brekkon and head out of the building.

I should make you find a way to fix us if you keep messing me up like this!

The singsong voice seems to ignore my protests but we decide that taking an enforcer hover car to be the best option.

Next stop is the Al Jeffery Memorial Armory.

This has to be some kind of sick joke.

Every step to the cruiser is a fight, that I am loosing.

 

The very expensive car I leave parked deep in a small spot at the back of the lot, unlocked, and walk away from it, keeping a wary eye out.

I think I saw a guy duck behind a hover but when I go to check it out, gun drawn, there is nobody there.

Looking around for a moment doesn’t show me any lurking guys so I get inside, the walls are all glassed in, plants everywhere and people talking quietly at white-draped tables, as I walk through at a normal pace, looking for the turbolifts.

 

"I might know someone," Jimmy says. There's the doctor who first gave my leg. He knows how to keep quiet about things, and he's loyal to my family.

 

Wraith was beginning to become paranoid. He had ordered room service, instead of going into the restaurant. He never left the room.

He had spoke to the capain, an old friend of his. The ship couldnt leave any earlier than the day stated. He was beginning to get bored, but boredem was preferable to death.

 

Zarkiel stood there watching the waiting Wraith. He spied the Captain he spoke with and moved to greet this Captain.

After a short while Zarkiel had been granted passage on the very same ship as wraith. Zarkiel remained hidden.
This was a time for patience.

 

Using her tail in place of her right leg, she sits down on the bed next to Jimmy. "Well, this is just great, now I need a new left hand and a new left foot. I guess we have to go to Jimmy's doctor." A hotel employee knocks on the door and asks "Is everything alright in there?" "Yeah, its fine. Though we could use some room service. I'll take a large pepperoni pizza." "Alright ma'am." As the foot steps of the man can be heard walking away, Fox stands back up again, using her tail in place of her left foot. She touchs the armor, at the bottom of the left side of her neck. It loosens, and she allows it to fall to the floor. Underneath, she is wearing a pair of loose boxer shorts and a white t-shirt. She sits back down to see the damaged for the first time. Her left leg ends at the top of where the ankle was. "Damn. One of these days I'm going to kill that bastard, I swear it. Hey Spence, it looks like your going to be the main fighter of the group for awhile. I can walk and shoot, but that's about it." She looks out the window see the rain had mostly stopped. There is a nock at the door. "Roomsevice." says a voice on the other side. Fox says come in. The man comes in and sits the plate that the pizza is on, on the nightstand next to the bed. Fox begins to devour it.

 

They had barely made it into the hotel when Fox and Jimmy started screaming, the nanites eating away at their flesh. Jimmy's arm was gone at the shoulder, and Fox's right leg was gone. Spencer did what he could, which was very little, until they recovered slightly from the pain and shock.

And then Fox ordered pizza. And Spencer almost smiled.

Medical attention. That was first priority. Jimmy knew someone. "Tell me where he is." Spencer said.

 

They woke up quicker than I expected... I was still on the phone when Fox woke, and asked what attacked her. I hung up and sighed. "Nothing attacked. The medical nanites in you ate your foot. You haven't eaten since yesterday. I'm fine because I ate like a horse just an hour or two ago... and I'm hungry again already." Fox doesn't seem to like that answer one bit, and mentions something about a nanite factory in her head...got it from the doctor. I ponder that for a moment. "It might be shut down for a while... at the very least till you get some good food in you." Realization strikes me, "Uhm, Fox. Think very carefully... back in the doctor's offce, did you give me regular medical nanites? Or did you hit me with the same thing he gave you?" The thought of those things crawling around inside me all the time kinda creeps me out... useful, yeah, but creepy... and slightly dangerous, too. There's a knock at the door.

Spence accepts the appetizer plate, but apparently Fox was in the mood for pizza. I got no argument with that. I start munching as Jimmy pipes up and mentions the doctor that gave him his leg. I suppose its a possibility... better than sitting around here doing nothing, waiting for sh** to happen. Fox wobbles over to Jimmy's bed, using her tail as a quasi leg/crutch thing. I sigh again.

"Jimmy, what was your doctor's name, and where can we find him?"

 

"I injected the normal medical nanites into you." says Fox as she finishes off a slice of pizza. He tail moves out from behind her, and slides her armor under the bed, for safe keeping. She stretches out her arms and says "I've been wearing that armor for so long that I almost feel naked without it. Since we're going to be working together Kiara, while don't you tell us a little about yourself." She begins to go through another slice.

 

Three levels later and one turbolift back to the top and had finally made it out of the Hoboken Building. He wasn't sure how much more walking he could take, but he was almost certain that there was no other way. He could steal hover cars, but he didn't want to leave a trail or alert authorities of his presence. He looked up again, the top seemed so close, but he knew he had a ways to go before he got out of the midlevel into the upper and finally to the top. He put his hood up again and looked around the mingling people cautiously. After all this, paranoia was starting to get to him.

Zu stopped at the Cheese Bakery, grabbing half a chicken and cheese sandwich and a lobster bisque. It was the first decent meal he had had since his mac n cheese with tuna. He had forgot that the higher up you get in this city, the better the food becomes. He got his food to go and ate it in silence in a park while he looked at the next building that lead up: Kinzing Pharmaceuticals. One he finished his meal, he stopped at a vendor and got a bottle of electrolyte drink and a bottle of water. The drink went quick, and he savored the water as he walked through the park to the other side. From there it was only a block and a half to Kinzing.

 

"I really wish you would put it back on. You look naked without it, and that is an image I definitly do not want in my head....hag. Now give me some pizza."

Jimmy turned back to the others. "

He has an office near the top of tower six with all of the state of the art equipment he needs to almost replace the hospital up there. His name's Allen Hilderas. He's my cousin."

 

Fox grabs a slice and holds it infront of him, for him to eat. "Call me hag again, and it'll go up the other end, understand squirt. Besides, I'm only like five or six years older than you at best. You should now better than to mouth off, when you only have one useable limb. You're pretty much at our mercy right now. I don't like the idea of going too high up in the city. It'll have more security. I know of a doctor in the slums if you guys think it'll be better to go down there. We might have to deal with gangers, but we'll be less likely to run into hunters and enforcers." says Fox.

 

At this floor of the Hoboken building there is a food court to serve the surrounding offices several floors up and several floors down.

Moving past the fancy restaurant I make sure my sensor dampers are on, which should give any security cameras problems. I might show up as a shimmery shadow or a blur but in any case an image that is unnoticeable unless the recording is replayed very slowly. Any humans can see me though they might notice a slight shimmer like vapor off of a hot road in summer.

I drift into the food court, which is not overly crowded just yet, and loiter for a moment by a kiosk selling tickets to shows at the Midlevel Mall. I have a few credits to spend under the name of Alley Thompson but I don’t like the idea of coming face-to-face with the server.

Observing, I see that the person behind the nearest counter hates their job and would rather flirt with the guy at the fryer than look customers in the eye. Slipping up to the counter, hood up, I order and sure enough the gum-snapping clerk acts like I’m not even there. I punch Alley’s access number and walk off with my bagged meal.

I wait until the area around the Turbolift is empty and get in, setting it for the top floor this time and munching as it shoots upward. The energy drink that goes with it isn’t the most palatable but it is useful.

When I get out at the top I toss the empty bag and wrappers in the thoughtfully provided receptacle and look around warily. The few people present are checking timepieces and look hurried and important. One guy almost runs into me before rushing off with no apology.

Fine with me. I head for the stairs.

 

When he finished eating the slice of pizza Jimmy spoke again.

"It's not my fault if you look older than you are, but thanks for the pizza. As for where we go, I don't really care as long as I get fixed and no bounty hunters barge in."