Cyberpunk 2766AD

Fox eyes the knife. She thinks to herself "Is this kid stupid or something. Don't go showing them your weapon, idiot." Fox looks over and says "Hey kid. So, why are they after you? What did you hack into their system or something?"

 

"It's Jimmy, not kid."

I don't like her, but I might as well tell her.

"Have you ever heard of Kiro enterprises? Well, my dad founded that company seventeen years ago, when he was pratically still a kid. Now it's one of the biggest companies in the city, and it has offices all over the world. Things were going great. I was going to the top school in the country, we had a penthouse apartment on the top of tower number three, exctera, exctera, you know, all the rich people stuff. Well, one day the board of directors decided they didn't want my dad around any more, so they locked him up."

I jabbed my thumb at my chest.

"I went in to get him out. I almost made it too. The only reason I didn't was because aparently when a security camera goes offline they come and investigate."

 

I grin as the ladder drops away and nod to Kiara. Maybe that'll give us a breather, anyway.

The backs of the Flashpanels are layered and one of them is constructed, thoughtfully, out of mesh.

"Rest here for two whether we need to or not," I suggest. We usually rest before we get tired, allowing us to run again with a fresh burst of real energy, not the dregs.

We're hidden between the two flashboards for the moment and I wonder how Ghost is doing with the rust on his gloves.

"You okay, Ghostie?" I ask him.

 

"Ofcourse they investigate when a camera goes offline. That is practically rule number one. You should have tried to get help, from someone that actually knew something about security." says Fox. The bus comes to a stop. "Well, this must be the hud. Come on, we should search for the bus that takes us up to the midsection."

 

"Yeah, and who's going to help a fourteen year old kid break into a high security prison? Dumbass."

I jumped out of the bus and run over to one of the waiting terminals where they have a map printed.

"So where exactly do you want to go topside?"

 

I have been following them quietly, having nothing to add. Then the child says something about location.

-There is a builing called 'Blu Mownten' it has a hidden terminal to the highest deck. However, it is hard to infiltrate and will take planning to successfully breach.-

 

"Your dad must have had some friends that would have helped you, brat. This blu mownten place sounds fun." Fox looks over the map. Its taking a lot of her will power to not wrap her tail around this kid's throat to shut him up.

 

"Umm, how about you give me a place where the bus goes?"

 

I stare at the boy. -Have you no shame little boy?! Use manners. Use them!"-

I look at the woman, her tail flickering at the boy. -He is not worth it. Not at all. Blu Mownten is two levels up and six blocks east.-

 

"I've got manners. You want two levels up huh? Well, there's one heading up there in half an hour from terminal G. Milady. I would suggest that if it is going to take planning and work to infiltrate it you find a place to lay low and well, plan. What's in there anyway?"

 

"Was that the company that made you get your alts Dakota?" Fox hated companies that through they could do whatevery they want. "Well, the four of us should just go relax somewhere for the time being, I guess."

 

As I climb up the ladder I hear Kiara call down to me in that 'I want to hurt something' tone of voice she has.

"Ghost! You better not be staring at my a**! You know I don't like that!"

I wonder how she could wondering that as I look at her baggy denim pants. They are loose fit obscuring most of not all details. At best I might be able to discern the outline of her gluteus maximums. Beyond that it was far easier to gauge Tolva's posterior muscular development then Kiara's.

After we hit the catwalk and I watch Kaira snap the bolts off the ladder and Tolva walks between the large flashpanels, between the light diodes and mexh backing the there is the appearcnce of being opaque from the outside. We can hide in here for a bit, but not too long.

I'll let Tolva and Kiara kneel down, cover their mouths and pant a bit to catch a breath, this place can not be healthy for them and I do not think anyone knows what chemicals are really in this air. We should have gotten breathers as opposed to fixing the guys arm. But pondering the past does not allow us to focus on the future. We need a next move.

I get the last of the rust off the gloves. Treated or not that rust played havoc with these babies. Good thing they are as resilient as they are or I would be trouble.

"You okay, Ghostie?"

"First my dear Kiara, It would have been impossible for me to not look at your backside as I climbed the ladder" I wish I could think of more to say but I catch Kiara looking at me and then she snorts. I do not think I will ever understand why she takes such good care of her body if she does not want anyone admiring her efforts. I do not believe I shall ever fully understand that mentality.

"And finally; I am fine Tolva, let us rest a moment and then move on to an access port, wanted or not, we still need a map of this city if we plan to have any chance of survival, and that is your domain"

I keep my eyes out down towards the root tops to see if the clean up man is following us. The heavy smoke filling the air makes it hard to see but the coast looks clear. However there is no coast here, perhaps a sewer grate with a small water, sewerage, flow but nothing to relate to an ocean or large body of water. and even then, calm waters in the coast do not mean anything. Dang another metaphor I have to look up.

But one thins is certain, I can not let appearance be mistaken for truth. He might be there, or even if he not, that does not make us safe by any stretch of the imagination.

Drat.

that makes another one..

 

It was more than that, it was my former prison. Calridge surfaces in my memories and I detest the bots more. I only have them so that his little dolly never got broken. I spit on the ground in disgust, my face contorted in anger as I answer her.

-It is, it is.-

 

Fox sits on a nearby bench. "Companies like that need to be brought down, but what specifically do you want to get out of going there?" They can hear people huslting around them. Just more rodents in the daily rat race.

 

Ah, specifics. Death, plain and simple, but you can't say that to people.

-It is my former home, I wish the death of my former 'caregiver.' Also, t has an entryway to the top level that might be useful, bnut it is hidden and guarded well within the facility.-

 

"Ah, so Glitterbug here wants revenge. By the way, could you at least try to move your lips when talking? That's a dead giveaway. You know, an identifying mark."

 

He amuses me with his ignorance.

-The bots 'healed' my lips together after a nasty event in which both of my lips were severly damamged. I have not used my lips since I was seven. They are sealed on the iside.-

I point at a food place, -Before you ask, I eat through a small opening at the very base of my throat using this.- I extend my hand with a tube containing sharp ends on one side, -the bots heal my throat after every meal.-

 

Fox stands and hugs the girl, even her tail wraps around her. "I'm so sorry they did that to you. Don't worry, these guys will pay for it." The more she hears about this company, the angrier she gets. Damn business men, thinking that everyone is just playthings for them.

 

-I blame only Calridge, his si the only death I crave.- I try to puish her from me, but her grip is tight. Only Calridge used to touch me in anyway and I have never enjoyed it.

I feel myself go numb to avoid thinking.

 

When Fox hugged Dakota I watched eagerly, entertaining notions that somehow they just might end up kissing. That would be something to see.

 

I free myself of Fox's grip before I completely lose myself. Placing my tube away nad glaring at the young boy, I approach him. -Refrain from that notion.-

I sit down on the bench and flicka t my lips, irritating the bots who deploy to heal them. I can see the slight glow as I strike harder and harder.

 

Fox sits next to her. "So, what will be the easiest way in? Do you know anything about the security, like the codes that they use, or anything that could help us?"

 

"Umm, by the way, I'm not helping you break into that place. I don't want to die, so as soon as we reach the next level I guess we'll be parting ways."

 

-If Calridge is still there, he can be contacted if I am severly damaged. I have only been released to the ship because I disobeyed him, but he threatend that I better not get harmed. The bots have to think I am irreparable and they will send him an SOS. I will have to rehack their systems to learn of their updates, but there are codes of entry.-

 

"Funny, I didn't think you were a coward. Seeing as how you pulled your knife out on the bus, I thought you actually liked danger. Fine then, kid. Run away. However, breaking into this place would be good practice. If you get better, you might be able to save your dad." says Fox.