NaNoWriMo Story - The Blue Counterpart

[KodiaX987]

The following is a rewrite of Armageddrive Nightmare for those who read it. Main changes include plotline and plot hole fixes, expansion on the timeline, and the move from a PSO to a completely new and original universe.

Because this is done as the entry for the NaNoWriMo (http://www.nanowrimo.org), this fic is likely to contain a bit more quantity than quality. The goal is to write at least 50,000 words before November 30, at 11:59 PM. Additionally, I'd like to have the story wrapped up as well, though this isn't required.

To read a better-formatted version of the story, you can go to this page (http://nanowrimo2.shurikane.com).

WARNING: This story contains coarse language, violence and suggestive situations. Reader discretion is advised.





<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: KodiaX987 on 2006-11-02 06:03 ]</font>

[KodiaX987]

1 : Apprecihate





"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Shock and concern today as Governor Carlest Taylor almost fell victim to an assassination attempt last night. Shrike Naïnsev, the recently identified perpetrator, was well known by the police and the Unionized Mercenaries from her involvement in military theft and black market trading. She recently strung murders and kidnappings in such a short time that the Mercenary Section Lead of New Colombus vowed to catch her in person, before he was found dead in his apartment later in the evening. Mars Parist reports..."



=============================================


"Downtown New Colombus. At six thirty-five in the evening, six androids burst into the office of Governor Carlest Taylor, armed with weapons ranging from laser swords to military Falicost rifles. Security cameras show one of the androids in a heated argument with Mr. Taylor before a Unionized Mercenary makes her appearance, heavily disfigured from an encounter with them before their entry into the building. In a stunning and gruesome display of bravery, she managed to subdue all six androids, killing five and pushing the sixth one through a window. The last android was amazingly nowhere to be found, and thus the police was kept on watch until this morning to ensure the safety of the Governor.

"Then, at nine forty, tragedy strikes: Mercenary Section Lead Kod Naïnsev is found dead in his apartment. Police quickly forms the hypothesis of a suicide, as per the shot through the roof of his mouth, though the autopsy is still pending."

"Make way, please. No comments, no comments... Make way, thank you..."

"The Unionized Mercenaries have refused to comment on the matter so far, claiming it was too early to draw conclusions. Interim Section Lead Fredaris Baker has made a public statement, however, promising the UM would work more tightly with the police to further protect the people of New Colombus."

"The UM will be focusing on advanced teamwork with law enforcement, in order to prevent such an accident from ever happening again."

"Mr. Baker, are Shrike and Kod close relatives? Did they know each other?"

"...We have no reason to believe the two had any relationship; I can just say it was a matter of family names coincidentally being the same."

"Meanwhile, the officers have been hard at work. Entry into the governmental building is currently restricted to the strict minimum as the police thoroughly search and identify potential faults in the security system. The bounty on Mrs. Naïnsev's head was also raised by twenty-five percent, and requirements changed that she be brought back dead. Many Mercenaries have thus gone hunting early on this morning in the hope of catching a what is supposed to be a crippled and easy target, so says this recruit:"

"She can't have possibly survived the fall from the building, and if she did, I don't think she'd be much in working order..."

"The news have also led to protests from the Human Society. Many of them showed up on the sidewalk opposite the Governor's building to renew their wish that androids be confined to a drone state of mind."

"We can't have androids running around freely until we are sure their programming is flawless. Is it flawless? No. Did the manufacturers check their programs before releasing them on the market? No! Is there even a law regulating the programming of androids? Of course not! Anybody can buy a body off an electronics shop and configure it at home and it's perfectly legal! How are we supposed to feel safe when the boy next door might be programming a killer?"

"This was Mars Parist, CBC News, New Colombus."



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: KodiaX987 on 2006-11-02 06:02 ]</font>

[Jehosaphaty]

great hook. I'll look forward to reading this one.

[KodiaX987]

2 : Elaborhate





"Hello girls, hello guys..."

The lobby was full of people. Unionized Mercenaries walked out of the front doors in uniforms and full suits of armor and energy frames. Those who stayed behind were huddled together, discussing plans and possibilities. Because of a database crash, the dispatchers had to assign areas by drawing perimeters on a large map tacked to the wall.

Outside, the sky was sunny and clear. It was as if the windstorm from yesterday evening had never happened.

Two of those Mercenaries met around a coffee table.

"Hey Nolla."

"Hey Reez."

"So, how is Armi?"

"She... passed away during the night, at four. The doctor said the contamination had been fatal."

"...Shit."

Nolla gave Reez a nod. "It's hard. She was a good Mercenary... Fredaris told me she'll probably receive a posthumus promotion to Sergeant along with a medal of bravery. It's the least they could do, really."

Reez was staring at the floor. "I guess so."

"Have you seen Davion anywhere?"

"No."

Nolla glanced around the room. She let out a grunt.

"I kinda understood he couldn't be assed to help us out in the hunt, but if he doesn't at least deliver us some sympathies, I'm gonna have his fucking head on a stick."

Reez nodded. "Hmm-hmm. Whatever." He raised his head, looking at Nolla. "I can only hope Armi died painlessly. How did she look like?"

Nolla gave him a hard glance. "I'd be insulting her if I described her final appearance. She'll be cremated. That's the most I will say."

"But--"

"I saw her, and I wish I hadn't. I will forget whatever I saw at the hospital that night." She stood up. "I have to meet with Fred before I leave. Have a good day."

"You're not participating in the hunt?"

"No; I'm sick of it!"



=============================================


Nolla entered the Section Lead's office. The room had already been cleaned of all personal belongings. The family portraits and frames had been replaced with generic abstract art with little to no personality.

Fredaris Baker sat in a new leather chair. His desk looked impressively large; the computer had been replaced by a laptop and the stacks of sheets and documents were gone. Only a handful of blank papers and some pens sat on the far side.

Fred himself was a strange-looking specimen. Short, stout and clean cut - he looked like a cross between a dwarf and a strongman from circus shows. His eyes, bright blue and squinting slightly, followed the curvy Nolla as she took her seat. He considered her for a few more seconds. He always looked like he was on the verge of scolding whoever was in front of him.

"Nolla, I'll be brief," he said, "it won't sound very warm to you but I'm short on time and I'm being harassed by every arm of the UM for information. Anyway, first of all, my sympathies."

"Thank you."

"Now for the professional things. I have orders that information about Armi should be kept silent until further notice. Don't talk about it to the other members, nor to nosy officials, not even your own mother. The news are waiting just for that and we're not ready to take 'em on just yet. Second: in reward for your crucial participation in the hunt prior to the events of yesterday evening, you've been awarded the Pin of Distinguished Service, and ordered to take a one week vacation with pay so that you may recover. I highly suggest you take and enjoy those days off. The pay you're getting is better than if you spent your week doing jobs. Anything about what happened, your involvement, what you saw, keep it under wraps for now. There's a possibility that the army rears its ugly head in here and declares that information classified. I know they took away one of the dead androids for study."

"Surprises me they didn't take all five."

"That's not up to me to know. I'm starting to realize being a Section Lead is a lot less thrilling than people make it. At least the pay's better than when I was CCO... Anyway." He reached into a drawer and took out a small bronze pin. "Stand up."

Nolla took a step aside to stand next to the desk. With an almost comical solemnity, Fred applied the pin to her uniform.

"As per the recommendation by the Interim Section Lead of New Colombus, the Capital Section Lead, and the Union Lead of the Democratic Union of Arimast, I hereby award you with the Pin of Distinguished Service. You've earned it well, member."

Nolla chuckled. "This is the closest to touching my boob you'll ever get."

"Hey, don't ruin the moment!"

Nolla took a look at her pin and smiled. "All right. Need me for anything else?"

"I'm all done. You enjoy your week off. And tell Reez to come in when you get outside."



=============================================


The Reez in question was an average and fit young man. He had the potential to become a good soldier but had decided long ago that he preferred the more informal style of the UM. Despite his many attempts to shine and his above average record, he was still regarded as a rookie trying to look like a big boy: at age twenty-six, he looked like he was barely eighteen.

He was also part of the twenty-five percent of UM members to shun the uniform. Although it wasn't required per se, there had always been some debate over the question, some preferring clothes they found more comfortable or in better taste, and rare others doing it simply to rebel against the UM's too militarized fashion according to their standards. Not to say Reez wasn't proud to be a member: he wore a badge on the left sleeve of his long coat as per regulations, and another one on the breast of his orange camo shirt.

When he entered Fred's office, he sat down before even being told to.

"You don't look so hot..." the Section Lead commented. "But it ain't hard to know why. That's why I called you into my office."

Reed snarled. "What?!"

"No, no, I'm not gonna give you a speech! I worked with you on the hunt, I know you did a fine job and helped to the best of your ability. You have nothing to be afraid of. It's the opposite: the UM is offering you three days off, paid, so that you may take a break and recover. The pay is not as good as if you had been spending them doing jobs, but I highly suggest you take it, so you can cool down and digest everything that happened. Treat yourself to a nice dinner and don't watch too much TV."

Reez didn't answer right away. He leaned back on his chair and looked out the window... "How did Armi look like?"

"Nolla was the only one to see her. Her lips are sealed. She told Kod and I not to go to the hospital because it was so disturbing. She has a strong stomach, so we trusted her advice. I'll also tell you to keep all details about the hunt under wraps; the UM will take care of what exactly goes in the public statements."

"Oh... I'm just curious, that's all. I want to know what happened to Armi 'till the end. We were good friends... I'd have peace of mind if I knew the whole story. Right now, it's as if she just... disappeared out of existence as soon as she got to the hospital and turned up dead all by magic a few hours later. Did she die alone?"

"Nolla was there."

"I wasn't!"

Fred leaned across his desk. "Reez, I know this is hard for you. I don't know how much, I can't get into your head, but I at least know that the death of a friend is never something that you just brush off. Take those three days off, Reez. Your mind's in a jumble and you have an opportunity to clear it.

Reez forced a smile. "Thanks..." And, as he stood up: "See you in three days."



=============================================


Fred turned the computer screen on and proceeded to write a NetMail to his superiors:



ATTN: Mr. Nathas Rosser, Capital Section Lead; Mr. Arimo Testani, Union Lead of the Democratic Union of Arimast.

As per suggested, Sergeant Nolla Lephon and Mercenary Reez Lokk have been given, respectively, the Pin of Distinguished Service and a week's leave, and a three-day leave, both with proportional compensations. They have also been ordered to refuse to comment on the case until further notice.

I would also like to know the dates and times of Kod and Armi's funeral services, as I am sure both of them will do their best to attend. I expect to give them paid time off due to the exceptional circumstances. The news will definitely be there, so it's best if we encourage as many members as possible to assist to the ceremony.

By the way, out of curiosity, got an idea on who the next Section Lead should be? I'm expecting Division Lead Maxis Conerst but I know the UM's habit of making surprise choices.

Sincerely yours,



Fredaris Baker
Interim Section Lead of New Colombus

[Sord]

heh, pretty good start. I doubt I read the original, though I might have and just forgotten the name and thus not recognized it. That happens to me a lot with books, songs and movies.

I'm intrested to see were this goes, and if it'll have the burtality of your older works that i know and love.

[KodiaX987]

3 : Originhate





New Colombus, capital of the Democratic Union of Arimast.

Bordered at the south by Carast, and at the north by the West and East Actis Empires, and the recently seceded States of Laradost.

The capital lay on the east coast of the continent. At its west stretched a wide desert, progressively turning to rock and wasteland as it reached the other coast. The south edge contained some jungle and swampland along a mountainous ridge, while the far north enjoyed a bit of lush forest taken from Actis during a conflict too ancient to tell. The States of Laradost took half the remaining forest with them after they drew the borderline.

The city itself was a densely packed array of immense skyscrapers, elevated highways, anti-aircraft batteries and fortifications. Walls circled around the downtown area like rings on a tree, each wall slowly deteriorating as the city grows, until it's no longer needed, and then destroyed. The farthest and newest fortification was placed ten miles out of the city and garrisoned with a steady relief of soldiers. Heavy guns of various types had been laid out in expectation of full frontal assaults, combining missiles, bullets, rotary lasers, energy bolts and punchers. The turrets were ten-gunned monsters capable of laying waste to the infantry it was made to expect. A man in each of those structures could expect to rack up at least a dozen kills in less than a month.

Further out: craters, waste and bunkers. There, the army fought against the Reli creatures. Legions and hordes weren't clichéd words to describe them; they seemed endless in numbers, always coming, always adapting to the man-made weapons and defenses. To make matters worse, black market trader groups like the Chips, the Horde and the New Drags almost always pillaged abandoned bunkers, forcing the army to start their logistics over from scratch whenever they planned an offense. A once famous officer had told: "This war is like a gamer's strategy game. Everytime you begin a new mission, you have to rebuild your base out of nothing but the resources right next to your command center."

The Unionized Mercenaries had been having field days over all the trouble for decades. The army always offered rewards to those who helped out at the front, and irresistible bounties were offered to any member who could provide incriminating evidence leading to the arrest of a black market trader. And because no tense situation was complete without a helping of paranoia, bodyguard and escort requests came by the dozens everyday.

For a modern Unionized Mercenary, being out of work was impossible.

Reez had taken up military training as per UM regulations, then got his weapon training and permit, and was approved as a Junior for the required year-long probation period at age nineteen. Gradually, he worked his reputation as an alert young man with a good sixth sense for combat and a good head on his shoulders. On his first day as a full-fledged mercenary, he simply walked up to the board and literally tore a request paper at random. Things would only get better from there.



=============================================


"Attention, gentlemen!"

Kod Naïnsev was dressed in full uniform, neatly buttoned and freshly cleaned. He slowly walked along the line formed by the twenty-six Juniors to join the Unionized Mercenaries, occasionally glancing at them as he spoke.

"At ease. I will tell you right away, even if you know it already: the Union isn't a playground! It's not an army without the orders and superiors. You are part of a brotherhood of men and women who have chosen to devote their lives to protecting the citizens of the world. As such, you will be expected to follow orders when told and to report for duty when called upon. You, what's your name?"

"Drekan Riverst, sir."

"You look pretty old. What did you use to do?"

"I was a firefighter, sir."

"Oh, a hunk! Welcome aboard, the ladies will love ya. And you? Your name?"

"Nolla Lephon, sir!"

Kod whistled. "What a number! Hey Fred! Isn't she a nice piece of woman?"

"Uh-huh!"

Kod turned to face the young woman again. "Can you endure being called a slut? Can you tolerate people groping your ass and calling you names and staring at your chest?"

"Uh... yes?"

"Speak honestly for fuck's sake!"

"No, sir!"

Kod raised an eyebrow. "No, what? No, you won't answer honestly, or no, you won't tolerate the men who love you for your body?"

"I won't tolerate the men who love me for my body!"

"THERE WE GO! You hear that, Juniors? You lack respect to a fellow member, and you'll be having your own balls for breakfast! Women, don't think you're off the hook either; I have no problems with reaching inside you and putting your ovaries on a dinner plate! I hope I made myself clear. You, your name."

The young man gulped. "Reez Lokk, sir."

"Uh-huh. Show me your ID."

"Say what?"

"ID! I'll never believe they let a kid sign up with us, so are you of age or not?!"

"Yes sir!"

"Then prove it!"

Reez handed him his ID card. He had signed up at age nineteen, one year older than the minimum requirement. Kod gave him back his card after a short look and resumed his walk.

"I like that. I'm doing the equivalent of a drill sergeant speech and you guys are obeying, though I think you've dulled yourselves a bit between your boot camp and your application. I like what I see and I'll like it better if I see an improvement. That's why you're Juniors for a year. You will be performing jobs under supervision and will be expected to conduct yourselves in a courteous, efficient and professional manner both on and off the job. As a Unionized Mercenary, you have no schedule set in stone. You are on and off duty at the same time. You can hunt your bounty at any time of the day or night. You wear your badge now, you will wear it all the time, on your boxers if it's necessary. Fred, got anything to add?"

Fredaris Baker stepped away from the column he was leaning on. "Not much, you told 'em just about everything. Juniors, Sergeant Naïnsev is hard, but he's that way because he loves the Mercenaries under his charge. Everything he does, he does it for your well-being and for the betterment of the Unionized Mercenaries of Arimast. Trust him, and he'll trust you.

He glanced at Kod, cueing him to close the meeting.

"Dismissed. Enjoy your evening, guys."



=============================================


The city was a curious mix of old and new, rich and poor... Cultures mingled with each other with remarkable ease. The rough and tough Iist populace that defined the militaristic Arimast and its surrounding countries gradually left more place to the progressive Sius and the leisurely Apanian cultures. This used to be unheard of, particularly under the rule of the last Governors, who had closed the borders in an effort to put more manpower into the offensive against the Reli. Governor Taylor turned the strategy around completely. In the recent years, the city saw a growth spurt of new businesses as foreigners were drawn to a metropolis so already full and yet so packed with opportunities. Where citizens drove Arimast-made DT Design and Sing-Caster vehicles twenty years ago, they now saw automakers like Lancila, Firo and the recently popularized Kasieri release their products on the market with great success. As the Reli invasion strengthened its numbers and attacks, more corporations proposed defense contracts to the government. The funds of the nation went up and down like a rollercoaster, taxes from booming companies almost immediately re-injected into weapons research and buy programs just to keep up. The current Governor had made his reputations as someone who worked overtime to make Arimast make ends meet. The economy was rolling at a breakneck speed.

Because there was never enough place on the ground, buildings simply popped on top of each other. There were always some new construction sites here and there. Workers took the roofs off skyscrapers and built new floors on top of them. If one were to have a look inside the walls, he'd see numerous remains of renovations, walls taken away here and new pillars over there. Everything was drab at the bottom and gaining in gleam and glitter as the altitude increased. The downtown area would eventually take the shape of a pyramid as it expanded upwards and outwards. The government seat, which used to be the tallest building several decades ago at ninety-eight floors, was now dwarfed by skyscrapers hitting the legal limit of a hundred and fifty, with elevated highways soon to follow the immense structures, threading and weaving between them , creating a chaotic spaghetti of onramps and offramps, columns and multi-access parking garages. Street racers quickly started populating their new paradise.

Sidewalks were only present on the busiest of streets. Their only purpose was to allow the lucky few ground-level shops to display their magnificent clothes, and for prostitutes to have a place to stand on.




=============================================


"Let's go eat here."

Nolla was directing Reez to a worn-down two-floor building stuck in a corner between two alleys. The two were just off downtown, next to Northern Park. The girl wanted to celebrate the end of her first day as a Unionized Mercenary.

They had already drunk two bottles of Raw-10 each as an appetizer, so by the time they stumbled into the alleyways, nothing could have possibly ruined their newfound happiness.

Neon signs of all colors displayed restaurants and bars of all kinds, from worn-down watering holes to diamonds in the rough. The police always kept a few agents there, as the fanciest men walked right next to the most unscrupulous thieves.

The building Nolla had pointed was the largest restaurant as seen from the outside. Squeezed in its little hole, flanked on all sides by skyscrapers, it stood out, a rebel that refused to leave.

If it had stuck around that long, the food had to be good.

Above the door was a sign: "The House of God".

The doorman waved them through. A barely clad waiter welcomed them with a smile and led them to a half-moon table. Reez took a look around: the restaurant had no square tables to speak of. Instead were six alleys with half-moon and round tables on each side, with a small dance floor in the middle. The employees all looked like top models, and he caught himself looking more than once at a delicious, swaying piece of ass.

Nolla also had her sights elsewhere. The House of God didn't discriminate; the men who worked there had bodies to die for.

At the other tables was a wild variety of people: rich boys trying out something new, college friends looking for a good time, a married man saying goodbye to his bachelor life, old perverts and other shady characters. There was even a surprising amount of mutants. Most had nothing but odd eye or skin colors, but a particular waitress struck Reez's interest: protruding from her shoulder blades was a large pair of hook-shaped appendages, like featherless wings.

A waiter came to their table, a pair of menus in hand. He was the most dressed one of all.

"Good evening sir, ma'am. My name is Jasen, is this your first time at the House of God?"

Both nodded.

"Good, good! Well, then the staff would like to offer you each a drink of your choice as a token of welcome to our establishment. What will it be?"

"Raw-10!" both exclaimed.

"Good choice." Jasen took out a pad and wrote down the order. "Is there anything else you would like? Maybe one of our special services?"

Nolla shook her head. "No, thank you. We'll stick to just eating and drinking for tonight."

Jasen smiled. "All right! Then I'll be your waiter for tonight. Here are your menus, and please remember: 'never conduct business in the House of God'."

Nolla pondered the rule while Reez glanced at the menu's contents. Aside from meats and vegetables and other fancy dishes, the restaurant also offered some special meals that weren't necessarily destined to end up on a dinner plate. Among them was Alia the Tentacle Angel, whom Reez had seen a moment ago during his glance around the room.

"Hey Reez. Don't look now, but look to your right."

Reez stared at the spot immediately. "Where? What?"

"Not there! The other table, over there, with the three androids!"

"Okay, what about it?"

"Look at the guy with the red jacket."

Nolla was pointing at a bearded and round-bellied man, who was happily conversing with five other people at his table.

Reez hesitated.

"...Doesn't ring a bell."

"You idiot, that guy's Wisco 'Danger' Robastan, the suspected head of the Chips. Reez, we're eating inside a black market meeting place!"

[KodiaX987]

4 : Updhate





"Hey Reez. How's it feeling?"

"Ho hum... Been playing video games all day." Reez put his controller aside and grabbed the phone off his shoulder.

"Oh," Nolla replied, "I have a few documents about your jobs for archiving. I could go and drop them off at your place."

"What?... Oh, no, no, my place looks like shit! How about I go to yours instead?"

"Uh, can't do that; there's tons of stuff in the sink and my bed isn't done and my panties are lying everywhere."

"Not like I haven't seem 'em already."

"Whatever! I bet my place looks shittier than your place."

Reez grinned. "If only you knew." He put the phone in front of him and aimed it at his living room. With a click, the embedded camera had taken a shot of the empty bottles, the chip bags, the papers and everything else that made his living room the hardest area to safely navigate.

Nolla didn't say anything for a moment. "...You have me beaten."

Reez chuckled. "Are the documents really important?"

"No. As I've said, they're only for filing away. Stick 'em in your binder as usual."

"Oh, if that's the case... I'd rather stay here and keep playing. I'll just get them next time I bump into you or something."

"All right. Well, I just wanted to check up on you, see how you were faring.

"The video games keep my mind busy."

"Okay then. Talk to you later!"

But, not a second after Reez had put the phone down that it rang again.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Reez Lokk?"

"Speaking...?"

"I'm Mr. Karl from the Department of Technology. I've got a job of high importance available and am looking for someone loyal and dependable to handle a delicate situation."

"Wait, wait a minute - who referenced you?"

"Reference? Mr. Kod Naïnsev himself. He's told me a lot about you."



=============================================


Kod had received an invitation from the Department of Technology. They had scheduled his off day to show him whatever new contraption they had made up. He knew beforehand the Department liked to offer new toys to the UM on the grounds of "concept technology" and "a taste of the future" to hide the fact that they were just field testing and the Mercenaries were the guinea pigs.

He arrived at the garage to see the Department's representative: a peculiar black-haired, black-suited man with a pair of opaque sunglasses and a grin constantly plastered on his face.

"Ah-ha! Mr. Naïnsev, my friend! How are ya today?" The man grabbed his hand and gave it an energetic shake. "Mr. Karl from the Department of Technology. We've got a little something you might be interested in!"

Karl was talking about a vehicle hidden under a cloak.

"OK boys, show him! Pull towards the front, please!"

The revealed vehicle was a tank of an SUV: A blocky, armored monstrosity with a spiked bumper and wheels large enough to crush a compact with little effort.

"Presenting, the Castek Hunter M!" Karl announced. "We took their urban-oriented car and made a version specifically for the military and law enforcement. The Class M is wider, longer, more rigid, and has armor plating wherever we found space to stuff it. The engine's powerful enough to let you streetrace any hotrod in the city, and we've added a Boostfuel component to improve on the speed factor even more. We felt this represented the armed corps well enough: strong, swift and dependable."

Curious, Kod opened the door and sat behind the wheel. The interior was nothing but luxury. The seats were covered with smooth leather of a light beige color. The extra switches and components seemed like they were no add-ons but rather part of the stock package, flawlessly integrated into the console and dashboard. Faithful to the automaker's tradition, the steering wheel sported a silver A inscribed within a C - Castek's logo - and taking up at least half the available surface.

The Mercenary whistled. "How much does that baby cost?"

"This one? Nothin'. It's property of the UM as a whole, and they're offerin' it to you as your work vehicle. The guys upstairs told me a lot about you. They think you have the potential to be a good figure in the eye of the citizens. Ya know, some famous lady calls you up and asks for a bodyguard durin' her stay, and you get there in that huge truck with your full uniform and armed to the teeth and you say, 'we got ya covered ma'am!' Do you realize just how... awesome she might find it?"

"Well..." Kod repressed a smile.

Karl laughed. "I'm glad you agree! And besides, nothing stops you from just taking off with it. After all, that truck was assigned to you. What did you use to ride in?"

"Oh, I live at walking distance. Otherwise, I have a friend who--"

"What's your friend drive?"

"Lancila Rabbit."

"Rabbit? You said a Rabbit?" Karl threw his arms up. "Holy sacrament, the loudest sergeant son of a bitch in the UM is riding in a friend's Lancila Rabbit! How d'you get yerself in that thing? You're what, seven feet tall?"

"Seven two."

"Seven two! Well, I don't know what you think, but I know for sure that if your friend there gets her little Rabbit knocked up, there won't be much left of you after we pull the pieces apart. The airbag alone would punch you in the balls! You don't want that, do you?!"

Kod chuckled.

"Well!" Karl continued. "If you accept, that truck's yours for as long as you're an active member of the UM. And if you take good care of it, we might update ya with newer models as they come along. You'd be surprised at how many inventions the Department comes up with in a day!"

"What about those that make it past the drawing boards?"

"Oh, good one! I like ya, Kod. You've got a head on your shoulders and you don't let just anybody step on ya."

Kod was busy examining the truck's equipment again. "But just how the hell are you gonna convince the army to use that truck? Last time I saw 'em, they were driving on seats made out of bags of foam and refused outright to pay for anything better."

"Don't sweat it. That one's a special edition. Our first, our number one! The others will be a lot more rugged and specialized for desert operation. What you're drivin' here is urban stuff made for urban situations, and for pickin' up some urban girls! You know, the sophisticated kind! Here's the key. Make 'er roar!"

The engine came alive with a thunderous sound.

"Holy shit, how many cylinders are in that thing?"

"What?!"

"How many cylinders?" Kod yelled atop the noise.

"It's a V-12! Why?"

Kod turned the engine off. "Let's try that again..."

Karl chuckled. "So, as I was saying... It's a V-12, made by Specialty CC. It's got more horsepower than torque so don't try to pull a load with it. So? Is this a good truck, or is this a good truck? Waddya say, my friend?"

Kod nodded. "It's a pretty damn sweet truck all right."

"Awesome!" Karl slapped the keys into Kod's hand. "Enjoy your pimp ride, Mr. Naïnsev. Give your fellow Mercenaries a little ride tonight. Who's under your supervision? Maybe I know a few of them already!"

"Uh, well!... There's Fil Mateo, Reez Lokk, Nolla Lephon, Yowa Kaidach and Drekan Riverst. Small but dedicated."

"Five plus you, that makes six. You pull the third row up and you've got a party!" Karl shook Kod's hand. "If you ever need anything, you just call me up at the Department. If it hasn't been made yet, we'll invent it!"

Kod laughed. "So that truck's part of your sales pitch?"

"Somewhat. I only got one of these though. The rest of 'em will get free kitchen knives!"



=============================================


Karl... Karl... Reez could faintly remember the man... Dark, strange and wild.

Oh yes, the one with the leather gloves! That's what had struck Reez the first time around: Karl always wore a pair of black leather gloves.

"Hmm... Yeah, okay," he answered into the phone. "Okay, mister... Karl. You know I'm on a leave right now?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know that. Doesn't stop a Mercenary from jumping right back in, does it? Besides, those guys keep sayin' they're gonna go take a week-long vacation and then they come back two days later 'cause they burned all their cash buyin' drinks and playin' cards!"

"Well, yeah, some of 'em do..."

"Don't go tellin' me you're rich, now!"

"No, I'm not. But I ain't poor either. Anyway, what's the damn job? Doesn't cost anything to know..."

"Right, yeah, the job! It's a hunt request. You're to go in the desert due west, following Highway 13. You will explore Old Bunker #45 and take note of anything unusual."

Reez sighed. "And what's delicate about this?"

"Hold on, I was coming right to it! You'll be looking for any organic stuff or related to medicine: vials, syringes, blood, and instruments. If you find any leads, you are to follow them until you get to the end of each."

"So... I must go to some place, look for something and if I realize they left a trail of peanuts behind, I follow until I bump into someone?" Reez made a face. "Are you really serious about this?"

"I'm dead serious. And you're not just going to any place, my friend... You are going to explore the lair of Shrike Naïnsev."



http://nanowrimo2.shurikane.com/shk-01.jpg


"Wait a minute. I'm trying to forget somebody's death at her hands here, and you want me to jump right back in there? Are you out of your fucking mind?!"

"Reez, what's better? Forgetting your friend ever died, or doing everything you can to make it so it doesn't happen again?"

He stayed silent...

"You're not thinkin' straight." Mr. Karl continued. "Your folks at the Union aren't thinkin' straight! Sittin' around and playin' video games ain't the way to solve a problem! Don't you have a thirst for revenge? If you met another 'droid like her, would you kick its ass?"

Reez sighed again. "What gives? She was there in front of the Governor with her five friends and they're all gone for good, what more can you expect?"

"Oh, but Shrike didn't die. She disappeared."

"Disappeared from the top of a building, whatever! Everyone knows she's got to be dead."

"Nobody saw her."

"The police found pieces."

"I could find drops of blood belonging to you. Should I assume you're dead? Besides, would Shrike be so stupid as to risk her entire company right into a hornets nest of police and armed forces? No. She wasn't desperate enough to do that. She did nothing but a risky operation that went wrong. She wanted to spread an ideal, my friend. That means she left at least some sort of offspring or replacement to pick up where she left off in case she didn't return. Don't tell me this ain't logical."

"It's logical, it's logical..."

"Awesome! Then we're on the same page, you and I. Get going at your leisure but don't take too long. Cobwebs contaminate the evidence!"

Click.

[Sord]

nice, practically cyberpunk in a way. Wouldn't mind seeing some political undertones, hardly enough nowadays. Maybe that's why I'v taken to reading Phillip K. Dick, an old (and dead,)cyberpunk writer whom I believed lived sometime around the Cold War. It looks like the story is going to finally start picking up, I'll be waiting to read it.

[KodiaX987]

5 : Investighate





Despite Reez's numerous precautions, Old Bunker #45 was empty of life.

His idea of bringing binoculars had only shown his paranoia about the job. There were not even footsteps in the sand outside the entrance.

That bunker had been a good hiding place. The wind was constantly blowing, easily masking the movements of its inhabitants as the traces vanished in just a few minutes. Highway 13 was quite a few miles off to the south, and the location was straight in the middle of a no-man's land between the outermost walls of New Colombus and the bulk of the Reli horde.

Various boxes lay around the installations, most of them empty and covered by tarpaulins. The only notable item was a broken energy turret, the cannon sliced clean off.

The door was unlocked. Or more precisely, the lock was broken...

There was no power inside. For a moment, Reez felt like the victim of a horror movie as he slowly discovered the items lying around haphazardly in the room. A dozen rifles and swords of different types had been placed on the wall near the entrance corridor. The next five walls of the octagonal room had a doorway each, only the second and fourth of them being unlocked and leading to crude bedrooms. Placed against the seventh wall, just to his left, was a table with a laptop computer and a few boxes piled up on and under it.

He opened one of the boxes. Syringes, just as Mr. Karl had described...

More were stored in the other boxes. The ones under the table led to a more gruesome discovery: large, putrid pieces of flesh bathing in blood so dark it was almost black. Only Reli monsters had blood this dark.

"That means there has to be vials somewhere..." he whispered to himself. Examination of the entrance led him to a larger box he hadn't seen on his way in: a freezer. He opened it up and retrieved a few vials. They were still cold.

He gave the discovery some thought. Karl called him up right after lunch. Reez arrived a half-hour later at the bunker. The freezer was cold, but barely, warmer than a fridge for sure. That meant whatever element had cut the power to the bunker had done it somewhere at the end of the night or early morning.

"At least we're getting somewhere..."

He got out of the bunker, turned his cellphone on, and called.

"Mr. Karl, Reez Lokk here."

"Ah yes! What can I do for you?"

"I'm at the bunker. I found pretty much whatever you were talking about. The power's been cut sometime during the night so I don't know if the vials I found in the freezer are gonna be okay."

"You got an icebox?"

"No."

"Then stick 'em back in the freezer! Coldest place you'll find for now."

"All right... and when will the army or whatever come by and get the results of my little investigation."

"There's no army, my friend."

"No army? Then who the hell found that bunker?!"

Karl chuckled. "We did. The Department of Technology!"

"You do the army's searching job now?"

"Not really. Unlike them, we know how to operate detection equipment. Actually, we had a bit of luck. Shrike gave herself away with her illegal wireless communication equipment. Thanks to her android telepathy, as she called it, we managed to get a flash of a transmission last night during a calling test for some new headsets of ours, just as she was headin' into town to do her business. All we had to do then was pinpoint the places close to Highway 13. Easy does it, Reez! We kinda got her home a bit too late for comfort but it's still a pretty damn good step forward, right?"

"Right."

"Awesome! Now find a way to get the power back to that old thin' before the stuff in the vials jumps outta there and eats ya! Buy a generator if you need to; I'll cover the costs. Check ya 'round!"

Click, once again.

Reez sighed. He didn't want to get back inside that creepy place. He had been used to full-on street combat and wasn't about to change his habits... Just to make sure, he checked his pistol and energy frame to confirm they were in top working order. At least if someone got the drop on him, he'd get to sustain a hit or two before having to worry...

The bunker seemed even scarier than before.

He had his pistol pointed straight in front of him. Three doors, all of them hiding a potential danger. If he made too much sound, whoever might have been hiding was sure to catch him by surprise if he chose the wrong one.

How was a standard bunker made again? That one was a full-under, no windows, how were they arranged, how the hell were they arranged?...

The door to the right was closest to the entrance.

He took out his energy saber, jammed it into the lock and kicked the door open. Nobody.

He turned around. Nobody.

Quickly, he went to the left door, tore down the lock and kicked it open. Big room, nobody at first glance.

One door left. With all the noise he had made, no one had come out. If someone was hiding, that someone was definitely behind that last door. And if that someone hadn't tried to have a go at Reez yet, it meant that someone didn't consider himself up to match.

Reez felt more confident. With a steadier hand, he cut up the lock and busted the last door open.

Another bedroom.

And nobody.

Suddenly, a sickening odor reached his nostrils. As he ran the beam of his flashlight around the bedroom again, he saw a bucket behind the bed, full of a mixture of oil, blood and vomit. The stuff was even splattered on the walls and floor, where it seeped into a drain at the center of the room. The hole didn't gurgle. It was blocked.

Reez followed one of the trails. He realized he had both feet right on it. He turned around. The trail went to the first door he had opened.

That room was a tiny water room, barely enough for one person to fit inside. There were shelves on both sides, full of dusty boxes.

The sink was overflowing with the horrid mixture. Splashes of it had dried up on the mirror, the counter and the floor.

Reez turned around and puked. The smell made him feel even more ill. He bolted right outside.

No one inside to fight... but stupidly beaten by his own stomach.

He took a few moments to catch his breath and wipe his mouth. He knew that if he wanted to do a good job, he'd have to get back in there and retrieve some of the stuff. Preferably from the bucket or the sink, where it hadn't caked.

He blocked his nose and got back inside, this time to look for the power switch.

It was in the room to the left. He pulled the master switch into position.

*SNAP!*

A flash, and nothing. The breaker had tripped.

He reset the breaker. Another flash, and it went back to the off position.

Something had to be disrupting the electric flow and making the power box's computer go nuts about it...

Reez went to the laptop first, to check on the state of its power supply.

He made two discoveries.

First, it wasn't a laptop. It was an ultra lightweight desktop computer reserved to the military, with the power cord directly relaying it to the plug without going through an external power supply. Second, it wasn't black, but gray in color. The black was caused by a splatter of mixture right on top of it.

He disconnected the cable and went back to the power box. This time, it worked.

The light switches had been left in the on position in the central room and the splattered bedroom. Reez went ahead and turned all the lights on wherever he could find them.

The room with the power box contained a few more empty boxes, and some crates labeled "Radar". The central room had a pivoting command chair right under the lightbulb, and further investigation revealed the bedroom to be old computer rooms; there was a clear line between light and dark shades on the wall, along with some high-power wall sockets and scrapings that hinted the machines had been fixed to the walls for some time.

Now for the bloody oil. A syringe would do the job. He took one out, pulled the thick mixture inside it and stored it into his coat pocket.

The light above the command chair flickered. He reached up to tighten it. It burst apart in his hand.

The bulb in the splattered bedroom followed in a flash. Then the power room. And then the water room. And both other bedrooms. Reez was back in complete darkness, and he couldn't see a thing.

His body felt chilly all of a sudden. His chest hurt, like his shirt had come alive and was trying to crush him. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead in mere seconds. He felt shaky all over again. He could've sworn he had heard a raspy breath right next to him, too close for comfort.

He bolted again. He ran headfirst into a wall. Something shattered on the floor. As he turned around, he bumped into another wall. A crack next to his heart. He had broken a bone! The light, it came from right next to him. He was at the entrance. He rushed out.

Everything vanished. The air was hot and calm. His body felt dry. Light was welcoming him from everywhere. His car was waiting just close by.

He looked at the entrance of the bunker and thought he was looking inside a black hole. The doorway swallowed light as soon as it entered. He threw a small stone inside. Not even sound would come out.

He started the car, and backed up on top of a hill. There, he took a break.

The syringe in his pocket had shattered, coating part of his coat with the smelly mixture. The only items of interest he had left were the few vials he had forgotten to bring back into the freezer. It was better than nothing.

He started the car and headed north.



=============================================


Reez looked left and right from time to time, hoping to find clues that would lead to anything else, along with giving him an excuse to stay outside. He figured whoever could have been left from Shrike's team would stick away from both humans and Relis, which meant the possible area started at the bunker, and went northwards in a circle around New Colombus until he hit Snow Coast Road next to the shore.

There was a dark form in the distance. He stepped on the accelerator.

The thing turned out to be a Reli creature, half-dead from several slices and stabs. Reez could barely recognize what the monster would have originally looked like. Perhaps a Hacksaw or a Blademaster. It didn't even have the strength to try to kill him, though one of its arms twitched from time to time. There was dark blood all over the creature's hard black skin, and he could smell the stench of the foul mixture from before...

He had left his coat in the car's trunk. The smell was definitely coming from the monster.

He aimed his pistol and shot the creature dead.

He was definitely on the right track...

Just a few miles later, he came across a small pool of oil in the sand. For some reason, it wasn't seeping into the ground.

That oil spelled good, relatively speaking. Breez dipped a finger in the liquid. It was good oil. Used, but good.

As he looked down a second time, the pool had just vanished beneath the sand...

He took out his cellphone, hesitated, then gave up on the idea. It was of no use reporting to Mr. Karl unless he had completely finished his trip out of town.

His next stop led him to Old Bunker #21. It was essentially an armored medium turret made to look like an oasis. There was no bunker to speak of unless one counted the minuscule soldier's quarters, which looked like they had been made for just half a man.

Suddenly, he heard shuffling from among the plants. With his pistol aimed straight at them, he yelled "Out!"

More shuffling. He backed up.

"I said get out!"

Then, out of the foliage, a humanoid figure stood up. It must have measured something like four feet in height, thin and largely undefined in curves. A little girl.

Her skin was definitely black. It could be a Reli monster. Reez kept his weapon pointed.

The thing came into full view... It turned out to be an android. A child android. Reez slackened his pose.

"Who's your owner?" He asked.

"No one, sir."

"You're a free droid?"

"Yes."

"Your name?"

"Sierra."

He reached for his cellphone again.

"I need a CO... Thanks. Hello? This is Reez, number forty-five twenty-two. I need a match on a black and blue kid droid named Sierra... Okay, what about the physical description?... All right, thanks."

No results in the UM database. He phoned Karl.

"Hi Mr.Karl--"

"Yeah, Reez, got news?"

"Sort of. I'll leave the details for later - right now, I've got a question. I have an android in front of me called Sierra, a child model, black and blue, no records in the UM database. Is that part of the objective?"

"Hmmm... We were expecting something much more potent, honestly. But if it's a kid, it's a kid. Who knows, some of 'em are programmed to act like adults. Let us have a look at it, all right?"

"Thanks. I'm on my way back then."

"Awesome! Try to get here before dinnertime!"

Click.

If he says awesome during a phone call, that means he's hanging up, Reez thought. Good to remember...

"Okay kid, turn around, get on the ground, hands on your head."

She did so. With a flick of the handcuffs around her wrists, Reez had secured his objective.



=============================================


"So, where do you come from?"

"...I don't know."

Reez raised an eyebrow. "Do you recognize where we are?"

"Oh, yes... Highway 13, eastbound. And that's New Colombus."

"Correct, good, good... And you have no background, no story whatsoever, not even a last name?"

"I have a last name!" She blurted out. "It's Ilica."

"Okay... And what's the story on the Ilica family? You know a few?"

"No. I made it up. It seemed like the right thing to do. Everything has a family name, except pets."

"That's some logic."

"I'm not a pet!"

"Then what are you?"

He was secretly hoping that'd shut her up for a while and put an end to a conversation that didn't do much more than hint at the android's apparent mental trouble...

"A girl!... Well, a girl droid. No difference." she replied right away. "You, what are you?"

"A human."

Silence! The little kid didn't feel like following up to that one.

He took a ramp off Highway 13 and followed Corus Boulevard north until he arrived at the Department: an imposing V-shaped skyscraper of maximum legal height.

Mr. Karl was already waiting with a wide grin on his face.



=============================================


"Step into my office, boy and girl! This way, this way. Have a seat!"

Karl sat at his desk and rubbed his hands vigorously in anticipation.

"Hey, she's a pretty sweet lil' girl!" he exclaimed after glancing at Sierra. "What's yer name, cutie?"

"Uh..."

Reez filled in for the android's uneasiness. "I had a talk with her on the way back. Her name is Sierra Ilica. She has a working knowledge of at least New Colombus - actually, she knows as much as any average adult would know, I assume. She could be a bit troubled, though."

Karl chuckled. "I expected as much! Not like the rest of 'em were pretty sane to begin with."

"Anyway, if you could let me finish my report."

"Oh yeah, okay!" Karl leaned back on his chair and nonchalantly waved Reez to continue. "Report, report."

"The bunker was in a relatively undisturbed condition. I brought back some vials - here they are. All the syringes I found appeared unused. I also stumbled on a really weird mixture... I took a sample but the contents broke out in my coat pocket. I don't know if you're interested in the scrapings-"

"We are!"

"-but my coat's over there if you need it. Could use a shot of cleaner too, 'cause the stuff smells like shit."

"Good, good!" Karl grinned once more. "We'll take a look at the vials' contents and whatever we can rub off your coat. We'll pay for the cleaning too. The cash should be available at the UM tomorrow morning. Oh, kid, stand up and come with me please."

The android didn't budge. Karl ended up pulling her out of her seat, and led her to a door at the back of his office. He pushed her inside and peeked his head through.

"Sierra Ilica, gimme a check with partial battery, please?" he said before closing the door.

Reez crossed his arms.

"So now that the job's done... I got your vials, I explored the bunker, I got the shit scared out of me - can I at least know the link between Shrike, the vials, and the droid I found?"

"Hmmm... Yeah, why not! Get yerself comfortable, it's a long story."



=============================================


"The police knew Shrike Naïnsev beforehand as a suspected black market dealer. A few people had seen her with a group and raidin' army installations in the desert, but nothing so certain as to build a case against her or the group she was in. The main problem lay in the fact that those who bought black market stuff were mostly United Mercenaries who wanted better weapons without breaking their wallet. So they kept their mouths shut about the whole thing. The only one to be pissed about it was the army, 'cause they kept losing cash over stolen weapons.

"Then, there was an accident. The group deployed a teleportation array from inside a warehouse after they were attacked by Reli creatures during their expedition. Shrike was the last to run for it, but one of the monsters caught up with her, tackled her 'gainst the wall and stepped on the switch. The teleportation array was never meant to correctly identify a Reli creature, so the computer got tons of crazy signals, malfunctioned and tried to teleport as best as it could, which meant with the same ability as someone trying to draw a picture blindfolded. The process crashed midway, part of Shrike got sent to its destination and the rest stayed there. Whatever Reli flesh she hung to bonded with her body. As a result, she found herself with the hands of a Blademaster and a badly damaged computer component. Most of her innards were stuck in flesh.

"That's the reason why the police and the army demanded a hunt in the first place: they had an android somewhere in the city with knives for fingers, and they didn't have a clue of her mental state. But, they had a legal reason to get her now: she had killed the three technicians tryin' to repair her, and had coaxed another 'droid to murder her owner. As if that wasn't enough, she realized she could interface with the Reli at a cellular level. In other words, she could take control of a piece of Reli flesh and instruct it to grow into a being accordin' to her own specifications. She used that ability to turn other androids into hybrids just like she was.

"We knew of six androids total: they had all been witnessed fighting the police or the Unionized Mercenaries. Aside from Shrike, they were identified as Elise, Kay, Kestra, Watles and Asial.

"The way Shrike was believed to work was this: she'd inject a mix of Reli blood and cells inside another android, then hack into the computer, and send an instruction to the cells to reproduce until they reached the desired form. Later on, she managed to develop a procedure of dormant cells, which would start growing as soon as they felt an electric signal, thereby ridding Shrike of the hassle of connecting to another android to do the job.

"That was your first objective, Reez: get samples back so we could get a better idea of the way she worked. Our tests are gonna confirm our hypothesizes, I'm sure.

"Your second objective was to find any remainder of Shrike's group, since we believed there may be at least one android left as a backup. You found this chick just outta nowhere and suspiciously close to the bunker. I dunno about you, but that rings bells in my head! Until further order, we're to assume she's the 'next in line', so to say, in Shrike's hierarchy, and knows everything the group knew.

"Until then, Reez, you're gonna be treatin' her like a loaded gun pointed straight at ya!"



=============================================


The door behind Mr. Karl opened. Sierra came out, looking uneasy.

"No record, created with name Sierra Ilica," a voice said from inside the room. "Android type I slash N, number seven, blood type R, code D."

"Thanks!" Karl replied. "Do a TSC procedure on the entry and forward it. Keep your report fresh. Append a note: preliminary negative. Check?"

"Check. Be seeing you, sir."

The door slammed shut. Karl turned to face Reez again.

"Well, it seems at first glance she ain't what we're lookin' for. But, she might be interesting in another way I'll talk about when it's relevant. 'Till then your new objective is to find her a place to stay. Can ya do that?"

Reez raised an eyebrow. "You told me to treat--"

"Bullshit, canceled. I didn't know any better when I said that. Turned out I was bein' paranoid. So, you in or I'm gonna have to waste my afternoon briefin' someone else?"

"I'm in, I'm in..."

"Awesome! See, Reez, ya need a little pushin' around, but you're pretty damn good when you're motivated. You're just the way Kod had described you."



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: KodiaX987 on 2006-11-10 03:05 ]</font>

[Sord]

heh, the old stories are all coming back to me now. I definitly just forgot the title, Sierra was the word that triggered my memory, no surprise there.

also, you have a spelling error

"He could've sword he had heard a raspy breath right next to him, too close for comfort."

obviously "sword" needs to be "sworn". I would be really surprised if you didn't know, but in case you forgot just do "Edit > Find on this page" in your internet browser drop down menu and search for "sword." should be the third one unless you add the word somewhere else.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Sord on 2006-11-09 20:26 ]</font>

[KodiaX987]

6 : Translhate





Kod was waiting in a dark alley.

His SUV was at idle.

"Attention vehicles," the Comms Officer announced on the frequency, "police counts five minutes until free help."

"Five minutes!" Kod thought aloud. "They sure don't like us tonight..."

He had three passengers, all androids: Hornet, a white and yellow melee and catch specialist; riding at the back were Nighthawk and White Joliet, identical rangers of a soft white color with blue trim. Each sported an automatic long-barreled rifle.

The police had put up a UM invitation to join into a pursuit that had been lasting for a half-hour with little development. They had tried to apprehend a suspect who supposedly belonged to the New Drags black market gang. The guy ended up bolting away. Police identified an orange, street race upgraded Kasieri Super Canin V. The United Mercenaries had five minutes left before the police would legally allow them to join into the pursuit, as long as new chasers stayed on the police frequency.

"Nighthawk, White Joliet, put yourselves in common mode. You will be referred to as Joliet until further order."

Both androids acknowledged and announced their standby for the next orders.

Kod looked to his left, at the intersection.

"...An engine noise..."

An orange coupé suddenly screeched around the corner, almost wrecking two vehicles in the process. Kod stepped on the gas.

"This is Bastard, I'm movin' in."

"Negative, Bastard." the police answered on its own frequency, "You do not have authorization to engage pursuit yet."

"He's blowing right past me, engaging pursuit. You got a roadblock setup?"

No answer...

"Negative," the UM Comms Officer said on the UM's own frequency. "Target is too erratic to calculate a stable area of operations."

"I'll catch him by force then. Hornet, keep an eye out for traffic. Joliet, shoot the engine once we make contact. Hornet, what's my coefficient?"

"Stock compared, one point twelve. Current compared, zero point seventy-four."

That meant Kod may be as much as twenty-six percent slower than the suspect...

"Add my boostfuel," he said, "how much now?"

"Zero point ninety-eight."

"Good enough!"

He engaged the boostfuel drive. The back of the truck went up in flames coming out of the exhausts. The Canin's driver didn't see it coming; Kod slammed his spiked bumper straight into his mark.

The Canin tried to wiggle out of its spot. Kod pulled a lever, tilting his bumper upwards in an attempt to hook the suspect and hopefully make the rear wheels leave the ground. The truck's center console displayed pressure applied to each tire, informing him of the grip he had on the road.

The two androids peeked out of the moon roof and shot a salvo at the car's engine. The bolts ricocheted off the hood's surface.

A sudden shock, and then a roar. The Canin had freed itself from the spikes and had sped away.

"Shit! Boostfuel!"

The Canin started weaving through heavier traffic, forcing Kod to relax his pace to negotiate the obstacles. He looked in his rear view mirror. The police was trying to catch up but had problems with traffic as well.

The cops' frequency was going frantic.

"Mercenary still in illegal pursuit. Dispatch, you got a roadblock set up yet?"

"Negative, ninety-eight. Still waiting on suspect's predictability."

"We're losing ground here, any way we can get a chopper on him?"

"That's a negative, chopper is unavailable right now."

"He's made contact! He's made contact!"

"Check, check."

"Contact's over, suspect vehicle is slightly damaged."

"Suspect is in a panic, we have evidence of nitro or boostfuel on his vehicle, please approach cautiously."

The Canin eventually reached an onramp and took it to the elevated highways. Little did he know Kod's truck had been tuned to make these its personal playground.

He quickly gained speed and stayed on the tail on his target. With much fewer options than before, the pursuit turned into something more like a highway battle, with the leader trying feints to lead his opponent off-course and embark on a ramp.

Kod kept his distance, applying boostfuel when necessary.

The suspect drove almost too close for comfort to a split in the road, taking a right. The damaged rear bumper had troubled the aerodynamics of the finely tuned car. It kept wobbling as it reached higher speeds. Eventually, the driver relaxed the pedal a little, allowing Kod to steadily catch up and apply pressure.

Things got complicated when the two entered a section under development.

Suddenly, the Canin took a hard right into a service road.

Kod applied the brakes at the last minute. The SUV was too wide to fit in.

"It's one way," Hornet suddenly declared, "down ten feet and behind you. Turn around!"

He spun the vehicle around, turned the boostfuel on and raced for it.

"Keep going straight and jump the turn," Hornet continued, "you should land almost on top of him if he's going as fast as I'm expecting."

There it was. A short straightaway, followed by a turn to the left.

"Joliet! Destroy the wall!"

The two androids shot the unfinished wall, blowing it to pieces right before the SUV made its jump.

His speed was so quick that he only slightly tipped down as he fell...

...and landed right on top of the Canin's rear bumper.

The spikes hooked themselves solidly into the frame. As the truck landed its rear wheels, it lifted the canin's entire body off the ground.

The driver tried activating his boostfuel again, the furious rumble sending both vehicles into a shock. Kod completely lost control, his SUV beginning a dangerous fishtail, much too close to the edge of the unfinished road.

"Shit!"

By the time he stopped, he had one wheel sitting on nothing.

Carefully, he put himself back onto solid ground.

Hornet had already left the vehicle and pointed a gun at the suspect the moment he tried getting out of his car. The cops soon followed, ending the chase for good.

"Joliet, switch out of common mode."

He heard a groan...

"Nighthawk, are you all right?"

"I hate common mode." the android complained. "It hurts."

"Strange... And you White Joliet?"

"Everything went number one, sir." the other android replied.

Kod grabbed his comm.

"CO, I'm coming back, the chase is over and I'm laying claim on the suspect."

"That's confirmed, Bastard. I got a record of the police's conversations. They're fuming. Say you got in there too early for their convenience."

"I wasn't too quick; they were too slow. They can stick their timing up their asses as far as I'm concerned."

The Comms Officer chuckled. "I'll deliver the message. Good night!"



=============================================


"You know you did something wrong here, right?" one of the division leads scolded. Kod shrugged and leaned back on his chair.

"I wasn't gonna sit on my ass all day, you know. Besides, he was blowing right past me. What better way to end a chase than by starting it as soon as possible..."

"Well, because of you, we've got the cops on our asses and telling us we're steppin' over their turf," a second lead intervened. "Do I need to remind you - again - that you are a division lead like the rest of us, and we have a say in what each other does? Now the whole damn thing's gonna make the news tomorrow mornin'!"

Kod laughed. "No shit! The UM knows how to do its work better than the cops do. Those guys are just a bunch of office workers who go 'round a block six or seven times to make people believe they're patrolling. I think last time one of 'em fired a gun was back during Nova testing in '98 'cause they thought these things were UFOs. How the hell am I supposed to take 'em seriously?"

"You do, and you don't ask question. That's how," said the first lead. "We've talked about your actions quite a lot lately. You need a reality check."

"When I see food in front of me, I pounce." Kod shrugged again. "If I was a resident yes-man like the rest of you guys, I'd be under the floor as far as the hierarchy chat's concerned."

"Would've been better that way."

Mutters of approval from the other leads.

Kod stood up and opened his arms.

"All right then. Those of you who think I'm on the wrong side of the law for doing my job here, raise your hand."

Seven out of ten did, just as Kod was reaching into his pocket.

"I veto that." he announced before slamming something on the table.

It was a golden UM badge, put on marble red and black background.

"I've been promoted to Section Lead of New Colombus for my efforts, plus given a nifty sum of cash. You're now under my orders and I expect them to be followed promptly and efficiently. See the example, follow the example." He took the badge and placed it on his uniform sleeve. "See y'all in a hundred years, suckers."

The room erupted in wild talks. Despite closing the door behind him, he could still hear the other men arguing among each other.

Five minutes later, he had reserved a table at a reputed restaurant on Prisma Street, a practice that would become his habit in the time to come. He left himself some time to go back home and have a shower, and on the way back, called up his teammates to invite them to celebrate along with him. Following that, he'd take it easy for, say... two or three days.





The room was much more luxurious than what Kod had ever seen before. The Sergeants used to gather up on cloth chairs around peeling melamine tables. The Division Leads had a room with a rectangular falsewood table and desk chairs. The Section Leads was the next step up: a dark hardwood table, gold-plated pens, a constant supply of paper, readily available computers and projectors, and ten immense brown leather chairs.

A slightly old, bearded man welcomed him. "Good afternoon, Mr. Naïnsev! Before you sit down, I'd like to inform you of your options at this point of your career. First, you have the opportunity to join the army under the title of Major, with no prior boot camp training or refreshment training. You may also, if you wish, run for the position of Advisor of Defense, the elections for which are due in about three months. Lastly, you can retain your title of Section Lead of New Colombus and join us at the table."

"I'll go for Section Lead." Kod said without any deliberation.

"Great! Have a seat; pick whichever one is free. You're in good hands with us here. I know the Division Leads made a scene about you two days ago but we know better. We appreciate your sense of initiative and your devotion to the Unionized Mercenaries. You're someone who takes pleasure in seeing the profession flourish."

Kod sat down. "Hmm-hmm. So for me to be here, I suppose there had to be someone to free the spot?"

The bearded man nodded. "Naturally. Happens when the Section Lead gets promoted, or when he becomes unable to accomplish his duty. In that case, the previous Section Lead suffered grave injuries to his legs and his lungs in an accident. He's alive and lucid but no longer able to serve the board. Therefore, he's recommended you take his place."

"He knew me?"

"No. He just went through the Division Lead files and selected whichever person he felt was the most appropriate."

"Hmm-hmm!"

The bearded man smiled. "Well, on to presentation. I'm Mr. Nathas Rosser, Capital Section Lead for the UM of Arimast. Going clockwise, there's Mr. Youn, Advisor of Finance; Mrs. Pero, Advisor of Environment; Mrs. Best, Advisor of Transportation; Mr. Gathi, Advisor of Public Relations; Mr. Karl, Advisor of Technology and PR officer for the Department of Technology; you, as the Section Lead of New Colombus; Mr. Rudder, Advisor of Military Operations; Mr. Tavest, Advisor of Law; Mr. Savaris, Advisor of Labor and Industry; and Mrs. Karinta, Advisor of Foreign Relations."

"Good afternoon." Kod said, which was met with a nod of greeting from the Advisors.

Nathas continued: "You and I are not Advisors per se, but our job remains essentially the same: to inform the Governor of the workings of the Unionized Mercenaries of Arimast, and to provide him with constant updates about our situation and our capabilities. As such, we have three people to tend to that job. First, there's the Section Lead of New Colombus, who deals with his work in his section just like any other. Then, there's me, the Capital Section Lead. My job is to give you a helping hand with commandeering of your section, since New Colombus is a hefty chunk to manage and the seat of the nation's UM organization. As such, we'll be working very closely together; you, as the manager of the section, and me as an informal link to the Governor and the main man for all administrative tasks and other desk jobs - as opposed to a Section Lead, who's more of a field commander like the Division Leads, albeit to a much greater scale. Finally, there's the Union Lead, who receives reports from all Section Leads, supervises the smooth operation of the Unionized Mercenaries of Arimast and formally represents the Unionized Mercenaries as a whole in front of the Governor, along with relations with the Unionized Mercenaries of other countries. For instance, New Smirland recently managed to clear the bulk of Reli creatures plaguing their territory thanks to some new beam weapon technology we're due to receive a little later this year. As such, our Union Lead sent his offer to accept foreign UM members here so that we can supply the ever increasing job demands. You'll notice a bunch of Smir Mercenaries joining us during the next few weeks."

"Smir people..." Kod smirked. "What language do they speak?"

"Smir."

"Uh-huh, okay!"

Nathas chuckled. "Don't worry. The Smir language is more like a dialect of the Iist language. They'll adapt really quickly, I'm sure. Now, the Section Lead job involves a schedule that's more organized than what you've known before, so you'll have a bit less time to take up jobs. Fortunately, you get a hefty salary for your services, so you can rely on jobs much less. Your position will also allow you to vote on law bills, have veto power over Mercenary offenses and infractions to the code of good conduct, and may send a suggestion for promotion towards any member of the UM, among other duties. As long as you stick to the schedule, you'll do just fine working with us."

[KodiaX987]

7 : Cooperhate





The return trip was done in silence. Reez essentially went back on his tracks, going south on Corus Boulevard, then east for a short time on University Boulevard, to then go south again into a narrow alley.

He lived in a sixty-story building stuck between three skyscrapers, the open side facing southeast towards the ocean. The alleyway led to a vast underground parking garage, shared between all three skyscrapers plus the residential building. The fun part was that residents had reserved spots, while businessmen were sometimes forced to find a place in another parking lot a few blocks away.

The little android quietly followed him as he went into the elevator. Reez marked a pause, sighing loudly and rubbing his eyes for a moment.

"Which floor do you live on?" she asked.

"Fifty-one. Thanks."

She punched the number on the keypad. The doors closed and the elevator whisked its passenger smoothly upwards.

Reez was staring at the ground, pensive.

"We're here." the girl's voice announced.

Without really thinking, he followed her outside. The building had no real corridors to speak of. Instead, it had open balconies at the middle of each side, and there was a way passing through the center of the building in both directions. The four elevators were at the center, and one entered one of the eight apartments of the floor from the ends of the cross-shaped space between them.

Reez unlocked and opened the door to his apartment.

"Fifty-one B. Remember that..." he muttered to the android.

His home was a strangely designed four-and-a-half with few doors and a compact placement of rooms. At the immediate right of the vestibule was a living room decorated with a white couch, two black sofa-chairs and a glass table, brightly lit up by full-height windows on both of the apartment's outward sides. Straight forward was a kitchen of modest proportions, barely enough to contain a stove-oven, fridge, counter and cupboards, and to the right, past the living room was a wooden dining table with four chairs, and a small, flat-panel TV set in the corner and a sound system next to it, with discrete speakers attached to the ceiling at each corner of the living room. Past the kitchen and to the left was a small bathroom. Finally, seemingly dug into the left wall was a contrastingly messy bedroom, the mattress pushed at the far side to the left, covered by colorful blankets and used as a couch and a bed at the same time. Against the wall between bedroom and dining room was a large flat-panel TV with a video game system plugged into it. The rest of the space was taken up by a dresser and a locker that seemed stolen straight from the army.

Outside, one could see the ocean, coupled with a tiny seaport, and no beach whatsoever. Separating city from water was a wall-like elevation, on top of which was a road simply named Waterside Boulevard, which turned into Snow Coast Road at the north end of the city, and South Ridge at the south.

Reez took his boots off and walked straight towards a small table, placed against the wall between kitchen and dining room and on which was a black phone. He opened the drawer and took out a small remote.

"Right about time," he said as he pressed the single button on it. Slowly, an overlay formed on the windows, making a setting sun appear on the east side. The artificial sun didn't move as the android walked back and forth. It seemed to be really set into the horizon. The illusion was perfect.

"What's this?" she asked.

"The sun?"

"No, the hologram..."

"That's SolSuite. Produces a hologram inside a crystallized glass so I can see the setting sun despite not facing west. Damn thing cost me an arm and a leg..."

The child examined the hologram a bit more, then lost interest. She took a look around the rest of the apartment, before quietly sitting down on the white couch and ceasing all movement.

Reez disappeared into his room for a minute. He emerged with a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt on, but with his pistol still attached to his side.

He reached into the fridge and pulled out some frozen meat, which he set to cooking in a pan. In the meantime, he placed a bowl of mixed vegetables in the microwave.

He watched the news as he ate his dinner. They kept talking about Kod's suicide and the attack on the Governor. There was little time left for the real news: the latest beam weapons from New Smirland were due next week, the States of Laradost had finally started peace talks with Arimast and bring an end to the secession conflict, and the Department of Technology had just announced a sudden increase in the mutant population.

Reez made a face at the last news. Mutants, not surprisingly, had little chance to integrate themselves among New Colombus' population, mainly due to the Iist mentality of keeping the strong and leaving the weak - and the mutants were generally perceived as weak. As such, most ended up in the Apanian and Sius communities, which were respectively welcoming and indifferent. That created a new problem: with the mutants usually short on money, the Apanian and Sius districts were starting to take the appearance of ghettos. And because no two things happened without a third, free androids joined into those newly formed ghettos in order to get themselves some cheap lodging, since they had little care for hygiene. The result was a melting pot of cultures that rubbed off on each other.

Of course, all this would be discussed in detail for the millionth time tomorrow on public radio.

The android had remained silent and motionless the whole time. She seemed too shy to even move. Her eyes were actually solid electric blue orbs, preventing Reez from telling exactly what she could be looking at. Despite his occasional glances towards her, her features remained undisturbed.

He figured this was all for the better for now. He didn't really know what to do with that android. Holding on to her 'till Mr. Karl gave him new instructions sounded simple at first, but Reez felt he had to somehow entertain the little girl, or otherwise find a way to keep her busy. He supposed it was because she happened to have a human face. Social androids almost all looked human in appearance and were able to display emotions very well. But if she was a social 'droid, she wasn't much of a socializer.

Slowly, he began to suspect the girl had been involved with Shrike in some way. Why Karl had deemed her not dangerous was beyond his understanding...

"An android found in the desert, too close for comfort and she's not related. Son of a bitch!" he thought aloud.

The droid suddenly came alive. "What?"

Reez froze for a few seconds. "Oh... You. You've got a shitload of explaining to do."

"I do?"

"You do. You bet your ass you do."

He sat on one of the sofa-chairs in front of her. She gave him a quizzical look. "What can I talk about?"

"Well, for starters, how about your designation?"

"Hmm-hmm, sure... My name is Sierra Ilica. I have no legal owner. I'm a social android, manufactured by DT Micro, type I slash N, serial number seven. That's all."

"And you have no life?"

"No."

"No backstory?"

"No."

"No memories at all?"

"No. My latest memory is of the desert. I was lost."

Reez sighed. He couldn't read an android like a human, simply because androids had full control over their body - including facial expressions. Hence, there was a possibility that the little girl was blatantly lying and yet keep a poker face. He realized part of his suspicion stemmed from the shyness of the 'droid. She only spoke when spoken to. Maybe she was telling the truth but not all the truth.

Had she designated herself under the same details as when she had been at the Department? Yes. Okay...

He didn't really want to know more because of the Department. He simply wanted a good reason not to have to carry his gun around all the time. As far as he was concerned, any android, big or small, could be programmed to harm.

He examined her again. She was colored in a curious mix, with black simu-skin covering her face, her arms, back and chest, and electric blue plates pretty much anywhere else, coupled with with some silver gray here and there, such as for the hands, and part of her forearms and legs. Her torso was contained in a one-piece plate, similar to the upper end of a strapless robe. Going around her hips was a series of long, thin strands of black rubber and electric blue metal, reaching three quarters down her legs and creating the appearance of a skirt. Her feet were actually a pair of shoes, without any toes of their own. Her hair was a combo of plates and more of these rubber-metal strands, barely shoulder length. Her eyes, as told before, were featureless blue orbs. Finally, along her back was a pair of curvy lines made out of electric blue dots, which seemed oddly phosphorescent.

Reez leaned back in his chair and sighed again.

"What do you know about where you are?"

"Like..."

"Geography. History. Social, politics, current events..."

Sierra seemed to look upwards for a moment. "Well... We're in New Colombus, capital of the Democratic Union of Arimast. We're on the east coast, and to the west is a desert that turns into a wasteland towards the west coat. The ethnicity is Iist for the most part, with a dash of Sius here and there, and a bit of Apanian along the east coast. The current Governor is Carlest Taylor. The people have been involved in a war against the Reli creatures for a while... That's all I know about our world, in a nutshell."

"What about religion? Got anything on that?"

"...I'm not sure what you mean."

"The three big religions! Orthodox, Pagan and Reli."

"Well... I just know the facts. I don't have any opinions."

Reez figured that was all he could do for today - at least that was all he could think of. He stood up and went to his bedroom, turned on the TV and the video game console.

Sierra followed him and sat beside the bed. She tirelessly watched him play game after game, after which he switched to the news channel and fell asleep while listening to them.

She turned the TV off. She also noticed the holographic sunset was still on. The sunset was long over but there was still a faint glow in the windows, hinting at the system's activity. She retrieved the remote and turned that off to.

There wasn't too much noise coming into Reez' apartment. Most of the busy elevated highways were to the northwest, towards downtown. The district Reez lived in seemed a lot calmer and quiet. Only a few cars rolled along here and there. The lights were faint, as if everyone had turned their dimmers on out of fear of pollution by light.

She glanced upwards. No clouds and no stars. New Colombus was too bright to allow that luxury.

She took one of the couch-sofas, turned it towards the windows and sat down for the remainder of the night, looking outside.

[McLaughlin]

Keep it coming!

[Moo2u]

Kodia, I'll be honest, I haven't the time to read it all yet, but thank God you're still writing stuff here.

[KodiaX987]

8 : Speculhate





Reez watched the news as he ate a breakfast of toasts. It was nine o' clock in the morning. Sierra had briefly looked at him as he went to the kitchen, then had resumed looking outside again.

He went to the window for a while, trying to figure out exactly what the android had been looking at the whole time.

"You been there all night?"

"Yes."

"You don't have a sleep mode or somethin'?"

"No, not that I know of."

Reez sighed. "We'll have to get you one installed or else you'll get bored out of your mind."

"I don't know boredom..."

Reez chuckled as he drank his coffee. "That's what you think."

Sierra was giving him a look of cluelessness.

"I'll set you up with an account on my personal computer," Reez continued, "This way you'll be able to browse the net and start learning about how people behave. You're a social android, so for the love of Pete, start acting human for a change."

Sierra scratched her head. "That's easy to say..."

Reez smiles. "You're doing it already, at least. Just keep at it..."

Minutes later, he had readied her account. She took a cable out of her arm and plugged herself in, directly communicating with the machine.

With that, Reez went to his video games.



=============================================


For the next few days, Sierra would spend her days and nights connected to the net, under the constant supervision of Reez. He had asked her to leave the monitor on, and would glance towards it once in a while, mostly out of curiosity than out of supervision. She'd only stop her exploration to accompany Reez whenever he had to go somewhere. The job was awfully unexciting but he figured that the longer it went, the more his reward piled up. It was like watching money land right into his wallet.

And besides, he now had time to complete all his unfinished save files. This led to a shopping spree at the gaming store in the middle of the week, essentially burning away everything he had made from the job so far.

"Are you a compulsive buyer too?" Sierra asked while making a face. That morning, she had just read an article stating United Mercenaries were incorrigible spendthrifts, which was why they made so much cash from jobs and yet seemed to live like their career consisted of flipping burgers.

Reez just shrugged at her question. Without a word, he went back home, sat on his bed, and started playing one of his new games. Sierra returned to the computer, and the job went back to its uneventful flow.

Everytime Reez made comments about Sierra needing some software updates, she refused. At best, all she did was keep her different parts in working order.

Slowly, she began to focus her interests, mainly on current events. She started watching the news with Reez and subscribed to news feeds from various sites about whatever involved fighting: the Reli war, the United Mercenaries doing jobs, the police arresting criminals here and there. Everything about the Reli war was glorified and exhibited. Everything about gang wars and the black market trade was given but a few paragraphs once in a while. Against the brute and stupid force of the Reli creatures, mankind could do something. But when it came to humans against humans, the voice was very quiet and shy. As if the people wanted to muffle the fact that they too could do mistakes.

She found her answer by browsing some cultural articles: the Iist culture was at majority follower and practitioner of the Orthodox religion, which, among other proclamations and philosophies, put the human race at the center of the world, and the other creatures were to be considered with suspicion, if not hostility. There were different degrees of reaction on the spectrum of course, but the bulk of the Orthodox followers delighted in victories against the Reli creatures, further securing their opinion that man is great and man is smart and strong.

The Sius were close brothers to the Iist in many ways: they too lived a rugged, snowy lifestyle, and praised individual prowess and accomplishment, but they were overall much more refined. To quote an article vulgarizing the differences between the two cultures, "[the Sius] would dig a hole in a frozen lake and patiently wait for fish to arrive. The Iist would run into the forest, armed with guns and spears, and come back with any and all edible creatures they could find and carry back home." This was mostly due to the Sius integrating all three major religions to some degree: the Orthodox mentality of dignity to all men and women, the Pagan balance between living creatures and their environment, and the Reli ideal of victory through healthy struggle.

She later found out the backstory behind the appearance of the Reli creatures: extremists of the religion believed that the only way for mankind to appreciate life was to earn it by the skin of their teeth. Hence, they thought themselves as the "necessary evils" of the world and set out to commit crimes for the sole purpose of making the good stand out, providing it with opportunities to shine and glow.

Then, at a mass convention, the cultists knelt down and prayed, repeating the chief priest's incantation for a purge that would separate the weak from the strong. To their amazement, a horde of creatures supposedly appeared out of thin air and massacred the entire convention. Because there were no survivors to the event, many believed the story to be greater than nature, but even up to this way, it was the most widely accepted version, and the explanation as to why the Reli creatures seemed to defy normal laws of nature: many a person has witnessed a Reli simply fading into existence, and it's been found that the creatures were able to grow, heal and move without having to eat or seek any source of energy.

Each day, more and more news came. Sierra eventually filtered some of them out, gradually learning that most of them were the news from yesterday, only, someone else had written or told them, in a different way.

She didn't think this would ever happen, but she had to face the fact: she had reached the end of the net!

She tried again, and this time broadened her research. She went outside Arimast altogether, checking out news and articles about other countries, like the States of Laradost, the two Actis Empires, Binja, Apania, the Yolan Counties, Ukraland, New Smirland, Siveriast, Wall County, and so on and so forth. She didn't really learn anything useful but it gave her stuff to think about and process, and as far as she knew, her hard disk wasn't anywhere near capacity. So, she absorbed.



=============================================


Reez came back from groceries one day and found a message in his voice mailbox.

"Hey Reez, it's Mr. Karl. I haven't forgotten you - just been busy with a couple of folders and whatnot; ya know how office work is. I suppose the lil' girl's all right? If you could at least let me know you're alive and stuff, I'd appreciate it. Oh, and I transferred cash for your job time up until yesterday. Talk to ya later, bye!"

He pressed "Call Back". No answer. There goes the voicemail.

"Mr. Karl, Reez Lokk, returning the call. Nothing in particular to report about the girl. She's been busy browsing the net and just sitting there. Call me up as soon as you have something else for me to do. Bye."

He hung up and looked around.

"Hey, where are you?"

"Over here."

She had spoken from the bathroom. She was busy cleaning her simu-skin with a wet rag.

The door was locked.

"You afraid someone's gonna see ya naked?" Reez asked mockingly.

"As a matter of fact, yes!"

Reez smirked. "That'd be the day!" He turned the TV on and began zapping. Halfway through the channels, he realized he had done the exact same thing right before leaving for the store, a half-hour ago.

"This is ridiculous..." he muttered.

He turned around and went to his bedroom. He took a quick look at his wallet, mentally added his bank balance and his amount of cash together, and figured he could afford a treat with Karl's newly arrived payment.

"Sierra!" he called, "Pretty yourself up, I'm gonna go out for dinner tonight and you're comin' along!"






<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: KodiaX987 on 2006-11-14 20:31 ]</font>

[KodiaX987]

9 : Accelerhate





Reez had decided to take a walk until he arrived at a restaurant he found appealing. He imagined that'd kill enough time to allow fresh news to get onto the TV upon his return.

He looked at Sierra. The girl 'droid was not only clean, but shiny.

"Man, did you put wax on yourself or somethin'?"

She gave him a surprised look. "I-- uh, have you ever been with an android before?"

"The 'droids I know are soldiers. I never cared for the social ones. I already got enough friends as it is."

"Oh-ho... Well, I guess you can start learning things about me now, now that I've spent most of my week learning about you and your world."

"Is that some sort of trade?"

Sierra giggled. "Well, you were kind enough to give me access to the net and learn some culture - even though I did so on your command."

"What's your point?"

"You act like you own me and I'm an object that can be turned on and off."

Reez chuckled. "Sorry to break it to ya, kid. That's what most androids are for 'round here. A 'droid isn't something warm you can just pick up and hug and love. You're made out of plastic and metal." He put the back of his hand against her cheek. "You're cold."

Then he stopped in his tracks. Sierra had taken a few steps already before she realized the young man had ceased all movement.

"...You're warm." Reez said, just faintly. "You're warm!"

He put his hands on her shoulders. He felt her head, arms and legs.

"...Everything metal is cold, everything skin is warm!" he thought aloud.

"Well, I have fast processors," she reasoned, "so?"

"No, no, that's not computer heat. You are warm. Human warm. Warm like a human. Like a living creature. Can you feel temperature?"

"Ah, uh, yes..."

He picked up her hand and placed it against his face.

"Feel that." he said. "See how warm I am? Now touch your own face. You're just as warm as I am. I've seen enough androids to know this ain't normal."

Sierra appeared clueless. She touched her face and arms, looking to see if anything was wrong in her regard. At the end, she shrugged.

"Sorry... I just don't see what you're getting at."

Reez took a deep breath. "I'll... I'll explain later. Let's keep walking. The people are looking at us funny."

They walked north and northwest, somewhat aimlessly. Reez wasn't looking for any restaurant in particular. Sometimes, he didn't even notice when there was one - he just looked at the sights and the buildings. It was Sierra who always brought his attention back to his original goal.

He began wondering what exactly he wanted to eat. He thought about eating a dolar at the House of God, only to remember the place had burned down a few weeks ago. The recipe went up in flames along with the building. Sure, neighboring restaurants tried to have a go at making a dolar too, but as expected, none were as good as the original.

Speaking of House of God, he knew there were some nice places in that district. The places there were tiny, but good and affordable. He was bound to find food of interest there.

It was seven o' clock by the time they arrived. They had wandered about for a whole two hours.

Reez selected a place at random: The Muse, located between The Sammy Saga and Peppers. The menu announced seafood.

The last available table was right next to the window. The crowd went from quiet to noisy and back, several times per minute. The speakers played music that seemed to have been ripped straight out of a porn movie.

He looked around, looking for familiar faces. The only one he recognized at first sight was Caristo Carist - also known as Double Carist - a suspected member of the Horde black market gang. He was smilingly chatting with obviously what would be his one-night stand for today.

"Good evening! Something to drink?"

The waitress had spoken.

"Oh, uh... got imported stuff?"

"I have Marsbur's Beauty, in white or black."

"Let's go for a black."

"All right. Here are your menus, enjoy!"

"Thanks."

After a quick scan across the pages, he went for the Ice Bay marinated shrimps. With that done, he closed his menu, placed it back on the table and looked outside, his elbow on the window frame and his chin buried in his palm.

"Can you eat? You got a foodbox?" he said without even looking at her.

"Hm..."

"I'll take that as a yes."

He went silent. He began regretting the idea of eating out. He had hoped the hours of reading the android had done would've given her some sort of conversation, or at least a few questions, but she just sat patiently, looking directly in front of her.

Actually, no... She had picked the menu up and started looking at the list. An expression of doubt passed across her face. Reez didn't know it, but without pictures to accompany the dishes, she was having the wildest streaks of imagination about what the descriptions could possibly mean.

The waitress came back with Reez's drink.

"Are you rea- oh, seems you aren't."

Reez waved his hand. "We're ready. Sierra, put the menu down please. I'll have the Ice Bay marinated shrimps."

The waitress turned to Sierra. "And you?"

"Nothing for her," Reez interjected. "Just bring us an extra plate."

The waitress took the menu and left.

"That wasn't nice!" Sierra exclaimed.

"No food for androids." Reez told her back. "That's a luxury I can't afford. I'll give you some pieces off my plate instead. Do you even have taste sensors for that matter?"

She sighed. "When are you going to start treating me like a human?"

"I can't. You don't look like a human, you don't act like a human, you don't have the same needs of a human. No matter how you look at it, you are and will always be different from a human. Do you know what an android needs to survive? A bit of grease and a working battery. And those buggers've got batteries that last a hundred years last time I heard. You are the objective of a job I have to accomplish. I don't do this job so that I can waste my cash on exactly what I'm being paid for. It's nonsense."

"Well, I'm a social android. At least socials are more human than soldiers... I guess."

"That's like saying I look ugly next to a top model."

"What."

"Everything is relative."

He pointed his finger at another table. There, a young woman was having a happy conversation with a male social android. Sierra wasn't convinced.

"He might just be saying gibberish."

"What's gibberish to you?"

"Well... words that don't mean anything. Talk for talk. Filler words."

Reez paused... "Hey, you know what? We're having a conversation here. Mission accomplished."

At her clueless expression, he laughed once again.

"You've got a lot to learn," he said between two chuckles. "You got all the theory and zero practice. I guess that evening out won't be worthless after all."

Sierra appeared scandalized. "Excuse me? I have an emotion program active here, thank you very much!"

Reez chuckled again. "Okay, okay, no more blatant disrespect. You've earned your wings, soldier."

"When can I pick 'em up?"

That made Reez almost spit out his drink in laughter. Sierra gave him a grin, proud to show off her talent at quick retorts.

The meal arrived.

"Aaaand, Ice Bay marinated shrimps, with the extra plate. Enjoy your meal, sir!"

As quickly as the waitress had come, she had disappeared back into the kitchen. The restaurant sounded much livelier now than when they had come in. The pace was picking up.

Sierra picked up a small amount of the marinated shrimps and ate slowly, little piece by little piece, barely even opening her mouth to let them in. She glanced at Reez's plate from time to time, matching his pace, at least proportionally.

Reez kept looking outside. There wasn't much out there except people going back and forth, but the restaurant decorations made for good eye candy. It was as if he had forgotten the whole conversation had happened.

No dessert, no drink. He paid the bill, picked up his coat and went outside, with the android tagging along.

"Don't forget to empty your foodbox when we get back." he muttered.

He checked his watch. Ten to eight.

Slowly, he began the trek back to his home, taking a different set of streets than before in the hope of seeing something interesting. Perhaps a shop, or a street performance, or maybe even a street race if he was lucky. In the meantime, the street was quiet and relaxing - a rarity in New Colombus. He paused in his tracks to appreciate the moment.

"Human Society." A muffled voice said as Reez suddenly lost his vision. "We'll be taking care of that robot for you."

"Hey, wait a min-"

The man slapped him upside the head and applied the mouth of a pistol against his back. "Put your hands behind your back. You don't look like you're thankful enough. And shut your mouth."

Reez had been blindfolded, and he couldn't feel the weight of his own weapon anymore. He heard a scratching sound confirming this: his only method of defense had just been tossed away.

The man tied a length of rope around his wrists. "Now we're talking. Don't think of the tying up as a treat - we get lots of folks who get upset when we do our work... but one thing's fore sure, they all thank us later on. Every single one of 'em." A movement. He had turned his head to the side. "Okay, go for it."

Reez heard an electric jolt for a split second, before Sierra let out a loud chocking sound, which would have become a scream had the jolt not paralyzed her. The man turned his head towards Reez again.

"The android's electronics have been fried," he explained, "Now, if you keep walking straight ahead, you'll eventually end up some place where people can untie you. Have a good one..."

A shuffle and loud footsteps in all directions. They had fled as quickly as they had come. And of all people in the city, the extremists had to pick him tonight.

Reez thrashed for a moment as he tried to untie himself. His hand found a loose strand. He pulled it, untying the whole knot.

He removed his blindfold and glanced around. Of course, no sign of the bandits. The tying up had been their method to stall for their escape. Fortunately, his pistol hadn't flown very far. He picked it up and secured it back in its holster.

He turned to Sierra.

The android looked like someone who had just been scared to death. Her eyes were wide open, the protector orbs almost out of their sockets. She was hard like stone.

Then, she began spasming. Her body shook uncontrollably. Her teeth clenched and her lips opened and closed rapidly.

"Holy shit..."

Reez picked her up.

"Sierra. Can you hear what I say?"

She seemed to look at him with her trembling head, her general aim set towards his face. Her jaw suddenly opened wide - too wide, letting Reez get a long view of the inside of her mouth, strangely wet and congested, as if she hadn't swallowed her food at all during the meal.

He rushed to the nearest busy street, cellphone in hand and dialing for a cab.

Less than thirty seconds later, the car arrived. He shoved the android inside and leapt after her, fumbling his words as he blurted his home address to the driver.

"What caught ya?" the driver said after a look in his mirror.

"Human Society extremists." Reez explained. "Step on it!"

The driver looked into his mirror again. "She's acting pretty damn strange. You sure the battery hasn't gone nuts?"

"What do you know about 'droids?!"

"I had one, good sir. Same damn thing happened to me; damn thugs tied me up and wasted my buddy. Soon as I had untied myself, her battery exploded."

"Are you saying she's gonna explode?!"

"Chances are, yeah..."

Reez shook his head violently. "Shit, shit, shit!... Break the speed limit. I'm from the UM, that's an order! Turn your hazards on!"

The driver complied and went straight for the nearest highway. Within minutes, he was at Reez's apartment block.

Sierra was beginning to shake dangerously. Both men had trouble even holding her long enough to get her out of the car. Her arms were flailing wildly around her. The only safe option was to drag her around by the legs.

Reez paid the driver whatever cash he had left in his pocket and rushed inside with the android.



=============================================


He dialed quickly - too quickly, missing the number twice. On his third attempt, he finally reached Mr. Karl.

"Hi, you've reached my mailbox. I can't answer your call at the moment. Please leave a message at the tone."

"Karl, pick up your fuckin' phone!"

A click. "Sounds like an emergency."

"Shit, man, I need help, the droid's been jolted!"

"Jolted?"

"The Human Society! They pinned me in an alley and gave the kid a shock!"

"All right, chill down, Reez, it's gonna be all right..."

"She's shakin' all over the fuckin' place! What am I supposed to do?"

"Okay, okay, just sit there, Reez, I'll send someone over to help ya. Don't worry about it, she's gonna do just fine."

"And how do you know?"

"The tests, remember? We have her make and model. We know how those things behave. So when I say it's okay, it really is okay."

Reez heard a whistling sound. He turned around to see Sierra's torso start to glow a blinding light.

"Oh shit! She's gonna blow up!"

"...Blow up?"

Reez shielded his eyes. The glow was filling the entire room. The whistling was like a jet engine right next to his ears.

All of a sudden, a muffled bang, followed by a splash of liquid across his face.

He opened his eyes, just a little. He couldn't see a thing. The living room's light had been blown.

Slowly, his eyes adjusted. The lights of the skyscrapers around his apartment faded into view. Gradually, more and more of his living room appeared.

The floor, the chairs and the windows were splattered with a dark blue substance. Chunks of flesh hung from the furniture. The air reeked, a strange odor between burnt food and putrefaction. Wisps of smoke floated about. The glass table had completely shattered, unrecoverable.

Sierra lay on the white couch turned blue. Her eyes were still wide open, hir jaw opened so much that it seemed as if she had thrown it off its socket. She looked like fear incarnate.

Her entire body - or what was left of it - was covered in that dark liquid. Her right forearm had broken off and flown into the dining section. Everything below her chest was lying next to the couch, in pieces. What remained was the torso of what appeared to be, for all intents and purposes... an adult woman.

Reez first closed her mouth. Her body was rigid, her joints hard to bend and move. They did move, but with a delay, as if they had turned into a viscous liquid.

Sierra's real arms were stumps, stopping just before the elbows. Everything below chest level degenerated into a mass of tendrils and odd metallic extensions, part of her flesh wrapped around wires. Her eyes looked too big for her body, the eyelids completely open despite Reez's efforts to keep them closed.

Knocks at the door.

"Department!"

Reez opened up. Two men in white coats swiftly stepped in, holding a stretcher. As soon as they noticed Sierra, they picked her up, placed her on the stretcher and carried her away.

"Hello?"

There was a faint voice coming from somewhere in the apartment.

"Hello? Reez?"

He picked up the phone. It was Mr. Karl.

"I'm here..."

"What happened?"

"Well... uh... she kinda blew up, and there's stuff all over the place, and some guys came over and put the body on a stretcher and left..."

"Ah, okay, so they got here after all. How is she?"

"Uh... I don't know." Reez glanced at the mess in his living room. "There were pieces of her body on the floor but she looked unhurt... I don't understand..."

"That's okay, Reez, that's okay. We'll take over for now. You get yourself a good night's rest and we'll call you back if we need you again."

"...My job's over?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. Don't make any plans for tomorrow. Give me at least that deadline."

Click.

Reez looked around again. He didn't want to sleep. He thought he was gonna die. And then it happened so quickly, too quickly for him. Now he had an impossible mess in his apartment and the droid had, somehow, grown from a child to a woman.

He didn't bother turning the lights on. His eyes were too tired and in pain. He took a rag from under the sink, soaked it in water and began wiping away the most 'violent' traces of the explosion, mainly the streaks on the windows and the white couch.

Curious, he traced a finger over one of those streaks and tasted the liquid.

"...Blood."

His mental gears began to turn. So Sierra had never been an android in the first place. At least not completely. She was a creature of flesh and blood.

That's why her mouth appeared so stuffed: it was a real mouth, with a real tongue and real teeth and a real throat.

Did she breathe? Did she have a digestive system? Was she a mutant?

Or was she like Shrike and the rest of them, the so-called 'Insa-Type' androids?

He had to remember. First hint: what the man behind the door had said, in Karl's office.

An android, type something, but he did definitely mention a blood type.

Sierra had a blood type!

Blood type what? It wasn't a standard letter. It wasn't two letters either. Just one. I? D? C? N? He couldn't recall.

He tried again. Putting two and two together, he was about seventy-five percent sure the man behind the door had mentioned the letter I somewhere. Had they known about Sierra's nature all along?

Had he mistaken a living being for an android?

He couldn't believe what had happened. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Somewhat dazed and confused, he picked up one of the grosser pieces of flesh and shoved it in his freezer. That would be his formal proof for tomorrow, if he actually found sleep.

With that, he resumed his cleaning work. After several trips between the kitchen and the living room, he had given the windows and the couch a somewhat more presentable state. At least it looked a bit less like a murder had happened.

He didn't bother cleaning the rag. He tossed it into the sink and went straight to his bed.

No news watching, no video games. He just wanted to sleep. But it didn't happen. At least not until a very long time.

[KodiaX987]

Because the story has taken on an unexpected risque twist, I've decided to cease posting updates in this thread, in order not to tickle the PG-13 rule.

For those who wish to keep reading, the story is still regularly updated at http://nanowrimo2.shurikane.com Just take note not all parts may be entirely work-safe.

Enjoy!

[Mistique]

awesome....

[Mistique]

um... out of curiosity...whats a reli creature look like?

[KodiaX987]

Imagine something roughly like the Ruins creatures of PSO: black hard skin, phosphorescent dots, barely human appearance if at all.