Originally Posted by solid-rock
Red Rain
The brick wall felt cold and moist against my skin is I pressed myself against it. It had rained ever since I arrived in the Outzone almost a week ago. At first it had been a refreshing change from the warm dry northern desert.
Now the continuing downpour may cost me my life. My breath was heavy and my heart was pounding like a blacksmith hammer against the hot steel. I had barely made it out of the alleyway alive. Running through the slippery whet streets had gotten harder and harder as exhaustion set in. I could hear the mad groans of the mutants just around the corner.
I had thought them to be easy victims. Mindless apparitions ravaged by radiation. I was wrong. I had snuck into an alleyway behind an old office building. I knew there was a mutant’s nest back there; I could smell it from a mile away. Slowly I had crept into the alley making sure the monster didn’t spot me. I crept up on the forward guard and quickly pierced him with my claw. Still avoiding detection I moved further into the nest. I could see 5 maybe 6 of the creatures hunched over a campfire. I sprang forth from the shadow quickly dispatching the nearest of the mutants with a single slash to the neck. The remaining mutants spare no time and quickly reached for their weapons coming at me with crudely constructed knives. However I fought with a fury that they could not resist and soon I stood victorious.
As I started to examine the corpses for anything of value I hear a rumble of falling brick above and to my left. I turned about and hurled a stiletto at the mutant gunman who had attempted to sneak up on me. However to my despair I saw that he was not alone. I saw mutants crawling out every opening on the office block in front of me and even more coming across the roof. I switched the claw to my left hand and pulled my sword readying for an epic battle. Just as I loosened the tai chi blade from its scabbard I hear a mighty warcry as a hurler broke through the wall to my right. I quickly circled around him and put my sword to his sinews forcing him to fall in anguish. Now that the massive head was at a comfortable height I raised my blade to relieve his shoulders of the excess weight. However even though I for the moment had forgotten about the mutant horde they had certainly not forgotten about me. 2 mutants leaped onto my back as I raised my sword. I threw myself onto the wall and quickly pierced my assailants as they lost their grip. But their comrades where near and I was put against the wall. I cut furiously at the wall of horrid flesh but it seemed to matter little for every enemy I slew was quickly replaced by 2 others. The streets ran ret with the blood thinned by the flow of the rain and my armour was cracked and scratched. I could see no victory here so I did what I had to. In a suicidal dash I threw myself upon the mass of mutants and despite several grievous injuries I cut my way through to the wall broken by the hurler. Finishing the beast off in passing I discarded my ravaged chest piece and ran like a mad slipping and skitting in the red water running through the streets.
And here I stand; the street is a dead end. No where to run and no where to hide. Just me and my blade against an endless sea of monsters. But I am ready, and they will not take me down without a fight…
I am the law!
The GenRep beacon had worked flawlessly. I knew it would come in handy sooner or later, I just hadn’t thought it would be this soon. Never the less I was alive and breathing even as I had been lying gasping on the bloody street only minutes ago. I checked my inventory to make sure that all my items had been recovered properly, as I looked over my belongings I noticed something that did not quite belong. A recordable datacube had appeared in my backpack, I took it out and studied it and as I did it immediately activated.
As the cube interfaced with my RPOS the image of a man fluttered onto my retina, it was a familiar image a man I had met many times before. He was a secretary to the newly instated President Jack Red of Neocron with the specific duty of handling freelance job assignments. He explained that the datacube had been deposited into the NEXT item database in order to deliver to me a covert task. I was to assassinate a traitor to the CityAdmin hiding within the Outzone sectors. I was supplied with a picture of the perp but not his name. Didn’t matter anyway knowing the name of a target only creates needless human attachment. I strapped on the paw of bear and headed out, the traitor would be hiding among the criminals of the jailhouse club. It wouldn’t save him however the place more defensive holes than a Swiss cheese, and I knew them all.
I stalked through Outzone sector 4 and after dispatching a pair of mutant soldiers I found what I was looking for, the sewage canal for the jail was connected to a sector 4 storage house by ways of a bared passage. The bars where still in place but they where old and rusted through, an easy target for my razor talons. The Paw of bear sized through the bars like a knife through hot butter and I pushed them aside with ease making my way into the old jailhouse. Inside I was greeted by a gruesome sight, the CopBot guards had been crucified upon the walls they had been tasked with guarding the reactor coolant spilling down the wall behind them looking frighteningly like dried blood. Sadly nothing could be done for these loyal servants of the CityAdmin and I moved on in search of my mark. I descended into the tunnels beneath the western courtyard and crept silently into the very heart of crimes citadel. Within I saw several wanted criminals enjoying themselves thinking they where safe from the law. Little did they know that the law had come to get them. I quickly located my mark sitting in a corner by himself. I crept up as close as I could under the cover of the heavy music but I was still out of reach. It was now or never and I quickly leaped towards my target talons first piercing his heart and instantly killing the traitor barstard. However this had awakened the criminal elements of the club and they instantly opened fire upon me, I vaulted up the stairs and forced my way through the closing doors. Plasma crackled all around me as I dived into the main sewage canal of the jailhouse and swam for freedom.
When I arrived back in my Viarosso apartment a quick check of the Citycom confirmed my payment, another job well done.
The Brotherhood
Lightning trickle trough the skies and the water ran in thick streams down my robe as I wandered through the abandoned streets of Outzone 9. I walked calmly up to the entrance of the Crahn church, “Praise to Crahn!” exclaimed the guard as I stopped before the doorway “...And his sons” I whispered as my fathers ancient blade penetrated his abdomen. The door slid quietly open and I walked in slowly. A couple of monks glanced at me as I entered but quickly returned to their prayers. Dark robed figures where a common sight in these parts and I awoke no suspicion among the brothers of Crahn. I moved to the back of the church room and worked the hidden switch behind the alter, the wall behind me split open and I walked through into the hidden faction headquarters beyond. I quickly stalked down the hallway in search of my prey, room after room I passed in search of my victim.
Finally there he was; the last heir of Crahn. Come here from the dome to inspect the Crahn presence within our fine city. I had only to extend my blade to destroy one of the greatest foes of Neocron. My pace quickened as I neared the door to his office, faster and faster I walked until I passed into a mad sprint. The acolytes guarding the door quickly figured my intent and moved to block my path while moving their hands in intriquate gestures. But I was too fast for them. One fell beneath my blade as I forced through the doorway the other pierced by the spring loaded blade hidden within my sleeve. The world slowed to a halt as I leaped across a desk towards my target his back turned towards me it would be an easy kill. My fist was raised, the razor blades of the Paw of Tiger strapped to it gleaning in the light as it cut towards its rest. But I had not figured the power of the trained mind into my plan. The robed man suddenly spun to face me and his gaze was like living flame. His hand shot up as he exclaimed a single powerful command in a voice that would have left the staunchest of warriors a sobbing mess. Before I knew a powerful forced smashed me against the wall and a beam of lightning struck me from the thin air. As I lay panting upon the floor I felt life seep from my body and I knew the end was near.
When the human body begins to fail and death is imminent the brain fires strong warning signals in a desperate attempt to avoid death. These signals sets off a reacting in the NEXT GenRep chip implanted in every runner of Neocron. The chip then releases promptly makes a snapshot of the runners mind and uploads it to the NEXT GenRep system, meanwhile administering a powerful neurotoxins ensuring that death will occur before the runners body is replicated at the nearest GenRep station.
But something was wrong, the GenRep implant did not activate and I was left mortally wounded within the headquarter, completely at the mercy of my enemy. I struggled to open my eyes only to meet the gaze of Crahn once more. I thought to myself that this must be the end; that he would finish the job and there would be no coming back. Then I heard the ominous voice of the figure before me, “Do no worry young GenTank, your will come but not today. I have a better use for you.” And then darkness…
