Addition

Aight finally, here it is. Hell, would it kill ya to make it any easy to get to? Well, whadya got for me this time Nose. Two BZT-17’s (one for each of us), a YinShe cloak, a burner P.A.D.D, and a pack of N-4 explosives. Hmph, bare minimum as always but who am I kiddin’. It’s better than what most operators hand out for a job. C’mon though, BZT-17’s, really? Meh, only piece I need is Killa, my darling gun. She’s never let me down. Okay, what’s the P.A.D.D say. So, the target wa-
“Are you my partner for this job?” I hear a feminine voice call out.
“Depends, Nose sent ya?” I say still looking down at the P.A.D.D
“What do you think?”
Dropping the device, I groan and reply, “Listen, I di’int even want to work with a partner let alone anotha sassy shitter.” Finishing, I get up and turn around and go “You-”
No way in hell, Shell-I?? I ‘eard she was dead, off’d by Acr0 gons but there’s ain’t no mistaking that face.
“What’s the matter, Tori, were you talking about the last person you worked with?” She mocked.
This bitch. Grabbing her by the collar I says, “Ya got a lotta nerve showing your smug ass face, Shell-I”
“It’s Shell-II now” she calmly retorts.
Now pulling Killa out, I continue, “Yeah?? Ya come back from the dead huh? Let’s see ya do it again Shell-IIIII.”
With a gun to her head and a smile on her face she waits; she really thinks I won’t do it?
……Dammit, she’s right.
“That’s what I thought, Mr. Professional.” Shell-II smirks and picks the P.A.D.D up after I lower my gun. She reads aloud, “Rick, middle-aged cyber-idol producer. Doesn’t look like much.”
“Concert happening tomorrah night. He’ll be backstage. We go before they set up.”
“You handle the N-4, I’ll keep watch” she says eyeing the stash. “I just got this new body, wouldn’t dare risk getting a scratch on it.”
Course I gotta do all the work. “The body ya bought with what should’a been my money? Who’dya even get to transfer, that’s some priim cyber-neurology. Can’t have gotten the Unds from the feds; they wouldn’t risk paying for that, especially not on some gon."
“Well how fortunate I’m no gon.”
“Ya can’t be serious.”
“I know you use to swipe for the P4ck but you can’t be that dense. What do you think we were securing?”
“What’s it matter?”
Shaking her head, Shell-II remarks, “You really are a ‘no-questions asked’ kind of guy. Let’s just say it was well worth the risk. Anyhow, I got paid real nice and Ol’ Nose hooked me up with a connection before I got off’d.”
“Nose knew?! After this job he ain’t gonna be smelling nothing… and you, you’ll really be wishing ya stayed dead. It’s cause of you I’m working these low-level ops!” I yell holding up my scrappy left arm.
“Please, you broke your old cybernetic through no one’s fault other than your own. Besides, it may be a simple hit but the payout is surprisingly good is it not?” Shell-II finishes and pulls out a holochip. While tossing it over, she says, “Here, your cut. For our previous op”
Jacking it into my personal P.A.D.D I snide, “70k Undollars?”
“Enough for a shiny new augment, isn’t it?”
“Don’t think this is enough to cover anything, best be ready if ya see me after tomorrah night. That’s a promise.”
“Sure, sure.” Picking up and examining the BZT-17, Shell-II snorts, “Really?”
“…Heh, yeah.”
•
The Bard-0 HeXadome. Early. It’s a proxy op but Shell-II’s right. The payout is strangely high. I just wanna make sure the scene’s also on the up, that things go smoothly and more importantly nothing’s sus. According to our intel, the star tonight’s some newcomer. Op specifically says no harm must come to her. Hard to believe someone so young sold out all these seats. Di’int expect to need the cloak this early but surprisingly a number of people on the outside already. None seemed to stand out. Just security and some diehard sweaty idulls, suppose that checks out if the star’s this popular. Seats seem okay enough, time to check the stage area.
Pyrotechnics are already set up. Always loved a good lightshow and now I get to help. Soon as the set’s done and these sparks go crazy, the N-4 will go off from the backstage, BAM! Basically gettin’ paid to enjoy the show, hah. I should give the backstage a peek, producer ain’t suppose to show until whiles later. Let’s see, staffers about, instruments, extra speakers, aaand N-4 should be placed here under the stage boards. Would be so simple to just place it now but inspection happens in about 10 minutes. Seriously, who is this girl that she needs that high a level of checks. Whatever, I’ll head back.
Huh, who’s that in the far back. Are they letting people in already? Doesn’t look like a fan. Bright green snake patch…
“Hey, you!” Someone interrupts.
“Wuh,” I exhale with a jump and a reach towards Killa, “how- Shell-II? Shit.”
“I knew you would be here early.”
“What’s with that get up?” I say looking at her shirt labelled ‘SECURITY’.
“Well, someone insisted on needing the cloak.”
“Yeah, but all’s ya need to do is stay in the back and keep an eye out. How’dya see me through the cloak anyways?”
Pointing at both eyes, Shell-II smiles, “New body, new eyes. I could afford them, so I thought, ‘why not splurge a little?’”
“Rub it in one more time-”
“Did you plant the N-4 already?”
“No. The inspection, remember?”
“Oh, that is my job. You could’ve just planted it and I would have given an ‘all clear’ regardless. Did I forget to tell you?”
“FORGET?”
“Hey, keep it down. Well, go do it now. You got some time.”
“Whatever, gotta do all the work. Do it yourself why don’tcha?”
“Someone has to keep an eye out!”
Just wait, you’re gonna pay big time. Hm, where’d that fan go?
“What? You need something else?”
“T’s nothing.” I reply. Let’s just get this over with, the cloak’s gonna run out of charge soon enough too. The staffers all still look busy setting up, good. Uh, spot should be right about here according to the P.A.D.D. I should set the timer on the N-4 first. Then just this much should do, I’m keeping the extra explosives. ‘Kay, and place this he- huh, board’s already loose. Perfect, suppose that makes things easier. Toss this sucka in there and all that’s left is to wait. Rest should be up to Shell-II. I’ll wait towards the middle.
“All done,” I tell Shell-II as I head back. Looks like people are starting to shuffle in the stadium.
“So, what do you think?” She asks in a low voice.
“’Bout what?”
“The op. You came early for reason, did you not?”
“I came early to make sure the scene was aight. High pay means higher service. Client must be a upper, don’t really care.”
Sighing, Shell-II says, “Why do I even bother. Well, if you have not noticed anything odd, then I’m sure it is all clear.” Before heading backstage, she jokes, “You are great at noticing anything suspicious. I got my security inspection to do.”
•
“Show’s finally ‘bout to start.” I say laid back in a seat.
“Yeah, the star is a real cutie. Her name is R.AI.NA.” Shell-II says taking the seat next to me that I snatched from that one schmuck.
“Yeah, I ‘eard. Crowd won’t shut up about her. Still can’t believe there are this many people for this pop garbage.”
“Oh come on now, she is actually really good, I think you will be surprised.”
“We’ll see.” I reply while lighting a smoke. “Ya sure it’s okay to drop the guise?”
“I have told you; my only job was to do the inspection. Oh, there she is!”
“Hellooo West Synth!” The voice roars over the speaker. She gives a little welcome speech, nothing interesting, and the performance starts.
… ♪
…. ♪ ♪
….. ♪ ♪ ♪
After the last song, Shell-II inquires, “Well?”
“It was better than I expected. Hmph, surprisingly more complex than I though-.”
“Thank you, thank you! ♥” The roaring speakers drown me out as the young idol begins her closing. Any second now. “I know that was the last song, but gosh, you all have been lovely! I can’t just leave it on that can I?” She continues as the crowd cheers louder. Are idulls always this electric? Definitely one of the better audiences. “Okay, I do have a couple extra song options prepped, but ah why not? Instead, why don’t I make it special? It’s an old song so I apologize if it’s a little rough around the edges, but this one is for you! ♥”
She begins her encore and just as the fireworks go off,
BOOM!
Hah, that was a big one. Wait, oh fu-
Shoving me, Shell-II yells, “Did you put the right amount of N-4!?”
“Course I did! Shit R.AI.NA’s bleedin’ on the floor.” I curse as I rush towards the stage while pushing my way through the hysteria. What happened? Paramedic’s already coming in, but is she even living? Security’s on high alert, but doesn’t matter. I’ll just tackle my way through, or so I’d like but I’m stopped by a red flash.
“You.” I say while pulling Killa out and pointing it at the young girl with a bright green snake patch on her puffer jacket. “I recognize that symbol, Tehkimaira ain’t ya?” …She doesn’t reply. She’s got a Ze-9 blade, real nice amped edge to it. This can only end well. Moving forward to get past I tell her “What do ya want, I’m busy here.”
Sliding in my way with her skates, in a cold voice she says, “No harm was to come to the girl.”
With a groan I lament “Course, it had to be the fucking Tehki’s. Listen, I don’t know what happened, but this wasn’t our fault.” I point at the para and security team and tell her, “Look, they’re carrying her over and evacuating! So she’s a little banged up, deduct it.”
“Aa-aa, I don’t think you understand.” the Tehki girl lowers her stance as her bob-cut hair turns from blue to violet and eyes turn from pink to orange. Readying her katana, she reinforces, “She was not to be harmed.”
“…”
“…”
“… Tehki’s just give a blade that quality out to anyone eh? Ya don’t look a day over 20. Why don’t you just-”
Bang!
I missed?? How’s another one, two, three, crap, I can’t hit her! I’m aiming at afterimages of her red jacket here. She was definitely trouble but di’int think she’d be this monstrous. Her reaction time screams neuro-implants. “Cut me some slack, don’tcha think rolla skates are a little unfair? I’m just on my feet- AH” I yelp as I feel a cold electric sting on my left side. The shock alone is almost enough to knock me out. She closed that gap way too quick. With only the slightest moment of rest I try to reorient myself for the next incoming attack. A sharp clang echoes through the now mostly empty stadium as I somehow manage to deflect with my gun. “I’m sorry, Killa!” I audibly apologize.
Now from the left,
upper right,
center,
upper left,
righ- OW, left!
I can barely keep up with this. Gonna get sliced in half at this rate, where the hell is Shell-II?? At the cost of yet another excruciating laceration on my back, and maybe some exposed viscera, I manage to steal a glance behind me to see that bitch is nowhere to be found. What a surprise.
Exhausted from meaninglessly trying to a few more shots and bleeding out from a couple more cuts, I exasperatedly squeak “I give, I give! You know I’m not alone on this op, ya need me to help you find Shell-II!” Selling out my partner’s a big no-no but at this moment I’m not sure whether or not I’m serious. Thankfully, it seems to have bought breathing time. Only a few breaths, she points the blade my way inches in front of my face.
“Should’ve set N-4 up properly.” She remarks in the calmest voice.
“Wait, how did you know I-” Not a moment before I finish, my vision gets inverted as an explosion goes off so nearby my already loose consciousness falters further. I make out a vola flying in and roaring to a hover right next to me. The passenger door opens, and I hear a familiar voice call out.
“Get the hell in!!” Shell-II shouts. I try to reach over to carry myself with the last of my strength. Shell-II grabs my right hand but the Tehki, seemingly not hurt by the explosion, encroaches and with a final slash I block with my other arm. The piece’a junk manages to not break under the pressure but the shock courses through me. Before I ultimately pass out, I see Shell-II firing that BZT-17.
“Heh…”
•
I wake up to the sound of a series of beeps, pings, and whirring servos. “The all too familiar heat and stench of Nose’s hole.” I say with moderate disgust. I’m mostly used to it by now. Looking around to an empty room I mutter, “Where is Ol’ Nose?”
“He’s out.” A voice I’m begrudgingly happy to hear.
“Oh, it’s you.”
“Yeah, you were not alone on this op, remember? I heard that you know.”
I point to her and open up but before I can say anything I notice I got a new left arm.
“Ze-A32, the one you wanted right?”
“…This is more than 70k.”
“Well Ol’ Nose made good, partially, for the botched op. Would ruin his rep otherwise.”
“Shell-II-”
“It’s Shell-III now.”
“Thanks.”